National Capital Clash

After playing a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference games last weekend, and winning both, Loyola University Maryland will play the first of its final five non-conference games on Wednesday night. The Greyhounds will make the short trip to Washington, D.C., to face George Washington University at 7 o’clock at the Colonials’ Smith Center.

Bright Lights Of TV

Wednesday’s game is the second of three-straight the Greyhounds will play on television. MASN will air the game against the Colonials, as it will on Saturday when Loyola travels to Mount St. Mary’s.

Jason Knapp will handle play-by-play duties on Wednesday, while Craig Esherick will provide color commentary.

Best Start In Division I History

At 6-1 through seven games, Loyola is off to its best start in school Division I history. The institution moved from Division II to I in 1981-1982, and previously, the program’s best start was 5-2 in 2005-2006, 1985-1986.

Solid MAAC Start

Loyola did something last week it had never accomplished in 22 previous seasons in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Greyhounds went 2-0 in their first two league games, defeating Marist at home and Siena on the road.

The Greyhounds also won their conference opener for the first time since 2005-2006, marking just the fourth time in 23 seasons they were 1-0 in the MAAC.

Series History

Loyola and George Washington will meet for the 13th time when the teams take the floor on Wednesday, but the first time since the season-opener in 1990-1991.

The Greyhounds won that meeting, 87-78, in Reitz Arena, but the Colonials still hold a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series.

The teams first met on the hardwood during the 1912-1913 season and played that year, as well as twice during the following two seasons. They then faced off again in 1923-1924 and 1932-1933, but they did not resume the series until the 1972-1973 season.

Familiar Foe

Although Loyola Head Coach Jimmy Patsos has never coached against George Washington, his counterpart on the Colonials’ bench is no stranger. Mike Lonergan and Patsos played basketball together at nearby Catholic University for the late Jack Bruen, were college roommates and served in each other’s weddings.

Wednesday’s game will be the rubber-match of the to-date four-game series between Patsos and Lonegran. Both won a pair of games in the four meetings between Loyola and Vermont over the last four seasons when Lonergan was the coach of the Catamounts.

Last Time Out

The Greyhounds took a 16-4 advantage just over six minutes in against Siena on Saturday and never led by less than six from that point forward in a 66-59 MAAC victory.

Siena scored the first two points of the game 16 seconds in, but the Greyhounds scored the next 13 and did not allow the Saints to score for over four minutes. Loyola eventually went up by 13, 30-17, on a Dylon Cormier three 6:38 before the half.

In the second half, the Saints cut Loyola’s advantage to six on four occasions, but each time the Greyhounds scored next to go back up by eight or nine.

Cormier finished with a career-high 22 points, leading four Greyhounds in double figures. Erik Etherly had 11, while Shane Walker and Robert Olson each tallied 10.

Threes Starting To Fall

After starting the season cold from behind the 3-point arc – the Greyhounds made just 11-of-56 (.196) in their first four games – Loyola has made 22-of-50 (.440) in its last three contests.

The Greyhounds were 6-of-16 (.375) against Florida Gulf Coast, a season-best 8-of-15 (.533) in the Marist tilt and 8-of-19 (.421) at Siena.

Robert Olson led the way against the Eagles and Red Foxes, making 5-of-8, while Dylon Cormier was 5-of-6 against the Saints.

Thievery

Loyola caused 20 Siena turnovers on Saturday night, and the Greyhounds were credited with 19 steals. R.J. Williams led the way with a career-high five, while Erik Etherly, Dylon Cormier and Robert Olson each had three.

The 19 steals are the second-most in school history, one more than the Greyhounds posted in a November 29, 1997, game at Kent State. It is also the most Loyola has recorded against a Division I opponent. The school single-game record of 20 came on February 28, 1996, when the team closed the regular-season against St. Mary’s (Md.).

Consistency Is The Key

Three Loyola players – Dylon Cormier (13, 20, 20, 16, 14, 15, 22), Shane Walker (12, 15, 12, 15, 10, 11, 10) and Erik Etherly (11, 15, 27, 11, 15, 14, 11) have scored in double figures in each of the Greyhounds’ seven games this season, something never accomplished by the same three players in the program’s Division I history.

