Here’s a look ahead at the Tuesday agenda for the MobTown Sports Beat. It’ll be a late start today as “Monday Night Live with Brendan Ayanbadejo” will air from 10 until 11 am, but we’ll be getting it in after that.

Guest Lineup

Jason Butt from CBS Sports and the Baltimore Guide will join us at 11:30 to talk Ravens.

Luke Jones will provide the Ravens intelligence with a Ravens report at 12:30.

Ravens Reaction

A thankfully uneventful foray in Cleveland in the books the Ravens look ahead to a toothless Colts team. We’re always open to Ravens rap.

A Nickel and a Nail

Five topical conversation starters and a nail for someone who deserves it. Share your thoughts:

#1 – Unlikely MVP Candidates

As the season winds down and as we set the countdown to declare Aaron Rodgers MVP of the league, who else might deserve to be in the conversation albeit under unlikely circumstances?

Peyton Manning who proved his value even more in his absence than with the impressive body of work that preceded it. Tim Tebow who has delivered the Broncos from 1-4 to the top of the AFC West despite no organizational support and the trade of the team’s best receiver on the day Tebow got the job. Matt Moore who has rescued the Dolphins from the throes of winlessness and played them right out of the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Maurice Jones-Drew who has put together a terrific campaign despite being on a team with no other offensive weapons. Matt Forte and Frank Gore who literally carried their teams to unexpected success (Forte’s value may become more apparent in coming weeks too via his absence). Wes Welker, Victor Cruz, Marshawn Lynch, Arian Foster and Darren McFadden are all probably worth a mention too.

#2 – The Miami Heat of Baseball

Given the season the Eagles are enduring, carrying the title “Miami Heat of” anything is probably an unwelcome harbinger of struggles ahead. As the newly anointed Miami Marlins go about making their splash into big market baseball though, most recently by heaping money on Jose Reyes and now looking to pique the interests of Albert Pujols, this rapid reconstruct looks much more like the Heat than even Philly’s football version.

Forget for a second that Reyes’ career season and the timing thereof couldn’t have been better for him personally as it came just ahead of free agency, and color me cynical if I see a 28-year old Dominican and immediately assume there’s at least a chance he might be a tad north of his listed age. The fact that Reyes and current “face of the Marlins” Hanley Ramirez both play shortstop and like LeBron James and DeWayne Wade’s skill sets the move seems justifiable yet glaringly redundant. Adding the best player in the game in Pujols would cement the Heat persona for this team…perhaps by design.

If so, it’s probably worth noting that while the Marlins were looking to the Heat for their blueprint for success they should have been careful to notice the white slipcovers that cover the empty American Airlines Arena seats in a feeble attempt to disguise the problem these Marlins know all too well…even a team full of superstars is a tough draw in a city full of lavish beaches, tropical locales and loads of other entertainment options. If the Heat’s Big 3 can’t draw in Miami during the winter months what’s to keep folks interested in the Marlins on beautiful summer nights…Pujols or not?

#3 – Tough Luck Contenders

They’re still in the thick of their respective conference playoff pictures, but that’s about all that’s gone right for the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears this season.

The Texans lost Mario Williams for the season early, Arian Foster for most of the season’s first quarter, Andre Johnson for a handful of games along the way yet were still firmly positioned atop the AFC South when the bottom fell out on Matt Schaub…and then Matt Leinart immediately thereafter. A game TJ Yates showed well in his trial by fire win against the tough Falcons on Sunday but lost Johnson again along the way. They still have a 2 game lead over the Titans who are the only team in the division able to catch them mathematically, and would be well positioned in the wild card even if they faltered away the division. With dates @CIN, vs. CAR, @IND & vs. TEN left the Texans look like a lock for the playoffs no matter who they have to rely on to get them there, the question is what they’ll be able to do once they finally reach that long awaited summit.

The Bears on the other had started slow as quarterback Jay Cutler and offensive coordinator Mike Martz struggled to get on the same page and with an apparent lack of talent on the offensive line. They were able to right their ship and ride Matt Forte into wildcard contention in the only division in football seemingly salted away (by the Packers) in week 6. Hoping for the best from Caleb Hanie at quarterback, the Bears were dealt the worst possible blow on Sunday (as were all of my fantasy teams) with the loss of Matt Forte possibly for the season. With dates remaining @DEN, vs. SEA, @ GB and @ MIN and clinging loosely to the 1^st NFC wildcard spot at present the Bears road to the playoffs is much more in doubt.

The Raiders can probably fairly count themselves in this group too, losing Jason Campbell and spending mightily to replace him with Carson Palmer only to lose Darren McFadden immediately and indefinitely upon Palmer’s arrival. They’re in a dogfight for the AFC West / 2^nd AFC wildcard with dates remaining @GB, vs. DET, @ KC and vs. SD.

#4 – BC-Mess continued

I vented on this topic here yesterday and won’t rehash that argument again. I will however add a couple of things.

First is that the BCS title rematch is a result (in my opinion) of media arrogance above all else. As 5 of the 7 computer rankings had Oklahoma State ahead of Alabama for the BCS’ second spot but the human side of the ledger tipped the balance to Alabama. As the media ordained Alabama the best team in the country through most of the season, their willingness to shake that notion was evident as the talk of a rematch began before the first game was even played. Much like the writers who bought into the Eagles dream team persona in the lead up to the NFL season and as a result were calling the midseason games of a sub .500 and floundering team the “beginning of the Eagles playoffs”…really?!?!?!?

