One of the dumbest lines in professional sports has to be this one:  ”Let the players decide the game.”

We heard this twice over the weekend.  First, it was in the Louisville-Wichita State game when the refs blew a quick whistle on a late scramble for a loose ball.  In the other semi-final, there was a charge called on Syracuse with 19.2 seconds left that easily could have been called a blocking foul.

Then we heard it:  ”Let the players decide the game.”

Oh, OK, you mean don’t call fouls at the end?  Yeah, that makes sense.  ”Hey, guys, I know we’ve been calling fouls for the first 37 minutes or so, but in the final three minutes, you guys have free reign to do whatever you want and we’ll swallow the whistle.”

It was obvious to just about everyone that the quick whistle in the Wichita State-Louisville game was just a bad call.  The refs lost sight of the ball for a nano-second and they blew the play dead.  It was a bad call, that’s all.

The much-discussed charge in the Syracuse-Michigan game could have been called either way.  So, do BOTH ways count as “I hate it when the refs take over the game”?  If he calls Michigan for a block there, do we still say, “Let the players decide the game”?

If it’s a foul, call it.

That should be all there is to it.

Granted, not all the calls are good, or right, but NOT calling fouls down the stretch wouldn’t be the answer, either.

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I’ll have Joe Unitas on Monday’s D&L Window Tinting Morning Reaction to discuss the family feud involving the selection of Joe Flacco to play Johnny Unitas in parts of the upcoming movie “Unitas We Stand”.  Maybe I’m in the minority, but the use of Flacco is curious, to me at least, although I can’t imagine he was selected in some attempt to jab at John Unitas, Jr., who called Joe “a goofball” and claimed him unfit to portray his late father in the film.

I’m assuming Flacco was chosen to give the film some much needed box office push, if the whole project even gets to the finish line.  A smart marketing person would probably give the move a thumbs-up, since people going to the movie is one of the only ways the project becomes profitable.

Family money (and this coming from someone who has zero wealth in his extended family) must be a terrible thing to fight over…we’ve all seen it cause great strife amongst people that should know better.

It’s a shame that money has created this chasm between the two Unitas boys.

Flacco might be smart to just say, “I don’t know…maybe I shouldn’t involve myself in this thing.”

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The Astros are off to a 1-5 start, which begs the ONLY question that matters right now as it relates to Houston.

“How on earth did they win one?”

If you found $100 under your mattress and you were forced to bet on the Astros and their win total on June 1, would you say they’ll have more than 12.5 wins or less?

I’d take under 12.5.  They might not have double digits by then.

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Another nice win for the Capitals last night at home over Tampa Bay.

This is the best Ovechkin has looked in two or three years.  He’s actually trying now.

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Everyone is making a big deal that Adam Jones lost a ball in the sun on Sunday in the loss to Minnesota.

That’s better than losing his glove in Fells Point.

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I’ll be in Augusta later tonight and will wake up bright and early Tuesday morning ready to walk the storied grounds of Augusta National Golf Club.  I’m staying through Wednesday.

I’m going with Matt Kuchar to win this year.  I think he’ll turn back a spirited Sunday charge from the likes of Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson.  I have a feeling Graeme McDowell might even be in the mix too.  But, Kuchar is my pick to win his first major championship.

I know what you’re thinking:  ”Drew, what do you know?”

Yeah, you’re right.  After all, I’m the clown who picked Louis Oosthuizen last year and we all know how that turned out for him.  He lost in a playoff after Bubba Watson hit the luckiest shot in the history of golf on the first playoff hole.

Have a great couple of days with Nestor and I’ll be back on Thursday morning.

DF

Lord knows Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco doesn’t need me (or anyone else in the world right now) to speak up for him.

The Super Bowl XLVII MVP is doing just fine, thank you. After silencing his critics (except for a handful of analysts who refuse to accept fact and continue to live in a world where continuing their narrative is more important than actually analyzing what happens on a football field) in a postseason run for the ages, Flacco signed what is still technically for the moment the richest contract in NFL history. Since then, the Ravens have made a series of personnel moves that have made it clear the quarterback isn’t just the future of the franchise but very much the present.

By no means is there anything other than the brightest rays of sunshine in Joe Flacco’s life.

This weekend brought a strange turn however, as the seemingly incredibly cool news that Flacco would shoot the football scenes of an upcoming Johnny Unitas biopic in the role of the Hall of Fame Baltimore Colts QB. The project, “Unitas We Stand” is being produced on a smaller budget by Joe Unitas, one of the sons of “Johnny U”, the screen play based on the book “Johnny U” by Tom Callahan.

My initial reaction to the news was something along the lines of “this is one of the neatest Baltimore things I’ve ever heard…ever.”

