BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland Head Men’s Basketball Coach Jimmy Patsos announced the addition of three student-athletes to the Greyhounds’ 2012-13 freshman class, Jarred Jones (Havre de Grace, Md./John Carroll School), Eric Laster (Smyrna, Del./Polytech H.S.) and SeanTuohy Jr. (Memphis, Tenn./Briarcrest Christian H.S.).

The trio will join fellow incoming freshmen Josh Forney (Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy) and Will Rassman (Takoma Park, Md./Gonzaga College H.S.), who signed with Loyola in the fall.

“We’re excited to have Jarred, Eric and S.J. join our program,” Patsos said. “With Jarred, we are bringing in another player who knows what it takes to be successful in the Baltimore Catholic League, one of the top high school conferences around, and Eric certainly had a terrific senior year in Delaware. S.J. comes from a highly successful high school program, and he is a pass-first guy who has also been on excellent teams.”

Jones played his high school basketball locally at John Carroll and will be the fifth player from Baltimore on the men’s basketball roster next year, joining this year’s sophomores Dylon Cormier (Cardinal Gibbons) and Jordan Latham (City), freshman R.J. Williams (St. Frances) and Forney.

A 6-foot-6, 185-pound forward, Jones averaged 13.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game his senior year while being named to The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro First Team.

Jones led John Carroll to the 2012 MIAA ‘A’ Conference title, scoring 15 points, grabbing five rebounds and blocking three shots in this year’s championship game against Mount St. Joseph’s.

Jones was a second-team All-Metro selection by The Sun as a junior in 2011 while helping the Patriots to the MIAA and Baltimore Catholic League championships. He also played for local AAU powerhouse Nike Baltimore Elite.

Laster was recently named the 2011-12 Gatorade Delaware Boys Basketball Player of the Year, which recognizes both athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court.

Laster, who checks in at 6-foot-6, 195 pounds, averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three assists per game as a senior.

He led Polytech to the state tournament quarterfinals and was an All-State First Team selection. He also scored a game-high 15 points in a, 55-36, win over Smyma High School to help the Panthers capture the 2012 Henlopen Conference championship.

Tuohy Jr. helped Briarcrest Christian to a 23-6 record as a senior point guard, averaging over six assists per game for the Saints. This spring, he played with an international touring team that traveled to Europe and played games against teams in Italy.

A Scholar-Athlete Award winner at Briarcrest, Tuohy is the son of Sean Tuohy, the all-time assist leader at the University of Mississippi. Tuohy Jr. was portrayed in the Academy Award-winning movie “The Blind Side” as S.J., whose adoptive older brother is Michael Oher, starting offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens.

George Jamison Wins The Admiral Mack Award

Mitchell Signs to Play for Terps

Georgia power forward heading to College Park

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Charles Mitchell, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Marietta, Ga., has signed a National Letter of Intent to play men’s basketball at the University of Maryland, head coach Mark Turgeon announced Thursday.

Mitchell, who attended Wheeler High School, has become the fourth prospect to sign a NLI to play with the Terrapins in the 2012-13 season.

Mitchell is listed by Rivals.com as the No. 12 prospect in the nation at his position. A four-star recruit by Rivals, Mitchell is ranked 92nd nationally in the Rivals150.

Combined with early signees Shaquille Cleare (6-9, C, Houston, Texas), Jake Layman (6-8, SF, Wrentham, Mass.) and Seth Allen (6-1, SG, Fredericksburg, Va.), Scout.com currently has Maryland rated as the 13th-best recruiting class nationally.

CHARLES MITCHELL (6-7, 250, PF, Marietta, Ga., Wheeler HS)

A four-star recruit by Rivals.com, who was listed as the 12th-best center prospect nationally… Averaged 17 points and 12 rebounds for Wheeler that reached the Sweet 16 of the Georgia Class 5A state tournament… Ranked 92nd nationally by Rivals.com… Informed the Terrapin staff of his commitment just before the Terps played Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament… Chose Maryland over Seton Hall, Cincinnati, Florida State, Tennessee and Florida.