The last time three Loyola players scored 10 or more over a six-game stretch was the 1997-1998 season when Mike Powell, Jason Rowe and Roderick Platt accomplished the task in consecutive games from January 25-February 15, 1998. Loyola was 5-1 in those games.

The Greyhounds had not had the same three players score 10 or more in four-straight games since Gerald Brown, Marquis Sullivan and Michael Tuck did it against Rider, UC-Davis, Canisius and Marist from February 18-March 2, 2008. Loyola was 3-1 during that stretch.

First Half Fireworks

Dylon Cormier scored a career-high 22 points on Saturday night at Siena, tallying half of the Greyhounds’ 30 points in the first half.

The sophomore guard entered the game shooting just .263 (5-of-19) from 3-point range in the year’s first six games, but he made all four of his attempts from behind the arc in the first 20 minutes. He finished 5-of-6 from long distance in the game.

R.J. Racks Up More Minutes

Freshman R.J. Williams made the third start of his young college career Thursday night against Marist, and for the first time, he led the team in minutes played.

Williams saw 31 minutes of action against the Red Foxes, matching the total played by Shane Walker for team-high honors, after playing 34 minutes last Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast.

With the increased playing time, Williams has also seen more productivity. After scoring eight points in the first four games of the season, he has scored eight in each of the last two. Against the Red Foxes, he finished with a career-high six assists, the most by a Loyola player this season.

Four of Williams’ assists came in the final 11:16 of the game as Loyola outscored Marist, 29-15, during that stretch.

Williams continued his solid play against Siena, dishing out four assists to go with six points and a career-high five steals.

Attacking The Offensive Glass

Loyola pulled down a season-high 25 offensive rebounds against Marist continuing a trend the Greyhounds have started this season. Loyola has posted 15 or more offensive boards in all but two game this year (13 at UMBC and Siena), and the Greyhounds have 118 total this season.

So far, Loyola has grabbed offensive rebounds on 50.2-percent of its missed shots (235).

Spreading The Wealth

Five Loyola players scored in double figures on Thursday night against Marist, the second time this season (Coppin State) the Greyhounds have had five score 10 or more.

In the first seven games of the season, at least three Loyola players have scored 10 or more in every game, and in all but one, four or more have topped the 10-point mark.

Three Greyhounds are averaging 11 or more points per game this year, and another is at 10.6, after seven finished the year averaging 8.1 or more last season.

In the Greyhounds’ January 30 victory last year over Iona, six players scored in double-figures, and the team’s top two scorers at the time did not even dress for the contest. It was the first time that a Loyola team had six players score in double figures since December 6, 1991, when the Greyhounds matched the feat in a 98-84 overtime home victory against Mount St. Mary’s.

CollegeInsider.Com Mid-Major Poll

In the November 28 edition of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, Loyola was one of three MAAC schools to be receiving votes. Iona was fourth in the current edition, while Fairfield is just outside the top 25 with 47 points. The Greyhounds are in the mix with 12 points.

Running Away

Runs have been a big part of the Greyhounds’ success early this year. Here is a look at some runs of note:

First Time For Everything

The victory over Florida Gulf Coast was the first time in 2011-2012 that the Greyhounds have been outrebounded in a game this season. The Eagles controlled a slight 36-33 advantage on the boards. Florida Gulf Coast’s 17 offensive board were also the most by a Loyola opponent this season. The Eagles were, however, able to score on less than half of their offensive rebounds, converting them into just 16 second-chance points.

Olson Big On Both Ends Of The Court

Loyola trailed Florida Gulf Coast, 16-15, with 8:08 to play in the first half before Robert Olson tied the score with a free throw 18 ticks later. He then hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions for the Greyhounds, going on a personal 7-0 run that put Loyola in front for good.

Olson later hit a three at the 4:38 mark as part of a 22-5 Greyhounds run, tallying all 10 of his first-half points in the span of 3:12.

