OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Players from the Baltimore Ravens (13-4) took Monday off, but Head Coach John Harbaugh returned to 1 Winning Drive following a 30-7 AFC Wild Card playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs (10-7) 24 hours earlier at Arrowhead Stadium.

Harbaugh met with reporters Monday to look ahead to Saturday’s AFC Divisional Round playoff battle with the Ravens’ AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) at Heinz Field.

The Steelers will come into Saturday’s game well rested, having not played since a Week 17 win over the Cleveland Browns January 2nd. The Ravens however will play Sunday just six days after their first playoff contest.

“There is definitely an advantage to having the time off from a rest perspective” the coach said Monday.

Harbaugh did argue that the Ravens could gain an advantage over the Steelers thanks to a solid performance in KC.

“There’s probably an advantage to playing from a ‘being sharp’ perspective. We’ll try to take advantage of the things that are strengths in our factor and hope the things that are strengths in their factor will be minimized by the way that we approach what we do. I’m very confident we can get our guys rested and recovered and ready to go on Saturday.”

Harbaugh also expressed his belief that the Ravens defense will benefit from having not been taxed much in the Wild Card playoff win.

“I think it’s a factor” said the Coach. “We had 40 plays. It’s better than playing 80 plays.”

The Ravens gave players off Monday (instead of the customary NFL Tuesday off-day) and delayed practice to 3:30 Tuesday afternoon to try to create more rest.

INJURY UPDATE: Two Ravens who missed Sunday’s game probably could have been able to play, according to Harbaugh.

LB Tavares Gooden (shoulder) and WR/KR David Reed (wrist) both missed the playoff opener despite practicing in the week leading up to the game.

“We had some guys that were just more healthy” Harbaugh said Monday. “I think David can go. He’s getting better catching the ball, he made a lot of progress last week. Tavares could have played, but the more healthy probably gave us a little more at that point.”

Aside from Reed & Gooden, S Tom Zbikowski (back) also missed Sunday’s game due to injury. The Ravens reported nothing on their official postgame injury report, meaning no players left the game and were unable to return.

Harbaugh also noted the possibility S Ed Reed may miss some practice this week as he deals with the apparent death of his brother (Brian Reed) with family in Louisiana.

“We’ve left that up to Ed” said the coach. “I know that Ed knows this team inside and out. We haven’t talked to him yet today. So I think it’s going to kind of depend on the circumstances down there, what he feels he needs to do with his family. But we’ll give him a lot of leeway.”

NOTES: Hear from Harbaugh now in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault at WNST.net……C Matt Birk joined Drew Forrester Monday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST, that chat is available in the Audio Vault as well……Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf will call Saturday’s game for CBS……The Ravens will return to practice Tuesday afternoon, Harbaugh is scheduled to meet with reporters following practice

-G

For those who have been waiting for an aesthetically pleasing performance from the Ravens, you got it on Sunday (in the second half at least). For those just looking for things to be gloomy about, there was plenty for you on Sunday too. Whatever your feelings about it are, the Ravens picked up the only lopsided win of this NFL playoff weekend, and forced 5 takeaways in doing so (even if they gave one right back). In honor of that performance, here are my 5 takeaways from Sundays 30-7 win over the Chiefs in Arrowhead.

1. Great fight match ups are defined by trilogies, Ali/Frazier, Leonard/Duran, Gatti/Ward just to name a few. In that way, Ravens/Steelers III (and Jets/Patriots III for that matter) just feels right. It will be the Ravens 5^th trip to Heinz Field in the last 3 years, and unlike the AFC title game 2 years ago, this is an actual rubber match, and also one in a season where the Ravens might rightfully feel that they should have won each of the first 2 games instead of feeling like they could have won them, as in 2008.

2. As I said, for those looking to be gloomy, there was plenty of fodder for you too. The Ravens came out with a flat first half effort. You could certainly question whether what you saw in Sunday’s second half was more Ravens dominance, or Chiefs panic. They are after all the Chiefs, who haven’t won a playoff game since Joe Montana was at their helm. Still, given what happened to New Orleans on Saturday at the hands of the Seahawks, any playoff win should be considered a good one.

The offensive line looked shaky, albeit against a stout KC defensive front, the running game struggled to get established early, and the Ravens’ inefficiency in the red zone was nothing short of alarming. They’ll have a lot to work on before facing the Steelers next week. But on the flip side, they’re still playing football. Put that in your half empty glasses.

3. The Ravens made some of their own luck on Sunday too. Whether the result of the Siragusa-like flop by Terrence Cody on Jamaal Charles, or the hit on him by Josh Wilson at the sideline on his next carry, Charles was finished early. After giving Ravens fans a healthy dose of reasons to be worried early, Charles carried just 2 more times for -5 yards after the Wilson hit. If not for that, it could have been a far different game in the second half.

4. You’re kidding me with the Donte Stallworth thing right? Or maybe trying to kid everyone. At this point the Stallworth end around has become so predictable that it’s hard to remember him doing much else. The Ravens have to be trying to set something up with this, don’t they? Look for that action to lead to a big play sometime soon…maybe.

5. Although nothing can compare to the gravity of the Brian Reed situation or the gamut of emotions that his brother Ed must be experiencing right now, it is a solemn reminder that anytime you see those that you count as close to you could be the last time. In that way, it serves as a reminder too, that the careers of Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Todd Heap, Derrick Mason, Kelly Gregg are quickly winding down, and any chance to enjoy them on the field could be your last (especially with no football promised yet for 2011).

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens (12-4) held their final open practice Friday at 1 Winning Drive ahead of Sunday’s AFC Wild Card playoff showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) at Arrowhead Stadium.

The brother of Ravens safety Ed Reed (Brian Reed) went missing Friday in Louisiana, according to WWL-TV in New Orleans.

The younger Reed reportedly jumped into the Mississippi River in St. Charles, La. to elude authorities. Police attempted to stop Brian Reed Friday morning when his car matched the description of a car believed to have driven another car off the road.

According to the WWL report, police believe the younger Reed may have been driving a stolen car.

When reached for comment Friday by WNST.net, a source very close to Ed Reed said the Pro Bowl safety had no comment and was continuing to gather information.

Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh said in a Friday night conference call he had not yet had a chance to talk to his star defender.

