TOWSON RELEASES 2011-12 MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

Tigers to Face Six NCAA Tournament Teams

TOWSON, Md. – Contests against six teams that reached the 2011 NCAA Tournament highlight the 2011-12 Towson University men’s basketball schedule, it has been announced by Pat Skerry, the Tigers’ first-year coach.

The Tigers will open the 2011-12 season by participating in the EA Sports Maui Invitational. After opening the season at the University of Kansas on Nov. 11, the Tigers will travel to the University of Michigan for a Nov. 14 game against the Wolverines. The Jayhawks advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Southwest Region final last year while Michigan reached the NCAA Tournament third round.

Towson will continue play at the EA Sports Maui Invitational by facing Belmont, a team that played in the NCAA Tournament second round last year, on Nov. 19. The Tigers will play either UNC Greensboro or Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 20.

The Tigers open their home schedule against Oregon State on Nov. 26. That is the start of a stretch of four of five home games. After a visit to the University of Massachusetts on Nov. 30, the Tigers open their Colonial Athletic Association schedule at home against George Mason on Dec. 3, the first of two meetings against the Patriots. The two teams will also face each other at the Patriot Center on Jan. 21.

The Tigers resume their non-conference schedule by hosting La Salle on Dec. 7 and UMBC on Dec. 10 before visiting Coppin State on Dec. 14. They will finish the month of December with games against Manhattan College (Dec. 20), the University of Vermont (Dec. 23) and the University of Virginia (Dec. 30).

“As you can see, we are playing a national schedule against several of the nation’s top programs,” Skerry said. “The players want to play against the best competition much like they have during their entire basketball careers. We look forward to using these games and experiences to prepare us for a very tough CAA.”

The Tigers resume their CAA schedule on Jan. 2 by hosting Northeastern at the Towson Center in the first of two meetings between the two teams. Towson will also play Delaware, Drexel, James Madison, CAA champion Old Dominion and Final Four participant Virginia Commonwealth in a home-and-home series during the 2011-12 season while facing the other four CAA teams once.

In addition, the Tigers will play in an ESPN BracketBusters game on the weekend of Feb. 17-19 against an opponent to be determined.

The CAA Championship will be played Mar. 2-5 at the Richmond Coliseum with the CAA winner receiving an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Note: Schedule follows on next page

2011-12 Towson University Men’s Basketball Schedule

November
11 at Kansas ^ Lawrence, Kan. 7 p.m.
14 at Michigan ^ Ann Arbor, Mich. TBA
19 vs. Belmont ^ Murfreesboro, Tenn. TBA
20 vs. UNC Greensboro/Middle Tenn. St. Murfreesboro, Tenn. TBA
26 OREGON STATE Towson Center TBA
30 at Massachusetts Amherst, Mass. TBA

December
3 GEORGE MASON * Towson Center TBA
7 LA SALLE  Towson Center 7 p.m.
10 UMBC Towson Center 7 p.m.
14 at Coppin State Baltimore, Md. 7:30 p.m.
20 MANHATTAN COLLEGE Towson Center 7 p.m.
23 VERMONT Towson Center 7 p.m.
30 at Virginia Charlottesville, Va. 7 p.m.

January
2 NORTHEASTERN * Towson Center TBA
4 at Drexel * Philadelphia, Pa. TBA
7 at Old Dominion * Norfolk, Va. TBA
11 WILLIAM & MARY * Towson Center TBA
14 at Georgia State * Atlanta, Ga. TBA
18 OLD DOMINION * Towson Center TBA
21 at George Mason * Fairfax, Va. TBA
23 at Delaware * Newark, Del. TBA
25 VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH * Towson Center TBA
28 UNC WILMINGTON * Towson Center TBA

February
1 at Hofstra * Hempstead, N.Y. TBA
4 DREXEL * Towson Center TBA
8 at Virginia Commonwealth * Richmond, Va. TBA
11 JAMES MADISON * Towson Center TBA
17-19 at ESPN BracketBusters vs. TBA TBA TBA
22 DELAWARE * Towson Center TBA
25 at James Madison * Harrisonburg, Va. TBA

March
2-5 at CAA Tournament Richmond, Va. TBA

Home games listed in BOLD
* – Colonial Athletic Association game
^ – EA Sports Maui Invitational

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour Transitions Championship (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel, Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All golf from Tampa Bay, FL); Boxing: Friday Night Fights-Demetrius Hopkins vs. Brad Solomon (Friday 9pm from Hollywood, FL live on ESPN2), Lucian Bute vs. Brian Magee (Saturday 10pm from Montreal live on Showtime); Horse Racing: Rebel Stakes (Saturday 5pm from Hot Springs, Arkansas live on HRTV); Arena Football-AFL: Philadelphia Soul @ Chicago Rush (Friday 8pm from Chicago live on NFL Network); Soccer: MLS-Columbus Crew @ DC United (Saturday 7:30pm RFK Stadium)

10. Pete Yorn (Tuesday 7pm Rams Head Live), Cold (Thursday 7pm Rams Head Live), Halestorm & Charm City Devils (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live); Mike Epps (Saturday 8pm 1st Mariner Arena), Lil’ Wayne (Sunday 7pm 1st Mariner Arena); Phil Lesh & Bob Weir (Thursday 8pm Patriot Center); Travie McCoy (Sunday 6pm Recher Theatre); America (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); Loretta Lynn (Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club); 2nd Annual Hippodrome Foodie Experience with Alton Brown (Saturday 6pm Hippodrome); “The Fighter” and “WWE True Story of Wrestlemania” available on DVD/Blu-Ray (Tuesday)

Drew Forrester and I will be Rams Head Tuesday night, because Pete Yorn is outstanding…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zginCd6D0as[/youtube]

John Allen is a Charm City rock icon. That is all.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmHauE5ODe4[/youtube]

If you’re not a Weezy fan, I don’t think we can be friends. Nicki Minaj is coming to town with him. I’d marry her.

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

Is it possible for me to enjoy a Phil Lesh/Bob Weir show even if I don’t smoke pot? I mean, I dig Scarlet Begonias…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj_kK1j3CV0[/youtube]

9. St. Patrick’s Day (Thursday)

This year’s festivities will be a bit different, as basketball will be a bit of a priority Thursday. That being said, I need a couple of things to make my St. Patty’s Day better.

1-Bangers and Mash

2-Smithwick’s

3-Flogging Molly[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trkx9xLb5X8[/youtube]

If your establishment has those three things and ample breathing room, please let me know. I will be in attendance.

8. Auto Racing: NASCAR Jeff Byrd 500 (Sunday 1pm from Bristol, TN live on FOX)

Bristol is a smaller track, which is supposed to make the race more exciting.
But really, how can it get any more exciting than THIS?!?!?!?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1V78QFZxooQ[/youtube]

7. Tennis: ATP Tour & WTA Tour BNP Paribas Open (Tuesday & Wednesday 2pm live on Tennis Channel, Thursday 2pm & 10pm live on Tennis Channel, Friday 2pm & 6pm live on Tennis Channel 4pm & 11pm live on ESPN2, Saturday 7:30pm live on Tennis Channel 2pm & 4pm live on ABC, Sunday 2pm & 4pm live on ABC. All tennis from Indian Wells, CA)

The Indian Wells stop is one of the few tour stops on the schedule that goes two weeks despite not being a grand slam event.

Of note from what’s already happened in the draw, Donald Young defeated Andy Murray.

NO, NO…please don’t leave. I promise that’s the only tennis analysis you’ll find here. Instead, here’s the picture of Ana Ivanovic everyone likes so bad…

6. NBA: Washington Wizards @ Chicago Bulls (Tuesday 8pm from Chicago live on Comcast SportsNet), Washington Wizards @ Toronto Raptors (Friday 7pm from Toronto live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS), New Jersey Nets @ Washington Wizards (Sunday 1pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet)

The ‘Zards haven’t done much of anything right this season…until this past weekend.

This past weekend they did a FANTASTIC job…of finding their way onto Blake Griffin posters!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHB5rNtha-A[/youtube]

Talk about giving fans EXACTLY what they paid their money for!

5. NHL: Washington Capitals @ Montreal Canadiens (Tuesday 7pm from Montreal live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS), Washington Capitals @ Detroit Red Wings (Wednesday 7:30pm from Detroit live on VERSUS & Comcast SportsNet), Washington Capitals @ New Jersey Devils (Friday 7pm from Newark, NJ live on NHL Network & Comcast SportsNet)

So everything that’s happened in the world of hockey recently has been about Zedano Charo. I’m not interested.

The only thing I care about in the world of hockey is the fact that the Phoenix Coyotes got two big points Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks. But I don’t think anyone else cares, so I won’t go any further with it.