Would the media be so quick to put LSU back in a rematch if the shoe were on the other foot and Alabama had beaten them at home? I doubt it. And while the human element seems just and justifiable as part of the formula, who amongst the voters have actually watched all of the BCS’ top 25 in multiple games this season…and how many watch 3 or 4 marquee games per week and take the word of the media and the assembled highlights of SportsCenter and other highlight shows to form their opinions about the others? How does that make sense? And how does anyone who tried to “work the vote” by putting Oklahoma State 4^th or 5^th on their ballot ever hope to keep a ballot for the following season?

Second, since we’re all in agreement that LSU is the unquestioned #1, and since the real debate begins at #2 and #3; why not let Alabama face Oklahoma Sate in a bowl, crown LSU the champ and showcase them against Boise State, Oregon, Clemson, Wisconsin or some other conference champ with no real shot at beating the Tigers?

Crown LSU the champ and settle the debate surrounding #2. We’ll see who’s smarter, the voters or the computers, once and for all. As it stands now, if LSU loses to Alabama in the BSC title game, theirs’ (LSU’s) will still be the better overall body of work with a better out of conference schedule, a win in Alabama’s building and an extra win in the SEC title game, yet the Tide will be the BCS crowned and titular champion.

#5 – Lions Melting Down

Who will be to blame if the Lions miss the playoffs? After an encouraging start, the Lions can’t get out of their own way and seem to be more caught up on winning the battle or the fight than the football game. Is any of this attributable to head coach Jim Schwartz’ ugly episode around the handshake after losing to the 49ers? Is their reputation too far gone to rescue this season to any real success?

And the Nail Goes to … Jason Garrett

Not just for icing his own kicker on Sunday, but that’s surely a part of it. The offensive genius that Garrett was touted to be once upon a time has yet to emerge and Garrett is surely feeling the heat after Sunday’s debacle on top of the debacle of a season that has preceded it as well.

I was a big Garrett critic when the Ravens were wooing him but backed off of my criticisms after he seemed to turn the Cowboys around after taking over mid-season last year. He lost me again (maybe just as a bitter Felix Jones owner) when he helped the Cowboys blow an apparently safe late lead and called snap after futile snap from the shotgun inside of the 10-yard line amongst other things in rolling over for the Jets.

Below is what I wrote here about the Ravens pursuit of Garrett prior to the 2008 season. Thanks for making me look smart Jason Garrett…that isn’t always easy.

With the benefit of hindsight it’s unbelievable that the Ravens were more interested in Garrett than he was in them…laughable even. Thanks Garrett (and Jerry Jones) for saving us from ourselves on that one too.

The Big 3 Questions

Call it the Miami Heat of radio segments and tweet talk, 3 random questions. Hit me with your answers on Twitter @Thyrl or @WNST, by email thyrl@wnst.net, or at 410-481-1570. Whatever you do, get back @ me.

#1 – Are you taking the #Packers or the field to win the #SuperBowl as of now? #NFL

I’ll still reluctantly take the field.

#2 – Do the #Ravens have an issue at kicker?

I hope not…

#3 – Which #NFL QBs would you trade Joe Flacco for today?

Rodgers, Brees and that’s it for me. Disagree (I’ll bet you do) call me on it.

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

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

15 Positive Observations…

1. I have no concrete proof that Towson University is building a statue for Rob Ambrose, but I don’t know why they wouldn’t.

A lot of people are surprised by the Tigers’ success, but not me. I’m so effing stunned I’m still not a hundred percent certain it actually happened…

There’s no way anyone…in the world…could have ever seen a CAA Championship coming this season. This team still has more work to do though. They won’t feel incapable of beating anyone they play in the NCAA playoffs, starting with Lehigh December 3rd at Unitas Stadium.

Seriously…this is Towson we’re talking about. This can’t be real.

2. I thought I was happier to see the Washington Redskins lose when they play miserably, but I think I was even happier to see their fans suffer heartbreak Sunday.

I will admit that I thought those a-holes in DC were done after Tony Romo hit Jason Witten from 59 yards away…

…but somehow Mike Shanahan’s team stayed in the thing long enough to have a kick to win in overtime. Graham Gano of course missed the kick and DeAngelo Hall channeled DeAngelo Hall to help the Cowboys survive.

I celebrate your misery, clowns. May you never win another game…unless for some reason you play the Steelers. Even then, I dunno.

3. Tony Sparano is giving Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross something very similar to what Lou Brown gave Rachel Phelps.

Does anyone remember earlier this year when the Buffalo Bills were good? No? I swear I thought they were…

Stephen Ross started interviewing coaches before bothering to fire Sparano. Sparano used that to fire up his team, convincing them to win in order to piss off the ownership there that wanted to get new players and coaches. Suddenly Matt Moore and Reggie Bush are playing like real National Football League players and there’s a problem on South Beach…at least for now.

It’s very similar to what Lou Brown did back when he was managing the Cleveland Indians…

Did we ever find out if Brown won American League Manager of the Year that year? He was a hell of a skip.

(Side note. Every time the Orioles tried to hire a General Manager this offseason I assume the calls went awfully similar to that time when Charlie Donovan called Brown at Tire World to offer him the gig with the Tribe.

