Mason returns to a team that has revamped their WR corps this offseason, adding Anquan Boldin via trade and signing Donte’ Stallworth as a free agent.

The sides were unable to come to an agreement before free agency opened, but Mason never took another visit-despite rumored interest from the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins.

Mason had flirted with the idea of retiring at the end of the 200-2010 season, telling media he was either “50-50″ or “60-40″ to return.

Presumably, Boldin and Mason will be the top two receivers on the team next season. Along with the Stallworth, the team will be deep at receiver, as Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams have yet to gain any interest as tendered UFA’s, and Marcus Smith and Justin Harper remain under contract.

Tune into AM1570 WNST throughout the day Thursday for more reaction to the news.

8:40pm-update with quotes from a team release:

GM Ozzie Newsome: “We know exactly what we’re getting with Derrick and that’s production. Every Ravens fan knows what Derrick brings to this team. It’s reliability, toughness, leadership, the fight to win, the want of the ball in the clutch times. He has a two-year history with Joe (Flacco) that says ‘we know how to produce together.’ They are on the same page.”

Head Coach John Harbaugh: “This is outstanding, just great news for the Ravens. Our coaches are happy. Derrick’s teammates are happy and you know Joe [Flacco] is smiling. Way to go to Ozzie [Newsome] and Pat [Moriarty] for getting this done. We would have lost something special if Derrick had gone to another team. We have gotten better in the last couple of days.”

WR Derrick Mason: “I’m getting myself ready to play football and help the Ravens win. But, the first thing I am going to do is take my family on vacation. I’ll see everybody back in Baltimore soon.”

9:40 update-ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Mason deal is 2 years, $8 million. In one of those “how about that” moments, that was the exact figure I told Bob Haynie today I assumed they had offered him.

-G

It’s a Happy Wednesday for me because there was a Chick-Fil-A platter delivered yesterday afternoon during Rex Snider & Ray Bachman’s show. There may have only been a few chicken nuggets left by the time I drove as fast as I could to get back to 1550 Hart Rd., but it was well worth it.

Oh and also, it’s a Happy Wednesday for me because I finally got around to watching Zach Galifianakis host Saturday Night Live. I had to watch it on Hulu because my roommate (thanks pal) forgot to record it on our brand new Comcast DVR. It wasn’t QUITE as good as Jon Hamm, but it certainly had some moments….

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. WNST.net’s Luke Jones says Greivis Vasquez named ACC Player of the Year, Gary Williams ACC Coach of the Year

Boy, this picture Luke included with his blog says a lot….

Hopefully this story isn’t the watershed moment in the Greivis Vasquez-Gary Williams story. But even if it is; the story will be a tremendous one to tell for Maryland fans to tell over the course of the next generation.

Both Greivis and Gary were OVERLY deserving of these honors, and the voting portrayed exactly that. Vasquez was a runaway victor-with his performance against Jon Scheyer and the Blue Devils last week at Comcast Center clearly fresh on the minds of voters. Gary also won with a big margin over Coach K, his 2nd such honor during his 21 seasons in College Park.

Jordan Williams was 2nd in ACC Rookie of the Year voting (behind a VERY deserving Derrick Favors from Georgia Tech), leaving the Terps just short of an ACC awards sweep.

2. Washington Post’s Michael Wilbon says having veteran players could help Terrapins make run in NCAA Tournament

And of course he’s right about that. The trio of seniors (Vasquez, Eric Hayes and even Landon Milbourne); as well as veterans Adrian Bowie, Cliff Tucker, and Dino Gregory off the bench will ABSOLUTELY help the Terps in the Big Dance.

BUT….other teams have good players too.

AND….other teams might be even more talented.

OR….other teams might go off for 60% shooting from beyond the arc in a strange atmosphere on a Saturday afternoon in Spokane.

Just having upperclassmen doesn’t guarantee great success in March. But it sure does help.

As a side note, Deadspin offered this yesterday…apparently from the Raycom broadcast of the Maryland/Georgia Tech game a few weeks ago. It humorously points out that the graphic looks similar to a certain part of the female anatomy. I wouldn’t giggle if it weren’t funny…

3. The Sun says Terps, Texas given ‘reprieve’ from new rule limiting “coach in waiting” involvement in recruiting

The only thing I don’t understand in this whole process is why the NCAA would adopt a rule basically preventing teams from using the “coach in waiting” system, but not just ban the “coach in waiting” system altogether?

James Franklin (like the Longhorns’ Wil Muschamp) is an ASSISTANT coach. Ralph Friedgen is the head coach, like Mack Brown in Austin. Franklin and Muschamp should be allowed to recruit the same way every other ASSISTANT coach in the country is.

Nothing about this rule makes any sense to me. Giving these coaches ‘reprieve’ for one season isn’t the answer, either. Either ban the entire system, or let the coaches recruit the way they should be allowed to.

4. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Bruce Campbell, Nolan Carroll, Chris Turner, Cory Jackson to work out at Maryland’s Pro Day today in College Park

You know what’s a LITTLE bit weird? NFL Scouts are going to be looking at Bruce Campbell today the same way I look at “Big Bang Theory” star Kaley Cuoco…

…Okay, maybe not the SAME way, but you get the point.

Today is biggest for CB Nolan Carroll, who scouts like-but haven’t seen do anything on a football field after Week 2-when he broke his leg. He was in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, but only for the private meetings and medical checks, he didn’t actually work out.

It’s a big day for Chris Turner too. Not because he has any chance of reaching the NFL (I’m not sure he’s even really concerned about TRYING to reach the NFL-he has an idea about what he wants to do for the rest of his life), but because he would REALLY like for the scouts in the room to know him as something OTHER than the dude who looks like Napoleon Dynamite.