You know what, there’s nothing hockey interesting to post here. So instead I’ll post Zach Galifianakis’ monologue from Saturday Night Live. He KILLED…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QnulJMA2FQ[/youtube]

Yeah. That’s better than hockey.

4. Women’s College Basketball: NCAA Tournament-St. Francis vs. Maryland (Sunday 12pm from Comcast Center live on ESPN2/ESPN3.com), Georgetown vs. Princeton (Sunday 2:30pm from Comcast Center live on ESPN2/ESPN3.com). More games Saturday-

While the Terrapins are involved, I’ll be paying attention to Women’s March Madness. In fact, I’ll probably even head down to College Park Sunday.

But if for some reason the season were to come to an end for the Terps, my interest in Women’s College Basketball would go right back to what it was before…

“What’s former UTEP star Claudia Lampe doing these days?”

3. College Lacrosse: Denver @ Loyola (Wednesday 7pm from Ridley Athletic Complex live on AM1570 WNST), Loyola @ Air Force (Saturday 3pm from Colorado Springs, CO live on AM1570 WNST); UMBC @ Maryland (Friday 8pm from Byrd Stadium live on ABC 2 & ESPN3.com), St. Joseph’s @ Maryland (Sunday 1pm Byrd Stadium); Towson @ Navy (Tuesday 7pm Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium); Stony Brook @ Towson (Saturday 1pm Unitas Stadium); Johns Hopkins @ Syracuse (Saturday 6pm from Syracuse, NY live on ESPNU); SUNY Cortland @ Stevenson (Saturday 1pm Caves Athletic Complex)

What do you think the chances are that Greyhounds nation will let me ride out to Colorado with them for the game with the Falcons? I just want to be there for the flyover…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8k5b7Pzmy74[/youtube]

By the way, I think the Hounds will beat Air Force Saturday. I don’t know if I would feel the same way if they were playing against Ivan Korshunov from Air Force One…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1P1xOBvAyg[/youtube]

2. Mixed Martial Arts: UFC 128-Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Jon “Bones” Jones (Saturday 10pm from Newark, NJ live on Pay-Per-View); Bellator Fighting Championships 37 (Saturday 7pm from Concho, OK live on MTV2)

I would suggest Baltimore be rooting for Bones Jones Saturday night, as his brother is Ravens DT Arthur Jones.

With no offense to Tom Zbikowski-who I’m pulling for-I know for SURE Saturday night’s fight will be more fulfilling than watching Zibby laugh at the Tomato Can he was placed in the ring against…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TQIf9cMS_Y[/youtube]

If you’ve never seen Bones fight, he’s pretty freaking entertaining…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQqiilaj1rs[/youtube]

1. College Basketball: NCAA Tournament-Butler vs. Old Dominion (Thursday 12:40pm from Verizon Center live on TruTV), Pitt vs. UNC Asheville/Arkansas-Little Rock (Thursday 3:10pm from Verizon Center live on TruTV), UConn vs. Bucknell (Thursday 7:20pm from Verizon Center live on TNT), Cincinnati vs. Missouri (Thursday 9:50pm from Verizon Center live on TNT) Other games Thursday-Sunday live on CBS, TNT, TBS and TruTV

I don’t care how many networks show the NCAA Tournament as long as two things happen.

1-They ALL play this song…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4o_FZZ_Ccs[/youtube]

2-They somehow find a way to allow Gus Johnson to call every game…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkiM3tBJVhk[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Wednesday 3-Pointer

 #1 – Buck’s Orioles Growing on Me Like a Well Kept Beard

Regardless of the logistics and profitability (or lack thereof) in televising spring training baseball games, it would seem that a team that owns a network should be able to do such things, and while I’m aware that it’s not a practice carried on throughout Major League Baseball, I’m also aware that the league only began televising their own draft last year, so just because they aren’t doing it now doesn’t mean that there is no market for it or profit/benefit in it. At this time of year as our thoughts turn to warm weather and baseball, it would be nice to turn our TVs there too.

I’m not sure whether the decision not to televise comes down to it actually costing the team or just not providing enough profit to justify it. In either case, I’d have to imagine that if televising spring training (home) games served no other purpose they’d at least do a better job at generating fan interest than those silly in-house commercials that they produce and run all season long trying to convince folks who are already watching the games to watch games. To that end I’d presume they could justify it as pseudo-advertising if nothing else.

Needless to say I was happy to get a chance to lay eyes on the team first hand in their game against the Yankees on Monday, and although I love a pitchers’ duel as much as any baseball purist, no runs scored on either side was a bit disappointing. The game itself served as a reminder, perhaps (counter) to my initial point that in spring training there are too many individual agendas at play (pitchers working specific pitches, batters not subscribing to particular game situations) to make for interesting or at least competitive games.

The highlight of the night for me though (narrowly beating out Reynolds laser the other way) was the in game interview with Buck Showalter. At one point, when asked to opine on the notable upgrades to Ed Smith Stadium he said something to the effect of “another excuse eliminated”. For long suffering Orioles fans, this is music to our ears.

What it says to me is that Buck is aware that the team has a perception problem that will linger for as long as they continue to buy into it themselves. It was a nice insight (a nugget if you will) into Showalter’s approach in trying to change the clubhouse culture. Reports by the Baltimore Sun indicating that Showalter had gotten the club to loosen its stance on the facial hair policy is another excuse eliminated I think. While it seems like a small thing, if the team has a perception problem and knows it, then there’s no reason to add to their challenges with frivolous policies. It may seem like a small thing, but much like the hair on the chin’s of Derrek Lee and Vlad Guerrero, Showalter is growing on me, and lots of other fans too I’d imagine.

#2 – Brackets Already Busted

If you haven’t yet fully come to assess the potential effects of the expansion of the NCAA Tournament field to 68 teams, you’d better get a hold of it by Sunday night, as it’s going to impact your bracket pools this time in ways that the addition of the 65^th team never did.

The first four play-in games to be played on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week in Dayton Ohio will not be made up of the worst 8 teams in the field as I think most people still suspect. Instead the 4 lowest division winners (seeds 65-68) will be pitted against each other in Dayton with the winners of those games advancing to the 16-line in the tourney and being destroyed by #1 seeds. As with the 64 vs. 65 game in years past, this can be seen as a foregone conclusion and may not even merit picking, a policy that most pools have seemingly adopted.

The other two games in Dayton though will feature the 34^th – 37^th at large teams and matching them up against each other. The winners of those games will be inserted into the field presumably on the 11^th or 12^th lines depending on actual seeding. That means match-ups on the 6 vs. 11 and the infamous 5 vs. 12 lines in the first round have just gotten a lot tougher to pick.

Will pools adopt a system where the play in winners are considered wildcards and can be advanced as such or will all of your pools have to be in before Tuesday night? How much harder does it become to pick a 12-seed to upset a 5 if you have a 50/50 shot at determining who that 12-seed will even be? You can bet that folks you know who always pick at least one 12-seed in the first round will now be compelled to do that in the regions where play-ins determine the 16-seeds and the 12-seeds are predetermined.

I think I’m most interested to see if the NCAA will play the 4 lowest overall seeds all on Tuesday and the other (more interesting) games on Wednesday. Since a 16-seed has still yet to beat a #1, that would at least give everyone an extra day to get those brackets in. While the NCAA can’t and won’t publicly condone gambling, there’s no doubt that they owe a lot of the popularity of their event to the popularity of the pools that accompany it. It will be interesting to see if they play the lower seeds first and at least (in some way) acknowledge what they’re doing to bracket players everywhere who I am afraid aren’t yet ready for this.

#3 – Do Over for VCU

I got to talk to Tim Gardner from USA Today on Monday’s show (available in the Buy-A-Toyota.com Audio Vault) ahead of the CAA championship and the prospects therein, he indicated to me that both George Mason and Old Dominion had done enough for the committee regardless of the outcome of the title game to get themselves into the field of 68. He went on to say that if VCU won the game the CAA would likely see its first ever 3-team bid into the tourney.

VCU didn’t win, but they made a valiant effort. In the end the result was 70-65 Old Dominion with the Monarchs sewing up the CAA’s automatic bid and likely leaving VCU home for the dance. The end however isn’t what everyone seems to be talking about. The game started with a peculiar VCU turnover, they quickly got the ball back and buried a three-pointer. After forcing another quick turnover VCU guard Ed Nixon slipped on his way in for a lay-up, leading to a turnover and a three-pointer at the other end. Play was then stopped due to the excessive slipping going on under VCU’s basket, and a barrage of towel wielding employees went about wiping what was described by the game’s announcers as a film off of the floor at that end. The announcers blamed it on the fog machine used for pre-game intros and blamed the conference for not testing it as they were on a neutral floor for a conference title game.

