Caps Update

The Washington Capitals players had the day off on Monday but Caps Coach Bruce Boudreau was out at Kettler Ice Plex studying film of the Montreal Canadiens in preparation for Thursday’s playoff opener at the Verizon Center (7pm on Comcast HD). The Capitals, who finished the regular season with 121 points (54-15-13) will take on a Habs team that struggled in its’ last 10 games (3-4-3) and barely held off a hard charging New York Rangers club (7-1-2 in last 10) for the eighth and final playoff spot. Montreal went 39-33-10 (88 points) and on paper this appears like a mismatch despite the fact that the season series saw each team win a game after regulation had ended with the other two contests being decided by one and two goals, respectively. Many predictions, outside of the city of Montreal, have the Caps winning this one rather quickly.

But the playoffs are a totally different animal and the intensity will be high. There are several things for Boudreau to look at and examine but one of the first has to be to find some weaknesses in a pair of very good goaltenders. Carey Price, who played all four games in the regular season series between these two teams, went 13-20-5 on the year but he had a .912 save percentage. Jaroslav Halak, who pretty much carried Team Slovakia into the final four of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, was 26-13-5 with a .924 save percentage and appears to have won the number one goalie job going into the post season. Both of these goalies are very good and if one stumbles, the Caps aren’t getting any bargains if the other one gets an opportunity. A big key for Washington will be to get traffic on either goalie, fire the puck on net, and go for rebounds, something they did very well at times this season with the addition of Mike Knuble (29 goals).

Montreal struggles to score, tallying only 217 times counting shootout goals, and only six teams in the NHL lit the lamp on fewer occassions. However, their leading point scorer, Tomas Plekenac (25 goals, 45 assists), owns the Caps and he had four goals, an assist, and was +2 in the four meetings between these squads. #14 is a small, shifty center that gives Washington fits and will likely be someone the team focuses on slowing down. The Canadiens had the second best power play in the NHL, behind the Caps, and are ancored by defenseman Andrei Markov’s booming shot. #79 had six goals, 28 assists and was a team high +11 while playing just 45 games (injured for most of the first half of the season).

I will be out at Caps practice on Tuesday and will bring you more information on this matchup before unleashing my series prediction on Wednesday night.

NHL Playoff Predictions

There are seven other series to open the Stanley Cup playoffs, which start on Wednesday night on VERSUS (games also on NHL Centre Ice package). Here is a quick preview and prediction on each matchup:

Eastern Conference:

#2 New Jersey Devils vs. #7 Philadelphia Flyers: The Flyers won five of the six games between these two teams in the regular season and Devils goalie Martin Brodeur does have his problems with Philly, at times. But with Brian Boucher in goal for the Flyers because of injuries to Ray Emery and Michael Leighton, I just don’t see Philly being able to stop a team that has Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac, Patrick Elias, and Jamie Langenbrunner. Philadelphia scored 236 goals (includes shootout goals) and is led up front by Mike Richards (31), Jeff Carter (33), and Daniel Briere (26). However, Carter is coming off of a fractured foot so he is not 100%. The Pick: Devils in 6

#3 Buffalo Sabres vs. #6 Boston Bruins: It remains to be seen if Sabres forward Tim Connolly (missed last 9 games due to a foot injury) will be ready for the post season. Connolly had 65 points and is a highly skilled, but very injury prone player.  In addition, Jochen Hecht and Drew Stafford are both banged up for Buffalo while Boston looks to be without Marc Savard, who has not played since being knocked out by that vicious and dirty hit from Matt Cooke of Pittsburgh. One question I have is how much does Ryan Miller, who has carried this Sabres club, have left in the tank? The Bruins appear to be going with Tuukka Rask instead of Team USA backup goalie Tim Thomas. The Pick: Sabres in 7.

#4 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #5 Ottawa Senators: This will be the 3rd playoff meeting in four years for these two squads. Ottawa received a big blow losing forward Alexei Kovalev for the season with a knee injury. The Sens have gotten super goaltending from Brian Elliott and Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson have played exceptionally well in the second half of the season. But the Penguins, who on paper don’t appear to be as good as last season, have just too much for GM Bryan Murray’s club with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal up the middle and Marc-Andre Fleury in net. The Pick: Penguins in 5

Western Conference

#1 San Jose Sharks vs. #8 Colorado Avalanche:  The Sharks, who historically have done well in the regular season and then struggled in the post season, have a super top line of Joe Thornton, Dany Heatley, and Patrick Marleau. Their defense is anchored by Stanley Cup veterans Dan Boyle and Rob Blake. Between the pipes it is Evgeni Nabokov, who has had his struggles this year and in the Olympics for Team Russia. The Avalanche, who finished last in the West in 2008-09 were the surprise team of the season getting major contributions from rookies Matt Duchense and Ryan O’Reilly. Noone was more important to the Avs than goalie Craig Anderson, who was signed as a free agent from Florida and carried this club on his back. However, the clock has struck midnight for this young team coached by former Capital Joe Sacco. The Pick: Sharks Sweep in 4.

#2 Chicago Blackhawks vs. #7 Nashville Predators: The Hawks were the chic pick last summer to win it all with young superstar forwards Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. They have a super blue line led by Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook but their puck rushing and power play specialist, Brian Campbell, is still out with a fractured clavicle. Chicago has goalie issues but will likely go with Antti Niemi (26-7-4) over Cristobal Huet (26-14-4). Niemi’s save percentage was .912 to Huet’s .895, a big difference. The Predators get great coaching from former Baltimore Skipjacks coach Barry Trotz and former Caps GM David Poile, who with a limited budget to work with, seems to accomplish things with mirrors year in and year out. The Preds have a great defensive trio of Shea Weber, Ryan Suter, and Dan Hamhuis that will have their work cut out for them against the high flying Blackhawks. The Pick: Chicago in 7.