5. Morgan State Official Site previews tonight’s MEAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup with North Carolina A&T

I’m a LITTLE confused as to why the MEAC sets up their tournament to have some teams playing their first round games today and other teams playing quarterfinal games tonight, but it does appear as though it is set up to benefit the #1 seeded Bears. If they win tonight (as they should against an A&T team that had to play Howard last night), they’ll be off tomorrow night, and won’t have to play 3 games in 3 days to win the MEAC title and the automatic bid.

Instead, they’ll have to play Friday night and Saturday afternoon-which is still a difficult task, but not nearly as daunting as playing 3 times in 3 days.

6. Coppin State Official Site previews this afternoon’s MEAC Tournament opener against UMES

Fang Mitchell told me after the Eagles lost to Norfolk State last week that he was pretty sure he had never finished last in the MEAC until this season. The pain of that could be dulled a bit by getting a first round victory over the Hawks, although clearly not completely erased.

On the flip side, the job that Frankie Allen has done in Princess Anne cannot go unnoticed. That program struggled to win ANY games, but the former UMBC assistant has gone out there and brought a level of respectability to that program. I’m not sure it translates for long term success THERE-but hopefully it translates to long term success for Allen SOMEWHERE.

7. Inside Lacrosse says Steven Boyle, Kyle Wharton, Michael Kimmel and Zach Palmer all scored 3 goals as Johns Hopkins topped UMBC at Homewood Field

Good win for the Blue Jays-who needed a good win after their tough loss to Princeton Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. They’re not going to get 4 hat tricks every time out, but if they can continue to get a more balanced effort from their attack unit, they’ll be in great shape.

They return to action Saturday night at Hofstra (expect a big crowd there on Long Island). Things get NO easier for the 1-3 Retrievers, as they visit Princeton Saturday afternoon.

8. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Chad Moeller homered, but Birds fell to Rays

Chris Tillman gave up 2 runs (1 earned) over 2 1/3 innings of work. As Brittany points out, no Orioles pitcher has managed to go 3 innings yet during Spring Training. That’s not overly concerning-but consider the fact that Jeff Niemann appeared to go an effortless 4 innings yesterday for Tampa. Also, the O’s committed 5 errors yesterday. That’s not good….at all.

What IS good? Well, as we first showed you yesterday on Twitter (follow us @WNST), Matt Wieters will grace the cover of next Monday’s issue of SI. Say what you want about a jinx, but having an Oriole on the cover of SI for the first time in 13 years is pretty cool…

Hell, there’s an argument that the picture is more attractive than even this picture of Trish Richardson that I found yesterday at Barstool Sports….

9. Carroll County Times’ Rich Dubroff says Andy MacPhail ‘admitted concern’ regarding Brian Roberts injury

This whole situation with Brian Roberts has been weird since Day 1. ESPN’s Buster Olney reported that Brian was dealing with kidney stones, which was immediately shot down by Dave Trembley-who described it as a “lower back issue.” Almost immediately after that, it was diagnosed as a “herniated disc”, with a moderate level of concern.

Now, he’s having bad reactions to medication and the organization is concerned that he might not be ready even by Opening Day.

Does it make you wonder if maybe the initial report from Buster Olney was more accurate than the Orioles wanted us to think it was?

10. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says ‘no deal expected’ for Marlin Jackson after visit with Ravens

Not surprising. Marlin Jackson was in town yesterday (even though he apparently didn’t make it to Martin’s West), so it made sense for him to visit Owings Mills while he was in town. That being said, the Ravens would not be offering Marlin Jackson a money contract and a guaranteed spot to make the team. I doubt the Philadelphia Eagles will be doing that either. Frankly, I doubt any NFL will be doing that with a player who has been injured more over the last two seasons than he has been on the field.

That being said, I imagine (and I don’t have anyone reporting this to me) the conversation probably went something like “Look, we’re more than willing to let you come to Training Camp and prove you can be a part of this team-but we’re not going to promise you anything.”

11. USA Today’s Jim Corbett says Kurt Warner thinks Ravens got ‘another Ray Lewis’ with Anquan Boldin acquisition

And if there’s someone in that conversation who would know, it would be Kurt Warner. The same way that Boldin embodies the idea of “Play Like a Raven”, so does Kurt Warner. These guys are tough, they’re “warriors”, and they respect each other a great deal.

As I said yesterday, it really IS a “perfect fit.”

12. WNST.net’s Nestor Aparicio says in midst of controversy, Michael Vick did good at Ed Block Courage Awards

If you haven’t read this blog yet, PLEASE do so. And check out this video from WNSTv that accompanies it….

I don’t think it would necessarily CHANGE your opinion about Michael Vick, especially if you were one of THESE people….

….but I still think it’s worth the time to read.

And finally, I leave you with this.

RIP Corey Haim. Lost Boys meant a lot to all of us….

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

7. Mike Nolan

6. Matt Hasselbeck

5. Brian Urlacher

4. Wes Welker

3. Donovan McNabb

2. Greg Jennings

1. Hines Ward

While Glenn did the opposite, naming six players and one coach he would NOT take.

7. Ike Taylor

6. Jeremy Shockey

5. Jay Cutler

4. Andy Reid

3. Albert Haynesworth

2. Miles Austin

1. Adrian Peterson

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…

-G

It’s a Happy Tuesday for me because the people of Milledgeville, GA are much more intelligent and creative than I ever realized….

Clearly, this Roethlisberger issue is too serious to really be funny; but…..it’s also pretty funny. Sorry. (Thanks Deadspin.)

Let’s see what everyone has to say…..