It turns out that it wasn’t the fog machine. Yahoo sports reported that the film on the floor was actually baby powder, left there from Old Dominion’s mascot “Big Blue’s” attempt at a pre-game LeBron James impersonation. Although the score was 3-3 at the time of the stoppage, and could have played out in a number of conceivable ways from there out, the two turnovers and resultant 3-pointer the other way possibly as a direct result of the floor issues could have cost the Rams as much as 9 points (lost and given up) to that stage of the game…on account of the ODU mascot.

With 3 extra berths available in the field this year, VCU deserves one; it’s the right thing to do. Who are they going to rob one from the 5^th place SEC, ACC or PAC-10 finisher? Put them in the field in Dayton with a shot at the 12 spot if they advance. That would make me feel a little better about the mess they’re already projecting to make of the brackets this season. And VCU’s resume isn’t terrible; they beat UCLA early and an underrated Wofford team in December. They’re 2-1 against a strong George Mason squad and 1-2 after Monday’s loss against Old Dominion. Give them a redo, and get the mascots and cheerleaders away from the court, before they really cost someone a game.

Here are this weekend’s NFL (and local College Basketball) picks. Through 16 weeks in the season, Drew Forrester is 139-97 and Glenn Clark is 153-83…

Dolphins/Patriots: 27-13 New England (Drew), 20-17 Miami (Glenn)
Vikings/Lions: 23-21 Minnesota (Drew), 24-13 Detroit (Glenn)
Bengals/Ravens: 26-21 Baltimore (Drew), 19-13 Baltimore (Glenn)
Buccaneers/Saints: 27-24 Tampa Bay (Drew), 20-17 New Orleans (Glenn)
Bills/Jets: 27-6 New York (Drew), 13-10 Buffalo (Glenn)
Steelers/Browns: 16-13OT Cleveland (Drew), 21-7 Pittsburgh (Glenn)
Raiders/Chiefs: 28-17 Kansas City (Drew), 20-16 Oakland (Glenn)
Panthers/Falcons: 24-21 Carolina (Drew), 23-3 Atlanta (Glenn)
Bears/Packers: 24-20 Chicago (Drew), 34-20 Green Bay (Glenn)
Cardinals/49ers: 24-10 San Francisco (Drew), 16-6 Arizona (Glenn)
Chargers/Broncos: 29-24 San Diego (Drew), 30-21 Denver (Glenn)
Titans/Colts: 20-19 Tennessee (Drew), 28-14 Indianapolis (Glenn)
Cowboys/Eagles: 23-21 Philadelphia (Drew), 24-14 Dallas (Glenn)
Jaguars/Texans: 30-13 Houston (Drew), 17-13 Jacksonville (Glenn)
Giants/Redskins: 24-17 New York (Drew), 20-10 Washington (Glenn)
Rams/Seahawks: 17-16 Seattle (Drew), 14-13 St. Louis (Glenn)
Marist/Loyola: 61-57 Greyhounds (Drew), 66-64 Red Foxes (Glenn)
Stony Brook/UMBC: 78-63 Sea Wolves (Drew), 68-54 Sea Wolves (Glenn)
Old Dominion/Towson: 83-78 Monarchs (Drew), 88-72 Monarchs (Glenn)
Coppin State/Texas: 98-64 Longhorns (Drew), 97-54 Longhorns (Glenn)

Drew would like it to be known that his picks this week were made largely based on the fact that he entered the final week of the season trailing by 14 points in the standings.

If you missed the explanations during our “Picks and Comment” segment Thursday on “The Morning Reaction” on AM1570 WNST, visit the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault here at WNST.net!

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Honorable Mention: Women’s College Basketball-Terrapin Classic: La Salle @ Maryland (Tuesday 12pm Comcast Center), Liberty/St. John’s @ Maryland (Wednesday 11:30am Comcast Center)

10. Wiz Khalifa (Tuesday 7pm Rams Head Live), Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue (Thursday 8pm Rams Head Live, Saturday 8pm 9:30 Club), J Roddy Walston and the Business (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live), Pietasters (Saturday 8pm Rams Head Live); Joe Budden (Wednesday 7pm Bourbon Street), Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime (Friday 8pm Bourbon Street); Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); The Roots (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club); Gov’t Mule (Tuesday 8pm Warner Theatre); Pat McGee (Thursday & Friday Loews Annapolis Hotel); B.B. King (Saturday & Sunday 7:30pm Birchmere); Downtown Countdown feat. Charm City Devils & Tone Loc (Friday 9pm Hyatt Regency); Downtown Countdown Washington feat. Everclear & The Dan Band (Friday 9:30pm Grand Hyatt DC)

I cannot recommend enough that you go see Trombone Shorty Thursday night…dude is AMAZING…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71rJzhWk7xw[/youtube]

I don’t usually like ANYTHING from Massachusetts. I (might) make an exception for SKATS…

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

I won’t be there, but I’d recommend you enjoy CCD on Friday night. They’re good…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7XhpOrrkAM[/youtube]

I usually NEVER miss an appearance from Art Alexakis and company anywhere within 100 miles of here. I’ll be sorry to miss this one…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEUWx4LA7jU[/youtube]

9. Ports America Chesapeake New Year’s Eve Spectacular 2010 (Friday 9pm Inner Harbor); Glenn Clark’s New Year’s Eve Plans (Friday-Saturday)

I like fireworks as much as the next guy. But what do I like MORE than fireworks? Awesome fireworks accidents…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFJiPUbAI-c[/youtube]

By the way, I’ll be at Howl at the Moon for NYE myself. If they don’t play “You Never Even Call Me By My Name” by David Allan Coe I will demand my money back.

8. Harlem Globetrotters “4 Times The Fun” Tour (Tuesday 2pm & 7pm 1st Mariner Arena)

Ho.Ly.Crap.

A FOUR POINT SHOT?!?!?

Did the Globetrotters sneak into my 8-year-old imagination???

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXdnjUvM6Cw[/youtube]

THAT.IS.AWESOME.

If they bring in the “Rock & Jock” 25 & 50 point baskets, I’ll go to EVERY game. Gary Payton once scored 250 points!!!

Oh-and Michael Oher is apparently going to be involved in a few stunts with the Globetrotters during Tuesday’s event.

One of them reportedly involves Oher lining up for a football play and waiting until the ball is snapped to move.

7. NBA: Indiana Pacers @ Washington Wizards (Wednesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Washington Wizards @ Indiana Pacers (Friday 3pm from Indianapolis live on Comcast SportsNet), New Orleans Hornets @ Washington Wizards (Saturday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet)

Well…while the ‘Zards are in Indy, maybe they can enjoy…nothing.

Well, maybe they can enjoy hanging with Merton From Indianapolis and his drinking buddies singing songs about Peyton Manning and Johnny Unitas.

We’re not REALLY going to have to go back to that hellhole in a couple of weeks, are we?

UGH.

6. MMA-UFC 125: Resolution (Saturday 10pm from Las Vegas live on Pay-Per-View)

Clay Guida is on this card, which means the card is worth the price of admission. First-Clay Guida is THIS maniac…

But crazy fights and a propensity to bleed isn’t all that Guida offers to the world of Mixed Martial Arts. He’s got another impressive skill…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m110W9gBemA[/youtube]

Impressive.

5. College Basketball: North Florida @ Maryland (Wednesday 8pm Comcast Center); Robert Morris @ Morgan State (Thursday 7pm Hill Field House); Old Dominion @ Towson (Monday 7pm Towson Center); Niagara @ UMBC (Thursday 7pm RAC Arena); Bucknell @ Loyola (Tuesday 7pm Reitz Arena), Marist @ Loyola (Monday 7pm Reitz Arena); Coppin St. @ Kentucky (Tuesday 7pm from Lexington, KY live on ESPN3.com), Coppin St. @ Texas (Friday 2pm from Austin, TX live on ESPN3.com)

I know a lot of folks haven’t started paying attention to College Basketball yet because football is still happening; so let me try to get you caught up.

One-UMBC can’t beat anyone. Except for maybe Penn State. And probably Wake Forest.

Two-Duke is still pretty good. Damnit.

Three-Unbelievably, something neat happened in an Idaho State-Utah State game…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF8w3zN0xiA[/youtube]

Yep, I think that’s about it.

