The weekend started off on a positive note. Alex Ovechkin led the Caps to 6-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, posting a five point game (1G, 4A). A game I sold my seats too. I kind of wish I had gone now. Oh well. It was still fun to watch.

On Saturday, I thought I was going to get together with a couple of old friends to watch the Ravens and Colts. I was supposed to go, to a Moose Lodge of all places, to hang out with one of my friends that I haven’t seen in a really long time along with the best man from my wedding.

Well, apparently you need to be a member, or know someone who is, in order to get into a Moose Lodge. Who knew? Then my other buddy had to back out because his son was sick.

I should have known right then and there that it wasn’t going to work out for the Ravens. They showed a bit of promise on their first drive, but came away with only a field goal. But then the Ravens of the regular season showed up.

While drinking a Rogue Chipotle Ale, I watched the Ravens self destruct. Not being able to put up more than three points in a playoff game isn’t going to cut it. The penalties came back and crushed us. The defense was sturdy as usual but the offense never got out of first gear.

Part of that was the Colts defense and part was the play calling. Run, run, pass is too predictable. I think it may be time to end the Cam Cameron experiment.

When you’re an elite team the little things tend to go your way as well. The Colts got all of those breaks on Saturday night. Ed Reed had two beautiful picks in the game. Not only, did neither lead to any points for us, but neither led to a possession for us.

Pierre Garcon, the receiver that Reed cut in front of for the first pick, made an unbelievable play, catching up to Reed and punching the ball out of his arm and into the hands of Dallas Clark.

On Reed’s second pick, Corey Ivy got called for pass interference, and wiped out a nice return by Reed. I’m so glad we brought him back.

Ray Rice fumbled the ball after a nice run, and of, course the Colts recovered it.

In the second half I switched to Raven Lager. It didn’t change anything, it just wasn’t meant to be for the Ravens this season.

Yesterday, my wife and I took our son to the Caps game. It was his fifth game of the season; a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, one of my least favorite franchises in all of sports. After watching the Caps lose the first game he went too, they have now won four in a row with him in attendance.

When we took him to the first game he was very timid, and complained about it being too loud. Each game since, he has gotten more and more into the games. Yesterday he was joining in with the cheers, the C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS and especially, the “Flyers suck”chants.

When the Caps scored he was one of the first ones hopping up and down and high fiving the guys in front of us. He liked the animations on the score board after goals. It’s very cool watching him develop into a fan.

With about five minutes left in the second period we went to the Acela Club and watched the remainder of the game from there. That was my first time in there. Hopefully, it won’t be my last.

You can’t get a real sense of the speed of the game on TV, and as much of a difference as there is between TV and live, it’s just as much going from the 400 level to the 200′s.

We were down there for Alex Ovechkin’s penalty shot. It was absolutely insane.

When the Caps got to four goals, they started the “We want wings” chant and my son was one of the loudest people. For the uninitiated, Glory Days restaurant offers ten free wings to every fan in attendance if the Caps get to five goals in a game.

Jose Theodore, was a bit shaky in the first period but settled in nicely for the rest of the game. It was good to see Brooks Laich get two goals and earn the first star of the game. I was hoping he could get the hat trick when the Flyers pulled Emery but it was still a great night for him.

The cherry on the top of the sundae was that my Duke Blue Devils roughed up Wake Forest behind Kyle Singlers’  21 point, 15 rebound night.

All in all it was a pretty good weekend.

9:44-

Damon Hack of SI is now up with Drew. Hack has predicted the Colts will win 20-13. However, he explains that he would not be surprised by any result in any game this weekend. He also talks about how he believes how the media will greatly focus on the Ravens’ great season if the team manages to defeat the Colts. Drew thinks that the main focus will be on Indy’s decision to rest their players at the end of the regular season.

9:29-

Kevin Lee, Colts reporter, is next up. He starts off by talking about the one-sided rivalry between the Ravens and the Colts. While the people of Indy understand Baltimore’s loss, they feel no animosity towards the Ravens. Lee also states that the Colts are facing a lot of pressure this season because of the way the regular season ended. He believes that many of the players would have wanted to play out the regular season and try and go 16-0. The players want to be a part of something that will be remembered forever, but they understand the management’s decision.