Turgeon on Mitchell: “It’s a great day for our program to be able to add Charles Mitchell to the Maryland basketball family. We have recruited Charles hard since we got to Maryland. His mom did a lot of things right while raising Charles to be a respectful kid and extremely hard worker. He is going to be a great addition to our frontcourt. Charles is a wide-bodied post who plays hard, is an excellent rebounder and can score around the basket. Charles fits in perfectly with the rest of our 2012 class, as he has a tremendous upside and will have a significant impact on our basketball program.“

Mitchell Quotes:

On why he chose Maryland:
“First of all it’s a great coaching staff with Coach Turgeon, Coach Bino, Coach Hill and Coach Spinelli. I have a great relationship with them. I’ve known Coach Bino since I was 14-years-old since he came to our school to recruit other players… I love the fan support and the whole history of Maryland basketball. I wanted to come to a school that supports basketball and where the team is important to the fans.”

On how excited he is about the freshmen class:
“I’m actually very excited about it because I feel like we can come in and really make a difference. We want to come in and be a real competitive program in the ACC and nationally.”

On what he wants to accomplish at Maryland:
“Some of my goals at Maryland are to build us back into a great program and hopefully compete for a national championship. I want everyone to respect us and bring us back to being a contender for the ACC championship and hopefully the national championship.”

Sandra Glass, AAU Coach: “I know for one he just loved the fan base. He enjoys playing in front of big crowds; that’s what he’s been doing all of high school. He also told me that the coaching staff has been nothing but real with him. Bino has been recruiting in our program since Charles has been here, and it was just a joy to be able to be under a coach that knew him before basketball… The sky is the limit for Charles. He has a tremendous work ethic. One thing I do like about Charles is that he’s a fast learner; he can adapt to things faster than most 17 and 18-year-olds.”

Doug Lipscomb, Wheeler HS head coach: “I knew he liked [College Park] a lot. I knew he had a good relationship with the coaching staff, too… He’s been a blessing to have around. We’re going to miss him. If you think about Wheeler basketball the last four or five years, you think Chuck’s been in high school a long time. He’s been on varsity a long time.”

Dave Telep, ESPN.com: “There are no secrets about Charles, you know what you’re going to get. He’s a presence in the lane is going to be a blue-collar post player. When he finds a strength and conditioning program, he’ll have a chance for his game to take a notch up. Mark Turgeon is a laser-focused coach when it comes to working with bigs. I have a strong belief in Mark as a developer of post guys.”

Some quotes courtesy The Baltimore Sun

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – In just his second game back from injury, Stevenson men’s lacrosse senior Justin Lea (Elkridge, Md./Mount Saint Joseph) scored a career-high four goals while the defense held its opponent to five goals or less for eighth time this season in a 14-5 victory Wednesday at Mustang Stadium.

The win was the fifth-straight for Stevenson (10-2, 5-0 CAC) who won its 17th consecutive CAC contest dating back to Apr. 7, 2010. It was also the seventh in as many games at home for the Mustangs this season and moved them into sole possession of first place in the CAC standings, one game ahead of rival Salisbury.

In two games since returning from a broken hand, Lea has totaled six goals and seven points versus Hood and St. Mary’s (Md.). He scored three of the Mustangs’ first seven goals, netting his third with 10:03 remaining in the second quarter to give Stevenson a 7-2 lead.

Freshman Stephen Banick (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) scored the first of his two goals just eight seconds later as the Mustangs
led by six before taking an 8-3 advantage into halftime.

Stevenson held a 32-7 edge in shots at the half and a 53-22 margin for the game.

Senior Nick Rossi (Lutherville, Md./Towson) scored the first of back-to-back goals only 18 seconds into the third quarter with a man
advantage that jump started a second half in which Stevenson outscored the Seahawks 6-2, including 4-1 in the third quarter.

Sophomore and reigning CAC Player of the Week Chris Dashiell (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) picked up the second of his three assists on
the goal by Rossi as he now has a team-high 20 assists this season. During the team’s five-game win streak, Dashiell has totaled 22 points and 15 assists.

A total of 11 different players scored for the Mustangs, including freshman Sam Wyatt (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood) who netted his first career goal to start the second quarter.

Defensively, junior Kyle Holechek (Reisterstown, Md./Loyola Blakefield) totaled six ground balls and three caused turnovers while
juniors Kyle Fendlay (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) and Parker Bratton (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) each had three ground balls and two caused turnovers.

Senior Ian Bolland (Mountain Lakes, N.J./Mountain Lakes) and freshman Kevin Cain (Rocky Point, N.Y./Rocky Point) each had four saves.