4. Pro Wrestling: Stand Up For WWE Presents Raw World Tour (Wednesday 7pm 1st Mariner Arena, Thursday 7pm Verizon Center)

Gail Kim Gail Kim Gail Kim Gail Kim Gail Kim Gail Kim Gail Kim Gail Kim…

3. NHL: Winter Classic-Washington Capitals @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Saturday 1pm from Pittsburgh live on NBC), Montreal Canadiens @ Washington Capitals (Tuesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet)

You mean to tell me there will be Redskins fans and Steelers fans BOTH sitting in Heinz Field Saturday?

I better not say ANY of the things that have come to mind, or I might be subject to a police investigation.

My friend Brandon invited me over to watch the game next Saturday. I think I’m going to go, but I’m certainly not going to be rooting for the Caps. Instead, I think I’ll spend the day encouraging everyone to HOWL…

2. College Football-Military Bowl: Maryland vs. East Carolina (Wednesday 2:30pm from RFK Stadium live on ESPN), Champs Sports Bowl: West Virginia vs. NC State (Tuesday 6:30pm from Orlando live on ESPN), Insight Bowl: Missouri vs. Iowa (Tuesday 10pm from Tempe, AZ live on ESPN), Texas Bowl: Illinois vs. Baylor (Wednesday 6pm from Houston live on ESPN), Alamo Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Arizona (Wednesday 9:15pm from San Antonio live on ESPN), Armed Forces Bowl: Army vs. SMU (Thursday 12pm from Fort Worth, TX live on ESPN), Pinstripe Bowl: Kansas State vs. Syracuse (Thursday 3:30pm from New York live on ESPN), Music City Bowl: North Carolina vs. Tennessee (Thursday 6:40pm from Nashville live on ESPN), Holiday Bowl: Nebraska vs. Washington (Thursday 10pm from San Diego live on ESPN), Meineke Bowl: South Florida vs. Clemson (Friday 12pm from Charlotte live on ESPN), Sun Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Miami (Friday 2pm from El Paso, TX live on CBS), Liberty Bowl: Georgia vs. UCF (Friday 3:30pm from Memphis live on ESPN), Chick-Fil-A Bowl: South Carolina vs. Florida State (Friday 7:30pm from Atlanta live on ESPN), TicketCity Bowl: Northwestern vs. Texas Tech (Saturday 12pm from Dallas live on ESPNU), Capital One Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan (Saturday 1pm from Orlando live on ESPN), Outback Bowl: Florida vs. Penn State (Saturday 1pm from Tampa Bay live on ABC), Gator Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Michigan (Saturday 1:30pm from Jacksonville live on ESPN2), Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. TCU (Saturday 5pm from Pasadena, CA live on ESPN), Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. UConn (Saturday 8:30pm from Glendale, AZ live on ESPN), Discover Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Stanford (Monday 8:30pm from Miami live on ESPN)

I like College Football and all, but if I have to be honest…bowl season could probably use another couple of games.

I mean, I don’t see a single bowl game scheduled for 3am Saturday.

What the hell am I supposed to watch when I stagger get home from New Year’s Eve Friday night?

Eh…I’ll probably just Hulu the Paul Rudd/Paul McCartney episode of SNL. That ish was funny…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NjX0M9nuhw[/youtube]

1. NFL: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 1pm from M&T Bank Stadium live on CBS)

How in THE WORLD have the Ravens lost three straight to Cincy?

That can’t happen again, right? RIGHT?

Especially not if THIS GUY plays…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6rbdy9yuJg[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Happy Monday……….I think.

Let’s just get this out of the way. Allow Michael Stipe and R.E.M. to set the tone for our day…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPZzWYkdS6Y[/youtube]

So….there you go.

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. The AP’s Nicholas K. Geranios says Korie Lucious’ heroics lifted Michigan State past Maryland in NCAA Tournament 2nd round

After avoiding SportsCenter and ESPNNews as much as possible yesterday-we will remember this once more, and then burn the tape….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxushE-OvYQ[/youtube]

6.6 seconds separated Greivis Vasquez from writing one more “greatest moment” in his own Maryland career.

Well, 6.6 seconds and the fact that Tom Izzo thought twice about taking a timeout in the background.

Spare me the “Maryland should have pressed there” comments. 1-Maryland’s press WAS successful late in the game, but had previously lead to a few hundred open looks from 3 for Durrell Summers. Maryland couldn’t have that there. 2-The ONE thing you CAN’T have there is a foul. If a kid hits a shot and beats you, so be it. But you CAN’T foul and give them free throws to win.

A lot of people think they know a lot about a lot of subjects. But yesterday’s game was fairly simple. One team nearly stole away a game with a miracle, the other team used a miracle to win. Read on…

2. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Lucious’ shot will be remembered amongst glorious March moments by hoops fans, yet will anger Terps fans for eternity

As I said in the blog, now we know how Kentucky fans feel every time they have to see a replay of Christian Laettner’s three ball.

If you’re not a college hoops fan, think about how Phillies fans must feel every time they see a replay of Joe Carter’s home run. Or how Bills fans feel every time they see a replay of the “Music City Miracle” against the Titans in Nashville. Or how Patriots fans feel every time they see a replay of David Tyree’s catch in Super Bowl XLIII. It HURTS them.

Prepare to deal with the hurt for some time. This time next week, CBS will be showing replays as Michigan State prepares to play Northern Iowa in the Sweet 16. This time next March, CBS and ESPN will be showing replays as Maryland (hopefully) and Michigan State prepare for the Big Dance. This time 5 years from now, there will be retrospectives and “Where are they now?” pieces on Korie Lucious.

It will still hurt then. It might not be the sting that it is today, but it will still hurt.

3. Spokane Spokesman-Review’s Steve Bergum says Spartans played 2nd half of win over Terrapins without former Big Ten Player of the Year Kalin Lucas

And clearly, it made a difference down the stretch-which we all knew it would. If Lucas was on the floor, it is likely that the Terps would have NEVER gotten back into the game late, as he would have been a crucial part of beating the Gary Williams press.

That being said-and we talked about this on “The Comcast Morning Show” this morning on AM1570-the players on the floor have to be able to beat the press. When Duke came back from down 10 in the final 54 seconds to beat Maryland at Cole Field House, Terps fans bellyached that things would have been different had Drew Nicholas not been forced to run the point with Steve Blake disqualified by fouls. That’s absolutely true, but Nicholas NEEDED to be able to make free throws-even as a sophomore-or he shouldn’t have been on the floor.

Whoever was on the floor for Michigan State-no matter the reason-SHOULD have been able to break the press. They couldn’t. Had they lost, there would have been plenty of people that would have said “they wouldn’t have lost had Kalin Lucas not been hurt.” They would have been right, and it would have been irrelevant.

Before I move on, I’m reminded of a REALLY good song by Unwritten Law. The spelling’s different, but the name remains the same….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaRW0EKqCuA[/youtube]

Of course, that song name would have worked in this classic Family Guy scene that always makes me giggle.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErPsx8zdnX4[/youtube]

(Edit from GMC: On days like today, it’s good to giggle.)

4. Washington Post’s Mike Wise says ‘stake through the heart’ necessary to end Greivis Vasquez’s tenure in College Park

Allright, I guess we have to move on from the subject-as what else can be said about the end to a TREMENDOUS career for Greivis Vasquez. The sad part about it is that for as good as he’s been, he played only 6 NCAA Tournament games in his 4 year career. That isn’t a great number. Juan Dixon played six….teen.

Before I move on, some quick thoughts on how I spent my first post-Maryland season Sunday night. As you all know, baseball doesn’t do a whole hell of a lot for me, and there is no lacrosse on Sunday nights. While we’ll still get one late-afternoon basketball game next week, this is really when Sunday nights go south until the fall.

I watched some of the UFC Fights, although I thought at one point that even I was going to be elbowed by Cheick Kongo in the process. My roommate made me watch some of the healthcare coverage, which only lead to my poor girlfriend (you know her, “The Luckiest Dang Gal on the Face of the Planet”) getting REALLY confused. I watched Family Guy, and did my damndest not to laugh at the Terri Schiavo musical scene. I really did.

I also watched a replay of another Andy Roddick failure (this time in the finals at Indian Wells) and some of the Tiger Woods interviews. It all left me wanting some more quality Sunday night television. Like, isn’t it about time this gal got a new show…

5. Inside Lacrosse’s Tommy Kehoe says hat tricks from Christian Pastirik, Matt Hughes not enough as Towson fell to Virginia at Unitas Stadium

Clearly, this lacrosse season is starting to shape up as a small group of “haves” (Virginia, Syracuse, North Carolina, Maryland, maybe Princeton, Cornell and Hofstra as well) and a big group of “have nots.”

A shakeup in my “OldLineLax7″ Poll….

