UMBC opens its 27th NCAA Division I basketball season and tenth as a member of the America East Conference when they take on the Penn Quakers at the Palestra on Fri., Nov. 9. 

RETRIEVER UPDATE: Aki Thomas, who came to the UMBC staff on the eve of the 2007-08 championship season, was named the Retrievers’ acting head coach on Oct. 10. He inherits a squad that struggled to a 4-26 mark a year ago, but one that had a total of nine years of DI experience. Nearly 83 percent of the offensive punch returns, including JR F Chase Plummer (15.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg) who earned America East Second Team honors as a sophomore. SR guards Ryan Cook (12.5 ppg) and Brian Neller (11.4 ppg) also averaged in double figures and 6-10 St. Bonaventure transfer Brett Roseboro is expected to bolster UMBC’s game in the paint.

QUAKER UPDATE: Penn finished 20-13 last year, advancing to the postseason for the first time since 2007 with a CBI appearance. The Quakers return two starters and six other letterwinners from that squad. JR G Miles Cartwright has been a two-year starter for the program, and was third on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg), assists (66), three-point baskets (60) and free throws (60) in 2011-12. Penn was picked to finish fifth in the Ivy League’s Preseason Media Poll.

Who’s Up Next: The Retrievers open the home schedule on Monday., Nov. 12 when they host Eastern (Pa.) University. Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m.

Towson University head coach Pat Skerry added another transfer to his program Saturday.

CBSSports.com reported former University of Vermont guard Four McGlynn chose the Tigers over Duquesne, VCU, Central Connecticut, La Salle and Penn State.

McGlynn (6’2″, 180 pounds) was a major contributor in the Catamounts’ run to the America East Conference Championship and appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, averaging 12 points per game. McGlynn’s contributions helped him to be named America East Rookie of the Year.

A native of York (PA), McGlynn was believed to be interested in playing closer to home. Vermont coach John Becker granted his release, but would not allow him to play for another AEC school or George Washington (GWU head coach Mike Lonergan had recruited him to Burlington before taking the Colonials’ job).

After a 1-31 campaign in Skerry’s first season, the Tigers will have two transfers available for 2012-2013. Former Georgetown F Jerelle Benimon and former South Florida guard Mike Burwell will each be eligible to play.

McGlynn will be eligible to practice this season but will not be eligible to play until the 2013-2014 season. He will have three years of eligibility left.

Honorable Mention: WNBA-Indiana Fever @ Washington Mystics (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Tennis: ATP Garry Weber Open (Tuesday-Saturday 1pm from Halle, GER on Tennis Channel)

10. Bonnie Raitt (Sunday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Beach Boys (Friday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Neil Diamond (Thursday 8pm Verizon Center); Dave Matthews Band/Gary Clark Jr. (Saturday 7pm Jiffy Lube Live); Martina McBride (Wednesday 8pm Wolf Trap); Reel Big Fish (Friday 8pm Power Plant Live); Of Montreal (Thursday 8pm Recher Theatre); Lindsey Buckingham (Thursday 9pm Baltimore Soundstage), Lisa Marie Presley (Friday 8:30pm Baltimore Soundstage); Kelly Bell Band/Cris Jacobs (Saturday 7pm 8×10 Club); Robert Cray Band (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Grouplove (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Cult (Tuesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Bouncing Souls (Tuesday 7:30pm Black Cat DC); Ziggy Marley (Wednesday 8pm Howard Theatre), Little Richard (Saturday 8pm Howard Theatre); Keane (Thursday 8pm Strathmore); Rush “Clockwork Angels” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

I’ve already established that “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is the greatest Beach Boys song of all time. Now I point out that I’m an absolute hack because I also enjoy this clip from Full House…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOZ5dEiZYCo

A lot of people know I’m a significant Dave Matthews fan. But do you know that I’ve proclaimed my all time favorite Dave Matthews tune to be THIS?…

And if you go see DMB don’t stay in the parking lot too long. Gary Clark Jr. is freaking AMAZING. You may remember him from a collaboration he had with Ray Lewis a few weeks back at the NFL Draft…

Wait…The Cult? Isn’t that the band that does the song from that commercial in that Super Bowl?

9. Star-Spangled Sailabration (Wednesday-Monday Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Locust Point); “Rock of Ages” and “That’s My Boy” out in theaters (Friday); Gilbert Gottfried (Saturday Magooby’s Joke House); Richard Lewis (Thursday-Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Gary Valentine (Thursday-Saturday DC Improv)

Ryan Chell and I are going to see That’s My Boy Tuesday night. It will probably make six billion dollars and everyone involved will get new cars. It used to piss me off because I don’t really find Adam Sandler’s shtick to be funny anymore, but there are a couple issues involved. One-Adam Sandler sat down with us at the Super Bowl and was really nice. He even opened up about my idol Chris Farley, which is something I found out later he really never does…

Two-over the past few months I’ve developed a unique friendship with Happy Madison star Peter Dante, who might be the best human being on the face of the planet. He’s the guy on the right below…

So now I hope the movie is funny and they make a billion dollars. Damn you, nice guys.