9:18-

Chuck from Bel Air chimes in wishing Drew a safe trip to Indy. He also discusses the Capitals with Drew. He thinks the team needs to add a defender in order for the team to have a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

9:00-

Greg Gumbel is the next guest. Gumbel will be calling the Ravens playoff game tomorrow. He also was an announcer for the two teams’ previous matchup. On the topic of last week’s game, Gumbel explains that teams just don’t go into Foxboro and start off as strong as the Ravens do. This proved to him that the Ravens are ready to play this postseason. Gumbel mentions that the Cowboys are another team that has impressed early on in the playoffs. He next moves on to the preparation the Colts have gone through. He explains that since they did not know the opponent for a week, the team worked on fundamentals. The Colts are normally well-prepared and should not be rusty when facing the Ravens.

8:46-

Drew welcomes in Randy Monroe, the coach of the UMBC basketball team. Despite the fact the team is fighting hard in each and every game, they have come up short for most of the season. Last night the Retrievers were in a back and forth game against Hartford. UMBC ended up losing by 6 points. Monroe next discusses the improvement of Chris De La Rosa. In particular, De La Rosa has done a better job of involving his teammates. Monroe states that every team in the country goes through rough stretches. It is very important for teams to be able to maintain confidence and turn it around.

8:32-

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com is next up with Drew. He mentions an article he will soon put up about Marvin Harrison’s legal issues. Florio states that it is amazing that Harrison has not been prosecuted. He next talks about the season of Michael Vick and his future in the league.

8:23-

Lou in Phoenix calls in. He brings up how the Orioles have yet to make an impact this offseason. He has not seen the team add the “big bat” they promised. In particular he points out the team’s lack of effort towards getting Matt Holliday.

8:11-

Antwan Barnes is now on with Drew. He starts off by talking about how “cool, calm, and collected” the locker room is. He next states that he has been waiting for his opportunity to help the team win. The past few weeks, Barnes has made a significant impact on the defensive side of the ball. He also acknowledges the importance of this game to the city of Baltimore.

8:10-

Pete from downtown is next up. He states that he has had trouble sleeping at night going into the game with John Harbaugh as coach.

8:08-

Mike in Rosedale talks about the upcoming playoff game. He says the best defense against Peyton Manning is to score touchdowns on offense. He thinks the Ravens have a great chance to pull off the upset.

7:56-

Robert from Hampstead calls in to ask about John Daly’s weight loss. He then shares his own weight loss story. Drew talks about Daly’s appeal to the everyday man.

7:48-

Jonathan in Essex calls in. He talks about the intensity level of both the players and the fans this week. He states that both sides seem very excited for the upcoming game. He also says that Ray Lewis “owes” the Ravens fans a win over Peyton Manning.

7:45-

As part of the picks and comment segment, Glenn picks the Colts to defeat the Ravens, while Drew and Josh choose the Ravens. Be sure to check out all the picks in the audio vault.

As we all know I am a super huge Washington Capitals Fan, but that is not where I am starting today, there is something else buzzing in my head.

The Baltimore Orioles- A close friend of mine bought a 13 game season ticket plan, as we all know about the fiasco we know as the Orioles, I was curious. I had been reading about the pick ups, and that has me optimistic. I am absolutely interested in seeing how our pitching pick ups will pan out and fit ultimately in our puzzle, seems like each year they throw everything in a box, shake it up and tell Trembley lets see where they land, and that’s what you have, and not to mention lets call up some green pitchers and let them get slaughtered. I like where the team is moving right now. I played baseball forever, and I like getting out and playing softball it reminds me of the days I dreamed of being an Oriole, who knows this year I might buy a jersey this year,

The Baltimore Ravens- Today is a big day, I can not wait to watch it. Being able to knock off the Steelers from the Playoff’s!!?!?! Holy Christmas, the only thing better would be to knock the Colts off. Football has so many variables from week to week for me a novice to get into.

Before Christmas I had the opportunity to play in a Charity co-ed two hand touch football game. Those are so much fun for me, because I not only get to play around with my friends but it supported Santa Clause Anonymous. I got to throw my signature Hail Mary Pass. It was beautiful, I was still in the pocket about to be rushed and I let it rip from the hip, didn’t even step into it…… A 45 some yard pass that almost hit my lightning fast 6’3″ receiver in the head, dammit why didn’t he turn around! Ah well it was fun.

The Washington Capitals- I am super excited about the Caps, I think this is the year. I have never seen so many goals this early into the season! After last nights game I am confident they have the defensive combinations to keep a lead against teams that hurt them early in the season. Offensive Juggernauts! It is ridiculous, and if they are down 2-0 after the second, WATCH THE THIRD PERIOD or you will be sorely dissapointed. Jesus Mary and Joseph, you never know who is going to strike, and who is going to wake up and get the team the win!

Alrighty folks, I am off to a buddy’s preparing for the Ravens game! I love it Rock the Purple. Rock The Red, and The Orange & Black.