1-Maryland
2-Loyola
3-Johns Hopkins
4-Navy
5-Towson
6-Mt. St. Mary’s
7-UMBC

If you would have told me the Mountaineers would have had more wins than either the Retrievers or the Tigers at this point, I would have said you were INSANE. Of course, they have played an easier schedule.

6. Maryland Official Site says Terps women topped East Carolina, advanced to third round of WNIT

So….yay!

Next up for Brenda Frese’s team is a Thursday night matchup against the Old Dominion/Providence winner at Comcast Center.

So….yay!

(Edit from GMC: I’d like to be excited about this. I really would. And for the record, I’m rooting for them. I’m also rooting for Syracuse, because…well….I could use the cash.)

7. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki says Kevin Millwood solid as Birds topped Phillies in Clearwater

Which means that between the Orioles’ Top 2 pitchers in the rotation, 1 has had a good start during Spring Training.

One good start.

(Edit from GMC: I’m really not freaking about Kevin Millwood’s struggles during Grapefruit League play. I’m MUCH more concerned about Jeremy Guthrie’s struggles. He DOESN’T have the track record. I’m also MUCH more concerned about figuring out how a girl like the one pictured below could be from Philly…)

8. The Sun’s Peter Schmuck and Dan Connolly say Brian Roberts had ‘no problem’ taking swings from left or right side of plate

Please, please spare me the “switch hitter” jokes. Mostly because I’ve already thought of ALL of them.

I’m sure it goes without saying that the O’s are MUCH better off if B-Rob is in the lineup 2 weeks from tomorrow night at Tropicana Field. But….I’ll say it anyway, because that’s why I’m paid the big bucks.

That and because I was once again crowned the king of duckpin bowling Saturday night at Stoneleigh Lanes. I took 2 out of 3 games from Nestor Aparicio spawn Barry Aparicio…and he’s from Dundalk!

He wanted me to remind everyone that he actually posted the highest score of the night in the 3rd game. I reminded him that doing that is sort of like having a gal tell you that she thinks you look like Jack Black…..

I mean….it’s better than being told you like Ray Bachman….

9. Examiner Jay Trucker says Orioles sent Caleb Joseph, Blake Davis, Luis Bernardo, Miguel Abreu, Matt Angle, Michel Hernandez to minor league camp

And they’ll be missed.

It’s not REALLY all that bad going from Birds’ Spring Training in Sarasota to minor league Spring Training in Sarasota. I mean, other than the food. It’s sort of like going from Capital Grille…

to McDonald’s….

10. Carroll County Times’ Aaron Wilson says Ravens will learn whether they’re playing Monday Night Football opener/Thanksgiving night game, compensatory picks fate during annual NFL meetings in Orlando

No thanks to the trip to East Rutherford on Thanksgiving night. Yes please to a Monday Night Football game at M&T Bank Stadium to open the season.

That is all.

11. Baltimore Blast Official Site says regular season ended with 19-12 loss to KiXX in Philadelphia

Now the Blast open the playoffs Friday night in Monterrey-with Game 2 against La Raza next Monday in Charm City.

12. Fayetteville Observer says Baltimore Mariners roughed up Fayetteville Guard 59-0 at 1st Mariner Arena

It’s not that I’m NOT excited about Mariners football, I’m just MORE excited to find out if the Lingerie Football League team will be playing in the same building….

And finally, I leave you with this.

I won’t be able to watch Maryland anymore during CBS’ coverage of the NCAA Tournament, but I WILL be able to jam out to this Kevin Rudolf/Lil’ Wayne jam…..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy9-c4MBzJI[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

Happy Friday!

It was a Happy Friday for me because…

1-the Morgan State thing was AMAZING last night

and 2-With sentencing being oft-delayed for Lil’ Wayne (it looks like Monday now), I’m just gonna go ahead and give props to Weezy today, since I don’t want this to keep dragging out. Dude is getting the Plaxico Burress treatment in New York, which is unfortunate. But props to Weezy.

“One Way Trip” is my favorite track off of “Rebirth” (Language NSFW)….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNlVQ8G5USI[/youtube]

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. The AP says Reggie Holmes’ 36 lead Morgan State in rout of Coppin State

I can’t say enough about what an incredible night it was at Hill Field House.

Was it like Senior Night and Maryland/Duke in College Park? Maybe not, but the raw emotion was very similar.

Reggie Holmes has staked his claim as one of the greatest college basketball players in Baltimore history, and last night was some form of coronation. With some of the greatest players in Charm City history present (including Sam Cassell, the reigning Dean of Baltimore Basketball), Holmes put on a show for the ages against an Eagles team-that even in a down year-remains the Bears’ biggest rival.

But the event was so much more than that. It was chilling. It came in front of a packed house, where fans would have waited hours for the chance to see Holmes’ night. A group of 30 or so fans rushed the floor BEFORE the game to help celebrate Holmes (who surpassed Marvin “The Eraser” Webster as the all-time leading scorer in MSU history in the win). Coach Todd Bozeman told us after the game that it was “Cherry Hill” that rushed the floor-and joked that the team had thought about playing the game in that particular Baltimore neighborhood.

It was just special. If you weren’t there, I’m sorry. Both the Bears and Eagles are now off until the MEAC Tournament. Coppin State is the 11 seed, they’ll face UMES in the Opening Round Wednesday. Morgan State is the 1 seed, they’ll face the Howard/North Carolina A&T winner Wednesday night.

2. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Terps rolling towards Top 4 seed in NCAA Tournament

Of course, Patrick didn’t give me much better news than that. For travel reasons, I’m hoping the Terps end up in Providence or Buffalo, but neither seems likely. If it can’t be one of those locations, then I would hope it would be somewhere nice. For example, Jacksonville….

…but Patrick says San Jose is more likely…..

I’m hoping for New Orleans…..

….But Patrick says Spokane is much more likely….

3. Fredericksburg Free Lance Star’s Steve DeShazo says Terps can clinch at least share of ACC regular season title for first time since ’02 with win tomorrow at Virginia

I’ll be in Charlottesville tomorrow afternoon, live blogging at WNST.net. Luke Jones and I will chime in via Twitter, make sure you follow us (@WNST) during the game.

I can’t stand the Wahoos myself, I think “Auld Lang Syne” is a stupid fight song, and I think the only people who should wear ties to a game are coaches. At least it isn’t football, so I don’t have to see them do the stupid “arms around each other” thing after touchdowns.

The Cavs didn’t offer much when they came to Comcast Center, but I don’t imagine they’ll just roll over at John Paul Jones Arena. Sylven Landesberg played 36 minutes against Boston College despite a thigh injury, and should be good to go tomorrow. The good news is that Mamdi Diane graduated a season ago, meaning he can’t kill the Terps again.

If they can get the job done, they get a banner. That’s pretty special.

4. Washington Post’s Gene Wang says Maryland women topped North Carolina, will face Duke today in ACC Tournament quarterfinals

Congratulations to Brenda Frese and the Terps, who need to keep winning to have a shot at returning to the NCAA Tournament.

They played Duke tough for 40 minutes in College Park, and for 30-some minutes at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Now, I have to pose a question that apparently someone told me was sexist. With no offense to the Terps-as I’ll watch any game they play, but as far as the rest of the ACC Women’s Tournament is concerned-I think I’ll choose cole slaw wrestling instead…

5. UNC Wilmington Official Site previews today’s CAA Tournament opener against Towson

This is a matchup that Pat Kennedy’s club SHOULD win, but that obviously doesn’t mean they will. Even if they do, a date with Old Dominion looms Saturday in Richmond, meaning this will likely be a short trip for the Tigers.

That being said, there will be a LOT of good basketball at the CAA Tournament this weekend, most of which will air live on the Comcast Network. Work taking a poke at-especially on Sunday when there really isn’t anything else on. (NASCAR?)

6. Loyola Official Site previews tonight’s MAAC Tournament opener against Manhattan

Much like Towson, this is a very winnable game for the Greyhounds up in Albany; but that certainly doesn’t mean they WILL win.

I don’t think new AD Jim Paquette was brought to Loyola to clean house or make drastic changes (most young AD’s aren’t brought in for that reason), but there’s clearly some heat on Jimmy Patsos. A couple of wins this weekend could really ease that.

7. Inside Lacrosse’s Terry Foy says Maryland’s Ryan Young, Hopkins’ Kyle Wharton, Loyola’s Collin Finnerty worth watching at M&T Bank Stadium tomorrow

If I were staying in Baltimore, TRUST ME I would be at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic tomorrow. It’s a great event (as is the Day of Rivals event IL does), and there’s a really cool atmosphere to it.

These are big games for these teams, too.

Maryland scored a ton of goals-but they really needed a minor miracle to beat Georgetown. Duke barely beat Bucknell and lost to Notre Dame, meaning this could be a clash of ACC rivals who have shown some signs of being “pretenders.”