Stewart D’Ambrogi had a goal and an assist for the Seahawks (7-4, 4-1 CAC) while Patrick Mull finished with two assists. Stu Wheeler made 19 saves.

Stevenson hosts No. 8 Denison on Saturday at Mustang Stadium. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Sophomore Alyssa Thomas of the Maryland women’s basketball team is one of five players named to the Associated Press All-America First Team announced Tuesday.

Thomas, the 2012 ACC Player of the Year, is joined on the First Team by Baylor’s Brittney Griner, Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins, Stanford’s Nneka Ogwumike and Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne.

Thomas is the Terrapins’ fourth AP All-American. Crystal Langhorne (2006, 2007, 2008),Kristi Toliver (2008, 2009) and Marissa Coleman (2009) all earned the honor at least once in their respective careers. Langhorne was also honored as a sophomore when she was named to the Second Team in 2006.

Thomas leads the ACC in scoring with 17.2 points per game and is among the best in the league with 8.0 rebounds per game, assists (3.2), free throw percentage (80.1) and defensive rebounds (5.5).

Thomas is just the second underclassman ever to be named ACC Player of the Year. She scored a career-high 29 points in the ACC title game to lead Maryland to its 10th league championship. She was named Tournament MVP and is only the seventh player, and first underclassman, to be named league Player of the Year and Tournament MVP in the same season.

The Second Team honorees are Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford; Odyssey Sims, Baylor; Shenise Johnson, Miami; Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State; and Julie Wojta of Green Bay. Connecticut’s Tiffany Hayes, Kentucky’s A’dia Mathies, Duke’s Elizabeth Williams, Tennessee’s Shekinna Stricklen and Miami’s Riquna Williams all made the Third Team.

Behind two comebacks and a 21-4 run to end the game, Maryland rallied past Texas A&M 81-74 on Sunday in the Regional Semifinals. The Terps advanced to their fourth Elite Eight under head coach Brenda Frese.

Laurin Mincy had 21 points and for her career-high 12 rebounds for her first career double-double. Thomas added 21 points and nine rebounds for the second-seeded Terrapins. They trailed by 18 points in the first half and by 12 in the second half, but Maryland fought its way back and held the defending national champion Aggies to just one basket in the final 10 minutes.

The Terrapins had won 10 straight and 13 of 14 since Jan. 26. The Terrapins are 31-18 (.633) all-time in NCAA Tournament games. Frese owns an NCAA Tournament record of 20-7 (.741) and 19-6 (.760) at Maryland. Frese has led the Terps to eight NCAA Tournament appearances, four Elite Eights and the 2006 national championship.

You’re going to have to indulge me on this one. I have no one to yell at and no incredible statement to make about a current sporting event.

Instead, if this column was called “Your Saturday Reality Check”, I would have gotten this perfectly to the date.

Ten years ago-Sunday, March 24, 2002-the University of Maryland met the University of Connecticut in the East Region Final (or the Elite 8 if you well) of the NCAA Tournament. The game was at the Carrier Dome at Syracuse University.

For full disclosure, I wasn’t there. It was my freshman year at the University of Maryland, but I didn’t make the trip. I didn’t make the trip to the Georgia Dome for the Final Four either, which is one of the greatest regrets of my still very young life. I actually think our own Luke Jones was at the game, but I’m just rambling now.

You certainly remember the shots that defined the game. The Terrapins trailed the Huskies 77-74 with just under four minutes to play as Caron Butler simply wouldn’t let UConn go away quietly. Juan Dixon calmly sank a three pointer from near the top of the key to even the game back up. Then in the final minute, a previously scoreless Steve Blake altered a play call in the huddle and used a ball fake to create an open three for himself to put the Terps up 86-80, effectively the final nail in the coffin of a 90-82 victory.

What I remember was how the game felt like the most intense college basketball game I had ever witnessed. While Gary Williams likely ruined an expensive suit due to sweat that afternoon, Glenn Clark also ruined a number of t-shirts and a pair of pajama pants. This was a game where neither team ever appeared to have the upper hand. Lonny Baxter was absolutely dominant in the paint against future NBA standout Emeka Okafor, but Butler’s 32 points kept the Huskies at Maryland’s heels all afternoon.