Olson did not make a field goal in the second half, but he knocked down a pair of free throws with 83 seconds on the clock to put the Greyhounds up seven, and he made 1-of-2 from the stripe with 27 seconds left to make it a five-point game.

The junior guard also came up big on the defensive end, making two stops for the Greyhounds in the last minute and a half. He caused a Bernard Thompson turnover and logged a steal at 1:23, setting up the first of his two free throws, and he then blocked a Christophe Varidel 3-pointer with six seconds left, sealing the victory.

Triple Digit Blocks

Shane Walker’s block of a Kevin Cantinol layup 1:25 into the second half against Florida Gulf Coast was the 100th rejection of his Loyola career. He is now one of three Greyhounds all-time to log 100 or more blocked shots, joining Brian Carroll (217, 1997-2001) George Sereikas (117, 1989-1993).

Century Mark

Head Coach Jimmy Patsos became the third coach in Loyola history to win 100 games when the Greyhounds defeated UMBC, 73-63, on the road. Patsos, who is in his eighth season, took over a team that finished 1-27 during the 2002-2003 season. He won his 100th game in his 215th career game.

Last season, Patsos moved into third-place all time at Loyola in victories, trailing only Lefty Reitz (349 wins, 1937-44, 1945-61) and Nap Doherty (165, 1961-74).

Two Of A Kind

Although unofficial, research shows that Jimmy Patsos is one of only two coaches in the last 20 years to take over a team that won just one game the year prior to his arrival.

Brigham Young finished the 1996-1997 season with a 1-25 record. Steve Cleveland took over the following season and tallied 138 wins until his departure for Fresno State after the 2004-2005 season.

Rebounding Advantage

It’s only been six games, but Loyola is +54 in the rebounding column this year, averaging 9.5 more than its opponents per game.

The Greyhounds have outrebounded three teams by 13 or more, pulling down 22 more than Coppin State, 13 more than New Hampshire and 25 more than Marist.

Two Over Twenty

Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier both hit, or exceeded, the 20-point plateau at UMBC with Etherly scoring 27 and Cormier chipping in 20.

It marked the first time since January 3, 2009, a stretch of 80 games, that a pair of Greyhounds scored 20 in the same game. On that date, Jamal Barney poured in 41 at Canisius, while Brett Harvey had 22.

Must Be The Mask

Just over a week after breaking his nose in practice, Erik Etherly scored a career-high 27 points at UMBC. The junior forward made 9-of-15 shots from the field and converted on 9-of-14 free throws while wearing a mask to protect his injured nose.

Etherly was injured in practice on Tuesday, November 8, and although he did not practice from that point until prior to the season-opener on November 11, he scored 11 points and had nine rebounds at Wake Forest.

He then returned to the starting lineup on Monday against Coppin State and scored 15 points while pulling down 11 rebounds for his sixth career double-double.

Thursday night at UMBC, Etherly had a game-high 10 rebounds for his second double-double in a row.

With 11 at New Hampshire and a team-best 15 against Florida Gulf Coast, Etherly has now scored in double-figures for 16-straight games, dating back to January 30, 2011. Prior to scoring 10 that night against Iona, Etherly was averaging 8.8 points in his first season with the Greyhounds, but he lifted his average to 10.8 by the end of the year.

In Loyola’s last 14 games, 11 to close 2010-2011 and three this year, Etherly is averaging 14.9 points per game, tops on the team.

Cormier To The Charity Stripe

Although his shot was not falling at UMBC, Dylon Cormier still found ways to be productive on the offensive end of the floor. The sophomore guard was just 2-of-9 from the field, but he went to the free-throw line 17 times, making 15, and finished with 20 points.

Cormier’s 15 free throws made are tied for sixth in Loyola single-game history, matching the total made by Mike Powell at Saint Peter’s on December 6, 1997, and Donovan Thomas against Marist on February 23, 2003. The 15 makes were the most by a Loyola player since Jamal Barney set the school record with 18 on January 14, 2009, against NJIT. His 17 attempts rank tied for sixth all-time.

