COLLEGE PARK, Md. — I’ve been to more exciting wakes.

I wish that statement wasn’t true, but it absolutely is.

The University of Maryland (2-2, 1-0 ACC) defeated Towson University (3-1, 1-0 CAA) 28-3 Saturday in front of a less than inspired announced crowd of 35,573 at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium. It was the first ever contest between the in-state rivals yet somehow doesn’t seem like the most memorable.

The game was probably closer than the 28-3 final score would indicate, but it certainly wasn’t any more entertaining.

Despite wind and rain that made the temperature feel like it was in the 40′s, I’m pretty sure I saw both Terps and Tigers fans napping in the lower bowl of the stadium in the 3rd quarter.

Okay, I’m clearly exaggerating, but I assume you get the point.

After suffering a 38-7 drubbing at the hands of Temple University in their third game of the season, the good will generated by the Terrapins from a high profile victory over Miami, a near defeat at the hands of a quality West Virginia team and the national attention that came along with their new Under Armour uniforms are all gone.

Saturday’s win won’t get the Terps any face time on ESPN. It certainly won’t be discussed by a ton of folks around water coolers this week.

To be fair, the less than impressive nature of the victory means it’s probably for the best that the game will be forgotten quickly. The Terps were outgained by their in-state FCS opponent 378-335, they lost the time of possession battle 35:39 to 24:21 and their new “high powered” offense generated just 137 yards via the air.

Head Coach Randy Edsall admitted after the contest his team is still far from where he wants them to be.

“I think we still have a long way to go” Edsall said. “We’re a young team. We’ve had some younger guys have to play because of injuries. We just have to keep getting better.”

Even Towson coach Rob Ambrose thought the Terps were sluggish in victory, saying “I never thought they had the momentum. They were kind of holding on the whole time. They were up tempo, but it wasn’t like they were doing anything we didn’t know.”

Edsall noted the progress would have to be made quickly, as the Terps now begin a three game stretch that sees them challenge three currently ranked opponents. The Terps will travel to Atlanta next Saturday to face #21 Georgia Tech, with a visit from #13 Clemson and a contest with #23 Florida State in Tallahassee looming in the following weeks.

It’s the type of stretch that is hard to imagine the Maryland team that showed up against Temple and Towson having any success against.

Edsall added another piece to the Terps’ puzzle by inserting backup quarterback C.J. Brown into the third quarter of Saturday’s win. Brown completed two of three attempts for 14 yards before again being replaced by starter Danny O’Brien. After making some questionable decisions in the team’s loss to West Virginia and struggling against the Owls, O’Brien was again underwhelming, completing 14 of 21 attempts for 123 yards and two touchdowns Saturday.

Edsall said the Terps had planned to insert Brown into Saturday’s game.

“We wanted to get CJ (Brown) some work” Edsall said after the game. “Hopefully nothing happens to Danny (O’Brien), but I want to make sure CJ has work in a game. CJ’s a young man who hasn’t played a lot of football since high school. If he would end up having to go in and play for us, I just wanted to make sure that he’s comfortable, he’s ready and he’s in with those guys.”

It’s a logical thought process against a CAA opponent, and could easily be dismissed as just that. Instead, Edsall refused to comment on how much he might consider using Brown in the future as he didn’t want to give away any gameplan ideas to future opponents.

Okay. I guess.

There were a few bright spots for the Terps in the victory, including DL Joe Vellano (1.5 sacks) and freshman RB Justus Pickett, who tallied 82 yards and his first career touchdown on 14 carries to go along with starter Davin Meggett’s  102 yards on 16 carries.

But even with a few bright spots and a victory, this Maryland team is difficult to figure at best through four games.

The answer will come over the next three weeks whether the team is prepared for it or not. The competition is too good for Maryland to get wins without playing at a very high level.

It’s just hard to fathom that coming right now.