#3 Vancouver Canucks vs. #6 Los Angeles Kings: Vancouver has the Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel, Ryan Kesler, and Alexander Burrows up front to go with Team Canada Olympic gold medal winning goalie Roberto Luongo. The Kings, who are guided by former Capitals and Skipjacks Coach Terry Murray are a young team that exceeded expectations thanks primarily to great goaltending from American Jonathan Quick. The Kings have talented and physical 20 year old defenseman Drew Doughty and some skilled forwards in Anze Kopitar and Alexandre Frolov but they also have gritty ones in team captain Dustin Brown and Ryan Smyth. Smyth and Brown are both players who will go to the net for the ugly goals, but scoring on Luongo is very difficult. The Pick: Canucks in 6

#4 Phoenix Coyotes vs. #5 Detroit Red Wings: Phoenix, along with LA and Colorado, were a surprise to make the playoffs but goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was sensational and former Capital Dave Tippett did a wonderful job of getting Shane Doan to adjust his game to mesh with some younger forwards. The result was the best season in Coyotes history. That won’t matter though as the vaunted Wings are finally healthy and appear to be clicking on all cylinders. Rookie Jimmy Howard has seized the goaltending job from Chris Osgood. Detroit still has Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski on defense and up front Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg have really elevated their games since the Olympic Break. GM Ken Holland and coach Mike Babcock also got Johan Franzen back from an ACL injury in early February. When healthy, this team is scary good. The Pick: Wings Sweep in 4.

Happy Wednesday!

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because there was a Chick-Fil-A platter delivered yesterday afternoon during Rex Snider & Ray Bachman’s show. There may have only been a few chicken nuggets left by the time I drove as fast as I could to get back to 1550 Hart Rd., but it was well worth it.

Oh and also, it’s a Happy Wednesday for me because I finally got around to watching Zach Galifianakis host Saturday Night Live. I had to watch it on Hulu because my roommate (thanks pal) forgot to record it on our brand new Comcast DVR. It wasn’t QUITE as good as Jon Hamm, but it certainly had some moments….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQDqH7l3Co4[/youtube]

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. WNST.net’s Luke Jones says Greivis Vasquez named ACC Player of the Year, Gary Williams ACC Coach of the Year

Boy, this picture Luke included with his blog says a lot….

Hopefully this story isn’t the watershed moment in the Greivis Vasquez-Gary Williams story. But even if it is; the story will be a tremendous one to tell for Maryland fans to tell over the course of the next generation.

Both Greivis and Gary were OVERLY deserving of these honors, and the voting portrayed exactly that. Vasquez was a runaway victor-with his performance against Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils last week at Comcast Center clearly fresh on the minds of voters. Gary also won with a big margin over Coach K, his 2nd such honor during his 21 seasons in College Park.

Jordan Williams was 2nd in ACC Rookie of the Year voting (behind a VERY deserving Derrick Favors from Georgia Tech), leaving the Terps just short of an ACC awards sweep.

2. Washington Post’s Michael Wilbon says having veteran players could help Terrapins make run in NCAA Tournament

And of course he’s right about that. The trio of seniors (Vasquez, Eric Hayes and even Landon Milbourne); as well as veterans Adrian Bowie, Cliff Tucker, and Dino Gregory off the bench will ABSOLUTELY help the Terps in the Big Dance.

BUT….other teams have good players too.

AND….other teams might be even more talented.

OR….other teams might go off for 60% shooting from beyond the arc in a strange atmosphere on a Saturday afternoon in Spokane.

Just having upperclassmen doesn’t guarantee great success in March. But it sure does help.

As a side note, Deadspin offered this yesterday…apparently from the Raycom broadcast of the Maryland/Georgia Tech game a few weeks ago. It humorously points out that the graphic looks similar to a certain part of the female anatomy. I wouldn’t giggle if it weren’t funny…

3. The Sun says Terps, Texas given ‘reprieve’ from new rule limiting “coach in waiting” involvement in recruiting

The only thing I don’t understand in this whole process is why the NCAA would adopt a rule basically preventing teams from using the “coach in waiting” system, but not just ban the “coach in waiting” system altogether?

James Franklin (like the Longhorns’ Wil Muschamp) is an ASSISTANT coach. Ralph Friedgen is the head coach, like Mack Brown in Austin. Franklin and Muschamp should be allowed to recruit the same way every other ASSISTANT coach in the country is.

Nothing about this rule makes any sense to me. Giving these coaches ‘reprieve’ for one season isn’t the answer, either. Either ban the entire system, or let the coaches recruit the way they should be allowed to.

4. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Bruce Campbell, Nolan Carroll, Chris Turner, Cory Jackson to work out at Maryland’s Pro Day today in College Park

You know what’s a LITTLE bit weird? NFL Scouts are going to be looking at Bruce Campbell today the same way I look at “Big Bang Theory” star Kaley Cuoco…

…Okay, maybe not the SAME way, but you get the point.

Today is biggest for CB Nolan Carroll, who scouts like-but haven’t seen do anything on a football field after Week 2-when he broke his leg. He was in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, but only for the private meetings and medical checks, he didn’t actually work out.

It’s a big day for Chris Turner too. Not because he has any chance of reaching the NFL (I’m not sure he’s even really concerned about TRYING to reach the NFL-he has an idea about what he wants to do for the rest of his life), but because he would REALLY like for the scouts in the room to know him as something OTHER than the dude who looks like Napoleon Dynamite.

5. Morgan State Official Site previews tonight’s MEAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup with North Carolina A&T

I’m a LITTLE confused as to why the MEAC sets up their tournament to have some teams playing their first round games today and other teams playing quarterfinal games tonight, but it does appear as though it is set up to benefit the #1 seeded Bears. If they win tonight (as they should against an A&T team that had to play Howard last night), they’ll be off tomorrow night, and won’t have to play 3 games in 3 days to win the MEAC title and the automatic bid.

Instead, they’ll have to play Friday night and Saturday afternoon-which is still a difficult task, but not nearly as daunting as playing 3 times in 3 days.

6. Coppin State Official Site previews this afternoon’s MEAC Tournament opener against UMES

Fang Mitchell told me after the Eagles lost to Norfolk State last week that he was pretty sure he had never finished last in the MEAC until this season. The pain of that could be dulled a bit by getting a first round victory over the Hawks, although clearly not completely erased.