“I love Ed Reed” said Harbaugh. “Our thoughts and our prayers are with the Reed family. We’re just praying like crazy that Ed’s brother is okay.”

INJURY REPORT: After missing practice Wednesday & Thursday, DT Haloti Ngata (thigh) and LB Terrell Suggs (knee) both returned to practice Friday.

Harbaugh said Friday “I feel good about them” and added “I think they’ll be okay” for Sunday’s game.

Suggs was a bit more coy about his status for Sunday’s game, claiming he was “50-50″ to play.

Ngata and Suggs were both listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, as were S Tom Zbikowski (back), LB Dannell Ellerbe (head), LB Tavares Gooden (shoulder), CB Josh Wilson (head) and S Ed Reed (chest). Those six were all listed as limited participants Thursday.

Five Ravens were listed as probable for Sunday’s game; LB Jameel McClain (back), C Matt Birk (knee), WR Derrick Mason (abs/ankle), OT Michael Oher (knee/ankle) and WR/KR David Reed (wrist).

For the Chiefs, G Brian Waters (illness) and WR Quinten Lawrence (illness) were listed as probable for Sunday’s game.

HARBAUGH’S BROTHER JOINS NFL RANKS: Jim Harbaugh, the younger brother of John Harbaugh and a former Ravens quarterback; agreed Friday to a five year deal to leave Stanford and become the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

“I’m very happy he’s not in the AFC” the elder Harbaugh said Friday night in a conference call.

With the Ravens slated to face the NFC West next season, the two coaches will have a chance to face off in Charm City.

“My dad (former Western Michigan & Western Kentucky coach Jack Harbaugh) said he’s just going to take a walk during that one” John Harbaugh joked.

Harbaugh told reporters his younger brother consulted with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti during his decision making process.

NOTES: Hear from Harbaugh, Suggs and Oher now in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net……OL Marshal Yanda joined Drew Forrester Friday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST, that chat is available in the Audio Vault as well……The Ravens practiced indoors Friday after practicing outside Wednesday & Thursday. The Ravens were in good spirits; with many players wearing each others’ jerseys. LB Ray Lewis and LB Jarret Johnson swapped jerseys, as did S Dawan Landry and DT Haloti Ngata. S Ed Reed wore QB Joe Flacco’s jersey, Suggs wore P Sam Koch’s jersey……Suggs was fined $15,000 for punching Bengals WR Jerome Simpson in the team’s Week 17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium……Weather.com/The Weather Channel predicts 34 degrees and snow showers for Sunday’s game in KC……The Ravens will hold a walkthrough Saturday morning before traveling to Kansas City Saturday night. Saturday’s walkthrough will be closed to the media

-G

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens (12-4) returned to practice Thursday at 1 Winning Drive, inching closer to an AFC Wild Card playoff showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

After missing practice Wednesday, S Ed Reed (chest) and C Matt Birk (knee) each returned to the practice field Thursday. Reed was a limited participant, Birk participated fully.

DT Haloti Ngata (thigh) and LB Terrell Suggs (knee) did not participate in practice for a second straight day. Ngata was forced to leave the team’s Week 17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium in the 2nd half.

“They’re boycotting, they don’t like the cold weather” joked Defensive Coordinator Greg Mattison about the absence of the two Pro Bowl defenders. “It’s not a concern. They’ll both be fine. It’s us knowing where we are in the season, knowing we’ve had a lot of football games. Those two guys have played so well and they understand the defense so well that if they do have a little bump or bruise or something like that it’s best to get them 100% rather than running around.”

S Tom Zbikowski (back), was a limited participant in practice for the second straight day. He’s hoping to return to the field for the first time since leaving the team’s Week 14 win over the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium in the first half. Zbikowski was listed as a limited participant Wednesday.

Zbikowski told reporters Thursday he “feels better”, but wouldn’t commit to being ready to return to face KC.

LB Dannell Ellerbe (head), LB Tavares Gooden (shoulder), LB Jameel McClain (back) and CB Josh Wilson (head) were all limited participants in practice for a second straight day. WR Derrick Mason (abs/ankle), OT Michael Oher (knee/ankle) and WR/KR David Reed (wrist) were all full participants for a second straight day.

For the Chiefs, WR Dwayne Bowe (illness) returned to practice after missing Wednesday. Bowe was listed as a full participant. G Brian Waters (illness) missed a second straight day, WR Quinten Lawrence (illness) also missed practice Thursday.

NOTES: Hear from Mattison, Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron, Special Teams Coordinator Jerry Rosburg and LB Jarret Johnson now in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net……CB Cary Williams joined Drew Forrester Thursday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST, that chat is available in the Audio Vault as well……OL Marshal Yanda is scheduled to join Forrester Friday morning at 7:15……Mike Carey’s crew will officiate Sunday’s game……The Ravens will return to practice Friday at 1 Winning Drive, Head Coach John Harbaugh is scheduled to meet with reporters following practice

-G

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens (12-4) returned to practice Wednesday at 1 Winning Drive, continuing preparations for Sunday’s AFC Wild Card playoff battle with the Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) at Arrowhead Stadium.

DT Haloti Ngata was announced Wednesday as the Ravens 2010 Most Valuable Player award, as voted on by media members who cover the team on a daily basis. (This columnist was amongst those who voted for Ngata.)

Ngata set a career high with 5.5 sacks this season and tied career highs with 63 tackles and 5 pass deflections.

“That’s pretty cool” said Ngata after being informed he had won. “I felt like this year has been a little different just with my pass rush, I felt like I got a little better there. Hopefully I can continue to improve and just get better. Hopefully I can be around (Baltimore) more often, because I love being here, I love the guys, I love the fans.”

Ngata will be an important factor as the Ravens go up against the league’s top rushing offense (164.2 yards per game) Sunday in KC.

“(They’re a) great running team, I think everybody knows that” said Ngata. “Their O-Linemen (are) experienced, they’ve got a lot of guys who have been around and they do well moving guys around. Hopefully we can do what we want to do and stop the run first and make them a one dimensional team.”

Ngata was an important cog for a Ravens defense that was pretty good against the run (ranked 5th in the NFL), allowing just 93.9 yards per game.

“We love when teams like to run” added Ngata. “If we can take away their best thing, that’s an advantage for us.”