Coaching changes always cause trouble, but Chris Bates is hoping to keep Princeton in the Top 10 nationally. They gave up 14 goals in a win over Hofstra to open the season. Hopkins is 3-0, but they’re coming off an 8-7 nailbiter over Siena.

Loyola is off to a hot start as well, but facing an Irish team that as I just mentioned has already topped the Blue Devils this season. The Hounds lost a close game to the Fighting Irish in Atlanta a season ago, this would be a real statement for Charley Toomey’s team before opening the Ridley Athletic Complex.

8. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Mark Clayton, Marshal Yanda got 2nd round tenders, Adam Terry not tendered by Ravens

Going with the 2nd round tender instead of the 1st round tender means that while the Ravens want to bring both Clayton and Yanda back, but would be willing to accept solid compensation if another NFL team is REALLY interested in them.

Clayton would come back with a cheap price tag (the type of price tag that means he wouldn’t necessarily have to be guaranteed a roster spot), as I just don’t see teams being interested in offering a 2nd round pick for him. Yanda will be a bit intriguing, but I think will ultimately end up returning as well.

Adam Terry could also return, as teams are not likely to be banging down the door of an oft-injured OT.

9. The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Anquan Boldin, Kevin Water most likely WR options for Ravens

Walter is the easy call. The Ravens could bring him by 1 Winning Drive this weekend and try to make sure he doesn’t leave. There’s no off the field concerns, even if he isn’t your typical #1 receiver. He’s still 6’3″, and the Ravens DESPERATELY need a taller receiver.

Boldin is attractive, as the Cardinals are rumored to be looking for no more than a 3rd round pick in return. But he’s got some question marks-including a few injury issues and some tangles with coaches in the past-including former offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

It always works that way. They’re attractive, but you’re just not 100% certain they’re a perfect fit. Sorta like Nicki Minaj….

10. ProFootballTalk.com/NBC Sports’ Gregg Rosenthal says Broncos pursuing Dwan Edwards, Justin Bannan

Sadly, this is the business of football. The Ravens don’t want to see either of these players walk away-but with money tied up elsewhere, a team like Denver could easily view these players with a higher value than the Ravens could match.

The Ravens love Bannan off the field, but they’re deep at DT-and a Kelly Talavou or Brandon McKinney could move into the D-Line rotation. Dwan Edwards found a real role for himself (despite making way for Trevor Pryce in obvious passing situations), and I get the feeling the Ravens will really try to get him back.

11. Carroll County Times’ Rich Dubroff says Matusz gave up 2 run homer in Orioles’ loss to Rays Thursday

Apparently it wasn’t exactly a ball that was crushed, but it was a home run nonetheless.

The Birds return to action tonight against the Pirates in Sarasota, Chris Tillman gets his first Grapefruit League start against Zach Duke.

12. ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark says Andy MacPhail had approached Tejada about moving to 3B before trading him to Houston

It’s a pretty good read about how both Tejada and Placido Polanco are making the move to third base this season.

You can read it…..or you could watch the video of Brittney Griner punching Jordan Barncastle again. Your call.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtaPtQnu370[/youtube]

And finally, I leave you with this.

Have you heard the story about…ahem….”actress” Samantha Ryan?

According to the Huffington Post, Ryan is a BIG Kansas Jayhawks fan, and Wednesday night’s game against Kansas State fell on her birthday, so she put out on Twitter than she was looking for tickets. She got them, apparently thanks to assistant coach Kurtis Townsend.

Please insert your own “Friends with Benefits” joke here.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

Happy Thursday!

It’s a Happy Thursday for me because Intern Super Jack said to me yesterday before we left the studios at 1550 Hart Rd. “Did you see the Vince Carter shot?”

Somehow, I had not. Now everyone will….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqxwUWw4ibE[/youtube]

I feel like if I tried long enough, I could throw the ball from that some spot and….get it to the opposite free throw line? Maybe?

Maybe not.

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. WNST.net’s Luke Jones says Terps fought back from 15 points down to beat Clemson at Comcast Center

In a word, “gutty.”

What was interesting about last night’s game was that despite falling behind by 15, I never got the sense that the crowd in College Park (or those of us there covering the game) thought that the Terrapins were out of it-despite the struggles (related to a stomach bug) that Greivis Vasquez was going through, scoring just 2 points in the first half.

Of course, Greivis Vasquez found other ways to contribute (Thanks Mr. Irrelevant!)….

2. The Diamondback’s Greg Schimmel says Terps figuring out new ways to win games every time out

Which is the mark of a team that is built on senior leadership even if not overwhelming talent. I think it’s also the mark of good coaching, but then again-I’m just a Gary Williams apologist, right?

Maryland will have to keep figuring out new ways to win games down the stretch and into both the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. It might not be Cliff Tucker hitting a miraculous shot or Sean Mosley coming to life-it might be a game where Landon Milbourne has to go off for 28 points. It might be a game where James Padgett has to play 25 minutes due to foul trouble for Jordan Williams and Dino Gregory.

Just count on Maryland needing to find new ways to win the rest of the way.

3. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Sean Mosley’s slump over with 20 point output in win over Tigers

Nothing makes me happier than when the idiots who say “Maryland is a DC school” have to watch a Baltimore kid (St. Frances) lead the way for the Terps. I guess as a reporter/columnist I’m not supposed to root for individual players, but no one has EVER accused me of being either “ethical” or “good”, so why should I start now?

Maryland returns to action Saturday at Virginia Tech (4pm-Raycom Sports-WNUV 54 locally), which sets up the Catholic League showdown between Mosley and the Hokies’ Malcolm Delaney (Towson Catholic), who was somehow left off the Naismith Award candidates list yesterday (Greivis Vasquez remained on the list) despite the fact that he is a legitimate candidate for ACC Player of the Year.

And how the hell did Virginia Tech get worked at Boston College last night? I’m not sure if that means the Eagles exposed Va Tech as pretenders, or if Seth Greenberg’s team will be especially amped to prove themselves Saturday in Blacksburg.

4. CSN Washington’s Chris Knoche says win ‘went a long way’ to ensuring Terps first round bye in ACC Tournament

With a win Saturday at Cassell Coliseum, Maryland will clinch that off day in Greensboro. That’s good news for me, as I only got my hotel room for Friday and Saturday night-and I’m not sure the WNST expense account can cover another night at the Hilton. I of course only stay at the Hilton, as I am a VERY big deal.

Getting a first round bye is a big deal, too. It is almost IMPOSSIBLE to win 4 games in 4 days in an event like the ACC Tournament (although I believe Syracuse did it in the Big East Tournament recently), but with a first round bye the Terps would have to be considered a favorite to at least REACH the ACC Championship Game, where they might end up with a rematch of that 2004 Title Game…..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU6lXzsVXJo[/youtube]

5. The AP says Chris De La Rosa scored 23 as UMBC blew out New Hampshire on road

Well, don’t I feel dumb….

Congratulations to Randy Monroe and the Retrievers, as this was a great win for them last night. I’m not sure it means they can advance at all in the America East Tournament, but they’ll at least have some confidence. They’re off this weekend before getting things underway in Hartford next week.

6. Towson Official Site says Tigers stunned William & Mary in CAA action in Williamsburg

Once again…..I feel dumb.

A great win for Pat Kennedy’s Tigers, they now have a date with Delaware Saturday at Towson Center before they head to Richmond for the CAA Tournament.

Of course, this is a “good news bad news” situation for CAA fans in the area, as they got a stunning win from Towson last night-but the Tribe loss means they are COMPLETELY out of the discussion for an at large berth come Selection Sunday. If Old Dominion wins the Tournament, that will be a 1 bid league.

7. Maryland Official Site previews womens basketball’s visit to Boston College tonight

And as I’ve said before, Brenda Frese’s team absolutely MUST win out for any shot at an NCAA Tournament at large bid, and they’ll probably still need to make some noise in the ACC Tournament. The Terps were 72-65 winners when the teams first met, but BC has played MUCH better basketball since then, including wins over Duke and North Carolina. This will be tough for the Terps in Chestnut Hill…

8. Navy Official Site previews tonight’s lacrosse showdown in Annapolis with North Carolina on CBS College Sports

Some great lax action tonight at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, as the Midshipmen are trying to bounce back from their loss to Loyola Saturday against a Tar Heels team that has won their first 3 to open the season.

UNC of course has a bit of an unfair advantage due to this…..