1. Maryland Official Site says Vasquez unanimous All-ACC choice, Jordan Williams named to ACC’s All-Rookie team

And Andy Roddick’s wife is moderately attractive….

Look, we all knew these players were going to receive these honors, so it isn’t exactly earth-shaking. That being said, both are still very deserving. (Thanks Busted Coverage!)

The announcements for ACC Player of the Year, ACC Coach of the Year, and ACC Rookie of the Year come this afternoon. The answers are Greivis Vasquez, Gary Williams and Derrick Favors. Other answers would be inaccurate, which of course doesn’t mean it can’t happen.

2. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Maryland, Illinois, Texas, Pitt, Navy, Rhode Island, College of Charleston in field for 2010 Coaches vs. Cancer Classic

Of course, this all sets up for the Terps, Illini, Longhorns and Panthers to meet up at Madison Square Garden early in the season.

I say “sets up” knowing damn well that a few of those teams could give the Terps some trouble early at Comcast Center, especially considering this team will be trying to replace Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne. Adrian Bowie will likely be trying to prove himself for the first time at the point, while Sean Mosley will be trying to prove himself for the first time as a go-to scorer at the NCAA level.

It won’t be easy. It especially won’t be easy if they get to New York.

3. ESPN.com’s Joe Lunardi has Terps as 5 seed, facing Arizona State in first round of NCAA Tournament

As of right now, that’s about right. Due to the fact that their surge has come late, it is unlikely the Terrapins will be able to stay “local” (Providence or Buffalo), but they’re still likely to get a high seed. Should they make a run to the ACC Championship Game Sunday in Greensboro, that seed could be even higher.

And for the record, despite living in Tempe for 2 years-my allegiance is not even a BIT in question. Despite the aesthetics of Sun Devil Country….

4. Washington Examiner’s Kevin Dunleavy says Maryland, Notre Dame finalize deal for 2011 football game at FedEx Field

Awesome.

Of course, by next season-there is no doubt that Brian Kelly will have the Fighting Irish turned around, and this game will be even more of a disaster than the 22-0 loss at Giants Stadium in the Kickoff Classic a few years back.

This is a bit of a good news-bad news issue. The good news is that for a Maryland team that struggled to get ANY sort of TV coverage last season (not that I didn’t enjoy getting to know the broadcast staff of ESPN360), they’ll get a midseason primetime game televised nationally on NBC.

The bad news is that the game will be played only a few miles away from College Park, yet Irish fans will get to eat up the bulk of the tickets via a lottery. This isn’t like the Navy game in Baltimore-where fans of both schools have equal access to tickets.

But it’s still a good thing for the program, there’s no doubt about that. Hopefully we’ll feel the same way the morning after the game.

5. Johns Hopkins Official Site previews tonight’s contest with UMBC at Homewood Field

Your boy is headed over to Homewood Field tonight to FINALLY get his first look at the Jays this season. Let’s Tweet up (follow us on Twitter @WNST) if you’re going too. Let me know, and we’ll grab some sort of frosty adult beverage following the game.

Big game for Dave Pietramala’s crew after falling to Princeton Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. They want to prove that losing the Tigers was nothing more than a tough loss to a really good team. Taking care of business tonight against the Retrievers will prove that.

6. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Ozzie Newsome thinks he ‘made a mistake’ by not originally drafting Anquan Boldin

There are a lot of NFL GM’s who feel the same way, trust me. There’s a heart measurement that can’t be quantified when players run around in their underwear out in Indianapolis.

Anquan Boldin proved his heart just weeks before his trip to the NFL Scouting Combine, when his Florida State team went into the Sugar Bowl without starting QB Chris Rix and backup Adrian McPherson. The Seminoles tried 3rd string QB Fabian Walker, but had no success against a tough Georgia defense.

Knowing that he needed a good showing to help his NFL Draft stock as an undersized WR, Boldin was still more than willing to move under center (where he had played in high school) to try to help Bobby Bowden and the ‘Noles. They didn’t win the game-but it showed the type of player Anquan Boldin was.

It’s good that the Ravens have gotten a second chance to have a player like Anquan Boldin on their team. It’s not as good as having a career’s worth of Anquan Boldin, but hopefully it will help change the entire team.

7. The AP’s David Ginsburg says Harbaugh, Boldin believe acquisition perfect ‘fit’

And it really does appear to be that way. Boldin is a tough player, and will have no problem being part of a John Harbaugh team or a Cam Cameron offense. He’s the type of receiver that will immediately make Joe Flacco better, and he already has the respect of locker room leader Ray Lewis.

I’ve been hard pressed to find negative things to say about the acquisition. Boldin’s health will be a factor, but he’s never played fewer than 10 games in a season, and his only 10 game season came in 2004.

But when you think of “injury-prone” players, he’s not the type of guy who has a history of knee troubles-or who has had to miss a season due to an ACL issue.

It’s a great fit. It really is.

8. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says acquisition of Seneca Wallace makes it unlikely Troy Smith will end up in Cleveland

What’s funny here is that the one reason I thought Troy Smith might be a fit with the Browns is because of the affinity Mike Holmgren had for Seneca Wallace in Seattle. In fact, I just talked about that with Bob Haynie yesterday on AM1570.

Apparently, I was (sorta) right.

It’s just that instead of going to get a quarterback SIMILAR to Seneca Wallace, Holmgren just decided to go get Wallace.

This leaves Troy Smith in a tough spot. He and his agent (Ralph Cindrich) have done all of their posturing to try to get him to his hometown team, and calling it a “longshot” would now be kind.