On the flip side, the job that Frankie Allen has done in Princess Anne cannot go unnoticed. That program struggled to win ANY games, but the former UMBC assistant has gone out there and brought a level of respectability to that program. I’m not sure it translates for long term success THERE-but hopefully it translates to long term success for Allen SOMEWHERE.

7. Inside Lacrosse says Steven Boyle, Kyle Wharton, Michael Kimmel and Zach Palmer all scored 3 goals as Johns Hopkins topped UMBC at Homewood Field

Good win for the Blue Jays-who needed a good win after their tough loss to Princeton Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. They’re not going to get 4 hat tricks every time out, but if they can continue to get a more balanced effort from their attack unit, they’ll be in great shape.

They return to action Saturday night at Hofstra (expect a big crowd there on Long Island). Things get NO easier for the 1-3 Retrievers, as they visit Princeton Saturday afternoon.

8. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Chad Moeller homered, but Birds fell to Rays

Chris Tillman gave up 2 runs (1 earned) over 2 1/3 innings of work. As Brittany points out, no Orioles pitcher has managed to go 3 innings yet during Spring Training. That’s not overly concerning-but consider the fact that Jeff Niemann appeared to go an effortless 4 innings yesterday for Tampa. Also, the O’s committed 5 errors yesterday. That’s not good….at all.

What IS good? Well, as we first showed you yesterday on Twitter (follow us @WNST), Matt Wieters will grace the cover of next Monday’s issue of SI. Say what you want about a jinx, but having an Oriole on the cover of SI for the first time in 13 years is pretty cool…

Hell, there’s an argument that the picture is more attractive than even this picture of Trish Richardson that I found yesterday at Barstool Sports….

9. Carroll County Times’ Rich Dubroff says Andy MacPhail ‘admitted concern’ regarding Brian Roberts injury

This whole situation with Brian Roberts has been weird since Day 1. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that Brian was dealing with kidney stones, which was immediately shot down by Dave Trembley-who described it as a “lower back issue.” Almost immediately after that, it was diagnosed as a “herniated disc”, with a moderate level of concern.

Now, he’s having bad reactions to medication and the organization is concerned that he might not be ready even by Opening Day.

Does it make you wonder if maybe the initial report from Buster Olney was more accurate than the Orioles wanted us to think it was?

10. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says ‘no deal expected’ for Marlin Jackson after visit with Ravens

Not surprising. Marlin Jackson was in town yesterday (even though he apparently didn’t make it to Martin’s West), so it made sense for him to visit Owings Mills while he was in town. That being said, the Ravens would not be offering Marlin Jackson a money contract and a guaranteed spot to make the team. I doubt the Philadelphia Eagles will be doing that either. Frankly, I doubt any NFL will be doing that with a player who has been injured more over the last two seasons than he has been on the field.

That being said, I imagine (and I don’t have anyone reporting this to me) the conversation probably went something like “Look, we’re more than willing to let you come to Training Camp and prove you can be a part of this team-but we’re not going to promise you anything.”

11. USA Today’s Jim Corbett says Kurt Warner thinks Ravens got ‘another Ray Lewis’ with Anquan Boldin acquisition

And if there’s someone in that conversation who would know, it would be Kurt Warner. The same way that Boldin embodies the idea of “Play Like a Raven”, so does Kurt Warner. These guys are tough, they’re “warriors”, and they respect each other a great deal.

As I said yesterday, it really IS a “perfect fit.”

12. WNST.net’s Nestor Aparicio says in midst of controversy, Michael Vick did good at Ed Block Courage Awards

If you haven’t read this blog yet, PLEASE do so. And check out this video from WNSTv that accompanies it….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmp-fMr31c0[/youtube]

I don’t think it would necessarily CHANGE your opinion about Michael Vick, especially if you were one of THESE people….

….but I still think it’s worth the time to read.

And finally, I leave you with this.

RIP Corey Haim. Lost Boys meant a lot to all of us….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-epc4kzkKF4[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

Happy Friday!

It was a Happy Friday for me because…

1-the Morgan State thing was AMAZING last night

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

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

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

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m hoping for New Orleans…..

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

These are big games for these teams, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And finally, I leave you with this.

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

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

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

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

Happy Tuesday!

Look, I’m trying to figure out how I feel about this whole steroids situation personally. I mean, clearly Mark McGwire has been embarrassed by having to finally publicly admit to steroid use, and there is little to no chance he will ever be able to shake it off and enter Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

BUT-using steroids to hit all of those home runs did help him get this……

So….they can’t be all bad, right?

Let’s see what everyone has to say…..

1. The AP’s David Ginsburg says Ravens taking similar path this year as they did last

With his point being that a season ago, the Ravens went on the road to blow out the AFC East champs, then went on the road to beat the #1 seed in the AFC. The Ravens have a chance to do the same thing this year, but I don’t think the comparison is fair. With no offense to Chad Pennington and Kerry Collins, I think it says a lot that the quarterbacks the Ravens beat last year are each currently NOT starters in the NFL.

The opponents the Ravens are facing this year are MUCH better than the ones they faced last year-and it absolutely starts at the QB position. The Ravens made a major statement by beating a team with an elite QB (Tom Brady is ABSOLUTELY “elite”), and that could help them build confidence as they look to beat an elite QB in Peyton Manning this week as well.

Me personally, I’d much rather be facing this guy in the playoffs…..

2. The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Harbaugh believes Flacco ‘healthy enough to play well’

I really don’t have much of an idea of just how bad things are for Joe Flacco. We can ALL tell that he’s laboring, but none of us really know just how bad it is because Joe and the coach of the team continue to dismiss it.

It is well understood that come playoff time-everyone in the league is banged up. But having your quarterback banged up and having a starting cornerback banged up are two VERY different things. This isn’t a case of whether or not Joe can play-obviously he can. But this IS a question of “what might happen?” if the Ravens trail 31-26 with 1:16 left and 1 timeout.

It could be an issue.