Greatful for everyone, and see you in the New Year, by the way my girlfriend bought me Capitals tickets for Christmas, she knows the way to my heart.

-Steve

twitter.com/stephenactor

9:47-

Glenn mentions that the Ravens tried out two wide receivers. He clarifies that does not indicate that this means Mark Clayton will be out for an extended period of time. Instead, the Ravens are looking to fill the open spot on their practice squad.

9:34-

Ed Frankovic comes on to talk some Capitals hockey. The team defeated Colorado last night. Ed talks about how different players have stepped up in Alex Ovechkin’s absence. Now that the star has returned, the team has even more balance.

9:14-

Ross Tucker, of Sports Illustrated, is now on to chat with Drew. Drew begins by asking him about Ndamukong Suh. Tucker calls Suh the best defensive line prospect in recent years. Moving on, Tucker talks about how despite the Lion’s pitiful performance against Ravens the team is on the right track. Sticking with the Ravens, Tucker states that the Ravens must come to play in order to beat the Bears this weekend. However, as long as the Ravens continue to feed Ray Rice and Joe Flacco does not turn the ball over they should be able to pick up the victory. Tucker next talks about the fall of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He explains how difficult it is for a team to repeat as Super Bowl champs. He discusses how last season Ben Roethlisberger covered up many of the teams flaws with his play-making ability. This year. Big Ben is getting tackled more easily. Finally, Tucker speaks on the Redskins. He has been impressed with the team’s defense, and the offense has looked much better in recent weeks.

8:50-

Golfchannel.com writer Rex Hoggard is the next guest. Drew asks him if Tiger Wood’s current whereabouts are known. Hoggard states that he belives Tiger is still in Orlando, at one of his homes. He also explains that he does not think that many people were aware of Tiger’s affairs before the news broke. As far as sponsors go, Hoggard says that Tiger will do whatever possible to keep AT&T. On the topic of Tiger’s return, Hoggard states that Tiger will most likely not sit out all of the majors this season. Finally, Drew jokes that he hopes Rex’s name never appears on the list of mistresses.

8:42-

Ed from Park Heights points out flaws in both Cordish and De Francis’ plans. He blames De Francis for some of horse racing’s problems today. He states that Cordish is too focused on business. Ed also talks about how the politicians in the state have severely damaged racing. He mentions how the original reason for slots was to save horse racing.

8:07-

David Cordish, of The Cordish Cos. is on to talk about the bidding for Pimlico. He would like to respond to Joe De Francis, who made an appearance yesterday. On the topic of slots, Cordish explains that a very thorough process must be followed. The slots at Arundel Mills would be a building separate from the mall. Cordish goes on to explain how the slots will help provide revenue for the Maryland race tracks. Slots at Arundel Mills would maximize revenue for horse racing. After a short break, Cordish discusses how his company is focused on horse racing, not just development. He talks about how he will be able to effectively promote racing events. He states that he would allow people to bring alcoholic beverages to the infield if he was able to acquire Pimlico.

7:35-

Pat Kennedy, head coach of Towson University’s basketball team joins Drew. He starts off by talking about how coaches must be careful how they schedule practices around exams and the holidays. He next discusses his team’s loss to George Washington. Despite this setback, Kennedy believes that the Tigers are far ahead of where they were at this point last year. Next Kennedy explains that once conference play starts, fewer players will get significant playing time. Finally, Kennedy calls Calvin Lee his team’s answer to the other start players around the conference.

Well Folks, I am torn between my beloved Baltimore Ravens & Washington Capitals…… they both play tonight.

After watching the Capitals play their last two games scoring a combined 14 goals, that is correct 14 goals in two games. That is 14 goals in two games without Alexander Ovechkin. I’m not getting into the Ovechkin suspension controversy; only to say that it pisses a player off to come out of the gate and make some noise. I will be watching the 1st Period of the Caps Vs Lightning game, and will stay abreast of the game by Live Tweets by the Washington Capitals, heartbroken? Nope! Disappointed? Yes! I want to watch the Ravens!

As a Baltimore boy; any game that has playoff implications for our football team, I will be watching! As Nestor has been tweeting it is freakin’ cold in Green Bay right now! As I will let my friends in Wisconsin know, Baltimore is no push over, we had our doubts, we lost close games against top teams, BUT we are in the beginning stages of a Playoff push, and hopefully we will pull ahead of the Wild Card competition! It should be a game to watch if not both games but I have the attention span of a two year old, so my money is on watching the Ravens!

I love it!

I was watching the Caps game Vs the NY Rangers and it pumped me up like crazy for tonight’s game versus the Montreal Canadiens. Its a hockey team that is the epitomy of a real dynasty. Always a huge game when you play a franchise like this.

