Happy Friday!

It’s a Happy Friday for me because I STILL don’t live anywhere NEAR North Harford High School; so those clowns can’t bother me.

AND…

Umm….I didn’t have to wear a hoodie to work this morning? I mean, could anything be better about the weather right now? It’s the type of weather that makes me want to roll the windows down and crank up some O.A.R….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3Pj3kcsWL8[/youtube]

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. The AP says Robert Andino homered as Orioles topped Rays in Grapefruit League play

You think someone was a little extra inspired yesterday?

Of course, we’ve reached the part of Spring Training where no one really cares what’s happening on the field anymore. In fact, I heard a rumor that Ray Bachman threw an inning out of the bullpen following Jake Arrieta yesterday.

The Orioles play the Yankees today in Tampa Bay at 1:05; the game is on ESPN. In what Nolan Ryan was quoted* as calling “the greatest mismatch in pitching history”, Alfredo Simon faces Andy Pettitte.

(*Edit from GMC: No, Nolan Ryan wasn’t quoted as saying that. Only because no one has been able to ask Nolan Ryan about it. If they had, he’d probably first say “Who the hell is Alfredo Simon?” and THEN call it the greatest mismatch in pitching history.)

2. St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Joe Strauss says Cardinals traded Julio Lugo to Orioles for player to be named OR cash considerations

As a reminder, the 2010 World Series is tentatively scheduled for October 27-November 4. Keep this in mind as you make your fall plans.

In all fairness, I have no problem with the Julio Lugo acquisition. I think it makes the Orioles better, as he will be a better option as a utility infielder than Robert Andino. I DON’T think the acquisition has much to do with Brian Roberts’ injury; but if he is forced to miss games early-or at any point during the season-Julio Lugo is a BETTER option to fill in for him.

Now-if Baltimore was going to acquire someone from St. Louis-why chouldn’t it have been Sunrise Adams?

3. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Chad Moeller granted his outright release by Birds

So…fair well Chad Moeller. We’ll always have…the memories???

The bad news here is that the O’s will no longer have a veteran catcher in the organization. A season ago they had Robby Hammock at Norfolk behind Greg Zaun, Chad Moeller AND Matt Wieters. Had Wieters been hurt during the late stretch, they had veteran options available to play for 15 days.

They won’t have that this year.

Behind Matt Wieters is Craig Tatum, he and his .162 career average over 26 career games played. Down on the farm with the Tides, there’s Michel Hernandez-he and his career .237 average over 45 MLB games played. Behind him-Adam Donachie; who is looking forward to getting a major league per diem for the first time in his life.

Now-there will undoubtedly be SOME sort of veteran catcher available should the Orioles need one at some point this season-so this will probably be no big deal.

And even though Superman had Krptonite, nothing could hurt Matt Wieters, right? I mean, Matt Wieters > Superman.

4. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Donte’ Stallworth intoduced to Baltimore media, says he’s “become a better decision maker” from DUI manslaughter incident

And as we discussed this morning on “The Comcast Morning Show”, at some point we’re going to have to let the guy live.

Personally-I’m done with it. I really am. I’m not saying that what Donte’ Stallworth did was okay, but I am saying that I’m personally uninterested moving forward. I’m interested in how he will work with John Harbaugh, Joe Flacco, Anquan Boldin and Derrick Mason.

That’s me. Maybe some people are still interested in what happened last March, and can’t move past it. I’m just not one of them. And it’s not because it’s because he plays for the Ravens. It’s because he’s served his time and has been willing to address it.

I’d feel the same way about others in similar situations with other NFL teams.

5. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says ‘broken promises’ lead to Troy Smith switching agents from Ralph Cindrich to Neil Cornrich

Can I make an addendum here?

“Broken promises and UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS” lead to Troy Smith switching agents.

Look-if Ralph Cindrich told Troy Smith he’d get him a starting job with another team this offseason and didn’t-Troy has every right to make a move. BUT-Ralph Cindrich’s mistake was to make that type of promise not knowing whether there were ACTUALLY ANY NFL TEAMS THAT WANTED TROY SMITH AS THEIR STARTING QUARTERBACK.

And just to follow up on things I’d crawl to Cleveland for; yesterday I said “Vida Guerra painted like a Tiger”, and today I’d add “a year’s worth of Shock Top”…

6. The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Alabama DT Terrence Cody visited 1 Winning Drive Thursday

I get it. Terrence Cody doesn’t look good physically…

…but there’s something to be said about a space-clogger from the SEC who has performed at a high level against really good talent.

A season ago, many analysts thought Andre Smith would slide into the 2nd round of the NFL Draft, but he was snapped up early. I really think Terrence Cody is going to come off the board earlier than a lot of people expect.

But…if he slides to the Ravens, you KNOW Ozzie Newsome would be more than happy to have him.

7. Washington Post’s Steve Yanda says Greivis Vasquez won Bob Cousy Award as nation’s top point guard

Do I think:

A-Greivis Vasquez was a “point guard”

or

B-He was more deserving of an award than Evan Turner or John Wall?

Probably not. But am I happy for him? Sure am.

Vasquez was also named as one of the 10 finalists for the Wooden Award. Evan Turner was rumored to have called him and asked “What do you think I should wear to my ceremony?”

8. WNST.net’s Bob Haynie says Eric Hayes won NCAA 3 point contest as part of Final Four weekend Thursday night in Indy

And then he beat the gal from Detroit Mercy who the women’s competition; once again proving that boys are better than girls.

Unless of course we’re talking about Gabriella Cilmi. She’s better than us.

9. The Sun’s Ken Murray says Jimmy Patsos candidate to leave Loyola, join Lavin’s staff at St. John’s

I reached out to Jimmy this morning for comment, and he said “Don’t believe everything you read.”

I responded…”Dude, I NEVER believed Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, but what say you about bailing on the Greyhounds for the Red Storm.”

Is being an assistant for a Big East program that has been mostly irrelevant in recent years a better job than being the head coach for a middle of the road team in the MAAC? Maybe.

But would being an assistant at Maryland have been a better job than either? I think so.

With all of that said, my guess is that Jimmy Patsos returns to the Hounds. Of course, they do have a new AD in Jim Paquette-and there’s always a chance that he might have a different vision for the program than Jimmy does.

If for some reason Jimmy leaves, I have a suggestion as to who should be the next head coach…

(Edit from GMC: I mean, we know he’s gonna get run out of Lexington soon and they’ll end up on probation, right?)

10. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Dexter McDougle, Torrey Smith could be options at punt returner as well as Tony Logan

Torrey Smith’s the fastest guy on the team, but as Ralph Friedgen (and any coach in the world) will point out; when it comes to punt returns-CATCHING THE BALL is more important than getting big returns. That’s the biggest reason why the Ravens stuck with Chris Carr through his struggles a season ago.

Teams NEED TO GET THE BALL on a punt. Anything after that is gravy.

11. The Sun’s Mike Preston says Stevenson, Salisbury set for #1 showdown tomorrow afternoon at Caves Athletic Complex

And I’ll be in the house. Follow us on Twitter (@WNST) for details on what I’ll be giving away for anyone who comes out and “Tweets Up.”

While I’m pulling for the Mustangs tomorrow, I do know one thing I like about the Sea Gulls…

12. The Diamondback’s Kate Yanchulis previews Top 5 lacrosse showdown between Maryland, Virginia tomorrow night at Byrd Stadium

This is a real statement game for Dave Cottle at this point.

If the Hoos come to College Park and roll up a 12-7 victory, the Terrapins find out they aren’t REALLY one of the premiere teams in college lacrosse. If the Terps get a win or keep it close-we find out they’re probably in that realm.

Either way, it’s a great night for lacrosse.