“How would you like to be the Birds’ GM?”
“Gee. I don’t know.”
“What do you mean you don’t know? This is your chance to be a Major League Baseball General Manager!”
“Let me get back to you, will you Peter? I got a guy on the other line asking about some white walls.”)

4. Andrew Luck has an impressive lateral motion towards the Heisman Trophy.

Do you get the feeling the Stanford quarterback is saying to himself, “Well, if no one else wants it…”?

I’d show you something from the Cardinal’s win Saturday night over rival California, but there wouldn’t be anything that would convince you Luck has locked up the award.

Instead, here’s Lee Corso dropping the “f-bomb” on ESPN’s College Gameday Saturday morning from the University of Houston. There’s no real reason to share the video, other than the fact that it includes the f-bomb.

5. If ANYONE has put their name back in the Heisman mix, that person is Baylor QB Robert Griffin III.

The Bears’ QB almost singlehandedly made sure next weekend’s “Bedlam” game was uninteresting to the rest of the country by throwing (and running) all over Oklahoma Saturday night…

It’s probably too little, too late as far as the Heisman is concerned-but it is certainly a reminder that RG3 has been one of the most entertaining players in the country all season. This TD pass to Kendall Wright however is probably not one he should take credit for…

Also humorous? Erin Andrews took the worst of a Gatorade shower intended for Griffin…

AND…in the hysteria on field after the win in Waco, America fell in love with a gal rushing the field on crutches…

6. At times, Matthew Stafford is one of the best quarterbacks in the world.

But if he did this more often the Detroit Lions wouldn’t have to make dramatic second half comebacks week in and week out like they did Sunday against the Carolina Panthers…

This game also involved Lions TE Tony Scheffler invoking an AT&T Flash Mob commercial in a TD dance…

And a note to Fantasy Football owners: Lions RB Kevin Smith ran for over 100 yards in this game. The physics of that alone are stunning, really.

I’m well aware it’s a different guy, but can we talk about this picture for a second? I say this as a HUGE Silent Bob fan. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT? Are those shorts? Is it some sort of jean skirt? Is it a denim quilt? Holy hell.

7. No one knows how to pronounce his name, but Chris Ogbonnaya had himself a fine day Sunday.

Well, I feel like a bit of a silly goose for taking fantasy advice and playing the Jacksonville Jaguars defense against the Cleveland Browns Sunday.

The only meaningful highlight in this one came from Jags RB Maurice Jones-Drew, who invoked Cleveland “hero” LeBron James by tossing powder in the air after scoring a TD…

And in an unrelated story, here’s a 6 year old kid crying about the New York Jets after their loss to the Denver Broncos the other night. He has an awful mother…

El oh el.

Honorable Mention: Mixed Martial Arts-UFC 139: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Dan Henderson (Saturday 9pm from San Jose, CA live on Pay-Per-View), Strikeforce Antwain Britt vs. Lumumba Sayers (Friday 11pm from Las Vegas live on Showtime), Bellator Fighting Championships 58 (Saturday 7pm from Hollywood, FL live on MTV2); Soccer: Team USA @ Slovenia (Tuesday 12pm from Ljubljana, Slovenia live on ESPN2/ESPN3.com); MLS Cup: Houston Dynamo @ Los Angeles Galaxy (Sunday 9pm from Carson, CA live on ESPN); College Soccer: NCAA Tournament-Xavier/West Virginia @ Maryland (Sunday 5pm Ludwig Field); High School Soccer: MPSSAA Boys & Girls Finals (Thursday-Saturday UMBC Stadium); Boxing: Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. vs. Peter Manfredo (Saturday 10:30pm from Houston live on HBO); Women’s College Basketball: Towson @ Maryland (Wednesday 7pm Comcast Center), Maryland @ UMBC (Saturday 7pm RAC Arena); High School Football: MPSSAA Regional Finals-4A North Catonsville @ Poly (Friday 7pm), 3A North Aberdeen @ North Harford (Friday 7pm), 2A North Chesapeake-Baltimore County @ Edmondson (Saturday 4pm Poly HS), 1A South Surrattsville @ Dunbar (Saturday 1pm Poly HS), 1A North New Town @ Overlea (Friday 7pm CCBC-Essex), 1A East Cambridge @ Perryville (Friday 7pm); College Field Hockey: Final Four-Maryland vs. Old Dominion (Friday 4:30pm from Louisville, KY live on NCAA.com), NCAA Championship Game (Sunday 12pm from Louisville, KY live on NCAA.com); Canadian Football League Playoffs: Eastern Conference Finals-Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Sunday 1pm from Winnipeg live on ESPN3.com), Western Conference Finals-Edmonton Eskimos @ BC Lions (Sunday 4:30pm from Vancouver live on ESPN3.com)

10. Hank3 (Wednesday 7pm Rams Head Live), Airborne Toxic Event (Thursday 7:30pm Rams Head Live), Brett Dennen (Friday 7pm Rams Head Live), Robert Randolph and the Family Band (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live), Five Finger Death Punch (Monday 6:30pm Rams Head Live); Chris Robinson Brotherhood (Tuesday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Bob Schneider (Sunday 8:30pm Rams Head On Stage); Owl City (Wednesday 5:30pm 9:30 Club), Mike Doughty and His Band Fantastic (Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club), The Kooks (Sunday 7pm 9:30 Club); Ray Davies (Tuesday 7pm Fillmore Silver Spring), Kid Rock (Wednesday 8:30pm Fillmore Silver Spring), LMFAO (Thursday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring), Warren Haynes (Saturday 7pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Straight No Chaser (Saturday 8pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); Drake “Take Care” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

I start with Brett Dennen, whose tune “Comeback Kid (That’s My Dog)” I play regularly on “The Reality Check”-a fine radio program that airs Monday-Friday 2-6pm on AM1570 WNST.net. You should really be listening…

Then there’s Robert Randolph. Holy hell I have no idea how many times I could possibly post this video. It’s just…it’s just…it’s just amazing.