3. Carroll County Times’ Aaron Wilson says Todd Heap ‘expected to play’ Saturday night

ESPN.com’s James Walker added last night that the x-rays on Todd’s back came back negative, which is good news for everyone. Todd Heap won’t be the difference in Saturday night’s game, but we all know the Ravens are better off with a healthy Todd Heap than they are without one.

4. Indianapolis Star’s Mike Chappell says Colts have never won playoff game after first round bye

I think this is a completely relevant statistic that CANNOT be overlooked. Peyton Manning has NEVER won a playoff game after shutting things down or getting out of rhythm late in the season. Maybe the Colts will just be better at turning things back on under Jim Caldwell than they were under Jim Mora and Tony Dungy, but I somehow doubt it.

More importantly, whoever wins the toss in this game really needs to take the ball. If the Ravens can come out and dictate pace the way they did in Foxborough, a Colts offense that hasn’t tried to score points in weeks might be in a position to struggle a bit more.

We can at least hope.

5. NFL.com’s Vic Carucci says Colts most ‘vulnerable’ of home teams in 2nd round

Sure.

But they’re also the only home team in the 2nd round of the playoffs with Peyton Manning at quarterback and Reggie Wayne at wide receiver.

Look, the Colts are beatable. But not beatable with a big margin for error. Just beatable. As in, it’s possible.

6. WNST.net’s Nestor Aparicio announces Purple Playoff Parties in Broad Ripple section of Indy Friday night and Saturday afternoon

And who WOULDN’T want to come out and hang with a group of jerks like this???

Here’s what you should know about this picture:

1-Chris Bonetti (the fella on the right whose voice you’ve heard on commercials during the day on AM1570) IS a Jets fan, but they don’t play until Sunday-so you won’t have to worry about him rambling on. Also, he’s ABSOLUTELY rooting for the Ravens on Sunday night (partly because it helps New York), so he’s one of us.

2-Mike Gross (the 2nd guy on the right) is the webmaster at WNST.net. He also lost a game of Pop-A-Shot basketball to his girlfriend by a score of 22-4 on Saturday night at Dave & Buster’s. Is that relevant? No. Did I want to share it anyway? Of course I did.

7. Washington Post’s Steve Yanda says Al-Farouq Aminu leads way as Wake Forest hosts Maryland tonight

The good news again here is that much like Florida State, the Demon Deacons are unlikely to reel off 12-16 points in a row thanks to outside shooting. The Terrapins can’t completely take away Wake’s size, but they should be able to stay close throughout. It’s a tall order to go to Winston-Salem just 48 hours after a big ACC win.

Boy.

75-71 Deacs.

But who knows.

8. WNST.net’s Drew Forrester wonders why Orioles haven’t signed Adam LaRoche

I have no problem with the Birds signing Adam LaRoche. Mostly because he’s capable of playing baseball.

Drew’s right, LaRoche is better than a number of the guys that are available-which of course means he probably wants some money-or maybe 2-3 years.

I get the feeling that might not work here.

9. The AP says Reggie Holmes’ 16 lead Morgan State in win over Hampton

This is what we expect from Todd Bozeman’s team, it’s MEAC season and they are VERY capable of winning any game they play. The combination of Holmes and Thompson will present problems for everyone in the conference. If they play well, they’ll beat everyone in the league.

10. Loyola Official Site says 22 turnovers doom Greyhounds in loss to Iona

As they would if Loyola was playing Stevenson, for the record.

Jimmy Patsos’ bunch is in a tough spot now in the MAAC. They had a great chance to make some noise early on in conference play, but very quickly they’re now 1-5.

I don’t think I need to be the one to tell anyone that 1-5 isn’t a good place to be.

11. The AP says Coppin fell to 5-9 overall after loss to Howard

This isn’t a “bad” loss for Fang Mitchell’s crew-but they certainly can’t afford to think that they can just turn things on come MEAC Tournament time. Replacing Tywain McKee’s scoring continues to be an issue for the Eagles.

12. The AP says Maryland women hung on late to beat ranked Cavaliers in Charlottesville

By far the best win of the season for Brenda Frese’s crew, even if it wasn’t overly impressive. When Tchatchouang missed those freebies at the end of the game, I really wished I could pronounce her name better when I was cursing it.

And finally, I offer this.

It wasn’t exactly Bret Hart, but the WWE managed to keep my interest last night by bringing in Iron Mike Tyson to guest “host” RAW. He even decided to step in the ring and tag with Chris Jericho to take on Shawn Michaels and HHH at the end of the night. It did provide one pretty cool moment….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vBokxrZvUs[/youtube]

Talk to you later.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G

Happy Thursday! I think I’ve gone through the entire range of emotions in the time since the announcement was made yesterday that Roberto Alomar didn’t make the Hall of Fame. I’ve tried to handle it as well as I possibly could, but I stand by my previous decision. I’m done with baseball until Alomar gets in. But we’ll get back to that. In the meantime, I’m stuck hanging out with Drew Forrester and his TERRIBLE pants. He wore them to a Ravens game a couple weeks back….

I have to work with that in the morning. Ugh.

Let’s see what everyone is saying…..

1. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says no Ravens missed practice Wednesday

Which is the best news of all. They’re not technically “healthy”, because a healthy team would have Fabian Washington, Brendon Ayanbadejo, Lardarius Webb, etc. available to them. But at least they’re not down Jared Gaither, Kelley Washington, etc. on top of the guys they’re missing. All of that being said, I get the feeling Dannell Ellerbe will start Sunday no matter how “healthy” Tavares Gooden is.

2. Ravens Official Site says John Harbaugh not offended by being referred to as “Jim Harbaugh” on Patriots press release

And why not? Jim Harbaugh has been on the sidelines at Ravens games nearly as much as John Harbaugh has.

I’m kidding…..mostly.

As a few of us hanging out around 1 Winning Drive yesterday mentioned that NONE of us knew who John Harbaugh was before he interviewed in January 2008, so it isn’t particularly surprising that the Pats would make this mistake. BUT-it could be motivation for a player if it was used the right way.

3. The Sun’s Edward Lee says Mark Clayton not ‘dwelling’ on crucial drop in last visit to Foxborough

And he shouldn’t be.

