1. Stop picking on LeBron – LeBron James is the best player in basketball right now. There is no debate.  He is a top five player of all time. There is no debate.  The guy has won an NBA Championship and is now following that up with a historic season so far this year; having numbers that only Larry Bird has ever put up in a single month.  The guy is King.  I think it’s time everyone realized.
2. Stop using past performances as excuses for present failures – Ahem, Steelers fans. Ahem, Lakers fans.  Stop using the “rings” arguments when trying to come up for excuses as to why your team is underperforming.  Those past championships have nothing to do with anything that’s happening in the current season and shouldn’t make it OK for your team to suck right now.
3. For more athletes to start using Twitter – Twitter can be a very useful tool for an athlete.  It is a way to connect with fans.  It can be used for monetary gain as well.  But more importantly, it can be used to advance a belief platform.  Various athletes, such as Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Vikings, have used it to create real change.  Kluwe used it to help prevent a bill in his state that would prohibit same sex marriage.  Even more athletes used it to speak about gun control after the Newtown tragedy.  It can be a powerful tool. Use it…but use it wisely.
4. Stop sending death threats to athletes – It’s really about time that we stop using Twitter to send threats to athletes who have made bad plays or who we don’t like.  Kyle Williams suffered such harassment last season when he muffed a punt that cost the 49ers a Super Bowl berth.  Josh Morgan of the Redskins and some Jets players received some as well, this season.  This needs to end.
5. For ESPN to starting citing sources – How often do you see ESPN say something has happened “according to sources”?  My guess it a lot.  Well chances are, someone has reported that information first and ESPN is refusing to cite them as the person who broke the news first.  Deadspin.com will back me up on this claim.  ESPN, please start being a reputable news source again.
6. For announcers to stop using hyperbole during broadcasts – I would have to say that John Gruden and Cris Collinsworth are probably the biggest culprits of this.  If every guy is “one of the best” at doing something, then that isn’t really an accomplishment anymore.  Learn the English language before you get paid to use it to describe sporting events, please.
7. For athletes to turn in their arsenals of guns – See my blog here.
8. For everyone to stop listening to Skip Bayless – It’s about time we stop watching ESPN’s First Take.  I haven’t watched it for quite some time.  But it usually goes like this: Skip Bayless will say something outrageous will little basis in facts, stats, or logic (LeBron isn’t clutch, Tim Tebow is a winner, etc.).  Stephen A. Smith will react accordingly.  Then everyone will freak out about it, furthering Skip’s reach.  The guy says things then runs from them.  He is a quintessential troll.  STOP LISTENING.  You only encourage him.
9. For some bowl games to be cut – I can’t tell you how many bowl games I have seen so far that have schools participating that I have never heard of.  No one wants to watch the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl between Utah State and Toledo.  Let’s be real.  The stadiums aren’t even half full.  If no one is there to watch them in person, why should I watch on T.V.?
10. For the NFL to stop masquerading their fight for player safety – The NFL isn’t concerned about the safety of the players.  There are trying to cover their own butts so they don’t receive any more liability lawsuits.  The players aren’t dumb, Commish.  They know what you are doing.  Just own up to it.

I might lose Twitter followers, Facebook fans, and Nestor might just kick me out of the competition over this comment, but I stand by it, and that comment is that: I am officially a Lebron fan.

How can a die-hard Lakers fan be a Lebron fan? I asked myself that question as I wrote this article and I came up with three reasons.

Reason #1 – He was clutch in the moments of adversity.

He has been ridiculed and scorned for not having the heart to close out a critical game, but he proved that he is more than capable in closing out games.In the critical close out game, Game 6 against the championship pedigree Celtics and had one of the greatest performances in playoff history, period.

He dished the ball with grace and precision and played quality defense. In Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Thunder, he hit a clutch shot in the 4th quarter sealing the game and taking back home court. He didn’t have the flu or a bum knee, but he came up big with a three pointer in the 4th quarter in Game 4 of Finals while experiencing leg pains.

Reason #2 – He was a team player first.

He expressed after winning his first championship that last season he played with a lot hate and this year he returned back to who he was as a man and a player. His life and game adjustment proved to give him the formula towards winning this year. His game improved greatly and the game was fun again. This year he never deferred from who he was. What he was scorned for was his greatest asset.

Reason #3 – He owned up to his faults and challenged himself.