Bob Schneider’s “Honeypot” is one of the most underrated songs of 2011…

Does the Chris Robinson Brotherhood play Black Crowes songs? I’ll bring my lighter…

9. Cirque du Soleil Quidam (Thursday-Sunday Verizon Center); Russell Brand (Thursday 8pm Patriot Center); Tony Rock (Thursday-Saturday Magooby’s Joke House); Bob Marley (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “Pirates of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tide” available on DVD/Blu-Ray (Tuesday)

Instead of Russell Brand doing stand-up in Fairfax, is there any chance we could get a concert featuring Aldous Snow and Infant Sorrow???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t6beljyjyA

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — “You know while the Yankees always win, Frank?”

“‘Cause they have Mickey Mantle?”

“No, it’s ’cause the other teams can’t stop staring at those damn pinstripes.”

While I will spare you from going into the details of two mice falling into a bucket of cream, I will tell you that the above line (from the movie Catch Me If You Can) rang in my head over and over during the University of Maryland’s season opening 32-24 win over the University of Miami Monday night at a sold out Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

The exchange between Frank Abignale Sr. and Frank Abignale Jr. set the tone for the son to use elaborate distractions while committing major international check fraud crimes.

The only thing fraudulent about the Terrapins’ victory was their red zone offense, but I’ll save those crimes for another day.

After unveiling some 32 new Under Armour uniform schemes at an elaborate campus event a few weeks ago, the Terps managed to cause a bit of an internet firestorm. The attention (and the positive and negative feedback that came with it) served as great publicity for UA founder Kevin Plank (a former Terps special teams ace) and for the football team itself. While the attention surrounding Monday night’s season opener was mostly about the fallout from the Nevin Shapiro scandal in Coral Gables, the Terps did manage to generate some interest with the question “what will they wear”?

After warming up in more traditional colors before Monday night’s season opener, the Terps returned to the locker room and (with the help of a number of Under Armour reps) changed into some unique duds.

Not even amongst the 32 prior combos, Under Armour’s “PRIDE” uniform placed the colors of the Maryland state flag quite prominently on the team’s helmets, shoulders, gloves and cleats.

Within moments of the team’s appearance on the ESPN broadcast, Twitter and Facebook were on fire with reactions. Reactions came from far and wide, with even icons like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony sharing thoughts about them.

Certainly not all of the thoughts shared were positive.

The game practically played a supporting role to the uniforms from that point on. While Abignale Sr. believed less focus was on Mantle than the unis the Bronx Bombers donned, I can say with certainly less focus was placed on the debut of new Terrapins head coach Randy Edsall or the performance of quarterback Danny O’Brien (31-44 for 348 yards with a TD and a pick) than the team’s gaudy threads.

The team itself didn’t find out what they would be wearing into the contest until earlier in the day.

“You should have seen today in the team meeting. We came over and had a walkthrough, (then we went) back and had a Special Teams meeting” Edsall said after the game. “I talked to the guys for a little bit, I said ‘I’ve got two things I’ve gotta show you.’ I put a video on, (we) showed them a highlight-type video and then we had a video that had the uniforms, because they hadn’t seen them. You should have been in that room when this video came on that Under Armour did-that they played when we came out. I think we blew the roof off the hotel. Those kids were so excited.”

“It’s about the pride” Edsall added. “They’re playing not only for themselves, but they’re playing for every Maryland player that went through this program. They’re playing for every person in this state. That’s what we’re trying to build.”

BALTIMORE — Don’t bother telling me. I already know.

There were plenty of problems with Tuesday night’s “Team Melo vs. Goodman League” basketball game at Hill Field House on the campus of Morgan State University.

It was thrown together late with little promotion and a venue change announced only 24 hours before the event (the game was originally to be played at St. Frances Academy). It was played at a venue that was still too small to accommodate the players, fans and media attention an event with such star power would attract.

There wasn’t enough parking. There wasn’t a whole lot of community involvement from the players involved, even the stars from Charm City who participated.

But despite all that, the event put on Tuesday night was pretty magical.

NBA superstars LeBron James (Miami Heat F), Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder F), Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets G) and local stars like Memphis Grizzlies G Josh Selby (Lake Clifton), San Antonio Spurs G Gary Neal (Towson University/Calvert Hall/Aberdeen) and Sacramento Kings F Donte Greene (Towson Catholic) converged on MSU for an event that was for all intents and purposes “hosted” by New York Knicks F/Former Towson Catholic star Carmelo Anthony.

James and Paul joined Anthony on “Team Melo”, made up mostly of former Baltimore standouts (including retired NBA G and former University of Maryland star Juan Dixon). Durant headlined the Goodman League team, made up of Washington DC-based stars.

The event was very much an exhibition, as the level of defense played was comparable to the NBA All-Star Game. It was reflected in the final score, as Team Melo held on for a 149-141 victory in the contest.

But for as much about the event that was less than desirable, there was equally as much excellent.