Getting To The Line

As a team, Loyola went to the free-throw line 46 times at UMBC, making 31. The 46 attempts are the sixth-most all-time and most since the 2004-2005 squad attempted 53 on December 5, 2004, against Niagara.

Loyola’s 31 free throws made rank 11th on the school single-game chart and were the most since making 32 on January 14, 2009, versus NJIT.

Cormier At His Best Against City Competition

Dylon Cormier matched his career-high with 20 points on Monday night in the win over Coppin State, and he matched that total, also finished with that same total on Thursday against UMBC.

The pair of 20-point performances match his freshman-year high of 20, also against UMBC, in the second game of his collegiate career.

Through three games this season, Cormier is averaging 17.3 points after leading the Greyhounds with 13 in the opener against Wake Forest. He is shooting 51.6-percent (16-of-31) from the field, third on the team.

Latham Granted NCAA Waiver For Immediate Eligibility

Sophomore transfer Jordan Latham was granted an NCAA waiver and will be immediately eligible to play for the Greyhounds in 2011-2012 rather than having to sit out the typical year-in-residency.

Latham returned to his home city when joining the Greyhounds. The 6-foot-8 forward played high school basketball a mere 2.5 miles from Loyola’s campus at the storied Baltimore City College, a high school that has produced two sitting U.S. Congressmen (Elijah Cummings, D-Md.; Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md.) and a U.S. Senator (Ben Cardin D-Md.).

Baltimore Bred And More From Nearby

Since taking over as head coach in 2004, Jimmy Patsos has put an emphasis on recruiting locally, and it has never shown as much as on this year’s roster. Three players – sophomore guard Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons), sophomore forward Jordan Latham (City) and freshman guard R.J. Williams (St. Frances) are products of schools within the city limits.

Six more players played in high school within 50 miles of Loyola, as the crow flies (thanks daftlogic.com): Shane Walker & Tyler Hubbard, Montrose Christian, 32.6 miles; Robert Olson, Georgetown Prep, 33.9; Justin Drummond, Riverdale Baptist, 33.9; Anthony Winbush, T.C. Williams, 43.7; and Erik Etherly, Annandale, 47.9.

What’s Next?

Loyola is in the midst of a six-game road trip that will see them play games in four states and the District of Columbia.

On Saturday, Loyola will travel to Emmitsburg, Md., to take on Mount St. Mary’s in the most-played rivalry in the State of Maryland. The teams will square off for the 167th time in series history on MASN at 2 o’clock.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour Franklin Templeton Shootout (Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday 2:30 Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All golf from Naples, FL); Bowling: PBA World Championship (Sunday 1pm from Las Vegas live on ESPN); Women’s College Basketball: Delaware State @ Maryland (Thursday 7pm Comcast Center), Maryland @ George Mason (Sunday 2pm Patriot Center); High School Basketball: Mt. St. Joseph @ Archbishop Spalding (Sunday 3:30pm); St. Frances @ Mount Carmel (Tuesday 7pm), St. Frances @ McDonogh (Friday 7pm)

10. Corey Taylor (Saturday 7pm Baltimore Soundstage); WMZQ Winter Fest feat. Rodney Adkins, Kellie Pickler, Thompson Square (Saturday 5:30pm Patriot Center); Robert Cray Band (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Emerson Hart (Wednesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Duncan Sheik (Sunday 12:30pm Rams Head on Stage); Wiz Khalifa/Snoop Dogg (Wednesday 11pm 9:30 Club), City and Colour (Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club); America (Tuesday 7:30pm Birchmere), Jars of Clay (Thursday 7:30pm Birchmere); Anthony Hamilton/Chrisette Michelle (Thursday 7:30pm Meyerhoff Symphony Hall); The Black Keys “El Camino”, Amy Winehouse “Lioness: Hidden Treasures”, The Roots “Undun”, Chevelle “Hats Off To The Bull” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

Corey Taylor is from the band Slipknot. Since I don’t know even a single song by the band Slipknot, I suggest you might know him this way…

Emerson Hart is from the band Tonic. I’m such a fan.