We’re planning to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the University of Maryland’s only basketball championship throughout the week on “The Reality Check” on AM1570 WNST.net. I’ve admitted regularly that I openly wept at Cole Field House that early April night (the anniversary of the championship is this Sunday for those scoring at home) in College Park. I had two goals for my life from about the time I was eight years old. One was to become a professional broadcaster, the other was to attend the University of Maryland.

Being a “Terp” was in my blood. My grandmother (a journalism teacher in Baltimore County and later professor at Morgan State University) is a University of Maryland alum. While I was too young for the Bob Wade era of Maryland basketball to mean much to me, the early years of the Gary Williams era (which were not always pretty) shaped who I wanted to be when I stepped on a basketball court at Chapel Hill Elementary School or Perry Hall Middle School. I pretended to be Evers Burns. I pretended to be Kevin McLinton. I ABSOLUTELY pretended to be Walt “The Wizard” Williams, Joe Smith, Keith Booth and Sarunas Jasikevicius.

I really had no idea I’d ever witness my heroes playing in a Final Four or for a national championship. I had felt the 1999 team (lead by Steve Francis) had a legitimate chance, but Erick Barkley and St. John’s extinguished those hopes in the Sweet 16. Just weeks before Maryland’s initial Final Four run in 2001 there were calls for the head of Gary Williams after an embarrassing streak of five losses in six games (including a “rock bottom” defeat at the hands of Florida State on Valentine’s Day).

But there was something about the 2001-2002 Terps that made you believe the entire time that team was capable of finally breaking through. The heartbreak of blowing a big loss to Duke in the Final Four the year earlier seemed to fuel them to an ACC regular season championship and back to that afternoon at the Carrier Dome. The confidence of an incredible group of upperclassmen was never lacking at any point during the season.

Maryland’s run to the National Championship was unprecedented. After an opening round win over Siena, the Terps faced a modern day “Murderer’s Row” of basketball programs as they ran through Wisconsin, Kentucky, UConn and then Kansas and Indiana. Maryland faced the highest seed they could possibly face in every round as a 1 seed (16, 8, 4, 2, 1, 1) as well. Yet somehow they never really seemed to be in danger of losing.

In the Final Four a huge second half lead was cut into by the Jayhawks, but it never appeared particularly nerve-racking. The Hoosiers briefly held a second half lead in the National Championship game, but a quick baseline jumper from Dixon turned the game back toward the favor of Maryland.

The only game that involved great drama was the UConn game. It was the type of drama that sees eight ties and seven lead changes in the final 13 minutes. It was the type of drama that almost could never be fairly described in words. (ESPN’s Dick Vitale described it as a “Maalox Masher” immediately after the game. He’s certainly a wordsmith if nothing else.)

It was the type of drama that made you think “whoever wins this game is winning a national championship” in the second half. At least it made me feel that way…and I was right.

To this day, this is still my absolute favorite game I’ve ever watched. More so than the Tennessee Titans/Baltimore Ravens AFC Divisional Playoff in 2001, more so than the Mike Mussina/Randy Johnson showdown at Camden Yards in Game 4 of the 1997 ALDS, even more so than the Andre Agassi/James Blake thriller at the 2005 U.S. Open. If your heart can take it, it’s worth reliving below.

I’m not sure mine can, but I’m still grateful for these memories some ten years later.

Carry on.

-G

FOXWORTH ELECTED NFLPA PRESIDENT, SMITH RE-ELECTED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Hasselbeck, Light, Moore, Watson join NFLPA Executive Committee during annual meeting

MARCO ISLAND, Fla. (March 25, 2011) – Domonique Foxworth was nominated and elected without opposition as President of the NFL Players Association today at the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives Meeting. DeMaurice Smith was reaffirmed unanimously as Executive Director by the board on March 22.

“One of the most important things I learned from Kevin is about responsibility,” Foxworth, a free agent cornerback, said to the board following his election. “Players like to say, ‘The NFLPA is our organization.’ There is a wealth of experience and talent in this room, and I will reach out to each and every one of you about your interests and passions. If we work as hard as we did during the lockout now in peacetime, we will be the strongest organization in the world.”

Foxworth’s unanimous election to the post follows four years of service on the executive committee. In 2007, he was elected by the Broncos as a Player Representative and was named the Broncos’ Walter Payton Man of the Year. In 2008, he ran and was elected as the youngest Vice President of the NFLPA Executive Committee.