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The Navy-Penn State football game on Saturday, Sept. 15 in State College, Pa. will be televised nationally by ABC/ESPN2 starting at 3:30 p.m.  It is the first time that Navy has appeared on ABC since the 1996 Aloha Bowl victory over California.  A portion of the country will get another game on ABC and in that case the game will be carried on ESPN2.

It was also announced today that the Nov. 10 game at Troy will kick at 2:30 p.m. (CT), 3:30 p.m. in Annapolis, and the game will be broadcast by ESPN3.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour FedEx St. Jude Classic (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Memphis), Champions Tour Regions Tradition (Thursday & Friday 6:30pm Saturday & Sunday 7:30pm from Shoal Creek, AL on Golf Channel), Wegmans LPGA Championship (Thursday & Friday 12pm Saturday & Sunday 2pm from Pittsford, NY live on Golf Channel); WNBA: New York Liberty @ Washington Mystics (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Mixed Martial Arts: UFC on FX 3-Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall (Friday 9pm from Sunrise, FL live on FX); Pro Lacrosse: MLL Charlotte Hounds @ Chesapeake Bayhawks (Saturday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium live on Comcast SportsNet/ESPN3.com)

10. Gavin DeGraw & Colbie Caillat (Sunday 6pm Pier Six Pavilion); Foster The People (Sunday 5:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Carbon Leaf/Civil Twilight (Saturday 7pm Rams Head Live); Hawthorne Heights (Sunday 5pm Recher Theatre); Victor Wooten (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Edwin McCain (Thursday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Little River Band (Sunday 1pm Rams Head on Stage), Marshall Tucker Band (Sunday 8pm Rams Head on Stage), Bootsy Collins (Monday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Jimmy Cliff (Thursday 7pm 9:30 Club); The Wailers (Tuesday 8pm Howard Theatre); Beach Boys “That’s Why God Made The Radio” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

There was a time in my life when I genuinely enjoyed the tunes of Gavin DeGraw. Maybe that’s not something I should be broadcasting…

Since Foster The People are coming to town and the Beach Boys are putting out a new record, here’s FTP’s EXCELLENT take on the greatest Beach Boys tune of all time…

Any excuse to share a Carbon Leaf tune is a good one…

I wish I could go to RHL Saturday night. Civil Twilight is excellent too…

9. “Prometheus” opens in theaters (Friday); “Safe House“, “John Carter” and “Act of Valor” available on Blu-Ray/DVD (Tuesday); Greg Proops (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Doug Benson (Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Honfest (Saturday & Sunday Hampden); Maryland Wine Week begins (Friday)

You know Prometheus as THAT MOVIE EVERYONE IN THE WORLD WANTS TO SEE. Well, at least until “Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” comes out, at which point they might as well just stop making movies.

Honestly, there is no single greater gift you could ever purchase me than this movie poster…

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

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

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

My favorite tune from Thom Yorke and the boys?

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

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

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

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

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

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Defensive end Frank Beltre of the Tiger football team has been named to the NCAA FCS Football “Defensive Linemen To Watch,” according to The Sports Network.

Craig Haley, the managing editor of the TSN website, says “Frank Beltre is an aggressive, driven player who keeps getting better. He is entering his fourth year as a starter. The All-CAA Football talent helped the Tigers post an amazing turnaround in winning the conference title last year. He had 68 tackles, including 12 for loss, and four sacks. He has 30.5 tackles for loss in his career.”

A native of Randolph, N.J., Beltre also earned honorable mention All-America honors as a junior. He was fourth on the team with 68 tackles and led the team with 12 tackles for lost yardage. Beltre led Towson in tackles for lost yardage and quarterback sacks with four.

In his career, Beltre has made 196 tackles with 30.5 tackles for lost yardage. He has also made six quarterback sacks.

A starter in 11 of 12 games last season, Beltre has played in all 34 games the last three years. He is one of nine returning starters on the Tigers’ defensive unit.

BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins junior defenseman Tucker Durkin (Huntingdon, PA/La Salle College HS) added yet another impressive honor to his growing list of accolades today as he has been named the 2012 recipient of the William C. Schmeisser Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top defenseman. Durkin was also recently named a First Team USILA All-American after garnering second team honors last season.

Durkin is the 13th Johns Hopkins player to win the award (the 13 have combined for 16 selections) and the Blue Jays lead all schools in number of recipients and selections. In addition, he is JHU’s second Schmeisser Award winner in the last four years.

Durkin started all 16 games on close defense for the Blue Jays this season and totaled 35 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers and one assist. He led the team in caused turnovers and finished third in ground balls while marking the opposition’s top attackman in each game.