My personal reaction to the news hasn’t changed much since that first response, but the story took an ugly turn Sunday as other members of the Unitas family weighed in on the involvement of the Ravens’ signal caller.

J.C. Unitas, the grandson of Johnny Unitas and son of John Unitas Jr. said on Facebook “If you want a real movie, hire a real actor. My grandfather and his legacy deserves only the best, and this is not it. Has Baltimore forgotten that Trent Dilfer also won a Super Bowl while playing for Baltimore?”

Unitas Jr. described Flacco to USA Today as a “goofball”, adding “if you want a quarterback, go with Peyton Manning. My father was just like that. This is a joke.”

The quotes make public on a national scale what has been known on a much smaller scale for years; there is a major rift between the children of Baltimore’s greatest quarterback’s two wives. After the Hall of Famer’s death, his widow Sandra Unitas seized control of the marketing company representing his likeness from John Jr. John Jr. sued to regain control of the company and a divide was created in the relationship between the five children Unitas had from his first marriage (including John Jr.) and the three from his second marriage (including Joe).

John Unitas Jr. once told the Baltimore Sun “she is nothing to me” about Sandra Unitas. I can tell you (while choosing to avoid specifics because I don’t think they serve much of a purpose) that I have heard him use much worse terms to describe her in private conversations.

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OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The statue of Johnny Unitas will receive some company outside M&T Bank Stadium sooner rather than later.

At the Ravens’ season-review press conference on Tuesday, owner Steve Bisciotti was asked whether the organization had plans to erect a statue of retiring linebacker Ray Lewis, who played his final game in winning Super Bowl XLVII after 17 years in Baltimore. The owner confirmed it’s simply a matter of when — not if — it will happen.

“We have to work that out [as far as] where and how long it takes, but yes,” Bisciotti said. “I think he set himself apart in Baltimore sports history, and we will certainly look into it. I would not be surprised if there’s one there in the next year or two.”

Lewis will become eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

The Ravens have also begun working on designs for their Super Bowl championship ring, but Bisciotti confirmed what they will be made from after polling his players prior to the downtown parade on Tuesday.

“They wanted white gold instead of gold,” Bisciotti said. “We talked in the locker room while we were preparing for the parade. That was the only question I asked. I said we were going to start working on the designs. We have no idea what the design is going to be.”

Based on the history of NFL championship rings in recent years, you can expect the jewelry to be gaudy and flashy in celebration of the Ravens’ second world championship in their 17-year history.

“Steve assured me that he is going to design a ring that I will never wear,” said team president Dick Cass as he laughed.

New Orleans based Ghost Rider Pictures announced the development of a biopic film of former Baltimore Colts QB Johnny Unitas Friday. The project is titled “Unitas We Stand” and is slated for a 2014 release.

According to the company’s website, the film is based on the 2006 biography “Johnny U: The Life and Times of Johnny Unitas” by Tom Callahan. The screenplay was written by Unitas’ son Joe Unitas and Nick Slatkin, whose credits include the 2010 drama “Placebo”. Joe Unitas is also listed as a producer for the film, along with Chris Braun, Oley Sassone and Steven Scaffidi (who recently produced the documentary “The Sojourners”.)

The project’s website offers the following synopsis: “After experiencing a devastating personal loss, a young man, through sheer determination and his God-given talent, proves the experts wrong to become one of the greatest players in the history of the game.”

The project’s Facebook page adds “”Unitas We Stand” is a major independent motion picture in development which is based on the best-selling book “Johnny U” and inspired by the true life of one of the greatest players in NFL history, Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas.”

HBO attempted to tell Unitas’ story via documentary in 1999 with a project titled “Unitas.” Callahan’s book was not the first written about the iconic quarterback. Author Roland Lazenby released “Johnny Unitas: The Best There Ever Was” in 2002.

In an email to WNST.net, Joe Unitas said the project was six years in the making. Unitas will join “The Reality Check” Monday on AM1570 WNST.net to discuss the project further.

TOWSON, Md. - The next time Towson fans come to Johnny Unitas Stadium ® to cheer on the Tigers, the field will have a new look! Construction began on May 21 to install FieldTurf Revolution, the latest design in synthetic grass.

The new surface will be an upgrade in durability, hold color better and provide the opportunity to update the graphics on the field with new design from Towson design and publication.

The construction is schedule to be done in mid-June and upon completion, the surface will compare favorably to any playing surface in the country.

As of Friday, May 25, nearly three quarters of the old field turf has been stripped and the process of preparing the field for the new turf will get underway early next week.

Check back to TowsonTigers.com in the near future for updates and pictures as the new turf is being installed.