Now after watching the first period of the Caps/Rangers game, NY was owning the first ten minutes of the period. Then to see the world class Alexander Ovechkin take his only shot of the game and score a goal. Seeing Matt Bradley throw down the gloves and get six stitches for it, then coming out in the third period and scoring the game winning goal. That is why I like hockey an entire game of variables, skill, and chance.

If you never tuned into a hockey game, I don’t blame you for changing the channel. It’s hard to understand at times, and hard to get into if you have never been to a game.

I am willing to bet if you went to Verizon Center and saw a Capitals game your views on the game will forever change, and you will become a fan. It is utterly ridiculous the ferocity of the game, the bone jarring hits, the celebration of your team, it truly is an experience you can take home with you. I don’t always go to games, I usually make it out to 5-10 games out of 41 home games, but you bet your ass, I am glued to the tv screen when the Caps are on. Every game is different, never the same old song and dance, it is a true battle the entire game.

I invite anyone to tune in and see what the game is to me, and for you to go to a game.

After tonight’s game my attention will tune to tomorrow’s game, and the Ravens/Colts game Sunday, an ensuming Baltimore tradition to wish doom on the Colts franchise.

1st PERIOD UPDATE: You folks are missing a super hard hitting game!! Brooks Laich (#21) destroying Roman Hamrlik (#44 Montreal Canadiens) into the Capitals bench. Then a tussle in front of the goal. Then John Erskine (#4) dropping Georges Laraque (#17 Montreal Canadiens aka Brashear Jr.). Not to mention Perreault’s pass to Eric Fehr for the only goal of the 1st. Period! This is a great game so far!

As I am watching tonight’s Monday Night Football game Ravens Vs Browns, I just want to explain a few things about the teams I root for.

1st. Baltimore Ravens

I never got to see or hear Baltimore Colts games as a child, because I was born in 1982. The first NFL football game I saw was in Memorial Stadium in 1996, I also went to the last NFL game to be played in Memorial Stadium Vs the Miami Dolphins where I got to see Dan Marino beat the Ravens. I had a Redskins jacket when I was a kid, but I never got into the team, and never got behind the game. That all changed when the Ravens came to town, just like how the Colts were stripped from Baltimore. They are my team, and I will always support them.

2nd. Washington Capitals

I first got behind the Washington Capitals when Baltimore had the AHL affiliate the Baltimore Skipjacks. I have always loved the game of hockey, and my father always took me to Skipjack games. I remember walking out of the Baltimore Arena seeing the spare goals in the hallways and walking under them, I was rather short during that time. Anyone may say Caps fan? In my heart they are my Baltimore Hockey team. I would rather drive to DC, then to Philly to see the games. For the record my favorite player all time was Dale Hunter.

3rd. Baltimore Orioles

I remember being a kid living on 38th Street in Baltimore City, and walking up the street a few blocks to Memorial Stadium and seeing the Orioles play ball. Unfortunately my father took my sister to the last Orioles game in Memorial Stadium, but he did make up for it by taking me to the 1st game at Oriole Park for my birthday, not to mention I got to miss school for the day. I have high hopes for my beloved Orioles, maybe I will one day see a championship come to Baltimore.

As to what you will see me write about, mostly the Washington Capitals. I am an amateur hockey player, and I absolutely love the level of skill it takes to play the game, not to mention the endurance. When the Orioles start playing you will hear from me. As for now I am seriously upset with the Ravens over our field goal kicker.

Til’ next time.

-Steve

Catch my tweets on twitter.com/stephenactor

9:36-

Jackie MacMullan is next up. She is a well-known sports writer who is a regular on the ESPN program Around the Horn. She recently wrote the book When the Game Was Ours. The book chronicles the careers of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. The two of them wanted the book to be written to set the record straight about their relationship. She talks about the players’ relationship with Michael Jordan. Bird and Jordan eventually became close. Magic never formed a solid relationship with Jordan because of a bad All-Star Game experience. She believes that Michael Jordan is the best player to ever play the game. She also talks about Shaq’s legacy. She hopes that he is successful in Cleveland so that he can put some of his recent bad experiences behind him.

9:22-

Corey Masisak of the Washington Times is on to chat with Drew about the Capitals. He talks about how the Capitals have committed too many penalties this season. He also comments on the Caps’ need for a quality veteran defenseman. On the topic of Alexander Ovechkin’s injury, Masisak states that since the team classified his injury as week-to-week, he may miss a significant amount of time.