Newly elected to serve on the Executive Committee are Matt Hasselbeck (Tennessee Titans), Matt Light (New England Patriots), Brandon Moore (New York Jets) and Ben Watson (Cleveland Browns).

They join current Executive Committee members Charlie Batch (Pittsburgh Steelers), Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Brian Dawkins (Denver Broncos), Scott Fujita (Cleveland Browns), Jeff Saturday (Green Bay Packers) and Brian Waters (New England Patriots) who were re-elected by unanimous affirmation. There are also two chairs for former players on the NFLPA Executive Committee, currently held by Cornelius Bennett and Jim McFarland.

With the 2012 election, Kevin Mawae, Sean Morey, Tony Richardson and Mike Vrabel cycle off the NFLPA Executive Committee.

“We don’t take on roles of leadership in order to pad our stats, build our resumes, or strengthen our positions,” Mawae said as he retired from the post of NFLPA President, a spot he held for four years. “We become leaders so that we can serve others who themselves don’t yet have the wherewithal, the knowledge, or the experience to lead. We don’t coerce, manipulate, or force. We simply serve.”

“It’s been a blessing,” Richardson said. “The biggest thing I’m proud of is taking advantage of every opportunity we were offered, from education to development to benefits, because if I didn’t do it, how could I tell the young guys they should be doing it? Every decision we made was for the betterment of our organization. My only agenda, ever, has been to serve the players.”

“We get a chance to play an amazing game and compete on the highest level, and I feel fortunate to have stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest men in this game,” Morey said. “I appreciate our leadership letting me talk, trusting me, helping me understand the negotiation process and keeping me disciplined and focused.”

Hasselbeck, a Boston College graduate, has been playing in the NFL since 1998 and owns nearly every single-season and career record for quarterbacks with the Seattle Seahawks. The three-time Pro Bowler was first elected to the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives in 2008. Off the field, Hasselbeck is involved with numerous charitable efforts, including raising funds and awareness to help provide clean water to those in need.

Light was first elected as a Player Representative in 2008 and has served continuously since. A graduate of Purdue University, his career in the NFL has consisted of four Pro Bowl selections and three Super Bowl championships. A member of the Patriots’ 50th Anniversary Team, he established the Light Foundation which provides youth with unique outdoor experiences to help them become stronger individuals and better members of their communities.

Moore is an offensive lineman with the New York Jets and graduate of the University of Illinois. He has served as on the NFLPA Board of Player Representatives since 2007 and was a recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award in 2011. The Pro Bowl selection created the Moore Family Foundation to provide disadvantaged youth with positive holiday experiences, school supplies and other important needs.

Watson, a tight end for the Cleveland Browns, was first elected as a Player Representative in 2010. The graduate of the University of Georgia was a first round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. A Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots, Watson created a foundation to support charities that provide educational and enrichment opportunities. He is also a spokesperson for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and volunteers for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.

The 2012 NFLPA Board of Player Representatives Meeting continues through March 26.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Led by three points each from freshman Stephen Banick (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) and sophomore Chris Dashiell (Salisbury, Md./Parkside), the 10th-ranked Stevenson men’s lacrosse team posted a 13-6 CAC road victory over Mary Washington Saturday at the Battleground Complex.

The Mustangs (7-2, 2-0 CAC), who are one of two conference unbeatens with St. Mary’s (Md.) and No. 1-ranked Salisbury, have now allowed six goals or less in eight out of nine games this season.

The win also improved Stevenson’s conference winning streak to 14, dating back to an 18-6 victory at Marymount (Va.) on Apr. 7, 2010.

After a low scoring first quarter in which each team netted one goal, Luke Dick scored back-to-back unassisted tallies to give the Eagles
their only lead of the game at 3-2 with 8:06 remaining in the second quarter.

From there, Stevenson scored the game’s next seven consecutive goals to take a 9-3 lead with 3:13 to play in the third. The first two goals
came with a man advantage on strikes from senior Nick Rossi (Lutherville, Md./Towson) and freshman Billy Burgoyne (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes).

The Mustangs are 3-for-6 with the man advantage over last two games after starting the season 5-for-45 in the first seven.

Led by two goals from Banick and three assists from Dashiell, Stevenson outscored Mary Washington 9-3 in the second half while
winning 9-of-14 face-offs. The Mustang defense also held the Eagles without a goal on seven man-up opportunities totaling five minutes.