I bet she’s been watching a lot of the Olympics…

9. The Towerlight’s Kevin Hess says bill forcing Maryland to play Towson, Morgan State in football ‘unlikely to pass’ thanks to lack of support from Mike Hermann

Good for Mike Hermann. Not only is it silly for a government official to try to influence college football scheduling, but he deserves to be called out for the silliness. Maryland has both Morgan State and Towson on the schedule in the next 4 years, and they want to keep scheduling them (as well as Navy) for regional purposes. They also want to schedule West Virginia, Pitt, Rutgers, Villanova, Delaware, William & Mary and other teams in the region that they might be going up against for recruits.

No team should be pigeon-holed into HAVING to play certain schools. On the flip side, Towson and Morgan shouldn’t be FORCED to play Maryland either. Morgan can get more money from a trip to Rutgers than a trip to Maryland, and since the entire University system gets funding from Maryland athletics, all of the programs are actually making money no matter WHO Maryland plays.

And for Mike Hermann, should Rob Ambrose turn things around in the next couple years for the Tigers-they shouldn’t be forced to have to schedule a Maryland team (that we assume) would be an almost impossible victory every year-last season not withstanding. If the Tigers would prefer to play a D1 team they might have a better chance at beating (say….Kent State?), they should be able to do that.

10. The Sun’s Peter Schmuck says Chris Tillman had ‘very positive’ bullpen session yesterday

Which is a good sign. If Tillman is going to lock up the 5th spot in the rotation instead of heading back to Norfolk, he has to be able to actually pitch in Sarasota.

Of course, the next step is to pitch well. Hopefully that’s coming.

11. SI’s Jon Heyman says Orioles skipper Dave Trembley ‘on hot seat’

That’s obvious. Fair or not, the O’s HAVE to improve in the win-loss department for Trembley to feel comfortable about returning in 2011.

If he wants to make a splash, I say he channels “The Hangover” for his pre-game speech on Opening Day….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAQiakC0HrY[/youtube]

(Edit from GMC: Was this just an excuse for me to work in a “How bout that ride in? I guess that’s why they call it Sin City” reference? Yes, yes it was. I also made it my Facebook status. And I think I said it to Intern Super Jack about 50 times this morning. I didn’t get much sleep last night…)

12. ESPN.com says former Browns GM Kokinis expected to rejoin Ravens’ personnel department

Sort of a no-brainer. Kokinis was very successful in Baltimore, and should be able to return without much of a power struggle. There is a real question as to whether Eric DeCosta is waiting for Ozzie Newsome to retire or whether he will pursue GM openings in the future, but having Kokinis back in the picture helps the Ravens with their personnel system entirely.

And finally, I leave you with this.

I received one of the most important e-mails of my entire life yesterday. How is it even a LITTLE BIT POSSIBLE that I didn’t know today….

IS NATIONAL CHILI DAY!!!!!

As I said about the “HoagieFest” event a certain establishment held last year, this is more significant than Christmas!

My first thought is to drive down to College Park to stop by Hard Times Cafe (where I’ve heard a rumor they’re giving away free chili today to celebrate), and indulge in their Chili Mac-which helped me survive many tough nights in College Park….

I’ve also thought about driving all the way down to the District of Columbia, as there are few places to celebrate chili like you can at Ben’s Chili Bowl….

BUT…..I would like to celebrate this wonderful day here in Charm City if possible. SO….I put it to you….the fine reader (is there more than one? I think my dad pokes at this every now and then) of “Crabs and Beer” to direct me to the best chili in town.

This is a lot of responsibility for you guys. Frankly, I don’t think you can handle it. But I’m willing to give you a shot. Please don’t let me down.

As a note, I would prefer a place that both serves chili AND has great beer. Again, I’m not asking for much.

Talk to you later.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G

Happy Wednesday!

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because I recently discovered who Christina Hendricks was…

I still don’t know what she does for a living, but I bet she’s nice.

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. NC State Official Site previews Maryland’s trip to Raleigh tonight

The 88-64 beatdown the Terps handed the Wolfpack about a month ago makes it hard to imagine much of anything else is coming tonight, but the ‘Pack will obviously be a much more rested team than the Terrapins, and will benefit from playing in front of the crowd at the RBC Center.

That being said, for NCSU to have a shot tonight Tracy Smith will have to be a force inside. This puts responsibility on Jordan Williams to control the paint. As long as that happens, the Wolfpack shooters (like Javier Gonzalez) won’t have the room they need to put together multi-shot runs.

I’ll say 71-61 Maryland. (A reminder that the game is being televised regionally by Fox Sports, locally by Comcast SportsNet.)

2. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Terps statistically much better at Comcast Center than away during ACC season

You might be thinking “71 points, Glenn?” Well, here’s an explanation. As I’ve said to anyone who would listen (thanks Patrick for pointing that out by the way), this team ISN’T a great shooting or great offensive team. They’re just a team that has gotten really comfortable playing in College Park, which has improved their overall offensive ability (thankfully).

A reminder that you can follow Patrick Stevens on Twitter (@D1scourse). You can follow us on Twitter as well (@WNST). You can follow pro wrestler Mick Foley on Twitter (@_MickFoley). I’d recommend all three.

3. Washington Post’s Mike Wise says Terps have found ‘stability’ with Gary Williams, Greivis Vasquez this season

This is absolutely one of the more underrated storylines of the ’09-’10 season. For all of the insanity that surrounded Maryland basketball during the ’08-’09 campaign; this year’s team has almost been the exact opposite. At no point has there been some sort of power struggle with Debbie Yow, at no point has there been a groundswell of “Fire Gary Williams” thoughts, and at no point has Greivis Vasquez had any sort of stand-off with Maryland fans that has lead to some sort of awkward situation. Hell, the Washington Post hasn’t even done a 3 part series about the state of the program, and the head coach hasn’t lost it on a reporter from Baltimore who couldn’t possibly have been more defensive of him.

Maybe it’s time to shake things up a bit?

4. Carroll County Times’ Josh Land says Terps want to play Wolfpack same way tonight they played Virginia Monday night

So do the rest of us.

Of course, I also want Journey to play as well as they did with Steve Perry, but they’ve managed to play alright with Arnel Pineda too…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWC9MHgpL8U[/youtube]

5. The AP says Chris De La Rosa’s 20 points not enough as UMBC finished winless season at RAC Arena with loss to Stony Brook

Tough to go winless for an entire season at home. Just tough. Not really sure what else to say here.

Randy Monroe’s club will take their ball and try to pick up as many pieces as they can the rest of the way in America East play, starting Sunday afternoon at Binghamton.

6. The AP says RaShawn Polk scored 16, but Towson fell to Old Dominion in Norfolk

Speaking of moving on…

Look, Towson could have been beaten much worse by ODU, so I guess that’s something for Pat Kennedy to hang his hat on.

The Tigers step out of CAA play next, traveling to Manhattan Saturday afternoon as part of the ESPN BracketBusters series.

7. Loyola Official Site previews tonight’s rescheduled MAAC tilt with St. Peter’s

While the Peacocks ARE 9-5 in conference play, this really SHOULD be a winnable game for Jimmy Patsos’ Greyhounds at Reitz Arena. And they can use as many wins as they can get moving towards the MAAC Tournament.

8. Morgan State Official Site previews tonight’s MEAC showdown at Delaware State

This is really a big game for the Bears, as they have to prove that their loss to South Carolina State Monday night wasn’t a sign of a team that was cracking late in the season. Playing the Hornets in Dover is NOT an easy task, especially considering that with a win-DSU would be right back in the MEAC regular season title picture. On top of that, Todd Bozeman’s team has a really tough test coming Saturday at Murray State-and a 3 game losing streak might be tough to snap.

9. WNST.net’s Drew Forrester says MASN making ‘error’ by only airing 4 Orioles Spring Training games

But, how can they have room for O’s games when they have such quality programming as…

Seriously, why air the games when you can air a radio show with guys TALKING about the games?!?!

In all seriousness, there’s no excuse for a regional network OWNED by the team to only air 4 games. MASN should be airing 10 games, similar to what SNY is doing with the Mets, YES is doing with the Yankees, and NESN is doing with the Red Sox.

It’s not a low blow. It’s JUST a fact.

10. The Sun’s Peter Schmuck says Andy MacPhail may try to get Birds another pitcher

Peter suggests Jarrod Washburn. And even though he went 9-9 last season, he did have a 3.78 ERA and a 1.188 WHIP. I don’t know what it would take for Washburn to come to Baltimore, but I’m not opposed to the move. It would give the Orioles 6 starting pitchers (with Kevin Millwood, Jeremy Guthrie, Brad Bergesen, Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz); but with Bergesen hurt and some questioning whether or not Tillman or Matusz might need a bit more time in Norfolk once he leaves Sarasota; it would probably be a good problem to have.