TOWSON, Md. – Penn State University (12-6) used a strong start to open the second half and pull away from the No. 8 Towson University women’s lacrosse team and post a 15-8 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon at Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

The Tigers (16-4) finished the season with a program record 16 wins. Penn State advances to the second round of the tournament to face No. 1 Florida.

“This one stinks right now,” said Towson Coach Sonia LaMonica. “We had a great season and I have a lot of pride in this team and the adversity we have overcome.”

The game featured the return of former Towson coach Missy Doherty to campus. Doherty coached Towson for seven seasons before moving to Penn State.

“It was more exciting to win with this team,” said Doherty. “I obviously like those players (Towson) a lot and I respect those players a lot. It’s not an easy team to have to come in and coach against because I recruited a lot of those players to Towson. I think there was a great pride in Penn State today and I was really proud of our girls.”

The Tigers scored the first goal of the game as sophomore attacker Andi Raymond scored her 34th goal of the year. Penn State (12-6) responded by scoring five straight goals to take a 5-1 advantage with 18:18 remaining in the half. Molly Fernandez had three goals for the Nittany Lions during that run.

A goal from sophomore midfielder Kelly Murkey at 17:30 put a halt to the Penn State flurry. Murkey’s goal was followed by scores from junior midfielders Ashley Waldron and Kelly Custer to make it a 5-4 game with 7:35 to play in the half. Mackenzie Cyr pushed the Nittany Lions’ lead back to two goals, 6-4 with 3:26 to go until the break.

Raymond scored with 10 seconds remaining, sending the home team into the break trailing 6-5.

Penn State outshot the Tigers 16-8 in the first half while controlling eight of the 12 draw controls.

The Nittany Lions opened the second half on a 5-0 run to take control of the game, building an 11-5 lead with 21:09 to play. Haley Ford had three of the five goals Penn State scored during that run.

Towson disrupted the Nittany Lions’ run with back-to-back goals from Waldron and sophomore attacker Ashleigh Rohrback. Rohrback’s goal at 17:25 made it an 11-7 game. Penn State scored four of the last five goals in the game to make it a 15-8 final.

Goalkeeper Dana Cahill made six saves in the win for Penn State. Senior goalkeeper Mary Teeters made seven saves in her final collegiate action for the Tigers. Freshman Kelsea Donnelly made one save in 11:28 of work.

The Nittany Lions finished the game with a 28-17 advantage in shots while controlling 14 of the 25 draw controls in the game.

Fernandez and Ford led Penn State with three goals each while Maggie McCormick had a goal and three assists.

Raymond, Waldron and Custer each scored two goals in the game for the Tigers while Murkey had a goal and an assist.

Towson loses Teeters and seniors Sarah Appelt and Shannon Kennedy to graduation but returns four of the top five scorers next season.

TIGERS TO HOST PENN STATE IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

Towson to Host NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history 

TOWSON, Md. – The Colonial Athletic Association Champion Towson University women’s lacrosse team will host Penn State University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be played on Saturday, May 12 at 3 p.m. in Johnny Unitas Stadium.

The Tigers (16-3), who will be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time since 2005, will be hosting an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in program history.

“Obviously this is super exciting for us and the program,” said Towson coach Sonia LaMonica. “To have a chance to play at home where we have had success this season is great for the team.”

Towson will face a familiar opponent in the first round as the Nittany Lions (11-6) are coached by Missy Doherty. Doherty coached the Tigers for seven seasons before heading to Penn State prior to the start of the 2011 season. She had a 79-46 record in Towson and won three CAA Championships and made four NCAA Tournament appearances with the Tigers.

The Tigers, who earned the eighth seed for the Tournament, won their program record 10th straight game on Saturday night with a 15-5 victory over Monmouth in the NCAA Play-In game.  Sophomore attacker Andi Raymond is one of seven Tigers to have scored at least 15 goals this season. Raymond has 66 points this season on 33 goals and 33 assists. Fellow sophomore attacker Ashleigh Rohrback has contributed 26 goals and 22 assists. Senior goalkeeper Mary Teeters leads the team with an 8.13 goals against average and a .513 save percentage.

 “Penn State is a good team that had some quality wins this season,” said Coach LaMonica. “The chance to get to face Missy (Doherty) will add a special aspect to this game for us.”

Penn State earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after falling to Johns Hopkins, 13-12 in the first round of the American Lacrosse Conference Tournament. Mackenzie Cyr and Maggie McCormick lead the Nittany Lions with 55 points each this season. Cyr has 33 goals and 22 assists while McCormick has contributed 28 goals and 27 assists. Dana Cahill had a 9.93 goals against average and a .491 save percentage.