If you’re not listening to Anthony Hamilton, you should be listening to Anthony Hamilton…

Chevelle is one of the few bands on the face of the planet that I will spend money on EVERY time they drop a record. Just…solid.

9. “Diner” 30th Anniversary Celebration (Saturday 8pm Shriver Hall Johns Hopkins); Gilbert Gottfried (Thursday 8pm Magooby’s Joke House); Alonzo Bodden (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); “The Sitter” out in theaters (Friday); “The Hangover Part II” available on DVD/Blu-Ray (Tuesday)

In honor of the Diner anniversary, I think I’m headed to Blue Moon Cafe.

I mean, is there ANY possible better way to celebrate than a trip Fells Point for some Captain Crunch French Toast???

On and since we’re here, The Hangover Part II wasn’t great. But it did spur Mike Tyson’s singing career, and I think the whole world can say thank you for that…

Notre Dame(5-3) vs. Maryland (3-3)
Sunday, Dec. 4 | 4:45 p.m. | Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.
MASN | Terrapin Sports Radio Network

Honorable Mention: Auto Racing-NASCAR Awards Show (Friday 9pm from Las Vegas live on SPEED); Golf: PGA Tour Qualifying School (Saturday & Sunday 4pm, Monday 3:30pm from La Quinta, CA live on Golf Channel), PGA Tour Chevron World Challenge (Thursday & Friday 1pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 12pm live on NBC. All golf from Thousand Oaks, CA); Women’s College Basketball: Big Ten/ACC Challenge-Michigan @ Maryland (Wednesday 7pm Comcast Center), Maryland @ American (Sunday 1pm Bender Arena); Tennis: ATP Tour Davis Cup Final (Friday 8am Saturday 10am Sunday 7am from Seville, Spain live on Tennis Channel)

10. Andrea Bocelli (Friday 8pm Verizon Center); Erykah Badu (Friday 7pm Rams Head Live); Dashboard Confessional (Saturday 7pm Recher Theatre); All Mighty Senators (Saturday 7pm 8×10 Club); Aaron Neville (Monday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); Robin Thicke (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club); String Cheese Incident (Wednesday 8pm Lyric Opera House), Ryan Adams (Sunday 7:30pm Lyric Opera House); J. Roddy Walston & The Business (Friday 9pm Ottobar); Mac Miller (Thursday 7pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Ra Ra Riot (Friday 7pm Ritchie Coliseum College Park); Tori Amos (Monday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall); Adele Live at Royal Albert Hall available on CD/DVD/Blu-Ray/iTunes (Tuesday)

I really shouldn’t like Robin Thicke all that much. I just can’t help myself…

Dude, Ryan Adams has made so many great tunes but are any of them greater than this?

I feel like I should be a bigger J Roddy Walston fan than I am…http://wnst.net/wordpress/wp-admin/post.php?post=185164&action=edit

I don’t know if Adele sounds BETTER at Royal Albert Hall…but I know this much…no CHANCE she doesn’t sound amazing…

9. Washington Monument Lighting (Thursday 7pm from Mt. Vernon Place live on WBAL11), Mayor’s Christmas Parade (Sunday 2pm Hampden/Medfield); Gary Valentine (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Steve-O (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Jim Norton (Thursday-Saturday Magooby’s Joke House)

Is there any chance that when Stephanie Rawlings-Blake flips on the lights at the monument the scene looks anything like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ar-__ub0rc

And since I’ve already invoked Christmas Vacation, I think it’s only appropriate that we do this…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mk74WprmZxY

UMBC and Loyola will meet for the 45th time overall and 25th time at the
NCAA Division I level when the local rivals square off at the RAC Arena on
Thursday, Nov. 17. The two schools have split the previous 24 DI meetings,
but Loyola has won four straight in the series. Tip time is set for 7:05
p.m., and the game will be televised by MASN (Jason Knapp, Troy Green) .
The contest is also available on www.umbcretrievers.tv.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC (0-2) ran out of steam in the second half and
fell at St. John’s, 82-59, on Sunday. The Retrievers led for all but 10
seconds in the first nine minutes and trailed by only 39-34 at the break,
but misfired on 27 of 35 second half field goal attempts. UMBC managed 16
offensive rebounds, but scored only eight second-chance points, while St.
John’s outscored the visitors, 22-4 on fast break points.