-G

NOTES: Kickoff for Maryland/Georgia Tech next Saturday is set for 12pm (ESPNU)……Edsall did not believe TE Matt Furstenburg’s late game injury was serious, saying he thought Furstenburg could have returned to the game if necessary……Edsall’s postgame comments are available in the BuyAToyota.com Audio Vault at WNST.net……Towson returns to action next Saturday with Richmond coming to Unitas Stadium. Kickoff is 7:30pm on AM1570 WNST.net

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — It was a fun couple of weeks for the University of Maryland football team, wasn’t it?

At one point, everyone in the country was talking about them. They had spiffy new uniforms thanks to the full support of one of the world’s biggest apparel companies in Under Armour.

Coming off a season where they won nine games (including the Military Bowl), they introduced a fun to watch new offense under new Offensive Coordinator Gary Crowton. It helped them claim an impressive Labor Day victory over the University of Miami in a game seen by much of the country on ESPN.

Even in a Week 3 defeat at the hands of the West Virginia Mountaineers, the Terrapins mounted an impressive 2nd half comeback that made fans believe they were capable of playing alongside the best teams in the country.

They did it all under new head coach Randy Edsall, just a year removed from leading UConn to a Big East title and Fiesta Bowl appearance. Edsall had done and said the right at every turn since his arrival in College Park, allowing him to receive immediate popularity from the Maryland faithful. Edsall kept the momentum of the new uniforms going by taking to Twitter to announce the teams’ weekly duds. A mostly apathetic fan base was invigorated, with Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium sold out for the first two games of the season.

It was certainly fun while it lasted.

Maryland’s exciting start took a painful turn Saturday, as they were crushed 38-7 by Temple University in front of a less than enthusiastic announced crowd of 39,102. An “announced” crowd of 39,102 if you missed it the first time.

After looking like a “team on the rise”, a “budding national power” or a “program at a turning point” for the first three weeks of the season (which included an early bye following their Monday night win over the Hurricanes), the Terps’ display Saturday could only be fairly described as piss poor.

The team was outgained 425 to 240 by their MAC opponent, including a 285 to 45 advantage for Temple on the ground. The Terps could not have purchased an answer for Temple RB Bernard Pierce, who gauged the Terps for 149 yards and 5 TD’s on 32 carries.  Maryland managed just 14 first downs on the day compared to Temple’s 21. The Owls held the ball for 41:01 while Maryland managed just 18:59 of possession.

Sometimes a game is closer than a final score might indicate. In no ways was Saturday’s thumping any closer for Maryland than the final score indicated. The Terps indeed suffered a good old-fashioned ass kicking at the hands of a Temple program which clearly IS on the rise under the guidance of new head coach Steve Addazio

Just in case I hadn’t yet done a fair job of describing Maryland’s ineptitude in defeat, here are some individual numbers. QB Danny O’Brien completed just 17 of 33 passes for 153 yards and an interception. The Terps’ leading rusher was backup quarterback CJ Brown, who managed 29 yards on the ground after making a late game blowout cameo (he also guided the team’s only scoring drive).

The Terps were equally awful on both offense and defense.

“There’s nowhere to point the finger” OL Andrew Gonnella said after the game. “It’s a team failure and we just have to come back fierce.”

The outcome alone wasn’t the worst part about the game though.

The worst part about Saturday’s game was that for all of the progress it appeared the program had made early in the season, the scene Saturday reeked of familiarity.

Plenty of empty seats? Check. No national interest? Check. Little local or regional interest? Check. Uninspired effort against what was believed to be an inferior opponent? Check. Disastrous result to leave a team 1-2 despite having not played a road game yet on the season? Check.

Yes, Saturday’s game had the stench of Maryland football all over it.

At every turn during Maryland Football’s “rebranding” period, I have stated that nothing they are doing will matter if it isn’t paired with winning.

Without allowing too much publicity to Charlie Sheen, Saturday’s debacle was about as far from “winning” as a team can be.