And finally, I leave you with this.

A happy Passover and a Happy Easter to everyone this week. If you’re wondering what I’d like to have for Easter breakfast, think “Cadbury Creme Eggs Benedict”…

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

Happy Thursday!

It’s a Happy Thursday for me because:

A-I still don’t live anywhere near North Harford High School

B-Instead of bothering with that whole pesky “Spring” thing around here, we’ve decided to just go right from Winter to Summer. Therefore, I was able to take “The Luckiest Dang Gal on the Face of the Planet” over to Essex Community College to play tennis for the first time this year. Sadly, her skill level was no greater than either of these two young ladies…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkRaFSduX3Q[/youtube]

Thank God she’s pretty.

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. The AP’s David Ginsburg says Jason Berken, Jim Johnson roughed up as Birds fell to Red Sox

Do the Orioles think the last week of Spring Training is optional???

I mean, Intern Super Jack came in the other day and told me he was having a tough time caring about his work at Towson High School because he was battling a case of “senioritis”, but when he’s done, he’s….DONE.

When the Orioles finish Grapefruit League play, they actually have to go play real games.

They know that, right?

I’m reasonably certain that with Koji Uehara headed to the DL, there’s no chance Jason Berken doesn’t leave Sarasota and come to Baltimore in the bullpen-but it would have been nice to see a more representative effort for sure.

Jake Arrieta makes the start today in Port Charlotte against the Rays, who are starting someone named Mike Ekstrom, who I’m reasonably certain I went to Chapel Hill Elementary School with. I think we both had Ms. Lutz-Itzoe in 3rd grade.

2. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Brian Roberts played in 3rd straight game against Boston

I know WHY this is apparently a news story, but……..WHY IS THIS A NEWS STORY???

In a related story, Cesar Itzuris chewed the same brand of gum for the 3rd straight day; going with Juicy Fruit.

And for a 3rd straight day, I spent more time looking at pictures of Katy Perry over at What Tyler Durden Do than I did covering sports.

3. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark & Drew Forrester pick Orioles 4th in AL East, DF picks Matusz to win Cy Young Award

You know that Forrester-consummate Orioles apologist.

As I said yesterday when we discussed this on “The Comcast Morning Show”, I’m taking the UNDER on the number of 74 1/2 wins that Las Vegas has posted for the Birds.

It’s just WAAAY too easy to say “The Orioles are going to be better…they’ll win 80 games.”

How?

They play 54 games against the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays. Are they going to win 25? Even 20? If they can win 20, they’d have to 54-54 over the rest of their schedule just to hit 74 victories.

Are you confident that the Orioles can go .500 against the rest of the teams on their schedule? Are you confident that they can win 20 of 54 against the best teams in the AL East?

If not, picking the over would be a bad choice.

And I’m not just trying to be a “Debbie Downer.” If the Orioles win 74 games, that will be a 10 game improvement! But this thought process that just because they are somewhat improved, they’ll compete to be .500; I guess people don’t understand that other baseball teams TRY.

4. Deadspin’s Will Leitch says ‘early season schedule particularly cruel’ to O’s

Of course, because the early season is so difficult, the middle of the season will also be “particularly cruel”, the end of the season will also be “particularly cruel”, and offseason will also be “particularly cruel.”

In fact, I’ll turn it over to Bananarama from here…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPNhV1gF008[/youtube]

5. WNST.net says Ravens to play Panthers, Giants at home; Redskins, Rams on road during preseason

Rumor has it the Ravens requested that they also play an exhibition game against a semi-pro team at Ambridge High School in suburban Pittsburgh, but apparently EVERYONE IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA KNEW THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE.

It’s a bit strange that Carolina is coming to M&T Bank Stadium knowing that the Ravens will turn around and visit Charlotte in the regular season; but these things have happened before. Fortunately, the first preseason game (even if it is on ESPN) doesn’t usually include a whole lot of playing time for the starters, so John Fox’s staff won’t see too much from John Harbaugh’s staff.

6. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Troy Smith has switched agents, leaving Ralph Cindrich for Neil Cornrich

How’s the crawl?

The first thing Neil Cornrich said as agent to Troy Smith: “Hey man, before we go talking about trades or anything like that, why don’t we make sure there are other NFL teams that actually want you.”

By the way, I’d crawl to Cleveland myself if I knew Vida Guerra was waiting for me there painted like a tiger… (Thanks Don Chavez!)

7. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Mike Duffy says Domonique Foxworth went to Randallstown for US Census Drive with Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger

Did VH1 begin a new season of “The Surreal Life” without letting any of us know in advance?

It’s very clear that Domonique Foxworth is much smarter than the rest of us (and if you’ve been to his Facebook page, you’d also know that his girlfriend is much prettier than any of ours…and she’s an attorney); and clearly he makes more money than the rest of us.

Therefore, Domonique Foxworth, I shake my fist in your general direction!

Before I move on from the Ravens, let me remind you that we will be out at 1 Winning Drive today to meet Ravens WR Donte’ Stallworth. I will be Tweeting live (follow us on Twitter @WNST) and will be blogging right here. You can also hear today’s press conference this afternoon with Rex Snider and Ray Bachman.

8. Stevenson Official Site says Trip Latta scored 4 goals as Mustangs topped Hood College 20-4

Which sets up an undefeated #1 vs. #2 showdown for the ‘Stangs Saturday afternoon against Salisbury at Caves Athletic Complex in Owings Mills. I’ll be there. You should be too.

You know who else should be there? Rosie Huntington-Whiteley…(Thanks Guyism.com!)

9. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Maryland freshman QB Devin Burns impressing Ralph Friedgen

Obviously the idea here would be to redshirt Burns this season with two freshman QB’s (C.J. Brown and Danny O’Brien) ahead of him, but it is going to create quite a battle come 2011 after Jamarr Robinson goes under center this season.

My guess? Burns ends up being THE guy-even if O’Brien or Brown starts for a short time, as I get the feeling James Franklin will want Burns’ athleticism under center.

Of course, James Franklin might be the head coach at that point, so who knows.

10. The Sun’s Don Markus says Terps LB David Mackall doesn’t think he would have made it to College Park had he not left Woodlawn for Edmondson

Look, I just haven’t found a way to squeeze in a picture of what I had for dinner last night, so I’ll just do it here. I had some shrimp jumbalaya last night, and it was delicious…

But read the Don Markus story, it was pretty good.

And finally, I leave you with this.

Did Flip Murray really hit THIS SHOT the other night and it DIDN’T COUNT???

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St2L0fvXYC0[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

I can readily admit that magazine covers have always caught my attention …..

From the famous teasers, including Cindy Crawford, Jenny McCarthy and Amanda Beard ….. to the fairly anonymous models, like Amanda Paige and Kara Monaco, I’ve always anxiously awaited a new edition of Playboy for one specific reason …..
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Yup, to see who appears on the cover.

A book or magazine really can be judged by it’s cover, right? That’s why an editor carefully sorts through prospective captured images – to find the one most likely to SELL. That’s exactly why famous (or sometimes infamous) female celebrities claim the front of an occasional Playboy.

Such exposures are timed appropriately and the model holds some degree of relevance, at the time they claim the cover.

Consider this prime example …..

Say the folks at Playboy had a choice between Olympic gold medalist, Dara Torres, and one of the final female contestants to get booted off this season’s American Idol, for a pictorial and cover of Playboy’s June issue. Who would they choose?

I can firmly go on record that I’d personally choose Dara Torres – she absolutely does IT for me. Yet, I’d bet Playboy would go the opposite way.

They don’t care about their own personal preferences.