GREYHOUND UPDATE: Sophomore guard Dylon Cormier scored a team-high 20
points, and junior forward Erik Etherly tallied a double-double with 15
points and 11 rebounds, in the Greyhounds’ 78-68 victory over visiting
Coppin State on Monday night in Reitz Arena. The Greyhounds (1-1) also
dominated on the boards, outrebounding Coppin State, 47-25. Loyola allowed
just five Eagles’ offensive rebounds, and Coppin State did not score a
second-chance point. Cormier (16.5 ppg) has hit 14 of 22 field goal
attempts in two games (63.6%). Loyola dropped a 75-63 decision at Wake
Forest to open the campaign on Nov. 11.

Who’s Up Next: UMBC heads to VMI for a 6:00 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Nov. 19.

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

Balanced Scoring, Rebounding Pace Loyola Past Coppin State 

BALTIMORE – Dylon Cormier scored a team-high 20 points, and Erik Etherly tallied a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, as five Loyola University Maryland players scored 10 or more in the Greyhounds’ 78-68 victory over visiting Coppin State University on Monday night in Reitz Arena.

The Greyhounds also dominated on the boards, outrebounding Coppin State, 47-25. Loyola allowed just five Eagles’ offensive rebounds, and Coppin State (1-1 overall) did not score a second-chance point.

Etherly’s 11 rebounds led all players, while four other Greyhounds – Shane Walker and Justin Drummond (seven each) and Cormier and Robert Olson (six each) – had six or more boards.

“Erik had a great game, especially coming back from an injury,” Head Coach Jimmy Patsos said of his junior forward who broke his nose in practice last week and played limited minutes in the season-opener Friday at Wake Forest. “Our athletic trainer, Steve Austin, did a great job helping Erik get ready for tonight. We knew that we had to go after rebounds, and we executed that tonight.”

Loyola had 18 on the offensive glass, turning those boards into 17 second-chance points.

“We were just out hustled tonight when we needed the ball,” Coppin State Head Coach Ron ‘Fang’ Mitchell said.

The Greyhounds (1-1) led by as many as eight in the first half, but a see-saw battle ensued with three ties and 12 lead changes before halftime. Etherly hit a pair of free throws with 1-minute, 49-seconds left before the break to put Loyola up 31-30, but Michael Harper knocked down a jumper for the Eagles, and they led 32-31 at halftime.

Loyola charged out of the locker room, scoring 10 of the first 11 points in the second half, going ahead by eight on a Walker lay-up2:49 into the period.

The Greyhounds extended their lead to 13, 55-42, on two Walker free throws at 10:27, cut Coppin State cut it back to single-digits two possessions later.

Coppin State trailed by seven, 62-55, on a Michael Murray layup with 5:35 on the clock, but Olson knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, both from the same spot at the top left of the perimeter on Etherly ball-reversal assists, and Loyola was in front 68-57 with 4:51 to play.

The Eagles promptly scored six in a row, four by Harper and two by Murray, to cut Loyola’s advantage back to 68-63, but Walker stemmed the tide momentarily with two more free throws with 2:57 on the clock.

Tony Gallo, who scored 17 in the first half for Coppin State but managed just six in the second, made 1-of-2 from the free-throw line at2:13 to make it 70-66 Loyola, but a driving Cormier layup 16 ticks later pushed Loyola’s lead back to six.

Murray, however, converted a steal into a fast-break layup for Coppin State, and the Eagles were down by just four again, 72-68, with 71 seconds remaining.

Walker and Cormier both made 1-of-2 free throws on the Greyhounds’ next two possessions, and after Gallo missed a 3-pointer and Cormier made 1-of-2 after being fouled on the rebound, Coppin State was down seven with 23 ticks left.

Gallo missed a layup attempt, and Etherly converted on an old-fashioned 3-point play to seal the win.

Walker finished with 15, while Olson and Drummond each had 10 for the Greyhounds. Gallo led all players with 23 points, and Harper added 18.