Edsall went into full coach-speak mode again after the defeat, saying things like “we’ll get better and we’ll move forward”, “nobody said it was gonna be easy”, “we’re not gonna use any excuses” and “it’s their duty and their obligation to go out there and play as hard as they can for 60 minutes.”

But it will take much more than coach-speak to truly change the culture of a program that has simply failed to find relevance for the better part of its history.

The coaching staff and the uniforms are different, but nothing has truly changed yet in College Park.

Edsall was right in describing Saturday’s loss as “embarrassing.” It was absolutely was.

And for a program hoping to make strides and truly find themselves “on the rise”, the embarrassment proved Maryland football still has an incredible amount of work to be done.

-G

Beauty may still be in the eye of the beholder, but our ability to identify spectacle, it seems, is universal. So began the Randy Edsall era at College Park last night as the Terps beat the Miami Hurricanes 32-24 in front of a national television audience that surely grew as the game wore on and as reaction to the new Terps’ unis spread quickly over social networks, message boards and news broadcasts.

Love them or hate them, the Terps new threads have certainly gotten them some attention, which was part of the point in the first place. Those who tuned in to see the Terps and to check out what all of the buzz was about were entertained by a pretty exciting football game if they bothered to hang in for it. They’ll remember the unis, but hopefully they’ll remember the Terps too.

If you hated the uniforms last night (and if so you weren’t alone) the good news is that it will probably be quite a while before you see them again. The number of possible uniform combinations is already reported to be upwards of 30, and grows exponentially with each new addition to the Terps’ “fashion line”. The bad news is that if you didn’t care for last night’s version, it’s unlikely the rest of the line will do much for you either.

The best news though is that people were noticing and will continue to notice. And that football players love to accessorize. That’s the genius of Under Armour in the first place. From wristbands to arm pads to colored mouthpieces, the boring football accessories of yesteryear are gone thanks to Under Armour and Kevin Plank, replaced by the gaudy, ornate, and spectacular “equipment” on display at College Park last night.  

As Kevin Plank’s school, the University of Maryland can suddenly count themselves as the “Oregon of the east”. Oregon has played their fashion forwardness into the national spotlight and last season into the national championship picture. While it seems a small thing, in the eyes of a prospective recruit, more gear, slicker gear could make the difference when choosing between schools.

As recent history has shown, all of that gear could also provide players a means to earning a little bit of “side money”. Someone at Maryland had better be keeping tabs on where all of that swag ends up…at least until graduation time.

Speaking of recent history though, and perhaps more to the point…People tuned in last night to see the Terps and Hurricanes play football, and expected to be distracted by the spectacle cast over the game by Nevin Shapiro (the infamous Miami booster) and the fallout from his scandal. Instead, the sideshow was stolen by Terps’ super booster Kevin Plank and his fashionable footprint at Maryland. His fingerprints are all over the athletic department at Maryland, and so far the results are encouraging.

And oh by the way…the Terps did play a pretty good football game in those ugly unis. And winning looks good in any color.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — “You know while the Yankees always win, Frank?”

“‘Cause they have Mickey Mantle?”

“No, it’s ’cause the other teams can’t stop staring at those damn pinstripes.”

While I will spare you from going into the details of two mice falling into a bucket of cream, I will tell you that the above line (from the movie Catch Me If You Can) rang in my head over and over during the University of Maryland’s season opening 32-24 win over the University of Miami Monday night at a sold out Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium.

The exchange between Frank Abignale Sr. and Frank Abignale Jr. set the tone for the son to use elaborate distractions while committing major international check fraud crimes.

The only thing fraudulent about the Terrapins’ victory was their red zone offense, but I’ll save those crimes for another day.

After unveiling some 32 new Under Armour uniform schemes at an elaborate campus event a few weeks ago, the Terps managed to cause a bit of an internet firestorm. The attention (and the positive and negative feedback that came with it) served as great publicity for UA founder Kevin Plank (a former Terps special teams ace) and for the football team itself. While the attention surrounding Monday night’s season opener was mostly about the fallout from the Nevin Shapiro scandal in Coral Gables, the Terps did manage to generate some interest with the question “what will they wear”?