While I’m certain Dara Torres would yield alot of views if she ever posed for Hugh Hefner, I’d be willing to bet the female who finishes highest on this season’s edition of American Idol, would sell substantially more magazines if she posed for Playboy – just one month after she was eliminated from the show.

While both women are attractive, the latter is just more relevant, RIGHT NOW.

The same rationale applies to other major magazines …..

Like Rolling Stone !!!!
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How about that? The hottest new show on TV claims Rolling Stone’s cover, this week. Where the hell is Metallica? Jay Z? Rihanna? Muse?

That’s the way it goes, huh?

Call it what you want – POPULAR, SALACIOUS, CONTROVERSIAL, ATTRACTIVE, CHARISMATIC, CURRENT …..

Whatever the exact reason, you can bet cover models have an absolute relevance with the target audience, as well as the desired demographic for a particular periodical. Indeed, the readers OR viewers OR listeners really dictate who graces the cover of the material they purchase.

Alas, the reasoning is not always positively spirited, right?

If you watch Entertainment Tonight or browse websites, such as TMZ, you’re pretty familiar with how badly Jesse James has screwed up his marriage and overall personal life. As a result, this week, he’ll get a fresh reminder whenever he walks into a convenience store.

No doubt, Jesse is in a “bad way” right now. Yet, the moment he pops into that 7-Eleven on the corner of Sunset & Highland Avenue, in Hollywood …..

Or the Easy-Mart, in Flagstaff …..

Or the freakin’ Pauline Food Center, in Topeka …..

‘Ole Jesse James will get a firsthand reminder of just WHO and WHAT he sacrificed, a few short weeks ago …..
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If you’re wondering “where is Rex headed” with this diversion from sports blogging? It’s simple …..

For the past couple days, we’ve been forced to keep a secret under our hats, so to speak. While a huge public exposure has never been a desire of myself or Ray, we’re not likley to turn down free publicity.

We were recently humbled by being selected to represent EVERYONE who sits behind a microphone with an ambition of entertaining the people of Baltimore. Was it a surprise? Umm, yeah …..

Not only did we get selected, but the folks who bestowed such an honor on us, have graciously allowed us to share the news with WNST.net’s loyal audience, before anyone else in Baltimore finds out. Pretty cool, huh?

Regardless, I’ve wondered why a famed and respected hometown magazine would choose a couple homegrown kids to highlight it’s newest monthly issue. Maybe, they’re mistaken ….. or maybe, they find us “salacious”.

Who knows?

We’re just happy to be making history – and after just 8 weeks, together, on the radio …..
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Then again, perhaps, these fine editors just concluded we’re the hottest and freshest product to hit Baltimore, in a long time.

Regardless of whether we suck.

We got the cover, baby. That’s all that really matters. If we keep this up, Nestor might be taking a page outta Ozzie Newsome’s book and locking us up for years to come.

And, if that’s the case, Ray will finally get some new tires and I’ll be getting those dearly desired hair plugs. Indeed, we’re true, blue Baltimore Hillbillies. And, we’ve got vision.

If you want a hard copy, the issue hits stores and newsstands, next Tuesday. Thanks, Baltimore Magazine – we really appreciate your confidence in us and this overwhelming gesture of exposure …..

But, don’t despair ….. YOU’RE RIGHT …..

WE ARE HOT !!!!

Honorable Mention: NASCAR Nationwide Series Nashville 300 (Saturday 3:30pm from Nashville live on ESPN), NCAA Womens’ Tournament Final Four (Sunday from San Antonio live on ESPN), NBA: Wizards @ Rockets (Tuesday 8:30pm from Houston live on Comcast SportsNet PLUS), Wizards @ Hornets (Wednesday 8pm from New Orleans live on Comcast SportsNet), Bulls @ Wizards (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Nets @ Wizards (Sunday 6pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet)

10. Wale (Saturday 8pm Rams Head Live, Sunday 7pm 9:30 Club); Virginia Coalition (Saturday 8pm 8×10 Club); Ben Bailey (Thursday-Saturday DC Improv); Pat McGee (Thursday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); Norah Jones (Tuesday 8pm Lyric Opera House), David Gray (Wednesday 8pm Lyric Opera House); Vampire Weekend (Sunday 8pm D.A.R. Constitution Hall)

Not an overwhelming week of live music, but some pretty cool stuff. If you don’t dig Wale, you’re simply not cool. Dude is like Miles freaking Davis…with language a little more NSFW…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esdj_2eMnlc[/youtube]

Both Norah Jones and David Gray are more talented than particularly exciting; but DAMN are they talented.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjvB0rz9Ork[/youtube]

Virginia Coalition is more fun than that trip you took to the lake in 7th grade (you know the one)…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q96A4eWFN_A[/youtube]

And you might recognize Ben Bailey as the dude from “Cash Cab.” I have a feeling it might be referenced…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9aCYvMDCZ0[/youtube]

9. Golf: PGA Shell Houston Open (Thursday & Friday 4pm live on Golf Channel; Saturday 1pm, Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All golf from Houston.) LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship (Thursday & Friday 5pm, Saturday 7pm live on ESPN2; Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Rancho Mirage, CA)

Or as PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem is calling it; 1 BT.

(Edit from GMC: If you don’t understand that “1 BT” means “1 (Tournament) Before Tiger”, umm….I’ve got nothing for you.)

The good news is that with Tiger Woods returning to golf, all of these whores are going to start looking for more attention. Winners? All of us.

And unlike some of you, I’m not going to sit around and wait for these whores to do something without doing something about it myself. Like posting a picture of porn star Devon James…

…over to you, general public.

8. Tennis: ATP Sony Ericsson Open (Tuesday 11am, Wednesday & Thursday 7pm live on Tennis Channel; Saturday 12:30pm, Sunday 1pm live on CBS. All tennis from Miami.)

I don’t even know why I bother. Andy Roddick’s gonna beat Benjamin Becker, build a head of steam, play Rafael Nadal tough in the semis, and end up losing in EXCRUCIATING fashion.

Why do I do this to myself?

I have a better shot at dating Suzanne Shaw…

…than I’ll EVER have at being fulfilled by my Andy Roddick fandom.

7. Boxing: Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bernard Hopkins (Saturday 9pm from Las Vegas live on HBO PPV)

Roy Jones Jr. & Bernard Hopkins? What the hell? Was Andy Rooney unavailable?!?!?!?

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

When I was a student at Perry Hall High School, all of my friends worked at Oak Crest Village. The folks there called me to say they thought these fighters were old.

6. Horse Racing: Santa Anita Derby (Saturday 5pm from Arcadia, CA live on NBC); Wood Memorial (Saturday 5pm from New York live on NBC)

My pick for these Triple Crown previews? This guy…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08oxYcB1gk8[/youtube]

5. Bowling: PBA Lumber Liquidators Marathon Open (Monday-Sunday AMF Country Club Lanes on Pulaski Highway; TV final Sunday 1pm ESPN)

If ANYONE is interested in wandering over to Route 40 this week and acting out ANY of these scenes, please count me in. THROWING ROCKS TONIGHT!!!

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

4. NHL: Senators @ Capitals (Tuesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Thrashers @ Capitals (Thursday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet & VERSUS), Capitals @ Blue Jackets (Saturday 7pm from Columbus live on Comcast SportsNet), Bruins @ Capitals (Monday 7pm from Verizon Center live on VERSUS)

I’m not a Caps fan myself (They play in Washington, you know?), but I know some of you are. Instead of calling you bad people (You DO know the Redskins play there, right?); I’ll just hope that you’ll choose to take our WNST Puck Bus down there.

Of course, NOTHING that might happen down there will be as cool as ANYTHING Jim Playfair did…

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

3. Mixed Martial Arts: UFC Fight Night: Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi (Wednesday 8pm from Charlotte live on SpikeTV), “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz” premieres (Wednesday 10pm SpikeTV)

Why would you watch these things?