The Chiefs finished the year with two backs amongst the Top 20 in rushing in the league. RB Jamaal Charles (who finished 2nd in the league with 1,467 yards to go with give touchdowns) is somewhat similar to Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson according to Ngata.

“(He’s) just real shifty and quick to the hole. He’s just so fast and quick, he does a lot of things really well. He definitely is different from last year.”

Chiefs RB Thomas Jones also ranked in the Top 20 amongst the league’s rushing leaders; finishing with 896 yards and 6 TD’s.

“Jones is a little bigger” said Ngata. “I think he’s able to hit between the tackles a little bit better. He’s a little bit more patient than Charles.”

In their 2009 matchup at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens allowed the Chiefs just 29 yards rushing, including only 8 yards for Charles.

Ngata succeeds RB Ray Rice, who was voted the team’s MVP in 2009.

CARR NAMED “GOOD GUY”: In addition to Team MVP, reporters covering the team on a daily basis also voted a winner of the annual “Media Good Guy” award.

CB Chris Carr was announced as the winner of the award for the 2010 season Wednesday.

“If I won, everybody else must be pretty bad” Carr joked. “I understand that the fans want to hear truth. I try never to lie. Maybe I won’t say how I really feel, but I won’t go up there and give a lie to you guys. I always try to be insightful and truthful to everybody because fans want to hear stuff. They want to be honest and they want accountability as well. I just try to do that every week.

LB Jarret Johnson had received the award in 2009.

INJURY REPORT: Four Ravens did not participate in practice Wednesday.

C Matt Birk (knee), LB Terrell Suggs (knee), S Ed Reed (chest) and Ngata (thigh) were all held out. None are believed to be in serious jeopardy of missing Sunday’s game.

S Tom Zbikowski (back) returned to the practice field Wednesday for the first time since leaving the team’s Week 14 win over the Houston Texans early. He was one of five Ravens who were limited participants in practice. LB Dannell Ellerbe (head), LB Tavares Gooden (shoulder), LB Jameel McClain (back) and CB Josh Wilson (head) were also limited participants.

Head Coach John Harbaugh said he’s “optimistic” Zbikowski can see the field Sunday.

WR/KR David Reed (wrist/head) was a full participant in practice Wednesday; he hasn’t played since suffering a concussion in the team’s Week 15 win over the New Orleans Saints. WR Derrick Mason (abs/ankle) and OT Michael Oher (knee/ankle) were also full participants.

Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe (illness) missed practice Wednesday. Head Coach Todd Haley did not seem concerned about Bowe’s Sunday status during his Wednesday conference call with Charm City reporters.

Chiefs G Brian Waters (illness) also missed practice Wednesday.

NOTES: Hear from Harbaugh, Ngata, Carr, Rice, QB Joe Flacco and LB Ray Lewis now in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net……Jim Nantz will call Sunday’s game for CBS, he joined Drew Forrester Wednesday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST. That chat is available in the Audio Vault as well……CB Cary Williams is scheduled to join Forrester Thursday at 7:15am……The Ravens will return to practice Thursday, Coordinators Cam Cameron, Greg Mattison and Jerry Rosburg are scheduled to meet with the media

-G

Honorable Mention: National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association Convention (Thursday-Sunday, Baltimore Convention Center); Soccer: MISL-Milwaukee Wave @ Baltimore Blast (Saturday 7:35pm 1st Mariner Arena); High School Basketball: Perry Hall @ Patapsco (Wednesday 6:30pm), Woodlawn @ Perry Hall (Friday 7pm)

10. Lovin’ Spoonful (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head On Stage), Gregg Allman (Wednesday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); Pietasters (Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club); Sarah MacLachlan (Monday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); “Dinner For Schmucks” and “Machete” available on DVD/Blu-Ray (Tuesday)

Yeah, that’s about it this week. Wish I could give you something better. Either way, this song is GREAT…

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

As is this song…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WGVW7byRCA[/youtube]

And this song…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxa0Kpgsgv8[/youtube]

And when she’s not forcing me to look at pictures of injured animals, Sarah MacLachlan can even be bearable…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3VrggQW7tk[/youtube]

But yeah, it’s disappointing…

9. Bull Riding-PBR Touring Pro Division (Friday-Saturday Patriot Center)

Apparently this event isn’t the event they show on TV, so it’s not that big of a deal.

But if Johnny Knoxville were to show up, it WOULD be a big deal…because it would be awesome…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jovQQOOMes[/youtube]

8. Mixed Martial Arts: Strikeforce Challengers (Friday 11pm from Nashville live on Showtime)

So I sat down and watched some MMA for the first time in MONTHS Saturday, checking out UFC 125 after the Winter Classic.

I was reminded of how awesome the sport can sometimes be…

Brandon Vera’s face was completely rearranged by Thiago Alves. His nose is now hanging out somewhere near his right ear.

Yet he was smiling.

Awesome.

7. NBA: Washington Wizards @ Philadelphia 76ers (Wednesday 7pm from Philadelphia live on Comcast SportsNet), New Jersey Nets @ Washington Wizards (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Washington Wizards @ Charlotte Bobcats (Saturday 7pm from Charlotte live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS)

Did the ‘Zards know Gilbert Arenas could do THIS before they traded him to the Orlando Magic???

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZheMh7QS5QQ[/youtube]

6. Pro Wrestling: TNA Genesis (Sunday 8pm from Orlando live on Pay-Per-View)

As always, I like to try to provide compelling reasons to view PPV events when I include them on the list. This week’s compelling reason is named Taylor Wilde…

She’s reportedly a wrestler. Like you care.

5. Golf: PGA Tour Hyundai Tournament of Champions (Thursday-Saturday 5:30pm, Sunday 6pm from Kapalua, HI live on Golf Channel)

Oh thank God golf is back. Absolutely no one* had missed it.

(*No one not named Drew Forrester that is.)

My pick to win the golf tour this year? Chi Chi Rodriguez.

Hey, why change now?

In other golf news, former Tiger Woods mistress Loredana Jolie did something recently. Unless it’s taking another picture with her clothes off, you wouldn’t care.

4. NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning @ Washington Capitals (Tuesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Florida Panthers @ Washington Capitals (Saturday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet)

Look, I’m not a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins OR the Washington Capitals, so I don’t have a dog in the hunt. The Pens may have lost on the ice at Heinz Field Saturday; but there was one area where they DIDN’T lose…

Bruce Boudreau won the game…but Dan Bylsma looked AMAZING.