A physical defender with an attention to detail, Durkin has started all 47 games in his career and has 95 ground balls and 49 caused turnovers to his credit. With Durkin leading the way, the Blue Jays have featured one of the stingiest defenses in the nation in the last two years as they allowed an average of just 7.25 and 7.38 goals per game in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

With his selection as the Schmeisser Award recipient this year, Durkin adds his name to an impressive list of Johns Hopkins players who have won the award. Among the 12 other Johns Hopkins players who have combined to win the award are Dave Pietramala (1988 & 1989), Mark Greenberg (1979 & 1980) and Hank Kaestner (1966 & 1967), who represent three of the six individuals who have won the award multiple times since it was first presented in 1942.

Johns Hopkins’ All-Time Schmeisser Award Recipients
1943 - George Riepe
1949 - Lloyd Bunting
1951 - Joseph Sollers
1958 - Walter Mitchell
1961 - Michael Byrne
1966 & 1967 - Hank Kaestner
1969 - Michael Clark
1979 & 1980 - Mark Greenberg
1985 - John DeTommaso
1988 & 1989 - Dave Pietramala
1997 - Brian Kuczma
2009 - Michael Evans
2012 - Tucker Durkin

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland placed five players on the 2012 USILA Men’s Lacrosse All-America teams, which were announced Thursday. Leading the way was junior long pole Jesse Bernhardt, who was a second team selection.

Senior attackman Joe Cummings, junior midfielder John Haus, sophomore goalie Niko Amato and freshman defender Goran Murray were honorable mention selections.

Bernhardt, a native of Longwood, Fla., adds his first All-America selection to a lengthy list of honors he has received this season. The Terps’ leader in groundballs and caused turnovers was also selected as the ACC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year and was a Tewaaraton Trophy nominee.

Cummings, a native of Towson, Md., earns his second All-America honor after leading the Terps with 45 points and 30 goals. He enjoyed his breakout season after returning to his natural attack position after spending his first three college seasons in the midfield.

Haus, a native of Lutherville, Md., earns his second All-America honor after proving to be one of the top all-around midfielders in the nation. He is third on the team with 31 points on 15 goals and 16 assists, which is second on the squad. In addition to his offensive prowess, Haus is also a capable defender and is often found defending some of the nation’s top midfielders.

Amato, a native of Conshohocken, Pa., earns his first All-America award after ranking sixth in the nation with a 7.36 goals-against average. Amato is also third on the team with 49 groundballs and helped anchor a Maryland close defense unit that started two sophomores and one freshman.

Murray, a native of Merion Station, Pa., earns his first All-America honor after helping the Terrapin defense rank ninth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 7.75 goals per game. Murray becomes the first Maryland freshman to earn All-America honors since 2003 when Joe Walters was an honorable mention selection.

The Terps face No. 3 seed Duke on Saturday, May 26, in the Final Four in Foxborough, Mass. The Terps/Blue Devils match-up will be the second game of the Saturday doubleheader that features No. 1 Loyola meeting No. 4 Notre Dame in the first game at 2:30 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Golf-PGA Tour Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Ft. Worth, TX), Champions Tour Senior PGA Championship (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All golf from Benton Harbor, MI); High School Lacrosse: MPSSAA Class 2A/1A Final-Fallston vs. South Carroll (Tuesday 6pm UMBC Stadium), Class 4A/3A Final-Westminster vs. South River (Wednesday 4pm UMBC Stadium), Class 3A/2A Final-Hereford vs. Glenelg (Wednesday 8pm UMBC Stadium); WNBA-Tulsa Shock @ Washington Mystics (Wednesday 7pm Verizon Center)

10. Drake (Friday 7pm Verizon Center); One Direction (Thursday 7:30pm Patriot Center); Corey Smith (Friday 8pm Rams Head Live); Jason Isbell (Saturday 1pm Rams Head on Stage); Garbage (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club); Collective Soul (Wednesday 8pm Fillmore Silver Spring); Thrice (Wednesday 7:30pm Howard Theatre); John Mayer “Born and Raised” and Garbage “Not Your Kind of People” available in stores/on iTunes (Tuesday)

You know that I’m a “money over everything, money on my mind” type of guy, right?

I used to have the biggest crush on Shirley Manson. Hell, I probably still have  huge crush on Shirley Manson…

If you don’t want to go see Collective Soul we probably wouldn’t be much of friends…

John Mayer is apparently doing country music now. This is a classic example of when “success just simply isn’t enough.” See below.

9. “Men in Black III” and “Chernobyl Diaries” open in theaters (Friday); Bob Marley (Wednesday-Sunday DC Improv); Cedric The Entertainer (Saturday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at The Lyric); Brew at the Zoo (Saturday & Sunday Maryland Zoo in Baltimore)

There’s simply no chance MIB3 is something I’ll want to go see. And while Cedric the Entertainer is funny, I’d rather talk about beer.

I have no idea whether or not Flying Dog Brewery will be unleashing canned Underdog Atlantic Lager on the Zoo this weekend, but I DO know that the campaign they used to roll it out in our nation’s capital was simply fantastic…

Brilliant.