1-You know who’s fighting at UFC Fight Night? The Skinny Ray Bachman!

2-Since “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” is on T.U.F. this season, I’m assuming we’ll see more of this young lady, which doesn’t suck…

2. College Lacrosse: Virginia @ Maryland (Saturday 8pm from Byrd Stadium live on ESPNU); North Carolina @ Johns Hopkins (Saturday 12pm from Homewood Field live on WMAR2 & ESPNU); Ohio State @ Loyola (Saturday 2pm from Ridley Athletic Complex live on AM1570 WNST & MASN); Delaware @ Towson (Saturday 3pm Unitas Stadium); Stony Brook @ UMBC (Saturday 1pm UMBC Stadium); Georgetown @ Navy (Friday 7pm from Navy-Marine Corps Stadium live on CBS College Sports); Stevenson @ Hood (Wednesday 4pm Thomas Athletic Field), Salisbury @ Stevenson (Saturday 2pm from Caves Athletic Complex live on WBAL Plus)

Not kidding-at one point yesterday I ventured over to UMTerps.com and took a look at the lacrosse schedule; where it said Virginia won Saturday’s game 9-7.

Way to have faith, boys!

But in honor of Saturday night’s game-which is the biggest non-Hopkins game in College Park in like…FOREVER…I offer this gift to any Wahoos fans who might make the trip…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHmd2ZZNLSA[/youtube]

Oh, and get bent.

1. College Basketball: Final Four-Michigan State vs. Butler (Saturday 6:37pm from Indianapolis live on CBS), West Virginia vs. Duke (Saturday 9pm from Indianapolis live on CBS); National Championship Game (Monday 9pm from Indianapolis live on CBS)

So let me get this straight. THIS is the Final Four? There’s nothing good here!!!

There’s Duke-I don’t even need to bother explaining that.

There’s West Virginia-who if I didn’t hate enough because of the football rivalry with Maryland; I found a new reason to hate when Bob Huggins made his appearance on “The Comcast Morning Show” before the Morgan State game.

There’s Butler-and even if they’re the real life “Hoosiers”, they’re from freaking INDIANAPOLIS!!!

And there’s Michigan State-who DAGGERED my Terrapins just a week ago.

I mean, who the hell do I root for???

I’ll just root for “One Shining Moment”….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKdvOf2Nd5s[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

I’m assuming everyone enjoyed the weekend’s NCAA matchups. Who would’ve guessed Duke, Butler, Michigan State and West Virginia would be primed for a Final Four appearance? Obviously, nobody …..

Seeing the Mountaineers beat Kentucky was a welcomed event in the Snider household. My wife is from West Virginia, and my niece is a student, at Morgantown. Here’s to hoping they win the NCAA Championship.

The rest of my weekend was not very smooth. I’m tired of freakin’ rain. In fact, the downpours postponed Sunday’s NASCAR race, in Martinsville, Virginia. It was really rotten luck, to say the least.

So, what does a redneck do without his promised 500 laps of beatin’ and bangin’ …..

That’s right, I purchased Wrestlemania-26 !!!! It’s the first rasslin’ PAY PER VIEW in the Snider household, since 1998. Yep, after a decade of sensible sobriety, I’m back to being hooked on turnbuckles, suplexes and sleeper-holds.

And, I’ve got one guy to blame …..

RAY BACHMAN

I was “rassle-free” until we started the REX & RAY SHOW. In less than two months, I’ve gone from watching a couple minutes, per Monday, to spending $69 for 3+ hours of phony, but fun storylines. And, this Wrestlemania was no exception.

Enjoy my review …..

Match #1 – Tag Team Championship

Admittedly, I’m still not familiar with the names and roles of the entire roster of WWE stars.  I was less than interested in the opening match of the evening, as the current champs Big Show & The Miz squarred off against some lesser intimidating dudes, named R-Truth and John Morrison.

Say what you want, but it appears the current climate of rasslin’ tag teams is not nearly as charismatic or engaing as the old school combos …..
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I found the match to be kinda boring. But, it was the opening performance – and the 7-foot rassler pinned a smaller guy. Go figure …..

Triple Threat Match

This was a pretty entertaining match, as it featured the offspring of 3 legendary rasslers – Cody Rhodes (Dusty’s son), Ted Dibiase Jr. (Ted Sr’s. son) and Randy Orton (Cowboy Bob’s son), squaring off in an “every man for himself” contest.

Randy Orton is a physical specimen – he’s freakin’ cut. The first thing that came to mind is the guy has a natural HEEL appearance and demeanor. I thought he was the most athletic performer of the night, and as an outsider could predict, Orton made relatively quick work of the smaller opponents.
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I don’t know Randy Orton’s history – I’ve been watching this NEW ERA of rasslin’ for just a few weeks. But, he’s gonna be a STAR around Vince McMahon’s empire for a very long time.
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No Holds Barred Match
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Make no mistake about it, Vince McMahon is the most hated dude among rasslin’ fans. And, he channels the impassioned hatred into a tool that pries open the wallet of virtually every paying customer.

Regardless of where I think he’s headed in the afterlife, Vince always entertains the FAN …..
.

.
This Wrestlemania edition was no different. Vince McMahon portrayed himself as the guy who snookered the night’s opponent, Bret Hart, by buying off Hart’s family. However, the Hart clan double-crossed Vince and proved blood is thicker than a wad of cash.

Thus, Bret proceeded to beat Vince to a pulp – while whacking him 13 uninterrupted times, with a mangled steel chair. Vince never raised a fist. The fans got excatly what they desired – and Vince, undoubtedly got what he desired, too …..

Today, he’s a richer man.
.

Intercontinental Championship
.
This was definitely what I considered to be the “Tannest Dude vs. Whitest Dude” in rasslin’. In fact, the match could’ve been sponsored by Coppertone or the Melanoma Research Foundation – both interests were represented during the contest.

During my decade-long hiatus, Sheamus is one of many notable things that has happened to the WWE. He’s billed as an Irish hero, of sorts. And, with his blazing red hair, he kinda looks like “Heat Miser” from Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer fame …..
.


.
You tell me? Do I have a point, or not …..

When I originally stopped watching the weekly antics of rasslin’, the Orioles were on the heels of their FIRST losing season in this horrid streak – and Triple H was a pretty powerful dude, both inside and outside the ring. I see some things never change. He’s married to the owner’s daughter, he can’t lose, right?

Actually, I’d say Vince will force the hand of defeat on whomever stands to generate the most profit for the role – including his own son-in-law. As for the match, it was pretty evenly balanced. But, in a silly moment, Triple H finished off Sheamus with a weak version of his trademark “Pedigree” move.

It was so FAKE – he released it way too soon. To be honest, it would’ve been more believable if Triple H knocked Sheamus in the head with this …..
.

.
Of course, I know rasslin’ is phony. But, if anyone ever doubted it, they just needed to watch the end of this match. It was definitely the poorest execution of the night.
.

World Heavyweight Championship
.
One of the sillier realities in today’s world of rasslin’ is the collection of different championship belts. There must be a strap for each day of the week – and, I’m not exaggerating …..

And, one of the championship matches at Wrestlemania was Chris Jericho vs. Edge. To be brutally honest, I’m not buying this Edge guy as a dominating personality in the business – he’s much smaller than most contenders and the personality is tinier, too.

While Chris Jericho is not a hulking, behemoth creature, either ….. he had a notable size advantage over Edge. I cannot emphasize it too strongly – Edge does not have the rassler stature, if you know what I mean.
.