First, he owned up to his game on the court. He worked tirelessly and diligently to add dimensions to his game that consequently made him more unstoppable. He never gave up and stuck with the game plan. This is the sole reason why he earned his third MVP award and eventually the NBA Finals MVP.

Second, he owned up to the fiasco called the “The Decision” and the lavish party and declaration that it would be easy to win multiple championships. He couldn’t undo what happened but he moved on to be a better person and athlete.

Now don’t get me wrong, I will not defer from criticism at times of mental breakdowns, but I will give credit where credit is due. He needs to win multiple championships to enter that upper echelon of NBA greats. I would say three rings would suffice to putting him in the likes of Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas and others. He also needs to win it all during a full 82 game season. I will give him a pass because despite the labor-shortened season, it was condense in a shorter period of time and the league didn’t suffer too much on ratings and revenue.

Let’s debate about it on Twitter @WinLifestyle

AshleyMadison.com asked women across America which athlete they would most likely cheat on their husband with. Over 13,500 women responded by picking their top three athletes which yielded the following results :

International Soccer Star and Sex Symbol David Beckham was the overwhelming winner with 43.1% of ALL women surveyed saying they would cheat on their husbands with him.

• ·         Ultra-conservative New York Jet QB Tim Tebow was second with 19.6% of all women surveyed.

• ·         New England Patriot and the most prolific QB in the NFL, Tom Brady was a close third with 17.9%. Brady is currently married to Supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

• ·         Mark Sanchez may be the #1 QB on the Jets but only 8.1% of women said they would have an affair with him, well behind his back-up, Tim Tebow.

• ·         MLB Future Hall-of-Famer and New York Yankee Derek Jeter led the way with 16.5% of women looking to hit a Home Run with him, edging out Yankee Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez, who garnered 13.2% of women respondents.

• ·         In the battle of the Manning’s, Peyton edged out his younger brother Eli : 9.6% to 8.5%.

• ·         NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP LeBron James is the top NBA player amongst women looking to go to the hoop, with 5.8% of all women surveyed looking to cheat with the King. (Kobe Bryant came in second with 4.4%)

• ·         Andy Roddick (5.6%) out volleyed both Rafael Nadal (4.6%) and Roger Federer (4.2%) to become the top tennis player chosen amongst women

• ·         Michael Phelps was the leading Olympian with 10.5% of women ready to jump in the pool with him.

• ·         Top 5 NFL players (are all QB’s): Tim Tebow (19.6%), Tom Brady (17.9%), Peyton Manning (9.6%), Aaron Rodgers (9.5%), and Eli Manning (8.5%). The top non-quarterback was Reggie Bush (6.9%).

• ·         Top 5 NBA players: LeBron James (5.8%), Kobe Bryant (4.4%), Lamar Odom (3.7%), Dwyane Wade (3.6%), and Kris Humphries (3.3%)

• ·         Top 3 MLB players: Derek Jeter (16.5%), Alex Rodriguez (13.2%), and Matt Kemp (1.6%)

• ·         Top 5 non- NFL, NBA, and MLB athletes: David Beckham (43.1%), Christiano Ronaldo (11.0%), Michael Phelps (10.5%), Kelly Slater (9.2%), Lance Armstrong (7.4%)

• ·         Top 10 athletes overall: David Beckham (43.1%), Tim Tebow (19.6%), Tom Brady (17.9%), Derek Jeter (16.5%), Alex Rodriguez (13.2%), Christiano Ronaldo (11%), Michael Phelps (10.5%), Peyton Manning (9.6%), Aaron Rodgers (9.5%), Kelly Slater (9.2%).  Tiger Woods came in 15^th (6.1%).

**Note:  The percentages are based on 300% since each women picked three athletes.  You could also divide every number by three to get an accurate percentage based on 100%.

Twitter: @RealJohnSears

Last night was the culmination of years upon years of adversity for LeBron James.  No player in, probably the history of sports, garnered as much criticism and pure hatred than LeBron.  He had become the biggest villain in all of sports.

Proclaimed as “The Chosen One”, after being drafted out of St Vincent St Mary High School in Akron Ohio, we finally saw the prophecy fulfilled last night, in what was a dominating performance by both him and the Heat as a team.  Excuse me while I nerd out for a second.  LeBron was called “The Chosen One” and so was Anikan Skywalker.  Skywalker became Darth Vader (the villain) and it seemed as though all hope was lost until he finally fulfilled the prophecy.  LeBron had to embrace becoming the villain before he could fulfill his own prophecy.  Ok I’m back, if you are still with me after that ‘nerdgasm’.