That being said, there’s a guy in White Sox camp that probably won’t make the roster I’m keeping my eye on….

11. City Paper’s Andrea Appleton says Kevin Grace (The Wire) working to honor former boxing champ, Baltimore native Joe Gans

As a Baltimore native, I am embarrassed to say that I don’t know much about Gans. I am thankful for the work Kevin Grace is doing, as this will give me an opportunity to learn more about a great athlete. I would suggest reading this story, and hearing about the event Grace (and former Colts RB Lydell Mitchell) are currently working on.

12. Thoroughbred Times’ Ron Parker says Lookin At Lucky at top of first Triple Crown poll of 2010

And so begins the list of horse names you’ll need to learn before the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Rumor has it Rick from Reisterstown already ran to Pimlico and bet a week’s worth of delivery tips.

And finally, I leave you with this.

Thanks to our buddy Chad Lamasa, who let me know this morning that Wale would be coming to Rams Head Live on April 3rd. You should like Wale…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6hI3SPyecU[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

Happy Tuesday!

It’s a Happy Tuesday for me because Tracy Morgan was on “The Late Show with David Letterman” last night. There should be a law forcing these two to work together more often…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4_zEYoonWQ[/youtube]

Let’s see what everyone else has to say….

1. WNST.net’s Luke Jones says Greivis Vasquez scored 30 points as Terps trounced Virginia

It doesn’t make the Duke loss irrelevant, but it confirms exactly what I wrote about Maryland following the loss in Durham. They’re just a MUCH better shooting team in College Park than they are away. They play with a MUCH higher level of confidence in College Park than they do away. Playing better at home is a normal thing for college basketball teams, but the difference for Maryland this season is much greater than it is for most teams in many years.

2. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Vasquez certainly greatest player in Comcast Center history

It was a hotly contested battle between Vasquez and this guy…

I’m well aware that Mike Grinnon jokes are probably only funny to me. But since when was I supposed to care about anyone else?

Anyway, it really was just one more unbelievable performance from Greivis Vasquez, whose legacy will always include a “but”, “BUT” he’s been pretty damn good.

3. The Diamondback’s Greg Schimmel says Terps overcame short rest to pick up win over Cavaliers

No rest for the weary (or for the wicked if you ask Cage the Elephant), as the Terps get right back at it tomorrow night in Raleigh against NC State. The game has a Fox Sports regional broadcast, and will be seen locally on Comcast SportsNet. Going back on the road with a short turnaround like this will be tough for the Terps, but clearly a team like the Wolfpack are a team that Gary Williams’ bunch SHOULD be able to beat.

4. Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Michael Phillips says slowing down Cavs offensively not impressive for Terrapins, but breaking down UVa defense is

As my friend Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse on Twitter) and I discussed last night, it wouldn’t have been surprising for the Terps to beat a Tony Bennett-coached Hoos team by a score of 64-50. But it WAS surprising for them to score 52 points in the first half en route to an 85-66 victory; as Virginia has been a strong defensive team this season-which is the staple of a Tony Bennett or Dick Bennett-coached team.

Look, it wasn’t a “great” victory for the Terps, as I don’t think Virginia will ultimately end up being an NCAA Tournament team (or even a “bubble” team frankly). But it was exactly the type of performance you’d want from a team like Maryland in that situation.

5. The AP says long win streaks in MEAC play and at Hill Field House for Morgan State snapped by loss to South Carolina State

Boy, I REALLY thought that after getting past the Bethune-Cookman battle last Monday the Bears were on their way to an undefeated conference season. I will admit that I was surprised to see them lose, even to a pretty good SC State team.

That being said, the loss will be completely meaningless if Todd Bozeman’s team gets right back on the horse and marches to the MEAC regular season and MEAC Tournament titles. If the loss (and some close games recently) are an indication of a team that is cracking a bit, this could be a VERY bad sign.

The Bears return to action Wednesday night at Delaware State-another tough conference foe.

6. Coppin State Official Site says Quinston Reggins’ 15 points not enough as Eagles fell to Winston-Salem State

There’s really no excusing this type of loss. The Rams are not NEARLY good enough that they should be able to come to Baltimore and beat a Fang Mitchell-coached team, especially a team that appeared to be playing better basketball as of late.

The biggest issue for the Eagles continues to be the fact that no single player has stepped up to be a guy who can be counted on the 2nd half of games. They have 4 players who score between 9-11 points per game (Lenny Young, Kareem Brown, Michael Harper, Vince Goldsberry); and at times they have other players (like Reggins last night) who take the high water mark beyond that.

Coppin returns to action Saturday afternoon in Princess Anne when they visit UMES.

7. Towson Official Site previews Tigers’ trip to Old Dominion tonight

According to Sportsbook.com, the Monarchs are 22 point favorites in this game. Drew Forrester seemed surprised by that, which only makes me wonder if Drew Forrester is somehow not familiar with Towson basketball despite seeing them more than anyone who is not actually part of the team.

Obviously, this would be a great victory for Pat Kennedy’s bunch if they could go down to the Ted Constant Convocation Center and win. It would take a minor miracle though.

8. UMBC Official Site previews Matt Spadafora’s Senior Night tonight at RAC Arena against Stony Brook

2 days ago, if you had given me 12 guesses, I’m not sure I could have told you that the Sea Wolves were atop the America East standings. (That was a joke about how I wouldn’t have known the Sea Wolves were even in America East. Like I always say, if you want my jokes to make more than just ME laugh, you people better start paying me more.)

And much like Towson, a win tonight would be a really good win for Randy Monroe’s crew, especially considering that it is their final chance to win even a single game in Catonsville this season. Unfortunately, also a lot like Towson-it is unlikely.

9. The Sun’s Dan Connolly says even more responsibility resting on Wieters’ shoulders in first full season with Orioles

Yeah, but….

(Thanks Matt Wieters Facts!)

In all seriousness, there are clearly a lot of expectations surrounding Matt Wieters this season, both fair and unfair. He will have a lot of responsibility with a young pitching staff that this organization is clearly hoping will become a viable MLB staff by the end of the year. On top of that, there are a number of people very close to the organization that are hoping he’ll prove himself to be a middle of the lineup-type hitter; especially considering the team lacks players like that.

Is it too much to ask? I guess we’ll find out.

10. Ravens Official Site’s Mike Duffy says former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah believes Flacco has “Top 5 arm”

Great. Kyle Boller had an arm so strong that he threw a ball 60 yards through the uprights. It didn’t keep him from also doing this…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9n4DlmibDQ[/youtube]

Look, we ALL know Joe Flacco has a strong arm. But having a strong arm and having the mental capability to be a great NFL quarterback are too very different things. It also helps to have NFL-ready playmakers for a QB with a strong arm to throw the ball too.

Over the next 4-5 years, we will likely begin to find out if Joe Flacco is a QB with a strong arm or a GREAT NFL QB with a strong arm.

11. ESPN.com’s James Walker expects Ravens to ‘push’ to keep at least one of Justin Bannan, Dwan Edwards on roster

There’s no reason NOT to expect this, as the organization is very happy with both players, and expects them to continue to develop.

That being said, keeping players like Brandon McKinney and Kelly Talavou out of Training Camp a season has to be considered part of an insurance policy should they not be able to hold onto players like Bannan and Edwards.

12. Thoroughbred Times’ Frank Angst says Magna still looking for ‘stalking horse’ bid

Which sorta goes against what Jeff Seder from Blow Horn Equity had stated previously on AM1570 WNST, that his group had the “stalking horse bid.” This whole situation is really getting to be damningly frustrating. PNC Bank wants to get the money back that they loaned Magna; and they SHOULD be able to get it back. The other bidders want to know more about the future of their potential investment, the state wants to make sure it is keeping the Preakness, and the Maryland Jockey Club REALLY doesn’t want slots at Arundel Mills.

The bottom line….to all of this….is that SOMEONE needs to own and run the tracks and help horse racing in this state move forward. Right now, that is the only thing that ISN’T happening.

And finally, I leave you with this.

With Dave Matthews Band coming to Nationals Park July 23rd, a friend recently asked me if I could name my favorite Dave Matthews Band songs of all time.

I couldn’t.

I know “Louisiana Bayou” is in the mix, as are “Angel” and “So Right”, but there has to be an older song that gets on the list, and I’m not sure which one it would be. “Two Step” I guess. The point of all of this rambling is that I realized recently that a song on “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King” has made its way into my Top 5.

“Seven”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWAk9lyW_Ic[/youtube]

It’s just THAT good. Of course, maybe it’s the song title; as the Prince song of the same name was pretty good too…..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMjZm_C4Hhs[/youtube]

Talk to you later.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G