.
It was a rather acrobatic match, but in the sense of how things would go on a street, alley or dance floor, at a Baltimore nightclub, Jericho pinned the little guy. This match was unimpressive and that belt needs to make its way into the hands of another, more deserving rassler ….. like Doink the Clown or Koko B. Ware.

I’m just sayin’ …..
.

WWE Championship
.
I told you raslin’ had alot of belts. That said, these two guys are CHAMPIONSHIP material. But, I’m also suspecting that if they played pro baseball tomorrow, they’d be getting a 50-game suspension letter from Uncle Bud, next week.

You know what I mean, right …..

John Cena and Bautista have that blend of charisma, athleticism and natural acting ability. They put on a very entertaining show, with numerous near pins.

Both guys earned their money and the fans got what most desired …..
.

.
Cena is clearly the crowd favorite among the small stable of Vince McMahon’s stars. He’s the ultimate babyface – combining his engaging appearance and schtick for the masses to enjoy. I know he’s been in a couple b-movies, but the guy is a pretty good actor.

But, since I prefer seeing HEELS dominating the biz, I’d hoped Bautista would successfuly defend his championship …..
.

.
However, it was a night for all the people who believe in Super Heroes, Richie Cunningham and Flintstone Vitamins.
.

Undefeated Streak vs. The Career
.
Last year, the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels headlined Wrestlemania 25, with one of the greatest matches, ever ….. so, I’m told.

This year, they served up the MAIN EVENT, again. With an added twist, it was the Undertaker’s perfect Wrestlemania streak (17-0) vs. Shawn Michaels’ CAREER. That’s right, if Michaels lost, he would be forced to retire from rasslin’ …..

Yeah, okay.

Plenty of these guys have rassled in “CAREER MATCHES” and lost. Yet, they’ve re-surfaced more often than Evander Holyfield. What else are these guys gonna do?

Work at 7-11 …..

Work at a gym …..

Oh, I got it …..

RASSLE FOR HULK HOGAN AT TNA RASSLIN’ !!!!

Yeah, Shawn Michaels lost the match – after two TOMBSTONES …..
.

.
Think about it – makes perfect sense, right? Now, the Undertaker can carry his UNDEFEATED streak into the next Wrestlemania and Shawn Michaels can make another comeback. It’s a win-win storyline.

And, that’s just how it ended – with more potential storylines.

I wanna thank Mother Nature, for postponing the NASCAR race.

I wanna thank Ray Bachman for leading me back into the HELL HOLE.

And, I especially wanna thank my cable provider, Broadstripe, for siphening $69 from my checking account, during a moment of weakness ….. and boredom.

Happy Wednesday!

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because A-I’ve put so many chemicals up my nose in the last 24 hours that I think I’m drug-influenced; B-Tonight is Alicia Keys, so NOTHING can bring me down.

As a note to the Baltimore City Police Department-there is NO restraining order….yet. Please don’t try to keep me out of the building. However, if you see THIS guy in the building….you might want to go ahead and have him removed…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AcdtGob-WQ[/youtube]

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. Daily Racing Form’s Matt Hegarty says Magna cancels Pimlico/Laurel auction, parent company MI Developments will take over tracks

Oh….well this explains everything………

I have no idea what to make of this news. No idea AT ALL. If this was an option to begin with, why did we ever get to the auction process? Was MID looking for money?

The good news is that this reorganization prevents the state’s horse racing industry from falling into unknown hands.

The bad news is that this reorganization allows the state’s horse racing industry to enter barely known hands.

Has there been any locally-vested group that we know less about than Magna???

The Maryland Jockey Club will remain in charge, but I have to think that MID will want to be more visible locally that Magna was before.

ESPECIALLY if it means we see more of Magna’s Belinda Stronach…

…Who may or may not have slept with Bill Clinton, definitely slept with Tie Domi, and apparently was “Photoshopped” into this picture…

Sure. And I was “Photoshopped” into that picture of me with the horse. Nice try, Belinda.

2. Maryland Daily Record’s Liz Farmer says MJC President Chuckas believes MID ‘committed’ to keeping Preakness in Baltimore

Which we believe to be the good news in all of this.

HOWEVER-if you were one of those people who was hoping that a new owner would change the alcohol policy on the Preakness infield, it doesn’t appear that will be the case. Which is bad news for Ray Bachman, who had been celebrating the potential change by drinking a keg by himself for the last 36 years of his life.

Myself, I DO think it is good news that Preakness will be staying. We were THIS close to the Harford County Farm Fair being arguably amongst the most significant annual events in the state of Maryland.

If you missed Tom Chuckas’ interview with Drew Forrester this morning, check it out in the Audio Vault here at WNST.net.

3. Baltimore Business Journal’s Ryan Sharrow says Jeff Seder plans to fight track decision in court

Which goes back to the point Drew Forrester and I discussed on “The Comcast Morning Show” Tuesday morning….”If you don’t like something, sue someone!”

If I were Jeff Seder…or David Cordish…or Kevin Plank…or ANYONE else involved in the auction process, I’d be furious. How is it possible to have gotten to (and past) the original auction date, yet this was allowed to happen???

The ONLY good news in all of this mess? At least THIS GUY won’t be involved….

4. The AP says Adam Jones homered, but Birds fell to Marlins in Jupiter

Would anyone be interested in purchasing me this t-shirt so I could wear it to Opening Day?

I know Bob Haynie said last week he thought Matt Wieters would lead the O’s in home runs, but I’m going with A-10.

5. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Brian Roberts hoping to make Spring Training debut this week

Which would of course be good news for everyone; as the mere THOUGHT of Ty Wigginton playing second base in real games makes small children shiver in fear.

Hopefully Brian Roberts won’t need more than a month to be season-ready. If we get to the end of April/beginning of May before B-Rob heats up, the O’s may already be playing games that don’t matter a whole lot.

(Cue Ian Eagle.)

6. Carroll County Times says Jeremy Guthrie pitched better Tuesday despite losing

The Orioles could DESPERATELY use a couple more starts like this before Opening Day, as Brian Matusz (today’s starter against Rich Hill-YES, THAT RICH HILL-and the Cardinals again in Jupiter) has looked MUCH MORE the part of a #2 starter than Guthrie has.

HOWEVER-yesterday’s start by Guthrie was also a reminder that even when he has pitched well over the years-he hasn’t always been able to win. His ERA can be as good as he wants it to be, he has to know how to WIN.

What do you think Guthrie’s trade value looks like right about now?

7. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Harbaugh doesn’t believe Samari Rolle will play again

Which is one more thing that everyone knew, yet still qualifies as news. Is there any chance Ozzie Newsome and company can petition the NFL to let them just HAVE Samari’s “cousin” Myron Rolle in exchange for having given Samari a contract before the 2009 season?

With all of that being said, Samari Rolle will go down as one of the better free agent acquisitions in Ravens history. Or at least better than some others…

8. The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Ravens still interested in Frank Walker

While we’re making statements, I’m still interested in Mila Kunis myself, especially after seeing the new pictures of her in GQ….

Look, no Ravens fans want Frank Walker back. I get that. And Frank Walker should NOT be one of this team’s first 3 Cornerback options. But they NEED Cornerback depth; especially with Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington being question marks in Training Camp and beyond.

My gut says he won’t be back. But I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if he was.

9. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Ravens have pursued Neil Rackers, Shayne Graham

I’ll take them.

Does it work that way?

In all seriousness, I think acquiring either kicker would be a good move for the Ravens. They both have had reputable NFL careers; and even though they’ve both missed big kicks, they’ve also both MADE big kicks. I would find either to be better choices than Billy Cundiff.

10. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Ryan Mink says Bisciotti voted against OT rule change, but supports decision

Is it a perfect rule? Absolutely not. Does it make sense that the rule was adopted for the playoffs and not the regular season? Not at all.