After failing in the playoffs time and time again with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Cavs failing to supplement LeBron’s talent (through 8 years) with anyone high caliber, LeBron felt that the only way to win would be to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.  The next couple of months would define him as a person and make him a villain in the eyes of a majority of sports fans.  “The Decision”, “The Promise”, “The Failure”.  These would all set the stage for this season.

If you didn’t watch this year’s NBA Playoffs (especially LeBron’s performance) for some crazy reason, I truly pity you.  LeBron dominated in every facet of the game.  He shut down Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks in the first round in five games.  He carried them past a deep Pacers team in 6 games.  And finally, in one of the most legendary performances in the history of the NBA, he brought his team back from the brink of elimination with back to back wins against the Celtics.  He played all of game seven and hit a 30 foot three pointer that would seal the deal and would advance the Heat to the NBA Finals to finally face down their demons.

LeBron put up ridiculous numbers in the Finals, now silencing the critics that said he couldn’t perform on the biggest stage.  He had worked himself so hard through the playoffs (now top five in playoff minutes per game all time) that in game four he broke down with thigh cramps, yet still came back in the game to hit the go ahead for good three pointer.  He then wisely came out because he was not quick enough to guard anyone on the Thunder due to the injury.

Prior to game five, you could see it in his eyes.  You could see that he knew he was so close to holding the O’Brien trophy and the Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy.  He then went out and did everything for the Heat just as he had been doing all season.  He recorded his second triple double of the Finals leading the Heat to a dominating 15 point victory.

Last night I used the hashtag #SilenceTheCritics to signify LeBron’s victory.  This doesn’t mean that the criticism will simply disappear because it just never will.  However, it does mean that there is no rationality behind it anymore.  All it is now is muffled whispers.  I can only imagine what it felt like for LeBron to finally have that load removed from his shoulders, he is free.

People will continue to make excuses to discredit his accomplishments.  Refs, conspiracy theories, not enough rings will all be popular.  It doesn’t matter though because LeBron will continue to prove everyone wrong.  He will never win with everyone, but why should he care.  He has gotten what he deserved.  This isn’t the end for LeBron either.  It’s FAR from it.  He is only 27.  Jordan won his first Finals and Finals MVP at 28 and Kobe won his first Finals MVP at 30.  We have a long way to go yet with LeBron.  “But LeBron was in the league longer than Jordan” is a common rebuttal to that.  I would agree that’s a valid point if years in the league actually affected mental maturity.  But it doesn’t.  People mature because they get older, not because they play a game for more time.  That’s a common misconception people have.

People criticize LeBron for “having” to join Wade and Bosh to get to the top.  By the way people act about Jordan, you would have thought he scored every single point for the Bulls during their hay days.  People forget that Pippen, Rodman, Kerr and the rest were FAR from scrubs.  Not to mention Jordan had arguably the best coach in NBA history, Phil Jackson.  LeBron has a great supporting cast, sure.  But so did Jordan.  Obviously LeBron will have to win a few more Finals for me to compare him to Jordan without being called a “retard”, but that shouldn’t be the case.

LeBron is the most talented basketball player the world has ever seen and if the critics were to just calm down for a second, they would realize this.  He is a team player, values winning over personal stats, and can do pretty much anything his team needs.  Why then does he garner so much hatred? Well, he shouldn’t.  Sure he has done some, simply dumb things, but all the stars have.

I have spent years defending LeBron James and I felt this victory right along with him.  Seeing him finally smile (it seemed like he hadn’t all season, especially the playoffs) with trophy in hand was so gratifying for me.  Some tears of joy ran down my face.  That’s the beauty of sports.  Last night will go down in history and it’s a shame that some people missed it because they were too busy thinking of ways to hate a person that they have never met.

All there is left to say though is long live The King, the Chosen One.  It’s been a long wait but “it’s about damn time”.