After warming up in more traditional colors before Monday night’s season opener, the Terps returned to the locker room and (with the help of a number of Under Armour reps) changed into some unique duds.

Not even amongst the 32 prior combos, Under Armour’s “PRIDE” uniform placed the colors of the Maryland state flag quite prominently on the team’s helmets, shoulders, gloves and cleats.

Within moments of the team’s appearance on the ESPN broadcast, Twitter and Facebook were on fire with reactions. Reactions came from far and wide, with even icons like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony sharing thoughts about them.

Certainly not all of the thoughts shared were positive.

The game practically played a supporting role to the uniforms from that point on. While Abignale Sr. believed less focus was on Mantle than the unis the Bronx Bombers donned, I can say with certainly less focus was placed on the debut of new Terrapins head coach Randy Edsall or the performance of quarterback Danny O’Brien (31-44 for 348 yards with a TD and a pick) than the team’s gaudy threads.

The team itself didn’t find out what they would be wearing into the contest until earlier in the day.

“You should have seen today in the team meeting. We came over and had a walkthrough, (then we went) back and had a Special Teams meeting” Edsall said after the game. “I talked to the guys for a little bit, I said ‘I’ve got two things I’ve gotta show you.’ I put a video on, (we) showed them a highlight-type video and then we had a video that had the uniforms, because they hadn’t seen them. You should have been in that room when this video came on that Under Armour did-that they played when we came out. I think we blew the roof off the hotel. Those kids were so excited.”

“It’s about the pride” Edsall added. “They’re playing not only for themselves, but they’re playing for every Maryland player that went through this program. They’re playing for every person in this state. That’s what we’re trying to build.”

I’ve heard numerous different opinions about the new Maryland football uniforms.

Awesome. Horrific. Way too much going on. Sweet! What were they thinking?

For me, it isn’t so much the actual designs of the uniforms that I am concerned with, although I do think they look pretty sweet.

Rather, it is the new brand that the athletic department at Maryland is trying to create that excites me as a longtime fan of all things Terrapins sports.

Forward-thinking people or groups usually come out on top in today’s society. Take a look out west to Oregon. Oregon is one of the top 10 most recognizable programs in the country right now. Why is that?

When someone says Oregon football, what is the first thing you think of?

For me, the first thing is their uniforms. The second thing that comes to mind is an image of Autzen Stadium on a Saturday night, widely considered one of the best home field advantages in all of college sports.

When I broaden the thought to Oregon Ducks athletics in general, I also think about the new basketball court that they debuted last year.

Check out the title of this piece: Oregon’s crazy new basketball floor is quintessentially Oregon.

Crazy = Quintessentially Oregon.

Grandpa on his couch might not care about crazy. He might say that he doesn’t care about looks, only wins. Drew Forrester might be too much of an old man to like these new uniforms. He might say “Screw that, just win baby!”

But you know who does care? You know what group of people aren’t too old?

Recruits.

You know how you win in college sports?

RECRUITS!!!!!!!

How many of you reading this play Madden or NBA Live on Xbox 360 or PS3?

How many of you same people play around with the different uniform combinations or switch to the alternate jerseys before playing?

Why do you do it? Because it’s cool. Unique is attractive.

To these teenagers, the show that Kevin Anderson, Kevin Plank, and the rest of the university orchestrated on Monday night was awesome. It was cool.

It set Maryland apart from the N.C. State’s and Virginia’s and Boston College’s of the world that the Terps are competing with.

Again, Maryland is now unique.

Just like Oregon’s Nike branding and partnership with Phil Knight has set them apart from the Oregon State’s and Stanford’s of the world, Under Armour and Kevin Plank are working to set Maryland apart from the rest.