Is it a LITTLE weird that Bisciotti voted against it while almost every other owner in the league voted for it? Yeah, it probably is.

Do I ask too many questions in this forum and then immediately answer them? Probably. Do any of you watch “Parks & Recreation”? You’ll understand much better. AND you’ll understand my fascination with Amy Poehler. Maybe.

11. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Lamar Young, Isaiah Ross, Carl Russell will miss spring practice for Terps

Oh good. More good news on the offensive line.

We all know that Ralph Friedgen’s “make or break” season will be made or broken by the offensive line. He’ll have talented players at RB and WR, and the defense absolutely SHOULD continue to improve in Don Brown’s 2nd year as coordinator. But if the O-Line doesn’t improve, nothing changes.

12. The Diamondback’s Greg Schimmel says Jamarr Robinson ‘clear starter’, but not ‘entrenched’ as Terrapins QB

Is this a way to say that Josh Portis might transfer back and still have some eligibility???

And finally, I leave you with this.

Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush broke up yesterday, which provides me a fantastic opportunity to post a picture of Kim Kardashian….

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’s a Happy Friday for me because ol’ Drew Forrester was a man of his word and painted his face Morgan State colors this morning to keep a promise to Todd Bozeman after the Bears won the MEAC Tournament title. Many thanks to our friend Kia (follow her on Twitter @Ms15StepsAhead) for coming in to paint his face. Here’s the artist and the final product…

And here’s a closeup of the final product….

This is the best Drew has looked in years.

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. Maryland Official Site previews tonight’s NCAA Tournament opener in Spokane against Houston

Oh thank God it’s finally here.

I want to encourage everyone to head out to The Nest on Pratt Street tonight to watch the game with the WNST gang.

Unfortunately, I will not be there.

As I said this morning on “The Comcast Morning Show”, I am not going be to be able to watch the game in public. I mean, hopefully it won’t be a close game-but my guess is that it will be. And if it is, I’ll be a WRECK. This is why it is MUCH better for me to be on the road with the team, as I’m forced to try to control my emotions.

Don’t even bother asking me for a prediction, either. I know that Maryland is about 10-12 points better than Houston. But this is March Madness. It’s a different animal.

2. The AP’s Nicholas K. Geranios says Greivis Vasquez-Aubrey Coleman showdown highlights Terps-Cougars

Obviously, it’s a tremendous matchup between gifted guards. That being said, this CANNOT just be a matchup of guards. If it is, Maryland is playing into the hands of what Tom Penders’ team wants to do.

Maryland is the type of team that WANTS to dictate pace, but they have to be smart about it. Instead of JUST being up and down all day, they ABSOLUTELY need to try to get the ball inside and let Jordan Williams have his way as often as possible.

Also, the Houston guards will try to go to the rim-so Williams, Milbourne and Mosley will need to have active hands. The Terrapins do a tremendous job of getting blocks when opposing guards penetrate, and that needs to be the case again tonight. If you FORCE a team to start throwing up 3 pointers, the results will likely be in your favor.

3. Washington Post’s Mike Wise says Eric Hayes has made ‘crucial’ contributions for Terrapins

And there’s just no doubt about that. Is he Steve Blake? Of course not. But has he been an invaluable member of one of Gary Williams’ best teams? Absolutely.

And for the record, Holly Madison has made ‘crucial’ contributions to the awkward feeling I have in my pants….

(Thanks What Would Tyler Durden Do)

4. Morgan State Official Site previews NCAA Tournament opener with West Virginia this afternoon in Buffalo

Look, do I think Todd Bozeman’s team is going to be able to pull the stunner of all stunners today? No, I really don’t. BUT-do I think that with big games from Reggie Holmes and Kevin Thompson they could at least make it interesting? Sure. Sure they could.

No matter what, it is ABSOLUTELY awesome to have a chance to watch the Bears in the Big Dance.

5. The AP’s John Wawrow says last year’s early exit fueling Mountaineers against Bears

Oh, and having De’Sean Butler will help as well.

Having Bob Huggins on the show this week helped remind me that I hate WVU, but my hate for them goes back much farther than that. Never was it more evident than a trip to Jacksonville for the Gator Bowl. I just hope ‘Eers fans are as miserable today as they were back then, when Steve Suter helped add to the misery….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q63nyT2mhtM[/youtube]

6. WNST.net’s G.Q. says Preakness beer ban to continue, but O.A.R. & Zac Brown Band to play infield; $20 gets you all you can drink

Look-I STILL think the beer ban is a mistake, but I do give the Maryland Jockey Club credit. This is BETTER than what they did last year.

Allowing fans to bring coolers in this year is a GOOD decision. Forcing fans to purchase chicken fingers and the like last year was a mistake. Does this mean that someone will sneak in a watermelon soaked in vodka? Of course it does. But they just don’t want fans bringing in beer cans and throwing them at each others’ heads. I get it.

AND….is there ANYTHING BETTER THAN O.A.R.?????

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWkTwcwhLc0[/youtube]

7. Daily Racing Form’s Marty McGee says “Mr. Preakness” Chick Lang dead at 83

Man. I can’t even IMAGINE a Preakness without Chick Lang.

My knowledge of Chick Lang really doesn’t date as far back as many of yours, but listening to him on WBAL even as a VERY young person, I could hear the passion in his voice.

He was a champion of not only the Preakness and Pimlico, but also just of horse racing in general. He will unquestionably be missed.

8. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian says Jeremy Guthrie roughed up as Orioles fell to Blue Jays

As Ray Bachman said on Facebook yesterday, “Jeremy Guthrie has just been named starting pitcher for this years Home Run Derby.”

It was getting so ridiculous yesterday that I actually think even this guy homered for the Jays….

And as I responded to Ray on Facebook, please remember that the O’s’ Number 2 starter has a career 27-34 record.

You don’t want that.

9. The Sun’s Peter Schmuck says Uehara injured hamstring during loss to Toronto

Remember when Kevin Nash and Scott Hall came back to WWE after Vince McMahon put the nWo back together? Nash ended up blowing out his knee in the middle of a match on Monday Night RAW-screaming in pain in the corner as the other performers continued around him. Was ANYONE surprised???

That’s how I felt when I head Koji Uehara hurt his hamstring again. Absolutely NO SURPRISE.

10. The AP says Adam Jones, Matt Wieters homered for Birds in loss

Until that, Matt Wieters was in the Nolan Reimold-Eric Massa argument as far as who was having the worst Spring.

Why do I have the feeling there will be a lot more solo homeruns coming this season?

11. BaltimoreRavens.com’s Ryan Mink says Jared Odrick, Carlos Dunlap amongst players Ravens have watched in Pro Days recently

Jared Odrick is a name I’ve heard a lot recently. Does that mean he’s going to be the Ravens’ pick in the NFL Draft? No. It’s just a name I’ve heard a lot.

I’ve also heard the name Joslyn James a lot recently.

(Edit from GMC: Did you read her text messages with Tiger Woods? Freaking awesome.)

12. Yahoo! Sports’ Doug Farrar mocks Golden Tate to Baltimore

I would be STUNNED if this happened. STUNNED.

And finally, I leave you with this.

To no one’s surprise, the first day of the NCAA Tournament was ABSOLUTELY the best day of the year. Just freaking awesome throughout. I used to do a series called “The Men of March” on a show I hosted in Phoenix. We’d bring on the likes of Drew Nicholas, Christian Laettner, James Forrest, Bryce Drew, etc. and talk about those amazing things they had done in the NCAA Tournament. There are a few more “Men of March” today….