Honorable Mention: Boxing-Victor Ortiz vs. Joselito Lopez (Saturday 9pm from Los Angeles live on Showtime); WNBA: Washington Mystics @ Phoenix Mercury (Wednesday 10pm from Phoenix live on WNBA.com), Washington Mystics @ Seattle Storm (Sunday 7pm from Seattle live on WNBA.com); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Boston Cannons @ Chesapeake Bayhawks (Saturday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet); U.S. Olympic Trials: Diving (Wednesday 12am & 10pm Thursday 10pm Friday 11pm live on NBC Sports Network, Saturday 4pm Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All diving from Federal Way, WA); Track & Field (Friday 9pm live on NBC Sports Network Saturday 8pm Sunday 7pm live on NBC Monday 9pm live on NBC Sports Network. All track from Eugene, OR); Swimming (Monday 6:30pm live on NBC Sports Network 8pm live on NBC. All swimming from Omaha)

10. Earth, Wind & Fire (Thursday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion), Childish Gambino (Saturday 6:30pm Pier Six Pavilion); Rascal Flatts/Little Big Town (Saturday 7pm Jiffy Lube Live); Counting Crows (Wednesday 7pm Wolf Trap), Diana Krall (Tuesday 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall Thursday 8pm Wolf Trap); Jill Scott (Thursday 7pm Verizon Center); LMFAO (Monday 7pm Patriot Center); Mr. Greengenes (Friday 8pm Power Plant Live); Tech N9ne/Machine Gun Kelly (Tuesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage), Ice Cube/Wale/DJ Khaled (Wednesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Deanna Bogart Band (Saturday 8:30pm Rams Head on Stage); The Hives (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club), Modest Mouse (Wednesday & Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club); Fiona Apple (Wednesday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers (Friday & Saturday 8pm Jammin’ Java); Del Ray Music Festival feat. Pat McGee (Mt. Vernon Recreation Center Fields Alexandria); Ringo Starr (Sunday 7pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Safeway National Capital Barbecue Battle feat. Soul Asylum/Cowboy Mouth (Saturday & Sunday Pennsylvania Avenue DC); Smashing Pumpkins “Oceania” and Kenny Chesney “Welcome to the Fishbowl” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

I like Donald Glover on “Community” (Six seasons and a movie!) and all, but I was always skeptical about him as a performer. But honestly, not bad (lyrics NSFW)…

Quick. Favorite Counting Crows song ever. I’ll go with this…

Wale and Kevin Durant have something in common. I like them both a LOT but would like them a hell of a lot more if they weren’t Redskins fans…

Fiona Apple is coming to town. Anyone remember their awkward feelings about seeing her in her underwear in the “Criminal” video? I can’t tell you how confused I was about myself watching it the first time…

9. Aziz Ansari (Friday 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Paul Mooney (Thursday-Sunday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Jim Gaffigan (Thursday DC Improv); “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter”, “Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World” & “Brave” out in theaters (Friday)

If you don’t think Aziz Ansari is funny I don’t think this conversation is going anywhere and we might want to consider talking to other people…

Also, I think I AM planning on a midnight screening for ALVH Thursday night. I’m hoping to come dressed like this…

If you don’t go see this movie you’re a terrible American.

Two years ago at the FIBA World Championship, Kevin Durant put the rest of the world on notice. Durant finished as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player with an average of 22.8 points per game including a masterful championship game against the host country Turkey. He carried a USA team filled with some of the best young talent in the NBA to their first FIBA World Championship since 1994.

Durant and the World Championship team, labeled the “B Team” by many, earned an automatic bid to the World Championship when LeBron James and the 2008 US men’s basketball team took gold at the Summer Olympics. Team USA rolled through the tournament going 8-0 and outscoring their opponents by an average of 27.9 points per game. The 2008 team was filled with the NBA’s most established stars. LeBron was second on the team in scoring with 15.5 points per game behind Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade.

On Tuesday night in game one of the 2012 NBA Finals, Durant and LeBron will again be on the biggest stage. For LeBron, it will be his third Finals appearance. As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron was swept in 2007 by the San Antonio Spurs. Last year, after joining the Heat, LeBron again lost in the Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. Durant will be making his first appearance in an NBA Finals game after starting his career with a record of 37-117 in his first two seasons.

The Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder are reminiscent of those 2008 and 2010 US national teams. The Miami Heat, filled with the established stars of Dwayne Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh, look a lot like that 2008 Olympic team. The Oklahoma City Thunder, constructed with some of the top young talent like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka, take a similar form to the 2010 World Championship team. Both teams were dominant, but one constantly overshadowed the other in the spotlight.