After entering the game 1-for-6 on face-offs, freshman Sam Wyatt (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood) won 11-of-18 against the Eagles and
scooped up a career-high 10 ground balls.

Burgoyne, junior Andrew Bishop (Lothian, Md./Southern) and sophomore J.P. Coombe (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary’s) each finished with two goals as 12 different players scored for Stevenson. Junior Kyle Fendlay (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) picked up an assist from his defensive position and junior Tyler Reid (Clinton, Conn./Xavier) netted his seventh goal of the season in his first game since March 10 at No. 9 Lynchburg.

Senior Ian Bolland (Mountain Lakes, N.J./Mountain Lakes) was credited with eight saves.

Dick totaled four points for Mary Washington (6-2, 2-1 CAC) with three goals and one assist while Matt Prin had nine saves.

Stevenson continues its three-game road trip on Wednesday when it travels to Wesley for a 4:00 p.m., contest at Miller Stadium.

Peyton Manning Odds

Peyton Manning – Total Passing Yards in the 2012 Regular Season? 

Over/Under                    4000    

Peyton Manning – Total TD Passes in the 2012 Regular Season?       

Over/Under                    28½

Peyton Manning – Completion % in the 2012 Regular Season?          

Over/Under                    65%

Peyton Manning – Total Interceptions in the 2012 Regular Season?   

Over/Under                    16½

Peyton Manning – Will his first pass of the season be complete, incomplete, or an Interception?

Complete                      -180     (5/9)

Incomplete                    +150     (3/2)

Interception                   +1000   (10/1)

Peyton Manning – Will he win 2012 NFL MVP?           

Yes                              7/1       

Peyton Manning – Will he win 2012 Comeback Player of the Year?   

Yes                              1/1       

Tim Tebow Odds

Tim Tebow – Which team will he be on for Week 1 of the Regular Season?     

Jacksonville Jaguars                  3/2

Denver Broncos                         7/4

Miami Dolphins                          7/4

New England Patriots                 7/1

Cleveland Browns                       12/1

Tim Tebow – Will he start as a QB in the NFL Week 1 of the Regular Season?          

Yes                  EVEN  

No                    -140     

Broncos Odds

Denver Broncos – Regular Season Wins         

Over                              10        

Will the Denver Broncos play against The New York Giants in the 2013 Super Bowl?           

Yes                              50/1     

Will the Denver Broncos win the AFC?

Yes                              6/1

Will the Denver Broncos win the AFC West?

Yes                              2/3

2013 SUPER BOWL XLVII ODDS  (odds current, 3/19/2012)                  (odds on 2/6/2012)

Green Bay Packers                                13/2                                          6/1

New England Patriots                             15/2                                          7/1

New Orleans Saints                               10/1                                          8/1

Denver Broncos                                     12/1                                          50/1

Houston Texans                                     12/1                                          12/1

San Francisco 49ers                              14/1                                          18/1

Baltimore Ravens                                   15/1                                          14/1

Philadelphia Eagles                                15/1                                          12/1

New York Giants                                    16/1                                          15/1

Pittsburgh Steelers                                18/1                                          12/1

Dallas Cowboys                                     20/1                                          18/1

San Diego Chargers                               22/1                                          16/1

Chicago Bears                                       25/1                                          30/1

Detroit Lions                                          25/1                                          18/1

Atlanta Falcons                                     28/1                                          22/1

New York Jets                                       30/1                                          16/1

Carolina Panthers                                  40/1                                          50/1

Cincinnati Bengals                                 40/1                                          40/1

Miami Dolphins                                      40/1                                          35/1

Seattle Seahawks                                  40/1                                          60/1

Arizona Cardinals                                   50/1                                          30/1

Kansas City Chiefs                                50/1                                          50/1

Oakland Raiders                                    50/1                                          50/1

Tennessee Titans                                   50/1                                          40/1

Washington Redskins                            50/1                                          60/1

Buffalo Bills                                           75/1                                          60/1

St. Louis Rams                                      75/1                                          75/1

Tampa Bay Buccaneers                         75/1                                          75/1

Indianapolis Colts                                   100/1                                        50/1

Jacksonville Jaguars                               100/1                                        100/1

Minnesota Vikings                                 100/1                                        75/1

Cleveland Browns                                   150/1                                        100/1

Courtesy of Bovada, (www.Bovada.lv,  Twitter: @BovadaLV).