This is a new era of Maryland football. Kevin Anderson. Mark Turgeon. Randy Edsall…

One of the biggest marks of a new era is a new look. A new feel. New houses might be really nice inside, but without a new coat of paint, no one is going to want to buy it.

I love Gary Williams, but Mark Turgeon has been the anti-Gary Williams on the recruiting trail. The athletic department gave Turgeon the budget to go after Dalonte Hill and bring him to College Park.

Randy Edsall is set to lead what should be one of the best Maryland football teams in quite some time.

Times are changing in College Park. Personally, I feel they are changing for the better.

Maryland’s new look not only represents that change, but continues branding the Terps with Under Armour.

And it starts branding Maryland, in the eyes of future recruits, as a cool place to go play sports.

This a cool brand. And the recruits that Randy Edsall and Mark Turgeon are chasing want cool.

N.C. State isn’t cool.

Right now, Maryland is cool. The Terps have the swag.

The true test will come on the football field and basketball court when Randy Edsall and Mark Turgeon have to prove that actions speak louder than looks. I get that. We all do.

But the looks, even if you think they’re horrific, are going bring action to these new coaches.

Just ask Chip Kelly.

Props to Kevin Anderson, Kevin Plank, and the entire athletic department and university for thinking ahead, being proactive, and making a clear effort to brand Terrapins sports in a newer and better light.

The new uni’s are cool, at least in my opinion. But they represent more than just a change in looks.

How far that change takes Terrapins nation remains to be seen…

I wandered down to College Park Monday night to see the Maryland Terrapins unveil their brand new Under Armour football uniforms at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

The entire event was highlighted by Terps DL AJ Francis, who delivered a Ric Flair-style entrance and then capitalized by giving his best WWE promo to WNSTV…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVeRmSy2834&feature=channel_video_title[/youtube]

(If you’re interested in more pictures of players in the uniforms, UMTerps.com has a gallery, including the photo of QB Danny O’Brien below.)

In the 24 hours following the unveiling of the uniforms, I’ve heard/read a ton of responses. Just amongst WNST staff members, I’ve seen Nestor Aparicio use terms like “tacky” and “ugly” while our youngest contributor Peter DiLutis described the threads as “SICK” via Twitter.

For the most part, bloggers and analysts have been less than positive in their comments about the new duds, while younger Maryland fans and the players themselves have offered overwhelmingly positive feedback.

(For what it’s worth, I think some of the uniform schemes are fine-in fact some are pretty cool. Some of the color combinations however should just be avoided altogether. I’m not particularly enamored by the font or the numbers, but I like the state flag use and I will admit that I dig the turtle shell helmet scheme. That being said, I’m a Maryland fan. It’s unlikely they’d create a uniform scheme I completely hated.)

One of the most common themes in the light of the uniform unveiling, which included significant involvement of UA CEO and former Maryland Special Teams captain Kevin Plank, was that it appeared as though Maryland was trying to become the “Oregon of the East.”

Oregon athletics have been widely known to receive significant financial support to Ducks alum and Nike CEO Phil Knight. A high profile part of Nike’s involvement with Oregon athletics has been the school’s ever changing football uniforms, which Baltimore Ravens TE Ed Dickson and his former teammates prominently displayed in pictures like the one below…

We’ve had plenty of fun pointing out the over the top nature of Oregon uniforms in recent seasons. The uniforms they wore for the BCS Championship Game this past January were the subject of a number of giggles throughout the sports world, including a few comments about how parts of the uniform appeared to be designed by highlighter.

Sounds like a nice problem to have, doesn’t it?

You see, critics of the Oregon uniforms were complaining about the threads the Pac 10 champions wore while they were PLAYING FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

As one of four captains named by Maryland football head coach Randy Edsall, DeMatha product Kenny Tate has a lot on his plate.

The former high-school receiver turned safety is now making the transition to linebacker just in time for his senior season. He’s also been named by Edsall as one of the leaders of the team, set with the responsibility of guiding his teammates through an important transition.