Look, Mark Clayton has to live with the fact that the ONE thing fans remember him doing this season was that drop in Foxborough. There is no doubt that the drop probably played some sort of role in how much trust Joe Flacco had in him moving forward this season.

But there’s no reason to dwell. If he makes a big catch in a Ravens win Sunday, it will be as if the original drop never happened.

4. Carroll County Times’ Aaron Wilson says Ravens understand they must hit Tom Brady in ‘strike zone’

I’ll make this prediction now. There WILL be a roughing the passer call made on a Ravens player in Sunday’s game-and it might very well on a play where Tom Brady ASKS for the roughing the passer call. Brace yourself for it.

If it’s one-it’s not a problem. If it’s three-the Ravens lose. (If the one comes at the wrong time, it WILL be a problem…so I guess I strike my previous comment.)

5. Boston Globe’s Michael Vega says Flacco looking to take ‘next step’ against Patriots

Would ANYONE be surprised if the Ravens are trailing 24-20 with 1:28 left and 1 timeout when the Ravens get the ball at the New England 18? He has to take the next step SOMETIME, this would be a pretty good time to do it.

6. Yahoo! Sports’ Tom Worgo says Ravens’ ‘emergence sparked’ by Ray Rice

Which means that Tom Wongo has watched the Ravens this season.

(Editor’s note: That’s not meant as a slap at Tom Wongo-he wrote about the biggest storyline of the Ravens season, it’s just that all of us locally have been very aware of just why Ray Rice was Team MVP this season. Sometimes I’m just including national stories so fans can see there isn’t a bias.)

7. The Sun’s Dan Connolly says former Orioles 2B Roberto Alomar falls 8 votes short of election to Hall of Fame

I don’t have much venom left on this. I think Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com (who lives in Baltimore) sums it up the best when quoted in Connolly’s story:

“I was stunned. I expected he would go in, and he should have gone in,” said Ken Rosenthal, senior baseball writer for Foxsports.com and a voting member of the BBWAA. “This is not simply a Hall of Famer. This is one of the greatest second basemen of all time. … For him not to go in on the first ballot, frankly, reflects poorly on us as an organization.”

Correct.

8. WNST.net’s Drew Forrester admits to trying to lose while GM of Baltimore Spirit

Great story, great read. Really interesting considering what happened with the Colts and Bengals in the last 2 weeks of the season to help the Jets secure an AFC Wild Card berth. Worth the read.

9. Towson Official Site says Tigers fell to 0-4 in CAA with loss at Hofstra

Not surprising at all. Hofstra is a VERY tough team at home. It’s tough to say this about an early season road game, but Pat Kennedy’s bunch really needs this game Saturday at James Madison to avoid falling to 0-5 in conference play.

10. UMBC Official Site says Retrievers fall to 1-13 with home loss to Penn

This is a bad loss. The Ivy League may be a higher-rated conference RPI-wise, but losing a home game to a winless Quakers team is just brutal for Randy Monroe’s bunch. They have the weekend off before visiting Boston University in America East action Tuesday night.

11. The AP says Reggie Holmes’ 23 points weren’t enough as Morgan State fell at Baylor

We all saw this coming. The Bears now head into MEAC play (starting with a trip to Howard Saturday) with an 8-7 record, but their real season begins now.

12. The Sun says Missouri apologized to Navy for band mishap at Texas Bowl

I hadn’t even heard this story before yesterday. What a bizarre incident. The Midshipmen have a proud post-game tradition, and clearly there was just a miscommunication. Very unfortunate.

And I leave you with this.

Deadspin reports that former Ravens FB Ovie Mughelli was “outed” by a former gay lover on a website called “Miss Jia.”

(Editor’s note: After speaking with representatives for Ovie Mughelli, I have agreed to take down the previously posted picture and all other information regarding the content. I have been informed that Mughelli’s attorneys are handling the situation.)

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G

Honorable Mention: Women’s College Basketball: Maryland @ Virginia (Monday 7:30pm from Charlottesville live on ESPN2); High School Basketball: Calvert Hall @ John Carroll (Tuesday 7pm), St. Frances @ Mt. St. Joseph (Tuesday 7pm), Perry Hall @ Woodlawn (Wednesday 6:30pm)

10-Joe Rogan (Sunday 7pm 9:30 Club)

I have no doubt that Joe Rogan hates the fact that most of America knows him more as the host of “Fear Factor” than they do as a UFC analyst or as a comedian, but I don’t think it’s a big deal. I mean, if it weren’t for that show-how would I ever known just how delicious bull testicles really are???

9-Tennis: Brisbane International (Saturday & Sunday 9am on Tennis Channel)

You know why this is a big deal? Because somebody I like is back in action…….

Is he wearing pants? Frankly-I don’t know, and I’m not sure that I care……

8-Baltimore Blast vs. Monterrey La Raza (Friday 7:35pm from 1st Mariner Arena streamed live on B2LiveTV.com)

Did you guys see this story where Billboard magazine named 1st Mariner Arena the best arena (of its size) in the country???

I guess the following venues were the other options…….

7-PGA Tour: SBS Championship (Thursday 3:30pm, Friday-Sunday 6pm from Maui live on Golf Channel)

Hey! Golf’s Back!!! Which means……ummm………Forrester will be watching?

Seriously, I only even mention it because its the season opener; the “exclusive” field of 28 STILL includes golfers I’ve never freaking heard of!

WHO THE HELL IS MARTIN LAIRD??????

Also, did anyone say they wanted to see Tiger Woods’ nipples???

6-NBA: Wizards @ 76ers (Tuesday 7pm from Philadelphia live on Comcast SportsNet), Wizards @ Cavaliers (Wednesday 7pm from Cleveland live on Comcast SportsNet), Magic @ Wizards (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Hornets @ Wizards (Sunday 1pm from New Orleans live on Comcast SportsNet)

I really can’t pile on the whole Gilbert Arenas mess. It’s such a mix of sad and hilarious that there’s nothing else I can say.

Instead, I’m going to share a picture of Hayden Panettierre’s ass from some time she spent hanging out with boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Does it have anything to do with hoops? No. Does it matter? Hell no.