The Rams, Seahawks, Cardinals, Redskins and Panthers are all likely still in the QB market. You would think that either Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb would probably end up in one of those locations. In others (like in Arizona), Smith wouldn’t be entering a competition for a starting job-but instead assuming the role of “the next guy to get a chance if our first guy screws up.” And a lot of people think a QB like Matt Leinart might screw up.

But we don’t have any real reason to assume a team like the Cards (or the Rams, or the Panthers, or whoever) is REALLY interested in Troy Smith-especially if they have to give something up to get him.

9. The Sun’s Mike Preston says Ravens should still pursue Derrick Mason or receiver in NFL Draft even after acquiring Boldin

Completely agreed. In fact, I’d say they still need to do both.

Remembering that Donte’ Stallworth and (likely) Mark Clayton would only be back on 1 year deals, and knowing that Marcus Smith, Demetrius Williams and Justin Harper are COMPELTELY unproven commodities, the Ravens can use more help at receiver.

They’d be much better off going into Training Camp with a group of 8 wide receivers that looks like….

Anquan Boldin
Derrick Mason
Donte’ Stallworth
Mark Clayton
Eric Decker (Minnesota WR coming off a foot injury-likely to be picked in the 3rd-5th round.)
Demetrius Williams
Justin Harper
Marcus Smith

From that group, they could keep as many as 5 receivers, try to release others and sign them back to the practice squad, allow injuries to play out as they will, etc. etc. etc.

Now-I’m playing fantasy football here. BUT-I don’t think the Ravens are dismissing Derrick Mason. I think they’re almost giving him the “Ray Lewis treatment” from a season ago. Remember, they made an offer to Ray and made it clear publicly they wanted him to return. They also said to him “go find out how much you’re worth.”

After Ray talked to teams that might be interested (presumably including the Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets), he realized that his greatest value was still in Baltimore. He returned.

I get the feeling (although no one has confirmed this to me) that they’re trying something similar with Mason. “Go find out how much you’re worth.” Mason can talk to the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee Titans, etc. and truly gauge what his value is. If he finds out other teams value him as a #1 receiver, he might be able to cash in that way. If he finds out the 2 year deal he has on the table from the Ravens is fair-he has the option to come back.

10. The Sun’s Mike Klingaman says kids had serious questions for Michael Vick during appearance at St. Vincent’s Center Monday

I don’t want to get too deep into the Vick discussion here, as we spent the better part of four hours talking about it this morning on “The Comcast Morning Show.”

I do not support those of you who will choose to protest the Ed Block Courage Awards tonight because of Michael Vick’s attendance. That’s not because I support dogfighting, but it’s because I’m done with the part where we try to crucify Michael Vick.

If Vick’s teammates with the Philadelphia Eagles thought Vick was deserving of this type of honor, so be it. That’s not something ANY of us can speak to, as we don’t know the daily life of Michael Vick.

If you aren’t happy that he’s receiving the award, I understand your opinion. But I won’t support a protest of an event that is amongst the best charitable events our city holds. No thank you.

11. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Matt Wieters got first hit of Spring Training, but Birds fell to Twins

You hate to see a team get only three hits in a game whether it’s in the Grapefruit League, the American League, or even the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen; but these things happen.

The O’s return to action today in Sarasota against the Rays, first pitch is at 1:05. Chris Tillman starts for the Orioles, Jeff Niemann for Tampa. I’d tell you where to see the game on TV, but………

12. SI’s Dan Shaughnessy says MacPhail, Wieters give Orioles ‘hope’

This looks pretty similar to the Tim Kurkjian story I commented on yesterday. Warm fuzzies are all well and nice, but it doesn’t explain how the Birds are going to compete against the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL East. It’s nothing more than warm fuzzies.

And finally, I leave you with this.

The presence of Scott Hall last night is part of why I think the “Hulk Hogan era” will ultimately doom TNA, but I couldn’t help but enjoy the return of the “Monday Night Wars”, especially when Rob Van Dam bumped into Sting….

It WAS better than watching Criss Angel on WWE. That’s for sure.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G

10. They Might Be Giants (Friday 8pm Recher Theatre), Dropkick Murphys (Tuesday 7pm 9:30 Club), JET & Carbon Leaf (Friday 7:15am 9:30 Club), Shamrockfest featuring The Roots, Train, etc. (Saturday 1pm RFK Stadium), Five For Fighting (Tuesday 8pm Lisner Auditorium), Ron White (Saturday 7pm & 10pm Warner Theatre), Harland Williams (Thursday-Sunday DC Improv)

It’s not exactly the GREATEST week of live shows in the world…but there are some interesting things here….

For example, while I won’t be able to make it to Shamrockfest Saturday, I SERIOUSLY support the concept. I also support The Roots, who have been one of the greatest things to happen to music…like…ever….

The show Friday morning at 9:30 Club is called “Kegs and Eggs”, which is also a concept I’m fully behind. Of course, drinking beer while eating eggs is something I like to just call “Breakfast” myself…

And since BOTH events include Carbon Leaf, I’m reminded that Carbon Leaf is SO FREAKING AWESOME…..

9. WWE-Shawn Michaels: My Journey available in stores on DVD (Tuesday), Jimi Hendrix “Valleys of Neptune” available in stores (Tuesday)

I don’t usually go to the store to buy music anymore-I usually choose iTunes these days. But no matter what I do, I’m totally confused about this whole Jimi Hendrix thing. You mean to tell me that Jimi Hendrix has been dead for FORTY YEARS and they’re just now discovering unreleased music????

I mean, even 2Pac stopped putting out new music a few years back, and he’s only been gone for about 15 years! What’s next, some unreleased material from Bach???