Hill Field House was electric Tuesday night, as the 4,500 seat venue was filled to an overflow level with fans stacked everywhere room could be found in the building. Every time a star like James, Durant, Paul or Anthony would touch the ball the entire building would explode in anticipation. When one of those players would deliver a thunderous dunk, stepback jumper, sensational crossover or alleyoop finish the explosion would literally shake the building.

I’ve attended special events at Hill Field House (namely Reggie Holmes’ Senior Night beatdown of Coppin State in which he broke the Bears’ all-time scoring record), but I’ve never attended any basketball event in Baltimore that was as electric as the event was Tuesday night.

“I think Baltimore needed this” Anthony said after the event. “I think they definitely needed this, I think just to bring the morale of the city back up. The fans haven’t seen nothing like this in a long long time. We want to keep it going.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fFbRW8sL_c&feature=channel_video_title[/youtube]

There’s certainly an argument that Anthony is correct. Charm City summers regularly feature little for the city to rally around, as the Baltimore Orioles have offered little for the city to get excited about. Without a NBA or NHL team in town, there is a significant void between the end of Baltimore Ravens season and….the start of the next Baltimore Ravens season.

While late in that timeframe and surrounded by the nervousness of the current NBA lockout, Anthony and company did their part to fill the void in Baltimore with a memorable event.

The star of the show was Durant, who electrified the crowd at every turn. He finished (unofficially) with a game high 59 points, just short of the 66 he posted in an exhibition event earlier this summer at New York’s famed Rucker Park. Durant scored many of points in single coverage against James, thrilling those in attendance with an array of offensive moves.

For his part, Durant seemed to have enjoyed playing in front of the Baltimore crowd.

“(It was a) crazy atmosphere, playing in front of the Baltimore fans” the former Texas Longhorns star said after the game. “I grew up in Maryland. Baltimore and DC kinda have a big rivalry, so to play against those guys was a lot of fun for me. I’m excited I got that opportunity.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6ZhiVSV2Zg&feature=channel_video_title[/youtube]

The start of the game was actually delayed nearly 30 minutes due to Durant’s late arrival at Morgan State. The superstar apologized for causing the delay, noting he had run into traffic troubles on his way to the game.

The atmosphere truly was crazy, and would be difficult to be replicated elsewhere. It might not have been a sign that Baltimore is deserving of a NBA franchise to call its own, but it was certainly a sign that the city is still basketball-crazy.

If Anthony intends to bring his superstar friends back to town next summer or other times in the future a bigger venue (like 1st Mariner Arena downtown) could be an option, but perhaps some of the atmosphere would be lost as the venue size increased.

Maybe some of the magic of the event Tuesday night was simply based on the idea that screaming, sweaty fans in a small gym would provide a retro feel and make the atmosphere as exciting as the game itself.

If that was the case, the event was a success. It was a hell of a show.

-G

A team of Baltimore NBA superstars and friends of Towson Catholic’s own Carmelo Anthony will face Kevin Durant and a team of Washington, DC superstars in a basketball battle Tuesday night at Morgan State University’s Hill Field House.

The details on the event have been sketchy, but the Washington Post’s Michael Lee was able to nail down some specifics from former Towson University star Kurk Lee, now the athletic director of the “Melo Center” here in Charm City.

The Baltimore team will feature Anthony (New York Knicks F), Miami Heat F LeBron James, New Orleans Hornets G Chris Paul, San Antonio Spurs G Gary Neal (Towson/Calvert Hall/Aberdeen), Sacremento Kings F Donte Green (Towson Catholic), Memphis Grizzlies G Josh Selby (Lake Clifton), Los Angeles Clippers G Eric Bledsoe and former Knicks F/C Eddy Curry.

The DC team will feature Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder F), Boston Celtics F Jeff Green, Sacramento Kings C DeMarcus Cousins, Milwaukee Bucks G Brandon Jennings, Denver Nuggets G Ty Lawson, Washington Wizards F Trevor Booker, Detroit Pistons F Austin Daye, Los Angeles Lakers C/F Ater Majok, former Syracuse C Arinze Onuaku and Goodman League players Anthony “Gumby” Williams & Omar Weaver.

Lee reports tickets will be available first-come-first-served at the door. Tickets $40 for general admission, $100 for reserved floor seats. Doors will open at 6pm with the game starting at 7pm. Ticket revenue will go to support various charities.

There will be no television/radio broadcast of the event. WNST plans to cover the event via Twitter (@WNST), WNST.net and WNSTv.

When the Dallas Mavericks finished off the Miami Heat Sunday night, Dirk Nowitzki finally claimed his first NBA Championship, while LeBron James failed to do the same.

With that in mind, today’s “Tuesday Top 7″ topic was “The Top 7 Athletes We’d Like to (Next) See Win Their First Title.”

The only rule I made was that we could only include one local athlete on the list. (I didn’t want the list to JUST be Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles).

Glenn Clark’s list:

7. Jerome Iginla

6. Andy Murray

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

5. Todd Helton

4. Joe Flacco

3. Steve Nash

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_vU84L7YAI[/youtube]

2. Donovan McNabb

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBJEfmQA9q4[/youtube]

1. Jeff Fisher

Drew Forrester’s list:

7. Andy Reid

6. Brad Stevens

5. Dennis Wolff

4. Bubba Watson

3. Donovan McNabb

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1_Ae5Ljs6Q[/youtube]

2. Ichiro Suzuki

1. JJ Redick

If you missed the explanation of the list on “The Morning Reaction” Tuesday on AM1570 WNST, hit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net!