5-NHL: Canadiens @ Capitals (Tuesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS), Senators @ Capitals (Thursday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Capitals @ Thrashers (Saturday 7pm from Atlanta live on Comcast SportsNet)

Caps/Thrash, huh? You think Ondrej Pavelec still has nightmares about Jeff Schultz????

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

4-College Basketball: Florida State @ Maryland (Sunday 5:30pm from Comcast Center live on Comcast SportsNet locally, Fox Sports Net nationally), Towson @ James Madison (Saturday 2pm from Harrisonburg, VA live on Comcast SportsNet), Penn @ UMBC (Wednesday 7:30pm RAC Arena), Loyola @ Fairfield (Friday 9pm from Bridgeport, CT live on ESPNU), Iona @ Loyola (Monday 7pm Reitz Arena), Coppin State @ Howard (Monday 8pm Burr Gymnasium)

Look, I hope the Terps kick the CRAP out of the Seminoles Sunday night in College Park, but there will still be a soft spot in my heart for one particular member of the ‘Noles nation.

(Edit from GMC: I love you Tommy Polley-but it’s not you.)

That’s right, there’s a legend from Tallahassee that recently made a major decision which might lead them to slip out of the collective minds of sports fans everywhere. That’s right……

3-UFC Fight Night: Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz (Monday 9pm from Patriot Center live on SpikeTV), WEC 46: Jamie Varner vs. Ben Henderson (Saturday 9pm from Sacramento live http://wnst.net/wordpress/glennclark/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=7367on WEC)

Jamie Varner will be on “The MMA Report” with Bob Haynie and John Rallo Tuesday on AM1570 WNST. He’s also from Tempe, Arizona; where he met and became Facebook friends with one Glenn Clark. He also lives a really tough life…..

2-College Football: Citi BCS National Championship-Alabama vs. Texas (Thursday 8pm from Pasadena, CA live on ABC), FedEx Orange Bowl: Iowa vs. Georgia Tech (Tuesday 8pm from Miami live on FOX), GMAC Bowl: Central Michigan vs. Troy (Wednesday 7pm from Mobile, AL live on ESPN)

What a game.

End of the season.

Everything on the line.

Storied careers ready to come to a close.

What else could you ask for?

I’ll take the Chippewas.

1-NFL Playoffs: Ravens @ Patriots (Sunday 1pm from Foxborough live on CBS), Packers @ Cardinals (Sunday 4:30pm from Glendale, AZ live on FOX), Eagles @ Cowboys (Saturday 8pm from Dallas live on NBC), Jets @ Bengals (Saturday 4:30pm from Cincinnati live on NBC)

(Editor’s note: Following thoughts probably NSFW. Unless you work for Christian Bale. Which must be nice…..)

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G

Here is an update on how today’s local hoops games have been affected by the snow….

Towson’s game with Hampton today has been postponed and re-scheduled for 2pm tomorrow at Towson Center. The Towson women were scheduled to play at UMES today, that game has also been postponed, no make-up date is scheduled yet.

UMBC’s game at American today at Bender Arena has been postponed, no make-up date is scheduled yet.

Loyola is scheduled to play Howard today at 1pm at Reitz Arena, and that game is currently on as scheduled. The game-as long as no further changes are made-will be seen on MASN.

-G

At 5 p.m. today we’re opening WNST.net up to Baltimore sports fans for a giant conversation. We’re going to call it the “Baltimore Blizzard White Room” chat at sundown when we’ll convene in our first-ever “online super chat room.” In lieu of opening up our traditional radio station at AM 1570, we’ll just open it here at WNST.net for anyone with a Facebook, Twitter account or a laptop, netbook or desktop. Hell, you can even use your mobile device, but no one is going anywhere!

So, get your shoveling done, bake your cookies, ice down your beer, reheat your pizza and come by and participate in Baltimore’s biggest and best “Blizzard” bar stool. We’ll chat about whatever is on your mind and we’ll watch the Saints-Cowboys game together.

All Baltimore sports fans and “shut ins” are welcome to attend and participate.

We’re all in this together…

Just click here for the link to the “White Room” chat…

Honorable Mention: Women’s College Basketball: Maryland @ American (Sunday 2pm Bender Arena), Boxing: Kelly Pavlik vs. Miguel Espino (Saturday 9pm from Youngstown, Ohio live on Top Rank PPV), High School Basketball: Dulaney @ Perry Hall (Wednesday 6:30pm), Edgewood @ John Carroll (Thursday 3:30pm), Kenwood @ Perry Hall (Thursday 6:30pm), Overlea @ Bel Air (Thursday 6:45pm), C. Milton Wright @ Poly (Friday 5:15pm), Loyola @ Calvert Hall (Friday 7pm), Woodlawn @ Dulaney (Friday 7pm)

10-Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring The Rockettes (Thursday 4pm & 7pm 1st Mariner Arena; Friday 4pm & 7pm, Saturday 1pm 4pm & 7pm, Sunday 1pm & 4pm Verizon Center; Tuesday & Wednesday 4pm & 7pm Patriot Center), Nutcracker (Saturday 2pm & 7:30pm, Sunday 1pm & 5pm Lyric Opera House), Holiday Spectacular with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Friday-Sunday 2pm & 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall), Glenn Clark Holiday Party (Saturday 7pm My Place-Summer Camp)

You know what? I love Christmas. I LOVE Christmas. I love all the stupid little things that surround Christmas, too. Last week, “The Luckiest Dang Gal on the Face of the Planet” and I watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” together. Tonight, I might watch Frosty the Snowman. AND I’ll even admit to having wandered over to WLIF a few times during Holiday season. Deal with it.

But the BEST part of Christmas? Come on……

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dGOfFbzvq4[/youtube]

9-Philadelphia KiXX @ Baltimore Blast (Friday 7:35pm from 1st Mariner Arena streamed live on B2LiveTV.com)

Drew has this saying……the only good things to come out of Philadelphia are I-95 South and I-95 North. Well, he also includes the great Randy Monroe on that list-but if Randy doesn’t get a win soon I’m not sure we can keep him there.