Ali Farokhmanesh

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0LvF7UWmak[/youtube]

Danero Thomas

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d59Jud-Citc[/youtube]

Ish Smith

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_SWs8_xDdQ[/youtube]

Quincy Pondexter

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

and MORE.

The Tournament is so crazy that I’m starting to think we’ll end up seeing Essex Community College in the Sweet 16.

This is better than Christmas.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

Happy Tuesday!

It’s a Happy Tuesday for me because Stone Cold Steve Austin was back on WWE Raw last night. Sadly, it was a reminder that no matter how much you want it to be, pro wrestling just isn’t as good as it used to be.

We all like to blame it on the fact that the product has been watered down-and there’s no doubt that to some extent it has been. But it also has something to do with us getting older ourselves, as we long for the things we loved as children. Like Stone Cold spraying Vince McMahon and The Rock down with beer….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXuGN4OGxm4[/youtube]

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. Washington Post’s Steve Yanda says Aubrey Coleman won’t practice until Thursday according to Houston coach Tom Penders

But there doesn’t appear to be any threat that he won’t play, so I don’t feel any better than I did before. Of course, I wasn’t that nervous about this game before, so that isn’t saying too much.

For those who say things like “don’t kid yourself, the Cougars aren’t going to be a pushover”; OF COURSE they aren’t. They’re in the NCAA Tournament. Vermont won’t be a pushover in the 1-16 game they play against Syracuse.

BUT-this nonsense about Houston being a difficult matchup for Maryland is INSANE. The matchup-basketball wise-couldn’t possibly favor Maryland more. Tom Penders’ club is an up and down the floor team that is prone to turning the ball over a TON. Gary Williams’ team is a team that THRIVES on causing turnovers, and would like nothing more than to go up and down the floor.

Matchup-wise, it’s PERFECT. In fact, it’s the type of matchup that a Gary Williams-coached team should be able to turn into a double digit win. Houston isn’t particularly good, they’re just capable of scoring a bunch of points. They were a .500 team entering the Conference USA Tournament.

How else do I say this?

A Houston win over Maryland would be a MONUMENTAL upset. This isn’t a toss-up. There’s a reason Maryland is favored by about 10 points.

BUT….they can’t come out flat. They can’t just assume they’ll win. They have to play. But they should be able to take care of business fairly easily.

2. Sporting News’ Dan Levy says Gus Johnson/Len Elmore will call Morgan game(s) in Buffalo, Tim Brando/Mike Gminski will call Maryland game(s) in Spokane

I’m not sure I’d even be able to keep my pants on if I were able to listen to Gus Johnson call a Morgan State upset of West Virginia on Friday afternoon. I mean, I could listen to Gus Johnson all day….

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE0c-TzO7d4[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgeqrYxu_YM[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdXeWvucvH8[/youtube]

I like Tim Brando just as much as the next guy, but clearly Morgan is the winner in the announcer battle here. As much as I love Jim Nantz, Gus Johnson and Len Elmore should do the Final Four.

3. The Sun’s Ken Murray says Bozeman relied heavily on Baltimore recruiting to build Bears

I wrote about this in my column Saturday after the MEAC Tournament championship game. I love the concept of “Baltimore Tough”, and this group of kids EMBODIES that mentality. They come from tough backgrounds, and they use it to fuel their success.

It makes this Morgan State run even more meaningful to me. With no offense to Jay Greene or Darryl Proctor (who was actually from Prince George’s County), it is MORE meaningful for me to see a Baltimore team have success thanks to Baltimore kids.

4. Maryland Official Site says Terrapins women had NCAA Tournament bubble burst, will face Iona Friday in WNIT

Hard to believe there can even be a Women’s Tournament without Brenda Frese’s squad being involved; but it’s hard to say they deserved to make it this season either. They finished with a sub-.500 record in the ACC, a lack of any marquee nonconference wins, and a very bad loss to Towson earlier in the season.

She’s bringing in a ton of talent, so this should be nothing more than a 1 year miss. Great men’s programs (including UConn this season) have gone through the same thing.

5. Inside Lacrosse’s Tommy Kehoe says Grant Catalino had 2 goals, 4 assists as Terps beat Penn in College Park

Dave Cottle’s team remains undefeated, and should be able to stay that way when they visit UMBC this Saturday. They needed a great start too, as the schedule gets no easier. Using the hot start to build confidence will help them with Virginia, North Carolina, Johns Hopkins and Navy still to come.

6. Towson Official Site previews Tigers’ battle with Navy tonight at Unitas Stadium

This should be entertaining, as both the Tigers and Midshipmen need a victory tonight. The Mids have struggled, and Towson is WINLESS.

Big game tonight. Worth heading over to Unitas Stadium to check it out.

Unless you’re too busy watching “The Biggest Loser.” In which case……really?

7. The AP says Luke Scott (and Brandon Snyder) homered as Orioles topped Red Sox in Ft. Myers

Insert your own Luke Scott “shot” joke here…..

That being said, I’m of course excited to see Brandon Snyder hit his first home run.

My guess? He’ll hit 82 more this season.

8. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Brandon Erbe, Troy Patton amongst 7 Birds cut from Spring Training roster, sent to minor league camp

No surprises here. Troy Patton was a longshot to make it to Baltimore, and Brandon Erbe is still a project moving forward.

You know what IS a surprise, though? That Florida volleyball player Kari Klinkenborg would date Terrell Owens…..

9. The Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec and Peter Schmuck say Brian Roberts returned to Sarasota after receiving epidural for ailing back

I think I’m just going to stop speculating on the whole Brian Roberts injury thing. I think it might be a problem. But since I’m not really welcome around the Orioles, I don’t know.

I wish I could tell you more.

10. Carroll County Times’ Aaron Wilson says Edgar Jones, Marcus Paschal sign deals with Ravens

Book the rooms in Arlington. Print the Super Bowl tickets.

This really changes nothing about the Ravens’ offseason plans. Marcus Paschal is by no means a player that can be assumed to make the roster out of Training Camp. Edgar Jones may be nothing more than a special teams player.

BUT….this is how business works in the NFL.

11. Ravens Official Site’s Ryan Mink says Donte’ Stallworth had to ‘shake the rust’ on first day of voluntary workouts in Owings Mills

And Joe Flacco had to shake the sleep out of his eyes when he looked up and saw an actual GROUP of capable Wide Receivers.

(Edit from GMC: I’m kidding. I don’t even know who was there. There’s no media availability at 1 Winning Drive. Yet….the team “reports” on it. Of course they do.)

12. Youngstown Vindicator says Ravens were in attendance for Youngstown State WR Donald Jones’ Pro Day

The surprising part about this is that there’s a newspaper called “The Vindicator.” That sounds like the name of a pro wrestler.

In fact, I think I’m going to be known as “The Vindicator” in the future. And Ray Bachman will be known as “The Indigestor”…..

And finally, I leave you with this….

Thanks Busted Coverage for this video of hot chicks reading lines from “The Big Lebowski.” Is it good? No. But is it the type of idea I can get behind? YES.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4T9DGjGAUw[/youtube]

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

Happy Thursday!

It’s a Happy Thursday for me because I’m getting ready to head to Greensboro tomorrow morning (I know many of you will be devastated-practically unable to listen to “The Comcast Morning Show”-but Chris Bonetti will do an adequate job in my place), where I would LOVE to meet up with any Maryland fans who are making the trip. I would be MORE than willing to allow you to buy me 4-627 beers.

But also, I haven’t had a chance to talk about the Iron Man 2 trailer that debuted Sunday night on Jimmy Kimmel’s show. It was GLORIOUS…..