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Yes, you can count me among the MILLIONS and MILLIONS of casual basketball fans who wanted to see Miami melt under the pressure of its own HEAT …..

This entire story of contempt, envy and ultimate disdain possessed by most observers, culminated with watching Lebron James and his teammates walk away from the biggest game of their season as LOSERS.

That’s the way we wanted it, right?

Seeing Miami eliminated in an earlier round by Philly, Boston or Chicago just wouldn’t have been this delightful. When it comes to enjoying the failures of others, nothing compares to seeing it happen on the grandest stage.

Why did so many of us want to see the Miami Heat lose? More importantly, why did guys like me – who don’t really invest much emotion in the NBA – want to see such a result?

I can only speak for myself, but I never like seeing teams primarily assembled thru a free agency spending spree in the context of one off-season.

Perhaps, I’m a little more old fashioned. Or, in today’s world, I guess I’m one of those guys who likes seeing a franchise primarily develop from within its own system, while subsidizing needs thru outside expenditures.

But, I’m still a more casual observer of the NBA product and that’s not going to change.

Lebron James has compelled me to watch and pay a little more attention, especially in the wake of everything that’s unfolded since “The Decision” took place, nearly a year ago.
.

It’s been one weird turn after another for Lebron …..

Last night, he didn’t disappoint those who like to pick apart his every move. For the record, I’m not part of such a crowd. I’m way too busy living my own life to know what he said following his poor performances, last week.

However, I heard his words following the championship loss …..

“All the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today.”

Childish and trite? Yep. The guy obviously has a problem yielding to good judgement when dealing with the pitfalls of stardom.

A simple look at the traditional way STARS are born, groomed and flicker into eventual obscurity can probably be relied upon in forecasting the ultimate future of Lebron James.

He was vaulted as the high school talent with freakishly awesome talent. He lived up to the hype and rose to stardom. The fans lifted him up as the modern day dominator.

Now, he’s in that stage of being torn down …..

That’s the way it goes. James is criticized for every move he makes and it’s not over, yet.

But, he’ll be built back up, again.

When that happens, he’ll hopefully recognize his surroundings and the perceived status from a more mature perspective. You can pretty much bet on that happening. He will live an learn.

Someday, he’s gonna retire and fade into that obscure road. He will have a championship ring or three on his resume’ and he’ll likely own some very impressive career records.

In the meantime, Lebron James will likely grow up a little bit. Rubbing the commonality of most people’s lives in their faces, during a post-game press conference, is really reaching low.

He’s better than that. Or, is he …..

Time will tell.

James Not To Blame

The Dallas Mavericks got themselves back into the NBA Finals on Tuesday night with another come from behind fourth quarter effort, and although they’re back on mathematical even footing with the Heat as a result, there are still plenty of reasons to doubt their chances.

The advantages that I thought would carry the Mavs to victory in the series in 5 games (an obvious impossibility now) were the match-ups that the Heat typically have to concede at the point guard and center spots, along with Nowitzki over Bosh. Obviously there are few teams that can hope to match forces with the Heat at the 2 & 3 spots.

The biggest advantage that I thought Dallas had though was their bench. Throughout the playoffs, despite our undying interest in the performances and match-ups of the starting lineups, Dallas won and lost their games through the battles of the benches. Portland’s improbable 23-point comeback effort against Dallas in round 1 was spurred by Brandon Roy, arguably a starter in terms of talent, but a guy relegated to second unit duty by knee injuries and one who hadn’t played in the game before. Throughout their run into these Finals, more often than not, Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovich, Brendan Haywood & JJ Barea have outperformed the reserves of their opponents, and when they have the Mavs have won, on the few occasions that they haven’t, the Mavs have lost.

In evaluating the benches however, I was remiss in not including LeBron James as part of Miami’s second unit. If indeed, LeBron is going to play 45 minutes or so per night, and anchor the Heat’s second unit when they come in to spell the starters, then he has to be factored in when looking at those match-ups.

In a series where separation has been tough to come by and runs few and far between, look at the following:

In their Game 3 loss, Dallas had to dig out from a 13-point deficit only to come up short.  After controlling most of the early action, the Mavs gave way to a Heat run that put Miami up 22-19 as the reserves for both sides checked in. When the starters came back into the game, early in the 2^nd quarter, Miami’s lead had ballooned to 35-22. A 13-3 run put their 3-point lead at 13, and 13 was the deficit that the Mavs found themselves trying to overcome into the 4^th quarter.

In Game 4 on Tuesday, the benches checked in with 2:30 or so in left in the 3^rd quarter and the Heat leading 64-63. They ballooned the lead to 7, no small task in this series, and that was the deficit (72-65) from which the Mavs had to dig out again.

This time around the Mavs won despite their bench not because of it and although he’s bound to get plenty of criticism for his pedestrian numbers, it was Miami’s second team, run mostly by James and Mario Chalmers that gave them their best run of the night and set the stage for their stars to shrink again in the final minutes. If James is forced to carry the Heat through most of the first 46 minutes, than as a result of his efforts and sacrifices, Wade, Bosh and the others should be fresher and more capable of making shots in the end game. It should also be a testament to his sacrifices and not an indictment of his game.