“Our Super Bowl odds have been down for a couple weeks until we knew where Peyton would go since this signing would have such a huge impact on every team’s odds.  Denver who we had at 50-1 before we closed the odds have dropped to 12-1 and as I expected the public is taking them regardless as soon as we opened this morning.  We were a bit lucky that Denver came out of nowhere in the Manning Sweepstakes so not too many people bet them at 50-1.”

-Kevin Bradley, Bovada.lv Sportsbook Manager

Honorable Mention: Auto Racing-NASCAR Food City 500 (Sunday 12:30pm from Bristol, TN live on FOX); Golf: PGA Tour Transitions Championship (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel, Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All golf from Palm Harbor, FL); LPGA Tour RR Donnelley Founders Cup (Thursday & Friday 6:30pm Saturday & Sunday 4pm from Phoenix live on Golf Channel); Champions Tour Toshiba Classic (Friday 8:30pm Saturday & Sunday 7:30pm from Newport Beach, CA on Golf Channel); Tennis: ATP Tour  WTA Tour BNP Paribas Open (Tuesday & Wednesday 2pm Thursday 2pm & 10pm Friday 6pm & 9pm Saturday 7:30pm live on Tennis Channel, Friday 4pm & 11pm live on ESPN2, Saturday & Sunday 2pm & 4pm live on ABC. All tennis from Indian Wells, CA); Boxing: Friday Night Fights-Kendall Holt vs. Tim Coleman (Friday 9pm from Cabazon, CA live on ESPN2), ShoBox-Omar Figueroa vs. Ramon Ayala (Friday 11pm from Indio, CA live on Showtime), Sergio Martinez vs. Matthew Macklin (Saturday 10pm from New York live on HBO); Mixed Martial Arts: Bellator Fighting Championships 61 (Friday 8pm from Bossier City, LA live on MTV2); NBA: Washington Wizards @ Dallas Mavericks (Tuesday 8:30pm from Dallas live on Comcast SportsNet), Washington Wizards @ New Orleans Saints (Thursday 8pm from New Orleans live on Comcast SportsNet), Washington Wizards @ Atlanta Hawks (Friday 7:30pm from Atlanta live on Comcast SportsNet), Washington Wizards @ Memphis Grizzlies (Sunday 6pm from Memphis live on Comcast SportsNet)

10. Soul Jam featuring Whispers/Stylistics (Saturday 7pm 1st Mariner Arena); Girl Talk (Saturday 9pm Power Plant Live); Pop Evil (Friday 6:30pm Rams Head Live), Dr. Dog (Saturday 8pm Rams Head Live); Rich Robinson (Sunday 1pm Rams Head on Stage), Psychedelic Furs (Monday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); Uncle Kracker (Wednesday 7pm 9:30 Club); Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors (Wednesday 8pm Jammin Java)

I’ve seen Pop Evil at RHL before. And think, THIS is amongst the notes from my life I’m actually willing to admit…

Dr. Dog is the type of band that everyone assumes I’ll really like based on the other acts I really like. They’re probably right, I’m just lazy.

I’ve never seen Rich Robinson solo. I HAVE seen the Black Crowes a few times. I know what I like. I like what I know.

You remember Drew Holcomb as the man who authored the song everyone was thinking about on Christmas after that TNT basketball promo. Let it come to you…

9. Henry Rollins (Friday 8pm Baltimore Soundstage); Charlie Murphy (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv); Aisha Tyler (Friday & Saturday Baltimore Comedy Factory); Robert Kelly (Thursday-Saturday Magooby’s Joke House), Gabriel Iglesias (Sunday 8pm Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric); Glenn Clark’s St. Patrick’s Day plans (Saturday whereabouts unknown); “The Descendants” available on DVD/Blu-Ray (Tuesday); “21 Jump Street”, “Jeff Who Lives At Home” and “Casa De Mi Padre” open in theaters (Friday)

Of note from this cornucopia…

Aisha Tyler’s arrival in Charm City allows me another opportunity to sing the praises of the show “Archer” on FX. She plays the role of Lana. I like to pretend that I’m Sterling Archer sometimes. I’m 28 years old.

Do you want to have the host of “The Reality Check” afternoons on AM1570 WNST.net visit your establishment Saturday to celebrate St. Patty’s Day? Tell me why your Bangers and Mash are the best in the area. I’ll be ALL IN.