9:04-

Olympic speed skater Allison Baver is the next guest. She will be the Comcast Morning Show’sadopted Olympian. She has already visited the city of Vancouver and calls it a great city. She moves on to a touchy subject for her. She broke her leg at the Samsung ISU World Cup in a nasty crash. (See video below). Baver mentions that she used to skate in Baltimore. Her coach drove her to Baltimore when she was learning to skate because of the lack of rinks near her home. She next talks about her daily routine. Every part of her day is focused on skating. Her day normally begins at 7 in the morning and leaves the rink at 7 at night. If you want more information on Allison visit her website.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPvC3b_r43s[/youtube]

8:40-

Ken Davidoff is on with Drew to discuss the World Series.  He starts off by saying that New York fans are becoming anxious after the team’s loss in Game 5. He next talks about how Joe Girardi has handled himself during the Series. Girardi has been the subject of much criticism following the losses. Davidoff next comments on Mark Teixeira’s struggles. He calls Teixeira “lost” at the plate. He also talks about the Yankees’ decision to go with a three man rotation. He believes that the decision will pay off and the Yankees will win the Series. Davidoff names Johnny Damon as the one of the front runners for the World Series MVP Award. If the Phillies win, then Chase Utley will almost surely win the award.

9:33-

Dean Evason, assistant coach of the Washington Capitals is on to talk some hockey. He begins by talking about the use of Alexander Ovechkin in shootouts. He explains that when a team has the best player in the world, it must use him as much as possible. He next talks about the tough schedule that Caps have faced in the early going.

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

9:08-

Joe Sheehan from Baseball Prospectus is the next guest. He states that the Angels missed out on an opportunity last night when they faced CC Sabathia on 3 days rest. Sheehan next talks about the defensive performance of Mark Teixeira. He explains that Teixeira had previously played thirdbase before coming to the majors which contributes to his range. He states that Teixeira should be a leading contender for the Gold Glove Award. Moving on to the Angels, Sheehan talks about how the team will try and keep some of its impending free agents. In regards to Chone Figgins, Sheehan does not see the Orioles as a good fit. Sheehan finishes up by talking about the high turnover in managers during the season and how this means that we will not see many moves on that front coming up.

9:02-

Glenn is on with a Ravens Report. He explains why the team takes days off during the bye week despite the current losing streak. He states that if the coaches scheduled practice each day, they would lose the players. The team instead is able to relax and treat the next ten games as a whole new season. On the injury front, Jared Gaither stated he would definitely play against the Broncos and Kelley Washington would not have any problems due to the concussion he suffered.  Also, Michael Oher will not continue the feud between himself and Jared Allen.

8:31-

Clark Judge from CBS Sports is up with Drew. He attended the Ravens-Vikings game and had this reaction. He starts off by talking about the disappointments that are the San Diego Chargers and Tennessee Titans. He also talks about how the Broncos have shocked everyone with their undefeated start. He next explains how the Redskins’ Jim Zorn has had his leadership taken away along with his play-calling duties. Judge also describes the risk of starting a rookie quarterback. He thinks that the Jets may have made a mistake by handing Mark Sanchez the starting job.

8:21-

Another caller starts to talk about the Raven’s weakness against the pass. He states that since the team seems to have major problems in coverage, the team should instead focus on playing more physically. Yet another caller brings up the play of Ed Reed. He states that while Reed is an excellent player, his risk-taking has hurt the Ravens coverage this season.

8:00-

A caller talks about the struggles of the Ravens defense. He gives each defensive starter, except for Ray Lewis and Jarret Johnson, a failing grade for the season so far. He states that Greg Mattison is too passive to be an effective defensive coordinator in this league.   

7:52-

Glenn and Drew start discussing Maryland Athletic Director Debbie Yow. Chris Turner’s father recently made a message board post titled “Get rid of Yow” on insidemdsports.com. The athletic director must be able to effectively balance making money with putting good teams on the field/court.

7:41-

Next up is the head coach of the Northeastern Huskies, Rocky Hager. He starts off by talking about the challenging schedule his team has faced so far. He next talks about maintaining balance on offense. Injuries to the team’s quarterbacks have caused the team to allow more turnovers than Hager would like. Hager also explains that his team is not as bad as its 0-6 record. He states that his team just needs to be more consistent and put everything together for an entire game. Hager moves on to the competitiveness of the CAA. He believes that the CAA has clearly risen to the top of the conferences in the FCS and can be called the SEC of the lower division.

7:37-

I’m making my return from swine flu this morning. Rob Ambrose comes on to talk with Drew. He talks about dealing with the tragedy involving the UConn football team. He also talks about facing the winless Northeastern Huskies this weekend.