Can’t win ‘em all, Caps fans.

3. College Basketball: Colgate @ Maryland (Tuesday 8pm from Comcast Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Maryland @ Duke (Sunday 8pm from Durham, NC live on Fox Sports Net nationally, CSN locally); Howard @ Morgan State (Saturday 4pm Hill Field House); Maine @ UMBC (Saturday 2pm RAC Arena); Hampton @ Coppin State (Saturday 4pm Coppin State Physical Education Complex), Howard @ Coppin State (Monday 7:30pm Coppin State Physical Education Complex); Women’s College Basketball: Maryland @ Duke (Thursday 7pm from Durham, NC live on Comcast SportsNet)

Eff Duke.

Does this picture ever get old?

And while we’re at it, how ’bout we throw this Greivis Vasquez classic in there too?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrajaO74m94[/youtube]

And since the women are playing this week too, here’s Kristi Toliver…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNpNRtFN1K0[/youtube]

Look, I don’t think the Terrapins are going to beat the Blue Devils Sunday at Cameron Indoor Stadium-but it doesn’t change how I feel. Just let me have this.

2. College Football: BCS Championship Game-Auburn vs. Oregon (Monday 8:30pm from Glendale, AZ live on ESPN), Sugar Bowl-Ohio State vs. Arkansas (Tuesday 8:30pm from New Orleans live on ESPN), Cotton Bowl-LSU vs. Texas A&M (Friday 8pm from Arlington, TX live on FOX), GoDaddy.com Bowl-Miami (Ohio) vs. Middle Tennessee (Thursday 8pm from Mobile, AL live on ESPN), BBVA Compass Bowl-Pitt vs. Kentucky (Saturday 12pm from Birmingham, AL live on ESPN), Fight Hunger Bowl-Boston College vs. Nevada (Sunday 9pm from San Francisco live on ESPN); NCAA FCS Championship Game: Delaware vs. Eastern Washington (Friday 7pm from Frisco, TX live on ESPN2)

Which Cam Newton joke do you want to go with?

I’ll admit this much. I’m going to be rooting AGAINST the Tigers on Monday night.

I think it’s just probably better for everyone if Newton DOESN’T win the National Championship. Of course, we said the same thing about the Heisman Trophy but that was already decided.

As far as the FCS title is concerned, I’m assuming Delaware wins-right? I mean, there’s NO WAY a team that plays on a field that looks like this can win……can they???

1. NFL Playoffs: AFC Wild Card Round-Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday 1pm from Kansas City live on CBS), New York Jets @ Indianapolis Colts (Saturday 8pm from Indianapolis live on NBC); NFC Wild Card Round-New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks (Saturday 4:30pm from Seattle live on NBC), Green Bay Packers @ Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday 4:30pm from Philadelphia live on FOX)

The only issue I have here is that I don’t have quite the hate built up for KC that I did for Indy.

If we had been headed out to LucasOil Stadium this weekend, I would have had PLENTY of hate stored up. I don’t know how much hate I can have stored up in a trip to Arrowhead Stadium.

Of course, there IS good news about a trip to Kansas City…

Yeah…if I were you, I’d think about getting on the bus.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

It takes a special individual to join us on these crazy adventures, but we are planning a once-in-a-lifetime Miller Lite Purple Playoff Roadtrip via bus to Kansas City this weekend.

The trip is on sale here at WNST.net NOW…

Here are all of the details on the trip, which is “priced to fly” considering that flying to Kansas City this weekend would cost almost $600 alone on Southwest Airlines:

Sure, it’s a long ride but we’re doing our best to get you to Kansas City!

KEEP COMING BACK HERE FOR MORE UPDATES ON THIS TRIP!!!

PLANS ARE EVOLVING but this will be another great WNST.net classic!

Our Miller Lite Purple Playoff Express will depart Baltimore at 5 a.m. Friday from White Marsh with a stop at I-70/Security at 5:30 a.m. and we’re off to Kansas City for three days of fun and adventure.

We’ll have parties planned for Saturday and you’ll have a full day to recoup and enjoy your stay in the Country Club Plaza area, a beautiful area of Kansas City.

We will depart for Baltimore immediately following the game on Sunday afternoon for Baltimore. We will return home sometime mid-morning on Monday.

Trip includes:

Snacks and Miller Lite en route to Kansas City

(Two) 2 nights hotel TBA in Country Club Plaza area

Upper deck game playoff ticket for Baltimore-Kansas City

Ride on comfortable Gunther Motorcoach to Kansas City w/tons of great movies en route!

Admission for Saturday WNST Miller Lite Purple Pep Rally in Kansas City

SINGLE: $600

DOUBLE: $500

TRIPLE: $450

QUAD: $400

Happy Friday!

It’s a Happy Friday for me because after the Ultimate Frisbee highlight on Deadspin the other day that I posted in my “Top 10 Baseball Distractions” column; apparently Deadspin got the idea that Ultimate Frisbee highlights may be even cooler than videos of guys getting dunked on…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kst2yrNJolY[/youtube]

Freaking awesome. I want to be exactly like Beaufort Kittredge. Other than the name-as long as I get to keep the trust fund.

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. WNST.net’s Luke Jones says Orioles ‘finally’ hired Buck Showalter as manager

I’ll save you the “I told you they’d hire him after the Ravens reported to Westminster” comments. Wait. Sorry!

I guess the “breaking” part of this “breaking news” is lessened because we knew this was coming-having been reported by Ken Rosenthal as a “done deal” before the All-Star Game. (Edit from GMC: Ken Rosenthal would know.) But it is still significant when a team hires a manager, even if it is a team that hasn’t played a meaningful game in well over a decade.

A handful of folks in town are excited about Showalter. The rest of the folks in town would only be excited if he could play CB. Count me in the group that’s interested, but by no means excited. I’d be excited if he was bringing Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling with him; as well as Mark Teixeira and Nelson Cruz. Otherwise, I’ll withhold excitement until I know that they’re going to get some real players.