Out with Ralph Friedgen. In with Randy Edsall.

What does Kenny Tate think of his new leader?

“Coach Edsall is a good guy,” Tate said. “He led his team to the Fiesta Bowl last year. He’s a proven winner. He’s probably one of the best coaches that could lead us to glory.”

Under Edsall, Tate will look to make the most of his senior season. On September 5th against Miami, he will be playing his final home opener at Byrd Stadium.

I asked him if the upcoming matchup against Miami meant more to him than just any regular game.

“It means a little more to me just because it’s my last time playing,” Tate said. “Every game at Byrd is going to be a reminder of the great fans and tradition here at Maryland. That’s the added hype for me. Every game you play you have to take one at a time and that’s how we have to think.”

Some expect the Terps to seriously contend for an ACC Championship. Others expect them to end up with a similar record to last season’s squad. What does Tate feel is the ultimate goal for these 2011 Terrapins?

“Play as hard as we can every game, and leave everything on the line,” Tate said. “We’re really out here just to have fun. Everybody wants to win, and that’s the main goal, but I just want to have fun this season.”

Honorable Mention: WNBA-Minnesota Lynx @ Washington Mystics (Thursday 7pm Verizon Center), Chicago Sky @ Washington Mystics (Saturday 7pm from Verizon Center live on NBA TV), Washington Mystics @ Indiana Fever (Sunday 6pm from Indianapolis live on NBA TV); Boxing: Friday Night Fights-Demetrius Andrade vs. Grady Brewer (Friday 9pm from Hammond, IN live on ESPN2); Canadian Football League: Saskatchewan Roughriders @ Toronto Argonauts (Thursday 7:30pm from Toronto live on NFL Network)

10. Martin Lawrence (Sunday 7pm 1st Mariner Arena); American Idols Live (Friday 7pm Verizon Center); Ke$ha (Sunday 7:30pm Patriot Center); Slightly Stoopid (Wednesday 5:30pm Pier Six Pavilion), Bill Cosby (Saturday 6:30pm Pier Six Pavilion), Gipsy Kings (Sunday 6:30pm Pier Six Pavilion); Bob Dylan and his Band (Tuesday 6pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Skullcandy Identity feat. Pretty Lights (Thursday 1pm Jiffy Lube Live), Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow (Monday 7pm Jiffy Lube Live); Beach Boys (Sunday 3pm Wolf Trap); 10,000 Maniacs (Tuesday 8pm Rams Head on Stage); “Hot August Blues” feat. Tedeschi Trucks Band & Robert Randolph (Saturday 12pm Oregon Ridge); Lynyrd Skynyrd/Doobie Brothers (Saturday 7pm Aberdeen Proving Ground)

I’m sung the praises of Robert Randolph in this blog so many times it’s almost overkill for me to go back to the well.

You know they call me “Dr. Overkill” in some circles…

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

I saw the Beach Boys last year at Pier Six. There was a thought process that it might be a bit hokey, but I was quickly reminded that there was no way in hell songs like this could EVER be hokey…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Uc_Gi7gdM[/youtube]

I’m well aware that Michael McDonald isn’t in the band anymore. That being said, I’d still be in on this…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDWGKQcQ8zw[/youtube]

I took my dad to see Bob Dylan years ago at American University in DC (he’s an alum). I didn’t understand much, but I’m pretty sure it was good. Just a shame he couldn’t bring Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers on tour with him…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPYvz9QEqUI[/youtube]

9. Baltimore Comic-Con (Saturday & Sunday Baltimore Convention Center); Baltimore Fashion Week (Thursday-Sunday Harbor East)

I would assume there”s a good bit of crossover between these crowds, no?

While Comic-Con probably ISN’T really my thing, I get this funny feeling it might be more up my alley than I otherwise would have realized.

Plus-Stan effing Lee is going to be there!

Stan Lee!