If I was headed to Best Buy (or wherever it is people go to buy new releases these days) Tuesday, I’d probably shell out the cash for the Shawn Michaels DVD set, truthfully. I’m a total mark for HBK….

8. Golf: WGC CA Championship (Thursday & Friday 2pm live on Golf Channel, Saturday 2pm Sunday 3pm live on NBC. All golf from Doral, FL), PGA Puerto Rico Open (Thursday-Saturday 6:30, Sunday 7:30pm from Rio Grande, PR live on Golf Channel)

Look, I don’t have a freaking clue why John Daly started modeling underwear a few weeks ago….

But I do know that I personally think Tiger Woods’ friend Loredana Jolie would have been a better choice….

7. College Football: Maryland Pro Timing Day (Wednesday Cole Field House & Gossett Team House)

HOLY CRAP I HAVE TO KNOW HOW MANY 225 POUND REPS TRAVIS IVEY CAN DO!!!!!!

My suggestion to Bruce Campbell (shoe-in), Terrell Skinner, Nolan Carroll, Chris Turner and all others participating Wednesday in College Park: Run faster than Rich Eisen….

And before we move off the topic of Bruce Campbell, as great as his Old Spice commercial was….

This is better….

6. NHL: Hurricanes @ Capitals (Wednesday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet & NHL Network), Lightning @ Capitals (Friday 7pm from Verizon Center live on Comcast SportsNet), Capitals @ Blackhawks (Sunday 12:30pm from Chicago live on NBC)

Remember when the whole country had hockey fever about a week ago? So….ummm…..whatever happened to that????

For the record, I literally don’t think I can name a single player for Tampa Bay. Vincent LeCavalier or whatever the hell that french guy’s name was? Is he on the team?

I know Patrick Kane plays for the Hawks, but I don’t think I can name anyone else. Maybe Stan Mikita? Wayne & Garth?

5. College Lacrosse: Towson @ Maryland (Saturday 11am from Byrd Stadium live on WMAR2 & ESPNU), Penn @ Maryland (Monday 3pm Ludwig Field); UMBC @ Johns Hopkins (Tuesday 7pm from Homewood Field live on ESPNU); Duke @ Loyola (Saturday 3pm from Ridley Athletic Complex live on AM1570 WNST); Lycoming @ Stevenson (Saturday 1pm Caves Athletic Complex)

I’d like to congratulate everyone in the Greyhounds family (even you Chris Bonetti) on the opening of your new stadium. It’s a big deal.

Of course, it would be a bigger deal if you were opening KITCHEN Stadium….

4. Boxing: Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey (Saturday 9pm from Arlington, TX live on HBO PPV)

I wasn’t NEARLY as excited about this fight until I saw that Manny Pacquiao may or may not be dating someone named Krista Ranillo….

(Edit from GMC: Attention attractive females-if I allow another man to punch me in the face repeatedly, will you sleep with me? A simple “yes” or “no” will do here.)

3. High School Basketball State Semifinals: 1A-Allegany vs. Dunbar (Friday 3pm), Snow Hill vs. Owings Mills (Friday 5pm)-Final Saturday 1pm; 2A-North Carroll vs. Gwynn Park (Friday 7pm), Easton vs. City (Friday 9pm)-Final Saturday 6pm; 3A-Blake vs. Thomas Stone (Thursday 3pm), Stephen Decatur vs. Milford Mill (Thursday 5pm)-Final Saturday 3pm; 4A-Springbrook vs. Eleanor Roosevelt (Thursday 7pm), Old Mill vs. Urbana (Thursday 9pm)-Final Saturday 8pm. All games from Comcast Center.

As a reminder, if you’re poking around College Park this weekend….

It’s illegal, and it isn’t cool. (Edit from GMC: You know what, cast your own judgments on what is or isn’t cool. I’m sick of you always leaving it up to me. It’s DEFINITELY illegal though.)

2. Ed Block Courage Awards (Tuesday 6:15pm Martin’s West)

Look, I think Dawan Landry, Michael Vick, EJ Henderson, Shawne Merriman, Marlin Jackson, Mike Furrey, et. al. are as deserving as anyone might be to win one of these awards; but I can’t help but wonder where a certain other NFL quarterback is on this list…..

….my apologies, apparently they aren’t the Ed Block “Liquid Courage” Awards. My apologies.

1. College Basketball: ACC Tournament: Maryland vs. North Carolina/Georgia Tech winner (Friday 7pm from Greensboro live on Raycom Sports-WNUV 54 locally, ESPN2 nationally-Championship Game Sunday 2pm from Greensboro live on Raycom/ESPN); MEAC Tournament Championship Game (Saturday 2pm from Winston-Salem live on ESPN2); Big East Tournament Championship Game (Saturday 9pm from New York live on ESPN); SEC Tournament Championship Game (Sunday 12pm from Nashville live on ABC); Big Ten Tournament Championship Game (Sunday 3:30pm from Indianapolis live on CBS); Big 12 Tournament Championship Game (Saturday 6pm from Kansas City live on ESPN); Pac 10 Tournament Championship Game (Saturday 6pm from Los Angeles live on CBS); America East Tournament Championship Game (Saturday 12pm from Burlington, VT live on ESPN); Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship Game (Sunday 1pm from Atlantic City live on CBS); Conference USA Tournament Championship Game (Saturday 11:35am from Tulsa, OK live on CBS); Selection Sunday (coverage Sunday 6pm live on CBS/ESPN/AM1570 WNST)

So….the closest Bojangles to Greensboro is where???