Connie Mack would need better players to win in Charm City-and from everything I can tell, Buck Showalter is no Connie Mack. But I’d love to see him don a similar hat…

2. WNST.net’s Drew Forrester says Birds hoping Showalter can be ‘miracle worker’

There is a significant question about how much control Showalter is going to have of the organization, specifically personnel. He’s been known to be a control freak, but he’s going to be working for a President of Baseball Operations (Andy MacPhail) who laid the groundwork for the team’s “Plan”, and an owner (Peter Angelos) who has a history of meddling even when it’s been said that he gave up control.

Of course, this is where some will make the argument that the addition of Showalter could be a signal of the end of the MacPhail regime. That could very well be true. I’m not yet sure whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing yet.

If it’s a “miracle worker” the Birds were looking for, I’m not sure why they didn’t consider Francesca Frigo (Thanks Next Round!)…

3. The AP’s Bernie Wilson says O’s traded Miguel Tejada to San Diego Padres for RHP prospect Wynn Pelzer

In the words of Veronica Corningstone: Miguel Tejada, “Thanks for stopping by.”

There won’t really be too many memories of the 2nd Miguel Tejada tenure in Baltimore-although he played exactly as many meaningful games this time around as he did the first; but the team does get a player in exchange that could end up turning into…something?

Pelzer is by no means a “top prospect” in the Pads’ organization, but is a guy who could offer something moving forward. I talked to a couple of MLB personnel guys last night about Pelzer-and the responses I got ranged from “good arm” to “live arm” to “will be better as a reliever than as a starter” to “big league ready soon” to “needs to match mentally what he has physically.”

I never get too excited about a minor league player (no matter who they are), and that won’t change with Pelzer. Although-he IS a South Carolina guy, so hopefully we can chat about Hootie & The Blowfish. There just isn’t enough of that in the world.

4. WNST.net’s Ryan Chell says part of Andy MacPhail’s reasoning for Tejada trade was to get Josh Bell back to Baltimore

Which is fine-as long as the organization isn’t thinking that they have “the answer” at 3B and can’t consider an upgrade in the offseason. Josh Bell may end up being a very good player; but if the team wants to win-they need real major league players at every position; not a group of guys who might end up being real major league players.

That being said, my guess is that the organization’s brass will do everything in their power to make sure that Bell is the Opening Day 3B in April. If that’s the case, I hope he spends the rest of the year looking like Matt Williams.

I just have a bad feeling it might not happen.

5. The AP says Corey Patterson’s homer, Ty Wigginton’s sac fly lead Birds past Kansas City Royals in 11 innings

Hey Hey! That’s win number 1 after the season ended on Sunday-and it only took extra innings against one of the OTHER worst teams in baseball to get it done!

Brian Matusz threw 3 innings of no-hit ball last night. I’m not really sure what happened after that, but the three innings were really good! (Edit from GMC: Thank God we stopped the whole “Apologist of the Morning” thing. I’d win going away…)

Nice to see Corey Patterson playing the role of “hero” again after that grand slam to tie things up against the Texas Rangers in the 9th a few weeks ago in Arlington. He’ll savor these memories when he’s doing…whatever it is he’ll be doing…next season.

Of course, despite the new regime…I wouldn’t be stunned at all if Corey Patterson lined up in Left Field at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in April 2011…or at least on the bench. He’s exactly the type of player the organization loves.

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

I have no idea how to handle this. I’m so used to saying “you don’t want to look at this” that I don’t know how to go about saying “you might actually want to look at this.”

Nick Markakis also homered last night-which has been much to rare this season.

You know what, look at the numbers-celebrate them-and then take a look at Jakki Degg. It’s a win-win! (Thanks Barstool Sports!)

7. The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Chris Tillman struggled for Norfolk Tides, Joel Guzman homered for Bowie Baysox on farm

Before we move on from the Orioles, a few things:

-The O’s and Royals are back at it in KC tonight. Jake Arrieta faces Sean O’Sullivan-with first pitch from Kauffman Stadium at 8:10pm on MASN2. Like I said yesterday, I’ll go with a split this weekend.

-Did you miss former MLB Scout Frankie Piliere on “The Morning Reaction” with Drew Forrester on AM1570 WNST discussing Wynn Pelzer and other trade deadline stuff? Make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault today to check it out. Other guests included:

• Craig Calcaterra (NBCSports.com “HardballTalk”)-who went around MLB, touching on Strasburg, Oswalt, etc.
• Rich Dubroff (Carroll County Times)-who discussed the Showalter hiring and the impact it will have on the Birds
• Dan Wilcox (Former Ravens TE)-who discussed Training Camp and more

It’s all in the Audio Vault if you want to check it out.

8. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Todd Heap placed on non-football illness list, Rodelin Anthony & Fabian Washington activated from PUP list

The Fabian Washington news is REALLY good news, and the Todd Heap news really isn’t that bad. The Rodelin Anthony news happened.

This team needs their top corners healthy. With no offense to Cary Williams or Travis Fisher or Walt Harris, they’re just not great options. At least one of them will end up making the team-but this organization is certainly better off not having any of them suit up.

Of course-early reports from practice today say neither Fabian nor Dominique Foxworth were practicing; so we’ll have to follow that. Just when all of the news was starting to be good…

9. USA Today’s Gary Graves says Ravens not ‘shying away’ from Super Bowl discussion as full Training Camp begins at McDaniel College

Nor should they be. They’ve been a Super Bowl contender ever since they acquired Anquan Boldin.

For the record, I’m not shying away from the fact that Shannon James is ridiculously hot despite the fact that she’s wearing a Philadelphia Phillies shirt (Thanks Busted Coverage!)…

10. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Mike Duffy says Ravens owner Bisciotti believes Sergio Kindle will be with Ravens for ‘long time’

Which is why the conversations about liability, etc. earlier this week were so ridiculous. The Ravens want to give Sergio Kindle a contract and are GOING to give Sergio Kindle a contract. He’s going to get plenty of money-but they’re not going to pay him for the time he wasn’t working. The contract structure will be the same, it will just reflect the fact that he wasn’t working for a while.

Questions continue regarding Kindle’s accident. It seems as though folks are accepting the possible narcolepsy explanation from his former Longhorns coach Mack Brown as a factual explanation-which is just as dangerous as accepting any of the possible explanations regarding alcohol, etc. that were thrown around earlier this week.

The fact remains that we still don’t know. Hopefully we will know soon.