It’s good news for me-not because I have any comic books I need signed-but more because I’ve been needing some dating advice and the phone lines over at Loveline have been LOCKED…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vJpAXf5wyk[/youtube]

Honorable Mention: WNBA-Seattle Storm @ Washington Mystics (Sunday 4pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet); Arena Football: AFL Pittsburgh Power @ Orlando Predators (Friday 8pm from Orlando live on NFL Network); Canadian Football League: British Columbia Lions @ Montreal Alouettes (Thursday 7:30pm from Montreal live on NFL Network), Toronto Argonauts @ Calgary Stampeders (Saturday 8pm from Calgary live on NFL Network); NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement Expires (Friday); Cycling-Tour De France (Stage 1 Saturday Stage 2 Sunday Stage 3 Monday 8am live on VERSUS)

10. R. Kelly (Friday 8pm 1st Mariner Arena/Saturday 8pm Verizon Center); Trace Adkins (Friday 6:30pm Pier Six Pavilion); Kid Cudi (Saturday 6:30pm Merriweather Post Pavilion); Red/Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (Wednesday 6:30pm Rams Head Live); Todd Rundgren (Wednesday 8pm Rams Head On Stage); Matt and Kim (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club); “A Capitol Fourth” feat. Little Richard (Monday 8pm from the U.S. Capitol live on PBS); Uncle Sam Jam feat. Pat McGee Band & Blind Melon (Saturday 2pm National Harbor); Wale (Saturday 10pm Unitas Stadium), “Transformers: Dark of the Moon“ (Wednesday) and “Larry Crowne“ (Friday) open in theaters

You can make fun of me all you want. If you don’t dig “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” you and I are simply going to have to agree to disagree…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNVguvNE7qc[/youtube]

I really feel like I should dig Kid Cudi much more than I do. All told, he’s okay…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt22KvnRSL4[/youtube]

I’ve actually seen Little Richard play once before…it was right after Maryland pasted Tennessee in the 2002 Peach Bowl. He played in the middle of downtown Atlanta, as they dropped a huge peach behind him. It kicked ass…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ6h0kyqSRk[/youtube]

I don’t know how many more praises I can sing for Wale. Dude is incredible, even if he is an effing Redskins fan…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zZqtYXDeh8[/youtube]

9. 4th of July Fireworks (Monday 9:30pm Inner Harbor); 4th of July parades/fireworks throughout Baltimore County (Saturday-Monday)

I’m partial myself to the Kingsville 4th of July parade having grown up on Bradshaw Road. As a youngster, it was nice to have something to do in town on Independence Day. Or at least a refreshing change of pace from what there was to do every other day in Kingsville…

So how did we get in so much trouble????

8. Boxing: IBF/WBO/WBA Heavyweight Championship Unification-Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye (Saturday 4:45pm from Hamburg, GER live on HBO), Friday Night Fights-Mark Melligen vs. Sebastian Lujan (Friday 11pm from San Antonio, TX live on ESPN2)

If a heavyweight title fight is held and no one pays attention, did it really happen?

This isn’t just a “everyone has a piece of the title so we’ll fight for a tenth of it” title fight, either. This is a legitimate “heavyweight championship of the world” title fight.

And yet…crickets.

Look, if Wladimir Klitschko wants people to pay attention to his next fight, I suggest he make it a “foxy boxing” contest against Jarah Marino (Thanks Guyism)…

Hey man…I know what I have to do to get page views, Wlad might have to do the same…

7. Auto Racing: NASCAR Coke Zero 400 (Saturday 7:30pm from Daytona, FL live on TNT)

I was in Charles Town, West Virginia Saturday night playing the ponies to celebrate a friend’s birthday. In the 5th race, the Number 5 horse literally through its’ jockey off not even a furlong in-only to go on to “win” the race by a nose. (Without the rider the win of course did not count.)

A young man standing near the rail near our party (who I’m reasonably certain was from WV) exclaimed “I ain’t never seen the #48 car do that!