Look, if you’re a Maryland fan traveling to the ACC Tournament this weekend, let’s meet up somewhere. You plan it. I’ll just show up and drink your beer. If that’s okay. If it isn’t, don’t invite me. If you’re a Duke fan traveling to Greensboro this weekend for the ACC Tournament, I hope you have a miserable weekend. If you’re a Duke fan traveling to Greensboro this weekend who is willing to buy me a beer, let me know.

I know this much. I’d pay any amount of money to see this again…..

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G

3:23-We are finally underway, here are some highlights:

-The press conference started with Harbaugh, Ozzie and Anquan holding a purple #81 jersey. Obviously something has been worked out with Marcus Smith.

-Ozzie: “When Anquan came out in the draft, he was the subject of a lot of discussion in our war room. I think I made a mistake” by not selecting him.
-Harbaugh: “We think (Anquan) fits our football team.”
-Boldin: “This is definitely a welcome change for me.” I’ve been “chomping at the bit to become a Baltimore Raven.” “This is a place that fits me.”
-Boldin: “I feel like I have” a chance to win Super Bowl in Baltimore.
-Boldin: Blocking is “something I take pride in.”
-Boldin: Coming back from brutal hit against Jets wasn’t “anything special.”
-Boldin was attracted by “passion” of players, fans in Baltimore.
-Boldin says move not influenced by retirement of Kurt Warner, as he also had “strong relationship” with Matt Leinart
-Boldin: Ravens running offense is “unbelievable.”
-Boldin: “I’m seeking a little revenge on Pittsburgh.”
-Boldin downplayed spat with Todd Haley in 2009 NFC Championship Game…”that happens all the time in the NFL.”
-Harbaugh joked that Cam Cameron might figure out a way to take advantage of Boldin’s QB background.
-Newsome said “measurables” were why Ravens didn’t draft Boldin originally. “I got blinded.”
-Newsome on Derrick Mason: “We are always looking to add good football players to our team…I would never close the door” on him.

2:43-Greetings from 1 Winning Drive, where John Harbaugh and Ozzie Newsome will shortly introduce new Baltimore Ravens WR Anquan Boldin, who was acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals last Friday.

The press conference was scheduled for 2pm but pushed back until 3. Although no reason was given, I was assured that it wasn’t like the press conference that was canceled in the Ravens’ early years when the team learned that Brock Marion hadn’t passed his physical.

I’ll be back shortly with more, make sure you’re following us on Twitter (@WNST) for the ABSOLUTE quickest updates.

-G

It’s a Happy Monday for me because this weekend’s trip to Charlottesville was MUCH better than some of the other trips to Charlottesville I’ve made for football and basketball games in recent years. Did it get interesting late? Sure. Was it still a big win to clinch a share of the ACC regular season title? You bet your ass.

Plus, I made a pit stop in DC Friday night, and I wasn’t cut by the Redskins! (That’s a funnier joke if you know that the Skins cut 10 players last week. Of course, that only means that life got BETTER for 10 NFL players last week.) After a long evening of drinking heavily having responsible fun, a friend looked at me at about 3am and said “do you want an empanada?” Of course I responded with “I’ve never wanted anything more.”

So, she directed us to something called “Julia’s Empanadas” in Adams Morgan. I ordered a saltenas empanada….

…and continued to howl in delight with a mix of chicken, potato, green peas, hard boiled egg, raisins, green olives and onion swirling in my gullet.

But I’m sure your Friday night was good too….

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. WNST.net’s Luke Jones says Maryland to face Georgia Tech/North Carolina winner in ACC Tournament quarterfinals Friday night

Which gives me an excuse (like it did for Luke) to watch the video of Cliff Tucker’s shot again….

I could watch that video all day.

Anyway….

It would NOT be a good matchup for the Terps if they had to face Georgia Tech Friday night. The reason Cliff Tucker HAD to hit that miraculous shot was because the Terps couldn’t put away the tough interior of the Wreck, who killed them on the glass. The Yellow Jackets may also be in a potentially similar situation as the Terrapins were going into the ACC Tournament a season ago, needing two wins to be able to sleep easier going into Selection Sunday. The Terps used that motivation to knock off Wake Forest last year.

That being said, Maryland would be well served to face a Paul Hewitt team that was playing a second game in as many nights. A less-rested Derrick Favors would likely not be as effective against a well-rested Jordan Williams.

And if Maryland were to be fortunate to face Carolina…..what are the mercy rules for college hoops?

2. ACCSports.com’s Jim Young picks Greivis Vasquez ACC Player of the Year, Gary Williams ACC Coach of the Year

Homer Simpson I might be, but I’m in complete agreement.

Look, if there were another candidate for ACC Coach of the Year, I’d consider it. Seth Greenberg had this award on ice before the Hokies dropped 3 straight a couple weeks ago, same for Tony Bennett before closing the season with 9 straight losses. Dino Gaudio and Oliver Purnell actually didn’t reach the heights they were expected to, and Paul Hewitt’s team never really got over the hump.

Apparently Mike Gminski nominated Coach K last night during the FSN broadcast of Clemson-Wake Forest, and I won’t be quite so dismissive here. Sometimes the award just SHOULD go to the coach of the best team in the conference. But seeing as how Duke had superior talent and higher expectations yet finished tied with Maryland; it’s hard to see how Mike Krzyzewski could be labeled as having been a BETTER coach than Gary Williams this season.

As far as Player of the Year is concerned, the guy that drilled 3 HUGE 3-balls in the 2nd half down in Charlottesville Saturday is well-deserving. If he splits it with Jon Scheyer (similar to how Shane Battier and Joe Forte did in ‘00-’01), I won’t be nearly as enraged as some of you apparently would be.