11. ESPNNewYork.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk says former ST/WR David Tyree to retire with New York Giants

Eh, one more time, why not?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-aKfTK2LiM[/youtube]

(Edit from GMC: Watching that again just reminds me how terrible Joe Buck is. It was one of the greatest moments in Super Bowl history and he treated it like it was a routine first down in a regular season game. Ugh.)

And finally, I leave you with this.

“Dinner For Schmucks” opens tonight. It isn’t getting great reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but Zach Galifianakis is HILARIOUS…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TrY29ixBGc[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Happy Thursday!

It’s a Happy Thursday for me because the Bowie Baysox are celebrating “The Dude” tonight at Prince George’s Stadium. And I’m sure all other “Big Lebowski” fans are with me in thinking “Who better to celebrate???” (Edit from GMC: Video VERY MUCH NSFW.)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED4VL7W6VdQ[/youtube]

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. WNST.net’s Luke Jones says Terrence Cody passed conditioning test, returned to Ravens practice

Like I said yesterday, “thank God our long civic nightmare is over.”

I’m not particularly worked up about a failed conditioning test. I am a BIT more worked up about the thought that we’ll have to worry about Terrence Cody’s weight/condition for the next few years.

I’m sure there are others (John Harbaugh comes to mind) that are even more concerned about it. Having Haloti Ngata give him a nickname like “Cheeseburger” doesn’t exactly bode well. Of course, it’s not like they didn’t know what they were getting when they picked him in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft. It’s also not like the nickname doesn’t fit.

If I was more of a comedian, I’d have a better “hopefully he’ll be our Cheeseburger in Paradise” Jimmy Buffett-type joke to use here. Instead, I’ll opt to offer a picture of the Boston Blackie Burger from Blackie’s in Chicago-a spot I visited for the first time in my life on the 4th of July. It’s a winner…

2. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Texas coach Mack Brown believes Sergio Kindle may have fallen due to narcolepsy

Which could VERY WELL be a legitimate reason.

There were reports around the time of the NFL Draft that Kindle may suffer from narcolepsy and ADD, and had fallen asleep during meetings while he was with the Longhorns. We hadn’t necessarily heard that sleepwalking was an issue; but there is certainly at least a CHANCE it’s true.

If so, it’s probably a less concerning explanation than some other potential explanations that had been thrown around. We won’t know what REALLY happened until Sergio Kindle is able to talk to the media-and even then there will be some who will still wonder exactly what happened last week in Austin.

3. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Mike Duffy says Jared Gaither reported to Training Camp ‘on time’ Wednesday, Terrell Suggs reported ‘slimmer’

I understand that they’re going to say the right thing here; but John Harbaugh said on Monday in the lobby of the Westminster Best Western that he was “looking forward to seeing (Gaither) today.”

Maybe the team didn’t require Gaither to report to Camp early because of his foot injury, but Coach Harbs certainly suggested that he was expecting to see Jared on Monday. Could be a simple miscommunication, could be that the head coach wanted Jared in earlier in the week because he missed OTA’s and is expected to play a different position this year.

The reality is that it doesn’t really matter. Gaither’s in Camp, and as long as he’s on the practice field tomorrow-everything is fine. If he’s still battling the foot problem tomorrow, there will be one more recent drama the team will be dealing with.

You know, because they needed another distraction. Remember when they were having a fairly quiet offseason???

As far as “T-Sizzle” is concerned, it will be interesting to see what he looks like on the practice field as well. As far as defensive improvement is concerned, it is clear that all of it surrounds what type of season Suggs has, especially considering the help that was supposed to come on the pass rush from Sergio Kindle now may well not be there.

4. WNST.net’s Drew Forrester says Ed Reed spouted off about Baltimore media on Cleveland radio station

I’m finding it hard to find much of anything else to say about Ed Reed right now. He can be as mad as he wants to be at Mike Preston or anyone else in the Baltimore media; but everyone heard his comments-and no one forced a microphone in front of his face in any of his radio interviews; including the first one he did July 2 with us that started this ball rolling.

I’ll leave it alone for now.

The Ravens are off today as they hold an “administrative day” with veterans now in the house. They’ll put the pads on and his the field at McDaniel College for the first full team practice of camp tomorrow morning at 8:45. Luke Jones will keep you updated at the bottom of every hour with Drew Forrester, Thyrl Nelson and Nestor Aparicio.

5. The AP says Brad Mills shut down Orioles in 5-0 win for Blue Jays at Rogers Centre

Remember when Forrester bet me that the Birds would win AND cover 2.5?

I hope lunch is at PF Chang’s.

If I was surprised that a pitcher making his only start before being sent back down to the minors baffled the O’s, I’d tell you. The thing is…I’m not surprised by it at all.

How could I be?

The Orioles are the absolute worst team in baseball, and one of the worst teams in the history of baseball. How could I be surprised by any of this?!?!?

0-12 against Toronto this season. 31-70 for the season. I can’t make these type of numbers up.

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

Jeremy Guthrie was actually pretty good last night. It probably won’t make you feel much better, but it happened. I’d like to think that it would improve his value at the Trade Deadline, but I saw what the Arizona Diamondbacks got for Dan Haren. Dan Haren is better than Jeremy Guthrie. The market just isn’t in the Orioles’ favor.

Despite Guthrie, you don’t want to look at the numbers-which include a combined 0-8 with 2 K’s and 5 LOB from Luke Scott and Adam Jones. Instead, look at Cameron Russell from Guyism. We’ll re-group after that…

7. MLB.com’s James Hall says Juan Samuel will stick with Bergesen, rest of rotation this time through

Which means you’ll have to wait to see Zach Britton; not that you would have necessarily canceled your Saturday night plans to see him pitch anyway.

Clearly the Birds are hoping their roster decisions will be made for them with the trade deadline. Should they figure out a way to deal Guthrie (or Kevin Millwood), they could bring up Britton (or Chris Tillman) to replace them in the rotation. Should they deal Will Ohman or Mark Hendrickson, they could move Bergesen into the bullpen and move one of the others back into the rotation.

The problem with all of this is that I’m not even sure Andy MacPhail is going to be able to trade ANYONE. Guthrie is the best chip, but this is a year where the pitching market is top-heavy (Cliff Lee and Dan Haren already dealt, Roy Oswalt available); meaning the value for the secondary market is lessened. There have been years where Jeff Suppan and/or Sidney Ponson were the best pitchers available. If this was that type of the year, the market for Guthrie would be better.