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siQgD9qOhRs[/youtube]

Let’s see what everyone has to say…

1. WNST’.net’s Glenn Clark says Derrick Mason agrees to new 2 year deal with Ravens

Which gives the Ravens at LEAST a formiddable trio of receivers at the top of their WR depth chart. When they go 3 wide (which they usually do under Cam Cameron), they’ll have one of the toughest receivers in the league with Anquan Boldin, one of the most reliable receivers in the league with Derrick Mason and a receiver that they expect to be amongst the quickest receivers in the league in Donte’ Stallworth.

It’s a much more impressive group than most of the trios we’ve seen in Baltimore. In fact, it’s almost as impressive as Tiger Woods’ favorite trio…

(Edit from GMC: With no offense to Howard Stern’s crew, I probably would have gone with Jamie Grubbs instead of Jamie Jungers myself.)

Is this one of the Top 3 receiving trios in the league now? No. I still think the Cardinals (Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston, Early Doucet); the Steelers (Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Mike Wallace/Antwaan Randle El); the Colts (Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, Austin Collie/Pierre Garcon) and others still have better groups-but there’s legitimate argument that the Ravens have a Top 10 group.

Of course, maybe some fans who have already decided that they need to book hotel rooms in Arlington for next year’s Super Bowl should try to somehow temper their excitement. Teams have had really good offseasons before. In fact, there’s a certain team south of here that did it regularly….

2. Carroll County Times’ Aaron Wilson says Ravens were out in full force to watch Devin McCourty at Rutgers Pro Day

I’ve had the chance to talk to Devin McCourty a couple times-he was hanging around Ft. Lauderdale the week of the Super Bowl and at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He clearly has a relationship with former Scarlet Knights teammate Ray Rice, who was hanging out in Piscataway yesterday as well.

The Ravens will ABSOLUTELY be looking for CB help in April’s NFL Draft. We know they at least LIKE McCourty, and they will likely bring him out to 1 Winning Drive for a look in the coming weeks.

3. ProFootballTalk.com/NBC Sports’ Gregg Rosenthal says Ravens/Steelers could be one of this years’s season opening Monday Night Football games

Which has to be the first time….ever….that a reputable reporter has sourced this man in his reporting….

Ray said via Twitter (@WNST) that Ron Jaworski (who is part of ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast team) told a business group that the network wanted the game to help their season opening coverage.

As we know, NBC and the NFL wanted the Ravens to open last season at Heinz Field against Pittsburgh-but the brass at 1 Winning Drive requested they not have to play another primetime game in Pittsburgh.

It certainly would be better for these teams (who we expect to again be fighting atop the AFC North and/or for an AFC Wild Card spot) to play once during the middle of the season and again near the end of the season. BUT-having the league’s new “sexiest rivalry” in primetime would be good for both the league and their network partners.

For the sake of the Ravens, I just hope the game would be at M&T Bank Stadium.

4. The Diamondback’s Jakob Engelke says CB Nolan Carroll impressed NFL scouts at Pro Day in College Park

Obviously Bruce Campbell was the head turner, but NFL scouts were certainly in town yesterday looking to see what Nolan Carroll might be able to bring to the table. Carroll hasn’t been on a football field since breaking his leg in Week 2, and he was unable to get on the field for the Senior Bowl (or another All-Star Game) or at the Combine in Indy.

He’s expected to be a mid-to-low round choice, but has a higher ceiling than some may have expected. He’s a LITTLE bit taller than Domonique Foxworth or any CB on the Ravens roster-so it wouldn’t surprise me to see him make a visit to Owings Mills in the upcoming weeks.

5. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Greivis Vasquez could use ACC Tournament finals appearance, trip to Elite 8 to have realistic shot at tracking down Juan Dixon’s school scoring record

As Patrick has pointed out before, there really is something poetic about Dixon being the all-time leading scorer in Terrapins history. But if an ACC Tournament title and a trip to the Elite 8 are in the future, there probably would be something poetic about Vasquez passing him.

If they play 7 more games, it will take roughly 22 points per game for the senior from Venezuela. If he goes off for 40+ again at some point again like he did in Blacksburg, there will be a greater probability of this happening.

It will certainly be an interesting subplot to follow as the Terps move towards the NCAA Tournament.

Patrick also pointed out (after Paul in Hawaii asked me yesterday) that the Terps DID bring the gold uniforms with them to Greensboro, although they did not confirm whether or not they would be wearing them Friday night when they take on the Georgia Tech/North Carolina winner.

6. The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Gary Williams doesn’t feel like Greensboro a ‘neutral’ site

And obviously, it isn’t. BUT-no matter where they played the event, it wouldn’t be a “neutral site.” There’s an argument that maybe it could be moved around a bit more, but certainly Greensboro has been a solid “home” for the event.

Things didn’t necessarily work out for Gary’s team the one time they did get the event near here-as they bowed out to Clemson in the first round of the ACC Tournament when it was at the “MCI Center” (now the Verizon Center) in Washington, DC back in 2005.

7. Morgan State Official Site says Kevin Thompson lead Morgan State with 20 points, 16 boards in MEAC quarterfinals win over North Carolina A&T

The good news for the Bears is that they’ll now get a day off before having to face Hampton or Norfolk State tomorrow night in Winston-Salem. Especially seeing as how the Spartans took them to Double OT at Hill Field House just about 11 days ago.

If Kevin Thompson plays well, no one is beating Todd Bozeman’s team this weekend. There just isn’t a big man in the conference that can match up with him when he’s on his game.

8. The AP says Kareem Brown’s 16 not enough as Coppin State’s season ended with MEAC Tournament loss to UMES

It was a tough season for Fang Mitchell’s gang. Hopefully they will be able to move forward with the return of Jordan Lee and with the development of guys like Brown and Michael Harper. They’ll have to get some more reliable scoring, and they’ll have to get some real leadership, but Fang isn’t going anywhere-and the CSPEC should help them improve their talent.

And for any Eagles fan who is depressed about the season ending, I offer you a new picture of Megan Fox from Harper’s Bazaar, thanks to Guyism.com. This MIGHT be NSFW.

9. MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch says red hot Luke Scott tallied 2 more RBI as Orioles topped Pirates in Spring Training action

Insert your own gun joke here.

It is good for the O’s to get a win. Not really important, but you never want a team to get caught up in any sort of familiarity of losing-even if it is just during Grapefruit League play.

The Orioles return to action tonight in Fort Myers as they face the Twins. Kevin Millwood takes the mound against Scott Baker.

10. Examiner Jay Trucker says Mike Flanagan to join MASN broadcast booth

But apparently they’re still going to use the Eddie Murray/Brady Anderson/Mike Boddicker/Bill Ripken rotating color analyst group as well. AND Jim Palmer.

I guess they’re just going to give about any former Oriole a shot behind the mic this season. Which series do you think they’ll use this guy for???

11. The Sun’s Peter Schmuck and Jeff Zrebiec say Ernie Tyler won’t return as Birds’ “ballboy”, instead choosing to remain in umpire room

Certainly the end of an era.

Tyler’s consecutive games streak at Memorial Stadium/Camden Yards ended in 2007 when he attended Cal Ripken’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony; but he’s continued to be one of the most recognizable figures at OPACY since then.

Congratulations to Tyler on 50 great seasons as “ballboy”, and good luck to him as he transitions into his new role.

12. SI’s Tom Verducci pens next Monday’s cover story about Matt Wieters

Which you should read, with or without pants.

Interesting note from “The Comcast Morning Show” this morning, as former MASN analyst and new Blue Jays TV PBP voice Buck Martinez told Drew Forrester that he believes Brian Matusz has “better stuff” than even Tom Glavine.

Wow.

And finally, I leave you with this.

I know it was a building full of history and whatnot, but seeing Yankee Stadium look like this can’t help but make me smile a bit….

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G