The Greyhounds are back in action on Thursday night with another cross-town match-up. They travel to Catonsville, Md., for a 7 o’clock game at UMBC that will be televised on MASN.

One or two of you may recognize part of this from something I wrote a long time ago. Almost 5 years later and with a few new tweaks:

Peter…Peter, Pocket Feeder, Profit Bleeder, Dirty Deeder

2011 like 13 years before

The theme is decidedly tragic

Gone are the days of the Oriole Way

Forgotten is Oriole Magic

It seems with this team there’s a singular theme

But the owner’s not solely to blame

This fire’s been burning for 20+ years

But now he’s the one fanning the flames

Not here to defend what I can’t comprehend

So I’ll stop short of calling him devil

I will say quite surely he’s run the team poorly

And taken losing to a whole ‘nother level

He sure had me snowed when he first bought the O’s

And finally brought players to town

He wasn’t a bad man, and spent like a madman

For Alomar, Raffy and Brown

In Gillick he got a pro to call shots

Or at least that’s the way that it seemed

But with Gillick in place and the O’s in the race

Pete decided that he’d run the team

The day it began is when Pete took a stand

And squashed the trade of Bobby Bo

When it didn’t go down the Birds turned it around

And Pete figured that he’d run the show

It seems since that day he has been in the way

And preventing the team from success

GMs and agents on numerous occasions

Won’t take our calls due to this mess

It seems that our slide also coincides

When the Ravens showed up on the spot

The great deal Pete had was suddenly bad

Compared to what Art Modell got

A team in DC brought on more “Woe is me”

And it seems he’s conceded defeat

And I just can’t explain my unthinkable pain

As I fear we may never compete

A sweet deal with MASN brings boatloads of cash in

And should give the O’s hope at winning

Instead what we’ve seen is the revenue stream

Go to Pete who’s collecting and grinning

He can leach from the Nats and let them but the bats

A concept too true to be funny

Let them grow the arms and let them stock the farms

While Pete collects risk free cash money

To him it’s just business to others a game

For some an unfortunate passion

Who’ve watched in dismay as the Oriole Way

Has been bashed in and smashed in and cashed in

So what’s left for us the unfortunate few

Who are stuck in our Orioles ruts?

Whose undying patience and mild expectations

Are met with punch after punch in the gut

What do we do if we still give a damn?

Too sick with the owner to be a good fan

Where do we turn for the help that we need

To combat this owner’s compulsion for greed?

What do we think as the door still revolves

On GMs and skippers and problems to solve?

While turnstiles go silent and seats go unsat

And the owner and his wallet are still getting fat

Do we simply concede that the Oriole Way

Of today isn’t what it was back in the day?

And that this IS the Oriole Way of today

Where fans get back nothing and owners get paid

As long as old Peter is running the show

He’ll press us and test us and drive us all whacko

Instead of just sticking to that which he knows

Law suits, asbestos and freaking tobacco!!!

As the inevitability of a 14^th straight losing season hangs over the Orioles like so many other dark clouds, the realization occurs that Baltimore has now dealt with a less than mediocre baseball team for longer than the NFL’s exodus from the city lasted. And from where I sit today, the former has been far more painful than the latter.

While Bob Irsay has always been the default answer to the most detestable man in Baltimore sports history, Peter Angelos has now entered the argument in a very big way and threatens to quickly run away with the title (although likely not with the team).

Like Irsay, it seems that Angelos has simply decided that it’s a better proposition to bank the inevitable riches inherent with owning a professional sports team while spending as little as possible in fielding that team. The Orioles could spend with the big market clubs if they chose to do so, but history has seemingly taught Angelos that spending big still doesn’t guarantee success on the field, spending small however and owning your own network guarantees profits no matter how pathetic your on field product may be.

The trump card that Irsay had (and ultimately wielded) that Angelos never will was the willingness of another city to provide better facilities and the promise to sell them out. While the NFL had (and still has) markets clamoring for and capable of supporting their product, baseball has no such luxury. If baseball did, there never would have been a need to move the Expos to Washington or create MASN in the first place.

