Facebook Twitter Share Email Print RSS Comment

The Swinging Bunt

‘Bong-Gate’ helps feed San Fran’s homeless.  I’ve always been a subscriber to the notion that everything happens for a reason and that good can come from any situation.  It turns out there’s even a silver lining to Michael Phelps smoking pot.  When the photo of the 14-time Olympic Champ puffing first appeared, Kellogg’s was one of the first of Phelps’ corporate sponsors to drop him as a spokesperson.  Now the breakfast business has donated thousands of boxes of cereal, all with Phelps’ likeness on them, to a homeless shelter in San Francisco.  As for Mike himself… he’s still serving his three month ban from competitive swimming and is here in Baltimore working out.  How does this CMS staff writer know that?  Last week I walked into the pool area of Loyola College’s Fitness and Aquatics Center for a dip and a little excercize and who is working out in Lane 5 with his coach, Bob Bowman?…  none other than the worldly humanitarian who was responsible for delivering Frosted Flakes and Corn Flakes to the less fortunate in the Bay Area.  (For the record, I watched practice and stretched for a few minutes and then jumped in Lane 7 and swam the lane next to the lane next to the Golden Boy… c’mon, I’m obviously never going to sparr with Ali, play in a foursome with Tiger, or shoot around at the same hoop as Jordan, so it was pretty cool.)

Bedard still a pain in the ass!  Now I know it has only been a year since the O’s shipped Erik Bedard out to Seattle for prospects, but I think it’s already pretty, pretty easy to say that Baltimore got the best of the deal.  Bedard only appeared 15 times for the Mariners last year, his last coming on the 4^th of July, and otherwise spent multiple stints on the disabled list in the great Pacific Northwest.  Yesterday the lefty missed his scheduled Cactus League outing… due to a sore butt.  This guy has turned out to be a real softy, especially I guess in a certain fleshy area.  Meanwhile, all the Orioles got back were Adam Jones, their franchise center fielder who is considered one of the best five-tool young players in baseball, George Sherrill, an all-star MVP candidate who saved 31 games last season, and Chris Tillman, a right hand starter who is a top-25 prospect in all of baseball… and two other dudes.  One of the best trades in Oriole history, if not the best, right?

Scanning the Blogosphere

…of all places, a website named Midwest Sports Fans has a nice, tidy, little primer for the ACC Tournament.  I like to print stuff like this out to keep next to my remote, I’m just saying… it’s a good idea, especially this time of year in collegiate basketball.

Fan IQ takes a look at NFL teams while they prepare for the ‘09 draft, today they look at the AFC North and the Baltimore Ravens.

Around the Harbor wonders if Terp WR Darius Heyward-Bey might be just what the Ravens need to fill their biggest need.

Baltimore Sports Report has a breakdown of the Orioles starting pitching rotation.

The Loss Column has the latest on who might fill out the last spots on the bench and the pitching staff.

Z on TV tells us Michael Phelps and Matt Lauer will be taping an interview to be aired Sunday night at 7 on Dateline.  It’s Phelps first interview since… ‘Bong-Gate!’

Medium Well has CBS’s pairings for the upcoming NCAA Tournament.  Ray’s dead-on, Gus Johnson and Len Elmore is the most entertaining grouping by far, and it will definitely be interesting to see how Clark Kellogg replaces Billy Packer with Jim Nantz.

CMS Video of the Day

The Terps get started in the ACC Tournament tonight when they take on the NC State Wolfpack on ESPN2 tonight at 7:00. If your around my neck of the woods… swing down to Magerks in Federal Hill for the Official WNST Maryland ACC Tournament Viewing Party.

Many ‘bracketologists’ believe Maryland needs to win at the very least 2, if not 3, games to make the NCAA Tournament.

Today’s video comes from the archive and is the last 20 seconds and celebration of the 2004 UMD-Duke ACC Championship game, the last time Maryland has gone as far in the ACC Tournament.

Can the Gary rally his troops?  We’ll see, I guess.  My bet is no.  Don’t tell Glenn I said that.

The Morning’s Final Thought

Haha, two funny comics…