The Birds will be lucky to get ANYTHING for Millwood; and the rest of their chips (Ty Wigginton, Miguel Tejada, Julio Lugo, Cesar Izturis, Ohman, Hendrickson) aren’t going to get them much more than a B-level prospect or player to be named at best.

The only real hope they have to get something is Luke Scott, who despite a tough night last night has been hot recently. The Orioles aren’t going to get a lot for him, but they might be able to get SOMETHING-which is more than they could get for much of anyone else.

8. The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Josh Bell, Nolan Reimold homered in Norfolk Tides’ win on farm

Before we move on from the on-field Orioles, a couple of things.

-The O’s head to Kansas City to face the Royals tonight; with Brian Matusz going against Kyle Davies. First pitch from Kauffman Stadium is on MASN at 8:10pm. There’s no reason the Orioles couldn’t win this game…but I’ll pick KC. Sean O’Sullivan, Zack Greinke and the great Bruce Chen are scheduled to finish the weekend against Jake Arrieta, Bergesen and Millwood. With a mircale, they’ll split.

-Soren Petro from 810 WHB in Kansas City joined Drew this morning on “The Morning Reaction” to preview the Royals series. If you missed it, make sure you head over to the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net to check it out. Other guests included:

• Jerry Crasnick (ESPN.com)-who discussed the trade deadline, as well as surprising teams in baseball
• Jason La Canfora (NFL Network)-who discussed Terrell Owens, the AFC North, Dez Bryant and more
• John Perrotto (Baseball Prospectus)-who went around the world of baseball

It’s all up in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault as well.

9. Fanhouse’s Greg Couch says former O’s 1B Jim Gentile finally credited with winning 1961 RBI title

Which you would know if you heard my “Cheap Shots From The Bleachers” segment this morning on AM1570 WNST. It’s in the Audio Vault if you missed it.

Apparently Lee MacPhail had told Gentile that he would have gotten $5,000 more if he had won the RBI title-which Greg Couch thinks Andy MacPhail should offer to pay him as a kind gesture. I wouldn’t hold my breath.

As a kind gesture from myself to Jim Gentile, I will offer pictures of Daniela Freitas. (Thanks Busted Coverage/Totally Crap!)

10. UMTerps.com says WR/Specialist Torrey Smith, LB Alex Wujciak named All-ACC

Technically they have THREE all-conference selections, as Torrey Smith was named as both a receiver AND specialist. As I was reminded yesterday-Virginia Tech only had ONE all-conference selection (Ryan Williams), so take that Hokies!

The problem is that beyond these two, this Terrapins team has as many question marks as my Chapel Hill Elementary School 2nd grade English class. Of course, I rarely paid attention in my 2nd grade English class-as I spent more time paying attention to my “girlfriend” Michelle Hensley. Anyone know how she’s doing?

The joke I missed here was that Maryland only had two more wins than Chapel Hill last year. Damn! Sorry everyone…

11. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Maryland to play William & Mary (in football) again in 2012

I remind you that it’s “in football” because it isn’t surprising to see the Tribe come back to Byrd Stadium. Now if Gary Williams were to invite them back to Comcast Center after what happened last year, I’d be absolutely stunned. In fact, I’m a little surprised Gary doesn’t have a “no-fly” zone for W&M over College Park entirely.

Maryland regularly plays one FCS (former 1AA) per year; and they have Morgan State this year, Towson next year, and Rhode Island in 2013. This year’s other non-conference games are Navy, West Virginia and Eastern Michigan; next year’s are Notre Dame, West Virginia and (I believe) Temple.

12. Sports Network’s Craig Haley says Towson picked last in CAA

I stopped by CAA Media Day yesterday, and I have to admit that the oatmeal raisin cookies and potato chips at M&T Bank Stadium were DELICIOUS.

It’s hard to pick Rob Ambrose’s Tigers anything BUT last considering the year they’re coming off and the strength of the CAA; so I doubt they’re particularly disappointed.

As a consolation prize, I offer a photo of Katherine Jenkins. (Thanks Don Chavez!)

And finally, I leave you with this.

I know I already named a “Greatest Song of All Time This Week” this week (“Cornbread” by Dave Matthews Band), but I’m sure there’s been a week where I forgot to name one; so I’m naming another. Hey, it’s my blog. Enjoy “Shutterbug” by Big Boi from Outkast…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWsvkW6rKkQ[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Happy Wednesday!

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because my roommate’s girlfriend (“The Luckiest Dang Roommate’s Girlfriend on the Face of the Planet”?) dropped off a gift at our apartment (“Summer Camp”) last night. Let’s just say it was thoughtful…

And while I’m at it, my roommate and I are currently searching for a new home base-looking for a bit more space than our current 2 bedroom apartment. I asked this on Facebook yesterday, but I might as well ask again here. Does anyone rent townhouses in Baltimore County?

I’m looking for something with a little space and fairly priced. There’s only two of us, so I can’t pay $1600. I’ll take a nice place in a solid neighborhood, or I’ll take a dump with THIS in the basement…

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. WNST.net’s Luke Jones says Ravens DT Terrence Cody failed conditioning test, missed practice Tuesday

Argh.

Look, this ISN’T the earth-shattering news some folks in town wanted to think it was. Players fail the conditioning test in Westminster every year. Is it a BIT more concerning because the biggest issue Terrence Cody has faced in his life IS conditioning? Sure. But this isn’t a “stop the presses” type of issue.

My guess is that Terrence Cody will take the test again in the next day or two and will pass. After that, he’ll hit the practice field at McDaniel College after that.

My other guess? This won’t be the last time Terrence Cody’s conditioning is questioned while he’s in Charm City.

Just guesses.

(Edit from GMC: UPDATE-I was right. Cody passed his test and returned to the practice field Tuesday morning. Our long civic nightmare is over. And the news was first reported…by Fabian Washington on Twitter. Of course it was. They call Fabian “the most trusted name in news”, don’t they?)

2. The AP’s David Ginsburg says Cody, Ed Reed, Fabian Washington, Lardarius Webb amongst 10 Ravens on Training Camp PUP list

No one on this list is particularly surprising-I don’t think we knew much about Oniel Cousins’ throat surgery; and I’m not really sure what’s going on with Prince Miller or Rodelin Anthony (and both are likely longshots to make the roster anyway).