If there were a better deal out there, you could bet that Angelos and the O’s would explore it…provided of course that it didn’t compromise their stake in MASN.

It’s too bad the fans don’t have recourse.

It’s too bad we can’t simply evict the O’s.

Before you decry me for sacrilege hear me out. (And realize I know it won’t happen)

The O’s have a lease with the city of Baltimore that runs through 2024. So maybe the city’s hands would be tied until then. Or maybe they could find a way out early, a way to evict the O’s for operating in bad faith, for defaming a local and national institution and for completely misusing the grandest of attractions in baseball…Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

If the city simply had enough of Angelos and closed the doors to OPACY, where would the Orioles go? What city is ready to provide anywhere near the facilities and support for the Orioles and Angelos than Baltimore has? Who would welcome this cheapskate joker with a bad team in a stacked division with anywhere near the reception that Baltimore has given him and them before and are dying to truly care about again?

Precedents now seem to exist that would allow Baltimore to retain the name and legacy of the Orioles leaving Angelos to rename his team in addition to relocating it. Even if that weren’t possible, the Ravens have proven that it’s possible to splice together a city’s sports legacy with class and pride and dignity.

One could only guess what that would do to MASN and Angelos cushy arrangement with MLB designed (we thought) to ensure the O’s ability to stay competitive with the AL East’s big spenders.

What wouldn’t be tough to guess is that Camden Yards wouldn’t sit empty for long. Baltimore might be left to sway in the breeze for some time, maybe as long as a decade as teams use the prospect of OPACY to hold their own cities hostages, but sooner or later baseball would return to Baltimore, maybe in the NL or the AL Central, with a renewed chance to compete.

While it’s surely an unrealistic measure and one we’re unlikely to ever explore, as it relates to seeing a realistic effort at baseball in Baltimore being competitive consistently the current O’s don’t look to be getting their act together anytime soon. A ten-year exile from Major League Baseball followed by a genuine effort to compete is starting to sound a little more tempting then waiting for Angelos to start trying again or to sell the team. Even 2024 doesn’t seem too far off when viewed through the prism of the Angelos regime.

The only point really being that Angelos owes and needs Baltimore far more than Baltimore owes or needs him, yet somehow we standby heartbroken and powerless as he gets rich running our beloved institution into the ground.

And maybe too, that desperate times call for desperate measures. These are clearly desperate times.

As I said during my fill-in shift yesterday on WNST-AM 1570, there will be an appropriate time later for more observations regarding why Mike Flanagan took his own life Wednesday with a gun to his head. But with the New York Yankees coming to town and so many of Flanny’s old teammates searching for answers, it hasn’t taken long for the national media to start getting to the heart of the truth of this tragedy that many in the local media are too cowardly to report.

Friday’s editions of the New York Daily News contained a well-sourced story by respected, long-time MLB writer Bill Madden, who spent time with Yes broadcaster and longtime Orioles teammate Ken Singleton and former Orioles manager Lee Mazzilli discussing Flanagan’s recent path.

Madden is getting the same information many in the Baltimore media are getting regarding the typical treatment that Peter Angelos affords his employees and long-time Orioles legends:

“Among the other distressing stories going around Thursday was that Flanagan never got over being jerked around by Angelos and the owner’s son, John, over his broadcasting contract – one that apparently never was consummated – last year. That, too, conceivably contributed to the financial distress his friends say he was dealing with.”

You can read the whole story in the New York Daily News.

More stories continue to unfold as many of us who loved Mike Flanagan are searching for more clues in his tragic death.

But, again, don’t expect any of the “bought off” media in Baltimore to report the facts. The facts about Peter Angelos and the Orioles never seem to make the headlines in Baltimore, where about 90% of all reporters in town are frightened about losing their press credentials or getting pulled up by their bosses, who want to sell advertising to the Orioles and Angelos’ lawfirm.

You might have to rely on Gerry Sandusky and WNST to get the truth at this point given what I’ve seen in the local media.

You haven’t heard the end of this story.

Far from it…