The point is that I personally have been trying to figure out some other good things to come out of Philadelphia. I talked glowingly about cheesesteaks and Tastykakes in my 15-7-0, so those are out. Here’s what I came up with…..

The Roots

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WbJ9Yc0whc[/youtube]

Bob Saget

(Language NSFW…..unless of course you work on the PGA Tour. Then you’ve probably been using this language a lot since you heard about the whole Tiger Woods thing.)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8sCORuqZQY[/youtube]

And of course the ladies of the Philadelphia Passion….

8-Mixed Martial Arts-Strikeforce: Evolution (Saturday 10pm from San Jose live on Showtime), WEC 45: Donald Cerrone vs. Ed Ratcliff (Saturday 10pm from Las Vegas live on VERSUS)

It’s not that I’m NOT excited about Cung Le and Scott Smith, Matt Lindland, King Mo, or any of the other fights Strikeforce is putting together Saturday night; it’s just that I’m MORE excited about the fight they’ve got coming in January….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62zqyvosHQs[/youtube]

Bobby Lashley is amzaing. But RIP Umaga.

7-College Football: St. Petersburg Bowl: UCF vs. Rutgers (Saturday 8pm from Tropicana Field live on ESPN), New Mexico Bowl: Fresno State vs. Wyoming (Saturday 4:30pm from Albuquerque live on ESPN), R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee State (Sunday 8:30pm from Superdome live on ESPN), FCS Championship Game: Villanova vs. Montana (Friday 8pm from Chattanooga live on ESPN2)

SOOOO…….do I root for the Blue Raiders because they beat the Terps?

Also, usually when I’m trying to find a picture of hot chicks to determine which teams I’m rooting for in games, I Google image search “Sexy _____ Girls” and post whatever I find. And since there’s NO chance I’m rooting for ‘Nova (remember, I don’t much care for Philly. PLUS, their A-hole fans were chanting “Let’s go Nova” after they beat Maryland in the BB&T Classic while I was drinking myself to sanity at The Greene Turtle. Screw them.), I was trying to find some hot girls that root for the Grizzlies. Hence, I searched “Sexy Montana Girls”. Unfortunately, THIS is what I came up with……

This country is terrible. And while we’re on the subject, the most awkward thing of my entire life happened the other day. I walked in on my roommate (“The Luckiest Dang Roommate on the Face of the Planet?”) singing this song the other day….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0fr7a_8ToQ[/youtube]

How long do I wait before I call the cops?

6-College Basketball: Hampton @ Towson (Saturday 4pm Towson Center), UMBC @ American (Saturday 2pm Bender Arena), Howard @ Loyola (Saturday 1pm from Reitz Arena live on MASN)

Slim pickings in College Hoops this week, I’m a little confused about what direction to go here. Hmmm. Well, UMBC is playing American this week……does everyone remember what Heather Graham looked like in Lenny Kravitz’s “American Woman” video? Well here’s a picture of Heather Graham that has nothing to do with that!

5-NBA: Wizards @ Kings (Wednesday 10:30pm from Sacramento live on Comcast SportsNet & ESPN), Wizards @ Warriors (Friday 10:30pm from Oakland live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS & ESPN), Wizards @ Suns (Saturday 9pm from Phoenix live on Comcast SportsNet)

I don’t root for the Wizards…..but I wouldn’t mind making this trip with them. Why? Well, have you BEEN to Phoenix???? I appreciate their holiday spirit…..

4-NHL: Capitals @ Avalanche (Tuesday 9:30pm from Denver live on Comcast SportsNet), Capitals @ Canucks (Friday 10pm from Vancouver live on Comcast SportsNet), Capitals @ Oilers (Saturday 10pm from Edmonton live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS)

Canada is so weird. This band is considered awesome……

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbN7_DmQMuU[/youtube]

I don’t like the Caps, but I actually feel bad for them.

3-“The Hangover” and “Inglourious Basterds” available on DVD (Tuesday)

Seriously, which of these moments was the best movie scene of the year????

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

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4pYr68M5Mc[/youtube]

2-WWE “Tribute to the Troops” (Saturday 9pm from Baghdad, Iraq on NBC), TNA “Final Resolution” (Sunday 8pm from Orlando live on Pay-Per-View)

Why does the WWE send their fighters to the Middle East to celebrate holidays with our troops? Because there is NOTHING more American than a Stone Cold stunner on Vince McMahon…..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDvl0Fliabc[/youtube]

EXCEPT maybe TNA’s SoCal Val………

1-Bears @ Ravens (Sunday 1pm from M&T Bank Stadium live on FOX)

Look, the Bears are going to lose, Jim McMahon > Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and Ed McMahon combined…..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJNC3dgreaU[/youtube]

AND……since we’re at it……

[myspace]http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=23764988[/myspace]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G

Honorable Mention: NCAA Tournament Soccer Sweet 16: Maryland @ Harvard (Sunday 1pm from Boston); Women’s College Basketball: Maryland vs. Samford (Tuesday 7pm Comcast Center), Maryland vs. Howard (Friday 7pm Comcast Center), Maryland vs. Drexel (Sunday 2pm Comcast Center), Towson @ UMBC (Tuesday 7pm Towson Center), College Football-NCAA Tournament 2nd Round: Johns Hopkins @ Thomas More (Saturday 12pm from Crestview Hills, KY)

10-Charm City Devils (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live), Mike Doughty (Wednesday 6:30pm Recher Theatre), Jimmie’s Chicken Shack (Saturday 8pm 8×10 Club), SR-71 (Wednesday 7pm Bourbon Street)

If Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time spent with family, this is a hell of a group of shows to stroll through this week. I mean, consider Jimi Haha as the patriarch of the family…….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JobkYSL1W_o[/youtube]

Mitch Allan as the cousin who went crazy for a while there; but has since settled down a bit. While you know he’s doing better for himself living in California and writing tunes for Kris Allen-you can’t help but wish he’d come back a little bit more than just for Thanksgiving and Passover. Mostly because you miss the old Mitch, you know-the one whose song you still scream along to every time you hear it on the radio….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dY4KjMdMVE[/youtube]