When these two teams face off in the Finals, either LeBron James or Kevin Durant will get their first championship ring, the ultimate measure of a great player. The world will not only be watching the Miami Heat versus the Oklahoma City Thunder for the ultimate prize in professional basketball, but they will also be seeing LeBron James versus Kevin Durant for the right to be called the best player in the NBA. Whether or not that topic is up for debate by NBA fans doesn’t matter. That is how most of the world will look at the result of this series.

Both teams and both players finished up remarkable regular seasons. The Heat winning 46 games and the Thunder winning 47. LeBron James averaging 27 points per game and Durant 28.

The Thunder are on the rise. Whether or not they win this series, the 2011-2012 season will have been a success for them. In the Western Conference Finals, they fell to an 0-2 deficit to what looked to be the best team in the NBA. They climbed out of the hole and won four straight to advance to the Finals.

The Heat, in their current incarnation, are in their second season together, but it is considered by many as a last ditch effort. If the “Big 3″ do not find a way to win a championship this year, the media explosion that will follow will likely lead to some changes somewhere in the organization. It could be Spoelstra that is ousted. It could be Bosh.

In their two meetings against each other this season, the Heat and Thunder split the series. On March 25, the Thunder beat the visiting Heat 103-87. Durant led the way with 28 points, but it was Ibaka, Perkins and Harden who made the difference and combined for 54 points. In that game, Miami got just 26 points from everyone outside of their big three. On April 4, the Heat beat the Thunder in Miami 98-93. Durant and Westbrook combined for 58 points and the rest of the team added 35.

The Thunder need to find a way to get Perkins and Ibaka involved to win this series. Much like the Indiana Pacers, the frontcourt of the Thunder will be their biggest advantage. When David West and Roy Hibbert weren’t able to leave their mark on the game, the Pacers faltered against the Miami Heat. The Thunder cannot make the same mistake. The decision-making of Russell Westbrook will be the ultimate deciding factor for the Thunder. If he plays with the flow of the game and takes what the Heat give him, the Thunder will beat the Miami Heat. If he forces shots, the story will be different.

The Heat are a very different kind of team. They need big games from Wade and LeBron to succeed. At any point in time, Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers or Shane Battier can land a barrage of three-pointers, but that really isn’t a consistent option for the Heat. Their greatest strength is their fast break game with Wade and LeBron running the floor and making highlight plays. The key to a Heat victory will be their ability to score out of half-court sets when they can’t pull away from the young Thunder in transition.

Their one game advantage in their regular season record earned the Thunder home court advantage in the Finals. The Oklahoma City crowd has been huge in the playoffs, providing energy for their young players to feed on. This advantage heavily tips the scale in favor of the Thunder. Since 1985, the NBA Finals has been a 2-3-2 format, with the home team playing the first and last two games of the series on their home court. In the last ten years, only three teams have won the NBA championship without home court advantage. One of those teams was Dwyane Wade and the 2006 Miami Heat. Of the three teams who failed to win the NBA championship with home court advantage, the 2011 Miami Heat are the most recent. Home court advantage is everything in the NBA Finals.

With Bosh returning to the line-up, both teams are at full strength. Just four more wins to immortality. Durant and LeBron both know what it is like to win at an international level. The burning question is which one will be able to get their first Larry O’Brien trophy. That one point and that one win will be the difference between a champion and a loser.

Honorable Mention: Boxing-Antonio Tarver vs. Lateef Kayode (Saturday 9pm from Carson, CA live on Showtime), Gabriel Rosado vs. Joel Julio (Friday 9pm from Bethlehem, PA live on NBC Sports Network); WNBA: Minnesota Lynx @ Washington Mystics (Wednesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Chesapeake Bayhawks @ Denver Outlaws (Saturday 9pm from Denver live on ESPN3.com)

10. Zac Brown Band (Thursday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Capital Jazz Fest feat. Indie.Arie, Bill Cosby (Friday-Sunday Merriweather Post Pavilion); Radiohead (Sunday 7:30pm Verizon Center); Miranda Lambert/Jerrod Niemann (Sunday 4pm Jiffy Lube Live);  City and Colour (Wednesday 7pm Rams Head Live); Smile Empty Soul (Saturday 5pm Recher Theatre); Crossfade (Monday 7pm Baltimore Soundstage); Dandy Warhols (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Used (Wednesday 7:30pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Victor Wooten (Thursday 8pm Howard Theatre); Dr. John (Friday 7:30pm Birchmere); Rhett Miller (Monday 8pm Jammin Java)

I’d watch ZBB do just about anything, but this was as good as anything I’ve seen them do…

My favorite tune from Thom Yorke and the boys?