So that’s what I’ve got from the world of NASCAR this week. Oh-apparently Kurt Busch won this week’s NASCAR race. And I saw Cars 2 Friday night! While I was sitting in the theater waiting for the flick to start, I Tweeted the following (follow me on Twitter @GlennClarkWNST)…

“Out to see #Cars2 tonight. #Thingsa27yearoldwithoutkidsshouldneverTweet”

So…yep…that’s all I’ve got for NASCAR. Honestly though, what did you expect?

6. Golf: PGA Tour AT&T National (Thursday & Friday 3pm live on Golf Channel, Saturday & Sunday 3pm live on CBS. All golf from Newton Square, PA); Champions Tour Principal Charity Classic (Friday 6:30pm Saturday & Sunday 7:30pm from West Des Moines, IA live on Golf Channel)

The National used to be an event that folks cared about because it was hosted by Tiger Woods. That was of course before Tiger Woods retired from competitive golf without having the decency to hold as much as a press conference to announce his decision.

Without Tiger, Drew Forrester will once again be the only person who cares even a little bit about the event. But since it’s near Philadelphia, it’s a great excuse to pass along this snippet of food porn…

Look man…I’m no golf fan…but if watching a couple holes earned me a trip to Pat’s…I might be in.

Yesterday’s edition of the Afternoon Drive served up an interesting and exciting cast of guests, highlighted by a conversation with Orioles rookie phenom, Zach Britton, as he promoted an upcoming event benefiting the Wounded Warriors Project.

And, of course, we talked a little baseball …..

Our conversation covered Adam Jones’ amazing catch during Wednesday’s game, the rigors of a west coast roadtrip, the butterflies experienced during the MLB draft and a commitment to winning.

However, it was my final question and Britton’s response that inspired me to reassess some of the latest rumblings we’ve heard about overrated and/or “over the hill” players.

Pointedly, I asked “who is the best hitter you’ve faced at the big league level?”

Britton qualified his answer by citing the amazing increase in talent among Major League hitters, in comparison to the lineups he faced in the minors.

Surprising to hear? Of course, not.

As for the best hitter he’s faced, Britton feels it’s Alex Rodriguez …..
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In a very brief window, A’Rod has faced the Orioles southpaw just 3 times …. and he’s 3 for 3 in those opportunities. On an optimistic note, the hits were singles.

Ironically, Alex Rodriguez highlights a current Sports Illustrated article that reveals the “Most Overrated Players In Baseball”, in accordance with a survey of current players.

Hmmm …. Britton’s response has caused me to wonder how many American League starting pitchers were polled for the SI article. Perhaps, some envious positional counterparts were personal in their choices?

On the flip side, Britton’s experience on a big league mound is limited; he hasn’t faced a handful of the American League’s lineups, yet. He has yet to throw a pitch that counts to the likes of Miguel Cabrera, Joe Mauer or Jose Bautista.

In blunt honesty, I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. Zach Britton has struck me as a humbly modest, yet fiercely competitive individual. You can hear the interview in its entirety HERE

We are appreciative of Zach’s time and generosity in spending a few moments with us, especially on a rare off day; upon returning from the west coast.

To that extent, it’s only fitting to elaborate on the primary reason for yesterday’s conversation, which emphasized on Zach’s commitment to supporting military personnel and specifically, the Wounded Warriors Project.

The Orioles will be represented by pitchers Zach Britton and Jake Arrieta during an upcoming event at the Under Armour Warehouse, where they’ll participate in assembling backpacks of gear for injured soldiers.

It’s a fitting tribute and act of fellowship, as Britton and Arrieta have active and veteran military personnel among family members. The event is scheduled for June 7th, and you can learn more about it HERE

Lip service is a cheap and easy way to suggest support for our real American heroes. Yet, Zach Britton and Jake Arrieta are selflessly committing time to help those who have made real sacrifices, and that’s a refreshing reality.
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