And as our own Luke Jones wrote later last night, it is IMPORTANT to remember that this ISN’T the “miss 6 weeks of the season” PUP list-just the active list to start Camp. As these guys are ready-they’ll practice.

(Edit from GMC: UPDATE-Prince Miller returned to practice today as well. Thank God!)

I’m just grateful the team didn’t end up putting Asimina Koutsounouri on PUP. That would have been devastating (Thanks Don Chavez/Totally Crap!)…

3. WNST.net’s Drew Forrester says Steve Bisciotti should be considering contract extension for John Harbaugh

And I’ll go ahead on the other side and say…and the end of the season.

There’s no question that the organization CANNOT allow Coach Harbs to go into next season with it being the final year of his contract (see: Trembley, Dave). That being said, there’s no reason to necessarily do this right now, as the focus should be on the team and trying to reach the Super Bowl.

Of course, the opposing argument would be “but then what do you do if everything goes wrong this season and the team somehow ends up 5-11? You either reward him for a bad season or you allow him to enter the final year of his contract.”

That would be the issue, yes. Let’s worry about that when it happens.

4. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Mike Duffy says Cam Cameron thinks Troy Smith-John Beck decision will be ‘pretty obvious’

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

-Two more practices for the Ravens today, with this afternoon’s session scheduled for 3:30pm. After the morning session; John Harbaugh, Terrence Cody and Ed Dickson are scheduled to meet with the media. Sergio Kindle was originally scheduled as well-but it’s safe to say that won’t happen. Luke Jones is on the scene, he’ll be checking in with reports throughout the day with Thyrl Nelson and Nestor Aparicio on AM1570 WNST.

-Brian Baldinger (NFL Network) said Haloti Ngata was the 5th best player in the entire NFL. Sorta makes me look silly for saying he’s the #3 guy on the Ravens’ roster… (Joe Flacco, Michael Oher).

5. The AP says Jose Bautista homered twice as Blue Jays crushed Orioles in Toronto

Thank God Jose Bautista only plays the Birds 18 times a year, or the Hall of Fame folks would already be working on his plaque in Cooperstown.

I will be forced to admit that I turned the game off after Bautista’s 1st inning homer. Why the Orioles let Kevin Millwood even pitch in the first inning is beyond me. It just isn’t going to go well.

Remember when we thought Kevin Millwood was going to have trade value? I still think he does, I just think they need to lower their expectations for what they can get for him. In fact, their best bets may be Isuro Tanaka and/or Rube Baker from the Cleveland Indians.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXjmoEhO0VI[/youtube]

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

Nick Markakis went 2-4 with a double and RBI…BUT…Felix Pie, Jake Fox and Cesar Izturis combined for an 0-fer with 2K’s each.

You know you don’t want to look at this.

My recommendation would be to look at Nikoletta Ralli instead. (Thanks Busted Coverage/Brosome!)

7. MLB.com’s James Hall says Zach Britton rumored for Saturday start vs. Royals, Juan Samuel doesn’t want to send Bergesen back to Norfolk

I’m going to try my hardest to say something here besides “I don’t really care”, but it’s hard for me to think of much of anything else.

If Bergesen stays in the rotation, he’ll probably get hit around. Kansas City stinks, but they can still hit. There’s nothing about his performance recently that suggests he’ll suddenly come alive. I don’t know that he REALLY gains anything from going back to Norfolk, but maybe he does.

Zach Britton probably ISN’T ready to reach the big league level yet-but it would be a pressure-less situation on the road against a terrible KC team at a time when no one in either town is particularly concerned about what’s going on baseball-wise.

My gut says Bergesen makes the start-and my gut says that’s probably for the best right now.

My gut ALSO says that the 3rd Berger Cookie was a bad choice last night. I rarely listen to my gut.

8. The Sun’s Dean Jones Jr. says Britton solid in Tides’ loss, Billy Rowell solid in Frederick Keys’ loss on farm

Before we move on from the on-field O’s, a couple of things…

-The Orioles are back in action tonight, wrapping up their 3 game set in Canada. Jeremy Guthrie (who MIGHT have some trade value) goes against the Jays’ Brad Mills (who will be making his first start). First pitch at Rogers Centre is at 7:07pm, and the game can be seen on MASN2.

-If you missed Bowie Baysox 1B Joe Mahoney today on “The Morning Reaction” with Drew Forrester on AM1570 WNST; make sure you check out the chat with the Eastern League Player of the Week in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net. Other guests this morning were:

• Clark Judge (CBSSports.com), who went around the NFL with Drew-discussing Terrell Owens, the Ravens and who he liked in the AFC.
• Ovie Mughelli (Atlanta Falcons FB, former Raven), who discussed his recent trip to the Gulf Coast and football in general with Drew.
• Luke Jones, who checked in live from the practice field at McDaniel College with news about Terrence Cody, Matt Birk, etc.

They’re all in the Audio Vault as well if you want to check them out!

9. ESPN.com’s Matt Lindner says Birds should consider racing Muppets at Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Why did I include this in Crabs and Beer? Honestly, I have no idea. Probably because it’s a funny read (and we can use something like that when we talk about the Orioles); and it gives me an excuse to include this classic version of “Bohemian Rhapsody”…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JruqUIjl5Sw[/youtube]

10. FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman says Gary Williams got ‘new lease on life’ when Debbie Yow left for NC State

Which would surprise…like…no one.

Jeff will be on with Thyrl at 10:40am today to talk about this story and other college basketball-related items. Check it out live or later today in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault.

Also make sure you check out this week’s edition of the “D1scast”, as myself and Patrick Stevens (D1scourse) discuss everything going on in the world of college sports-including a wrap of this weekend’s ACC Kickoff event in Greensboro. You can listen to the D1scast in the Audio Vault as well.

I got a new “lease on life” myself when I saw pictures of Carolina Baldini over at Guyism this morning…

And finally, I leave you with this.

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because I was reminded that the Harford County Farm Fair gets underway tomorrow. Which reminds me-I need to run out and pick up some chewing tobacco today. Not for me to actually use, just to help me feel more comfortable.

Much like the Maryland State Fair in Timonium, there’s one simple thing that I enjoy most about the Hazzard County Fair. Plain and simple…PIG RACES…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQaxImm9zoY[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G