Inevitable Dynasty

Win lose or draw, there’s inevitability about this Heat team that makes them tough to like. Well that and the spectacle that was “The Decision”, the victory parade they threw themselves shortly thereafter, the feeling that 3 guys had stacked the deck, and the circus sideshow that has been Miami Heat basketball ever since all add up to make them tough to like. Still…like it or not, they appear to be here to stay, and it’s a pretty safe bet that this will be the weakest Miami team we’ll see for at least the next 4 years or so. Aside from injury or complacency, what else might derail these Heat? The ages of the big 3 (James – 26, Bosh – 27 & Wade – 29) speak to their own potential to get better and the supporting cast is bound to get better too. It’s time to get on board with this team and learn to at least appreciate them, or prepare for the next four years of being an NBA fan to just stink. Like it or not, the Heat are here.

I wonder if the court of public opinion would have been kinder to this team if Pat Riley had traded to acquire James and Bosh instead of having them simply show up at his doorstep through free agency? The willingness of the big 3 to sacrifice their game and defer credit for their individual successes, along with their decision to forego maximum compensation to allow the team some building room around them would seem to be something that we as fans would applaud if a rich old man in an office had swung the deals that brought them together. Why do we seem to resent the players (who were free agents all and beholden to no teams) for taking that onus on themselves?

It seemed pretty common knowledge that LeBron fancied himself a GM already, as he seemed to operate as such in Cleveland. And in fine GM form, he also afforded himself the chance to walk away from one franchise left in tatters by his mismanagement, and parlay that into a better opportunity to try again elsewhere.

Reynolds’ Bad Wrap

Mark Reynolds season has been an interesting one so far to say the least, but not altogether surprising. As a guy who had struggled with the Mendoza line and big strikeout numbers in the NL West, the expectations while adjusting to life in the AL East were certainly for more of the same. And while his efforts and numbers have been frustrating at times (.192 batting average & 61 strikeouts through Tuesday), those alone don’t tell the whole story.

Maybe it says more about the rest of his lineup mates than about Reynolds’ himself, but in addition to the frustrating numbers above, and in stark contrast to them actually, Reynolds also leads the team in doubles (12), homeruns (9), and walks (32) while ranking second on the team in runs (26) and RBI (30). That 35-40 homerun expectation is starting to look more and more realistic lately, and Reynolds defense has been exciting if not consistent.

Crash Davis logic says that the difference between Reynolds’ .192 average and .236 is less than 1 hit per week, and less than 2 hits per week to Vlad Guerrero’s .288. Since their placement in the lineup has each of those guys getting about 4 at bats more per week than Reynolds, the numbers aren’t quite that simple, but the fact that Reynolds has piled up RBI, runs, doubles, walks and homeruns despite far fewer chances than his counterparts in the lineup is not. Maybe others in the lineup could benefit from a Reynolds-like approach at the plate, trading 2 singles per week in for a homerun and a strikeout would probably mean more runs for the O’s overall.

It also seems more realistic that Reynolds will be able, over time, to turn 1 or 2 of those punch outs per week into hits while keeping his 40-homerun power. It sure seems more realistic at present than waiting on Brian Roberts to regain his old form, or for Nick Markakis to morph into a 40-homerun hitter.

Honorable Mention: WNBA-Washington Mystics @ Atlanta Dream (Thursday 7pm from Atlanta live on ESPN2), Chicago Sky @ Washington Mystics (Saturday 7pm Verizon Center); Boxing: Lateef Kayode vs. Matt Godfrey (Friday 11pm from Santa Ynez, CA live on Showtime), Hector Sanchez vs. Vincent Arroyo (Saturday 10:35pm from New York live on Showtime), Friday Night Fights-Kenny Galarza vs. Irving Garcia (Friday 8:30pm from New York live on ESPN2); Arena Football: AFL Philadelphia Soul @ Spokane Shock (Friday 8pm from Spokane live on NFL Network)

10. Mumford & Sons (Thursday 6pm Merriweather Post Pavilion), Phish (Saturday & Sunday 4:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion), Decemberists (Monday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Ronnie Dunn (Friday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Glee Live (Thursday 7:30pm Verizon Center); Portugal. The Man (Wednesday 7pm Rams Head Live), Scissor Sisters (Thursday 7pm Rams Head Live), Cowboy Mouth (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live), NOFX (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live), Sully Erna of Godsmack (Sunday 7pm Rams Head Live); George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic (Monday 7:30pm Recher Theatre); The Bridge (Wednesday 8pm 8×10 Club); Marcy Playground (Saturday 5pm Dark Horse Bel Air, Monday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); U.S. Air Guitar Championships-DC Regional (Saturday 7pm 9:30 Club); Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Wednesday 8pm Wolf Trap), Go-Go’s (Friday 8pm Wolf Trap), Bright Eyes (Saturday 7pm Wolf Trap), Indigo Girls (Sunday 8pm Wolf Trap); Chelsea Handler (Saturday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Duncan Sheik (Saturday 7:30pm Birchmere), Natasha Bedingfield (Monday 7:30pm Birchmere); Bobby McFerrin (Saturday 7:30pm Warner Theatre); “True Grit” available on DVD & Blu-Ray (Tuesday); “Super 8″ opens in theaters (Friday)

You can be certain that I’ll be at Mumford & Sons Thursday night. Intern Timmy Hendrix tried to fail my ticket purchases, but he came through in the end. If you’re not there, I just feel bad for you.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd1GWaQf9Yk&feature=fvst[/youtube]

I wish I could say I was going to Phish as well. I’d go, but I have a bad feeling I might have to pass a drug test at some point in the future.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2izuYgnHukc[/youtube]

I will admit that I have no idea how Marcy Playground is still around 14 years after the ONLY song they ever had on the radio, but I kinda think it’s cool they’re playing in Harford County…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KT-r2vHeMM[/youtube]

And you know what, make fun of Glee all you want—but I am at least man enough to admit that I dig this.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbZcYy6AAGg[/youtube]

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t have admitted that.