…..and whose girlfriend you can’t help but stare at during Thanksgiving dinner……

John Allen is the cousin that never stopped partying, and you hope never does. When dinner is served at 3pm Thursday, he’ll probably still be asleep. Don’t bother waking him up. He’ll be fine…..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrY3H9vagRg[/youtube]

And Mike Doughty is your dad’s cousin who you’ve only really met once or twice, and seemed kinda weird. But when you started talking with him, you realized he’s lived the lives of about 8 men, yet doesn’t feel the need to preach about the things he’s seen….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSNuqX3EY70[/youtube]

9-Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (Thursday 9am from New York live on NBC)

Dude, If you’re not down with the Macy’s parade-I don’t think I want to be your friend. I mean, on a day when I am preparing to shove about 12 pounds of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and sweet potato pie down my gullet; I appreciate seeing some combination of these images……

….WITHOUT fearing that I am suffering some sort of tryptophan-related hallucination.

8-NBA: Wizards vs. 76ers (Tuesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Wizards @ Heat (Friday 7pm from Miami live on Comcast SportsNet and ESPN), Wizards vs. Bobcats (Saturday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet & NBATV)

I will have to be honest here. I have followed the NBA like-not at all-this season. But a story DID catch my attention over the weekend. With the many common threads between pro hoops and hip-hop music; I figured at some point there would be a high-profile issue between a Rap Superstar and a major name in the world of Basketball. And while I’m not surprised that THIS man was a part of it……

I am a BIT surprised that THIS was his target……

And while Albert contends there was no such confrontation at a Jimmy Kimmel Live taping, something tells me that men who have been roughed up by Curtis Jackson have probably said that before.

7-NHL: Sabres @ Capitals (Wednesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Capitals @ Canadiens (Saturday 7pm from Montreal live on Comcast SportsNet Plus and NHL Network), Capitals @ Hurricanes (Monday 7pm from Raleigh live on Comcast SportsNet)

I’m still not a Caps fan. In fact, no matter what Drew Forrester wants me to do-I’m going to root for the Flyers this season. That being said, THIS gives me WAY more respect for Matt Bradley than I expected……

6-Tennis: Barclays ATP World Tour Finals (Tuesday-Saturday 7:30am & 2pm live on Tennis Channel; Sunday-FINALS-8am live on ESPN2. All matches from London)

Look-If Andy hadn’t pulled out with an injury, this probably would have been my Number 1…..

That being said; I get the feeling Andy has better things to do with his time……

5-College Football: Boston College @ Maryland (Saturday 3:30pm from Byrd Stadium live on ESPNU), Navy @ Hawaii (Saturday 10:30pm from Honolulu live on ESPNU), Texas @ Texas A&M (Thursday 8pm from College Station live on ESPN), Alabama @ Auburn (Friday 2:30pm CBS), Pitt @ West Virginia (Friday 7pm from Morgantown live on ESPN2), Florida State @ Florida (Saturday 3:30pm from Gainesville live on CBS)

Plus there’s Ole Miss-Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. And with no offense no Michael Oher, my man Jason Cook, the late Tony Fein, or ANYONE who has ever won the Egg Bowl Trophy; does THIS really fire you up to go out and win a football game???

You want a trophy? How bout the Fremont Cannon-given annually to the winner of Nevada/UNLV?

Think maybe you might be fired up to play for THAT? I think I could beat UNLV on my own if I knew that was the prize. Damn that’s cool!

4-College Basketball: EA Sports Maui Invitational-Maryland vs. Cincinnati (Tuesday 7pm from Maui live on ESPN; 3rd round Wednesday. Other teams in event: Arizona, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Colorado, Chaminade, Vanderbilt; games will also air on ESPN360 as well); Towson @ Navy (Tuesday 7pm Alumni Hall); Coppin State @ UMBC (Tuesday 7:30pm from RAC Arena live on MASN)

Boy-no real storylines for the Terrapins in their game against Cincy, huh? What’s that??? OH, RIGHT!!!!!

Of course, this presents a fundamental problem for me. You see, I went to Maryland-while my future wife (Laura Simanski) goes to Cincinnati…….

So, while I will be rooting like crazy for the Terps to destroy the Bearcats, I will also be willing to lend a comforting shoulder for my future bride to cry on after. But I’m an old fashioned romantic type like that….

3-WWE Raw (Monday 8:15pm from 1st Mariner Arena live on USA Network)

There is a storied history between World Wrestling Entertainment and Charm City. For example, The Fabulous Moolah won her first ever world title in Baltimore…..

Ron Simmons defeated Big Van Vader in Baltimore to become the first ever African-American World Champion in pro wrestling history…..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf9vQN21phc[/youtube]

And of course the time Vince McMahon beat the hell our of his daughter Stephanie McMahon with a lead pipe at No Mercy back in 2003. Wait. What????

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kmhWzDx7gs[/youtube]

2-Turkey Bowl: Calvert Hall vs. Loyola (Thursday 10am from M&T Bank Stadium live on ABC 2); High School Football State Semifinals: Hereford vs. Linganore (Friday 7pm from Oakdale High), Eastern Tech vs. Douglass-PG (Friday 7pm from CCBC-Essex), Allegany @ Joppatowne (Friday 7pm), Dunbar @ Catoctin (Friday 7pm)

And as always; if you’re headed to see the Cardinals and Dons-or ANY of the high school playoff games this week; Please Remember…..

1-Steelers @ Ravens (Sunday 8:20pm from M&T Bank Stadium live on NBC), Thanksgiving Football: Packers @ Lions (Thursday 12:30pm from Detroit live on FOX), Raiders @ Cowboys (Thursday 4:15pm from Dallas live on CBS), Giants @ Broncos (Thursday 8:30pm from Denver live on NFL Network)

I know Thanksgiving football stinks, but what else are you gonna watch, Vh1 Tough Love 2???

And as the official WNST Ravens analyst, I’d like to offer this analysis.

F*ck the Steelers.

What?

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983……

-G