For more traditional country folk, I sorta dig this Jerrod Niemann tune…

I wish I didn’t have to admit to digging this tune…

9. Great Grapes Wine & Food Festival (Saturday & Sunday 12pm Oregon Ridge); Guy Torry (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Corey Holcomb (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “Man on a Ledge” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Glenn Clark’s first ever “Hogfest” (Saturday)

That’s right. For the first time in my (still?) young life, I will be roasting a pig Saturday. It’s all thanks in part to ABC Rental Store in Rosedale. A talented young man I listen to on the radio is always talking to me about them. I think his show is called “The Reality Check.” I PRAY my results make me as happy as George W. Bush…

Also, I will be hosting a qualifier for the Olympic KanJam team Saturday (more on Twitter @OlympicKanJam). I expect the day to look much like this…

Honorable Mention: WNBA-Chicago Sky @ Washington Mystics (Saturday 7pm Verizon Center); Mixed Martial Arts: UFC on FUEL TV 3-”Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier (Tuesday 8pm from Patriot Center live on FUEL TV); Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Final-Josh Barnett vs. Daniel Cormier (Saturday 10pm from San Jose live on Showtime); Bellator Fighting Championships 69 (Friday 8pm from Lake Charles, LA live on MTV2); Golf: PGA Tour HP Byron Nelson Championship (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel, Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Irving, TX), LPGA Tour Sybase Match Play Championship (Thursday & Friday 6:30pm Saturday 3pm Sunday 4pm from Gladstone, NJ live on Golf Channel); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Chesapeake Bayhawks @ Hamilton Nationals (Friday 11am from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada live on ESPN3.com); Tennis: ATP Tour & WTA Tour Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Tuesday-Saturday 6am Sunday 7:30am from Rome live on Tennis Channel); Women’s College Lacrosse: NCAA Tournament-Loyola @ Maryland (Saturday 12pm Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex)

10. Infieldfest feat. Maroon 5, Wiz Khalifa, Little Big Town, The Darkness (Saturday 11am Pimlico Race Course); New Edition (Sunday 7pm 1st Mariner Arena); Black Keys/Arctic Monkeys (Friday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion), Lucinda Williams/Drive-By Truckers (Saturday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion), Lady Antebellum/Darius Rucker (Sunday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Styx/REO Speedwagon/Ted Nugent (Friday 7pm Jiffy Lube Live); Buckcherry/Foxy Shazam (Thursday 7:30pm Power Plant Live), Mr. Greengenes (Friday 8pm Power Plant Live); 2 Skinnee J’s/All Mighty Senators (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live); Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage, Thursday 8pm Howard Theatre); Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club), SOJA (Friday 7pm Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club); Fishbone (Thursday 7pm State Theatre); Less Than Jake/Ballyhoo! (Friday 8pm Rock N Roll Hotel); Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival feat. Jonny Lang, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Big Head Todd and the Monsters (Saturday & Sunday Sandy Point State Park); Justin Jones & The Driving Rain (Monday 7pm Ottobar); Night of 1000 Dylans (Friday 7:30pm Creative Alliance); Tenacious D “Rize of the Fenix” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

Totally underrated Black Keys tune? “I Got Mine.” See you at MPP Friday night…

If Maroon 5 promised to not play a song they’ve released in the last 10 years I’d be excited to see them Saturday. But if they did nothing but tunes from “Songs About Jane” I would be in…

If you haven’t seen Darius Rucker play country music, you’re going to have to trust me. He kicks a little ass…

I’m hoping Justin Jones will stop by the studio Monday. He’s quite talented…

9. Brian Regan (Friday & Saturday Warner Theatre); John Henton (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Bobby Slayton (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “The Dictator” (Wednesday), “Battleship” and “Crooked Arrows” (Friday) open in theaters; “The Grey” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Preakness Crab Derby (Thursday 12pm Lexington Market); Preakness Frog Hop (Wednesday 12pm Patterson Park)

Crab races? Okay I guess. MUCH more kickass? PIG races.

And as far as the frog hop goes, I think you already know which frog I’ll be pulling for…