3. The Sun’s Jeff Barker says Terps using yesterday, today to rest after grueling stretch, with trip to Greensboro looming

As Gary Williams pointed out following Saturday’s game in the bowels of John Paul Jones Arena-the Wednesday/Saturday turnaround seems a lot longer than it really is when you play at 9pm Wednesday and 1:30pm Saturday.

The Terps can use a few days off before preparing for GT and UNC. You could tell at different times over the last 3 weeks that they were losing their legs a bit-which makes you wonder how things may have been worse had the team not hired new strength coach Paul Ricci.

You know who probably DOESN’T need a new strength coach??? Shakira….

4. Washington Post’s Steve Yanda says Tony Bennett’s technical Saturday different situation than when Gary Williams tossed his jacket against Georgia Tech

In the end, you just can’t show up officials. Yanda points out (and Maryland fans everywhere probably REFUSE to believe that Steve would defend Gary Williams-but he DID) that when Gary tossed his jacket, he did it because he was frustrated with how the Yellow Jackets were just beating the tar out of the Terps on the glass.

When Tony Bennett threw his jacket Saturday, he did it immediately after a Jerome Meyinsse foul call that he apparently thought should have been a charge on Sean Mosley. Whether the call was right or not (and in fairness-it was questionable), every coach has to know he can’t show up an official in that moment. He can disagree, and he can try to get the official’s attention for an explanation. But he can’t show up an official.

It really doesn’t matter that much to Maryland fans-as it wasn’t THE reason why the Terps won the game-it just made the final moments much more comfortable than they could have been had the Cavaliers managed to get the ball back down just 3-especially with once-College Park bound Jeff Jones having been red hot in the 2nd half.

Fortunately, we’ll never have to know how that situation would have played out.

5. Mt. St. Mary’s Official Site says Mountaineers’ hopes of returning to NCAA Tournament dashed by Robert Morris in NEC Tournament semis

Milan Brown’s ‘Eers had a chance to do what Randy Monroe’s UMBC Retrievers couldn’t and what Todd Bozeman’s Morgan State Bears will try to do-play for a 3rd straight conference championship.

While he fell short, MSM was very competitive again this season, and Brown has continued to do an OUTSTANDING job since replacing the legendary Jim Phelan.

Emmittsburg is a tough place to be noticed, but hopefully Brown is. He deserves some consideration for a job at a higher level. Not an ACC or  even a Conference USA level gig necessarily, but certainly consideration for jobs in conferences like the America East or the MAAC. If he’s interested in moving up to those levels that is.

6. Stevenson Official Site says Richie Ford scored 3 goals as Mustangs topped Western New England

Congratulations to Paul Cantabene’s ‘Stangs-who actually showed some defense yesterday in improving to 4-0 to start the lacrosse season. If you follow us on Twitter (@WNST), you’d know that my weekly “OldLineLax7″ poll (of the 7 D1 lacrosse schools in the state of Maryland) looks like this following this weekend’s action, including the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic…

1-Maryland
2-Johns Hopkins
3-Loyola
4-Navy
5-UMBC
6-Towson
7-Mt. St. Mary’s

I’m not trying to say the Mustangs could necessarily beat the Tigers or Mountaineers, but I will say that neither of those teams have won a game yet….

7. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Nick Markakis homered, but Birds lost to Red Sox

Knowing that the O’s would be playing the BoSox yesterday, I decided to be a professional reporter and went to the “Boston” page at BarstoolSports.com for info about the team. I spent about 15 minutes really studying up on pictures of Casey Batchelor….

….what position will she be manning at Fenway Park this season?

8. Carroll County Times’ Rich Dubroff says Jason Berken off to solid start in Spring Training

At times, it actually really did look like Jason Berken was capable of pitching last season. I don’t know it for sure, but he definitely at least APPEARED capable of being able to pitch, at least after his WOEFUL start.

That being said, it’s too easy to call his role “long relief and spot starts” and just expect that he’ll experience some sort of renaissance this season. He’s gonna be in for a battle again, and it will certainly be interesting to see how he performs.

9. ESPN The Magazine’s Tim Kurkjian says Orioles ‘could flirt with .500′

Insert the name of many other national baseball writers where the name “Tim Kurkjian” is, and you can see the general tone many analysts have when it comes to this year’s Orioles.

The problem is-while they address what the Orioles have done to improve, they don’t really address how the Orioles stack up against the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays and Jays in the AL East. The same writers who say they think the Orioles can finish around .500 are usually writers for publications who think the Orioles will finish no better than 4th in the division.

Is it possible that 4 teams in the AL East could all finish at .500 or better? I guess. Is it likely? No.

.500 would be a REMARKABLE accomplishment for this Orioles team, not something that should be expected.

10. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Marlin Jackson will visit Eagles after visiting Ravens Tuesday

Which means Marlin Jackson probably isn’t the type of player that will get a contract offer from Ozzie Newsome Tuesday and call Philadelphia to say “forget it, I’m signing here!”

If the Ravens are looking to add a CB, Jackson would at least give them a little bit more size (the CB’s on their current roster are all sub-6′0″) even if his health remains a question mark. But the Ravens will be looking to get him for a bargain, meaning a contract offer for big money won’t be coming. He’ll go to Philly for another visit, and he might not end up deciding on Charm City.

11. LA Times’ John Horn says Sandra Bullock won Academy Award for her portrayal of Leigh Anne Tuohy-adoptive mother of Michael Oher

Which was maybe the least surprising thing….ever.

And as much as I loved “The Blind Side” (I really did-even if it was a chick flick), where was the love for the green chick from “Star Trek” in this category???