9. Honfest (Saturday & Sunday Hampden); St. Nicholas Greek Folk Festival (Thursday-Sunday St. Nicholas Church); Ocean City Air Show (Friday-Sunday 16th Street Ocean City); Ocean City Restaurant Week (Tuesday-Monday throughout OC)

Can someone call Denise Whiting and make sure I’m allowed to call the event “Honfest”?

You see what I did there? That’s called REGIONAL current events humor. Take note, aspiring low-paid doughy morning sports jocks.

Can we all just agree to put aside the controversy and again enjoy Honfest this year? I mean, I’m hoping to do “The Creep” with John Waters myself…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLPZmPaHme0[/youtube]

8. Auto Racing: NASCAR Pocono 500 (Sunday 1pm from Tunkhannock Township, PA live on FOX); IndyCar Series Firestone Twin 275s (Saturday 8pm from Fort Worth, TX live on VERSUS)

Lots of interesting stuff happening here. For example, have you ever heard the word “Tunkhannock” in your life before? And they’re holding two IRL races on the same night in the Lone Star State. That’s interesting, right?

No. Okay, well here’s a picture of Caity Lotz I saw the other day at Guyism. It’s not related to Auto Racing, but it’s definitely interesting-which is something Auto Racing has never provided…

7. Golf: PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel, Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Memphis); Champions Tour Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn (Friday 12:30pm Saturday & Sunday 1pm from Conover, NC live on Golf Channel); LPGA Tour State Farm Classic (Thursday-Saturday 6:30pm, Sunday 7pm from Springfield, IL on Golf Channel)

Speaking of excitement, here’s the weekend golf events.

So…ummm…anyone have some tumbleweeds we can watch blow around?

There’s good news from the golf world though, as David Feherty’s new Golf Channel show is about to debut…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-rN4-ES968&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

I’m so confused. Is it supposed to be a comedy?

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

TNA is trying to sell the idea of “wrestling” because WWE banned the word from being used.

I have a better idea for TNA. Sell the idea of Mickie James. Repeatedly.

5. Soccer: Team USA vs. Canada (Tuesday 8pm from Detroit live on Fox Soccer Channel), Team USA vs. Panama (Saturday 8pm from Tampa Bay live on Fox Soccer Channel); MLS-San Jose Earthquakes @ DC United (Saturday 7:30pm from RFK Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet)

I know we got our asses kicked by Spain Saturday, but we can’t effing lose to Canada, can we? I mean, aren’t the Canadian soccer players going to be too distracted by the Stanley Cup Finals to even show up for the game at Ford Field?

I could post a lot of things here, but NOT posting the epic South Park song would be a mistake…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAYMJnO9LBQ[/youtube]

4. Mixed Martial Arts: UFC 131-Junior Dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin (Saturday 9pm from Vancouver live on Pay-Per-View)

Boy, this event was SIGNIFICANTLY more exciting when it involved Brock Lesnar, wasn’t it?

No offense to Carwin or Dos Santos, who….are both fighters?

Seriously, everything is better when Brock Lesnar is involved. For example, Rikiski weighed 425 pounds. Remember what Lesnar did to him?

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

3. Horse Racing: Belmont Stakes (Saturday 5pm from Elmont, NY live on NBC)

I’m not going to lie. The Belmont is my favorite of Rick’s calls all year, if only because he actually knows the song he’s supposed to sing before the race…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMZ0XIioWWY[/youtube]

By the way, I’ll give you a dollar** if you can name the 2010 Belmont winner off the top of your head*.

(*You checked Wikipedia…you had no idea a horse named Drosselmeyer ever existed.)
(**You and I both know I don’t have a dollar to give you.)

2. NBA Playoffs: NBA Finals-Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks (Game 4 Tuesday 9pm from Dallas live on ABC, Game 5 Thursday 9pm from Dallas live on ABC, Game 6 if necessary Sunday 8pm from Miami live on ABC)

Despite LeBron James missing another big shot in the closing moments of a game, America was saddened to see the Heat take a 2-1 lead in the Finals Sunday night.

But take heart America, we still have a lot of great things happening for us. For example, we stole Nina Dobrev from Bulgaria! (Thanks, WWTDD!)

1. NHL Playoffs: Stanley Cup Finals-Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins (Game 4 Wednesday 8pm from Boston live on VERSUS, Game 5 if necessary Friday 8pm from Vancouver live on NBC, Game 6 if necessary Monday 8pm from Boston live on NBC)

I can’t believe how much of a big deal I made about Team USA against Canada in soccer earlier only to turn around and remind everyone that the Canucks are doing God’s work against those *ssholes from Beantown in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Words could never express how much I despise Boston. Thank God Steven Tyler hasn’t made good music in 20 years or else I might feel bad about how much I’m forced to dislike him by proxy.

Seriously, Boston sucks. Just ask Tina Fey…

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

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G