12. The Sun’s Ken Murray says international soccer to return to M&T Bank Stadium July 25

Love the idea…don’t love the date. This would either be a Sunday night match, or a July afternoon match. They did a Real Mardrid-DC United match at FedEx Field last summer, and I was told it was about 187 degrees on the field at the time of kickoff.

Unacceptable.

But otherwise, I’m all in. Love the idea, especially as the city tries to earn a bid to host World Cup games.

And finally, I leave you with this.

Here’s a video Busted Coverage had of two young ladies expressing their feelings for each other at a Chicago Bulls game. Now the explanation ends and the video begins….

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

Following Maryland’s 74-68 victory over Virginia Saturday, the Cavaliers held a “meet and greet” event on the floor of John Paul Jones Arena with new football coach Mike London. Fans were invited to come to the floor to meet the new chief of the Wahoos, and the rest of the coaches who will make up his staff.

And while hundreds of Virginia fans stuck around to take the school up on the opportunity, there was a side effect that certainly was not intended.

With a few thousand Maryland fans having made the journey from the Baltimore and Washington areas to Charlottesville, there were also hundreds of Terps fans on the floor, waiting to celebrate with their team.

Despite the fact that the Terps nearly let a double-digit second half lead COMPLETELY slip away against Virginia, those fans couldn’t wait to enjoy the first celebration of a conference championship (either regular season or ACC Tournament) since the Terps were able to cut down the nets in 2004 in Greensboro. The celebration lasted some 30 mintues until the players were escorted from the floor so they could return to College Park.

The six years it took to reach that celebration may well have been the most trying for Maryland fans and those inside the program alike since Gary Williams took over in 1989.

Entering the 2004-2005 season, the Maryland program was coming off 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, and following a run to an ACC Tournament championship-there was a real feeling that the Terps were poised for a third run to the Final Four in five seasons. John Gilchrist was a preseason candidate to win both ACC Player of the Year and National Player of the Year.

It didn’t quite work out that way.

The 2004-2005 season was instead overshadowed by a troubling relationship between Gilchrist and Williams, one that would eventually end with a trip to the NIT Tournament and a departure from Gilchrist-who went unselected in the NBA Draft. The Terps lost 3 games to a dreadful Clemson team during the stretch, including an opening round loss in the ACC Tournament at Verizon Center.

The 2005-2006 season was even more troubling. Despite lowered expectations, the Terps showed signs of life early in the season, before losing Chris McCray for the second semester due to academic ineligibility. The season was also marked by great disappointment from junior Mike Jones, who failed to live up to the hype surrounding his McDonald’s All-American status. The season ended with a second straight trip to the NIT Tournament, where the Terps were eliminated at home in Round 1.

The 2006-2007 season included a return to the NCAA Tournament, but Maryland failed to advance past the first weekend of the Tournament for the 4th consecutive season. The season was highlighted by the tremendous development of guard DJ Strawberry and an upset win over North Carolina at Comcast Center, but ended when they were upset by an upstart Butler team.

The 2007-2008 season was expected to be a rebuilding campaign, but the Terps put themselves in position to return to the NCAA Tournament thanks to a stunning January win over North Carolina at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Those dreams would again be dashed by the Clemson Tigers, who rallied from down 20 points in the 2nd half to win on a Terrence Oglesby 3 point jumper in the closing seconds. The Terps were forced to go on the road in the NIT Tournament, where they lost in Round 2. The season was also marked by very public signs of academic trouble, as a 0% graduation report and low academic progress report greeted the team as they reported for Midnight Madness.

The 2008-2009 season was served as a turning point for the program, but not before an unreal amount of tension and controversy surrounded Gary Williams and AD Debbie Yow. Debates over the recruitment of players like Bobby Maze, Tyree Evans, Gus Gilchrist and Lance Stephenson caused friction inside the athletic department, and lead to a number of fans calling for Gary Williams’ or Debbie Yow’s job. The troubles in the program were documented by high profile stories in the Washington Post, and forced Debbie Yow to give Gary an uncomfortable “vote of confidence” at a winter press conference.

But with everything swirling around the program, the team rallied late in the ACC season to defeat North Carolina again at Comcast Center. They defeated Wake Forest in the ACC Torunament, and were able to return to the NCAA Tournament. The season ended with a blowout loss to Memphis in the 2nd round of the Tournament, but the Terps laid the groundwork for a successful 2009-2010 campaign; and were given a boost when Greivis Vasquez decided to return for his final season of eligibility.

But as of Saturday afternoon, that troubling run ended. The trio of Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne were not only finally able to win a game in Charlottesville, they also were able to finally call themselves champions; an honor that will be recognized with a banner that will hang in the rafters at Comcast Center for the entirety of Maryland basketball’s future.

The accomplishment wasn’t lost on Gary Williams following the game. “I thought about it, so I’m sure the players thought about it. It’s great for them, because we went through a lot of things to get to here. We had to survive some things last year, we did that.” He added “I was really pleased with the way the team came together, but I had a lot of help in terms of our seniors making that happen.”

Ultimately, that will be the mark of Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne. Instead of being remembered like John Gilchrist, Nik Caner-Medley and Chris McCray who all fell short of expectations in their final season; this group willed their way to an ACC regular season title, with the chance to do even more than that.

But should this Maryland team not win another game this season, they’ll always be remembered as champions, which is exactly what they deserve to be remembered as.

-G

————————————————————————–

3:25-That’s it from Charlottesville. Maryland clinches at least a share of the ACC title with a 74-68 win over Virginia. Greivis Vasquez with a game high 23 to lead the way. I’ll be back with more shortly.

3:24-Really UNTHINKABLE for Tony Bennett to lose his cool like that. Maryland will take the gift. It’s an ACC title even if it isn’t pretty. Congratulations to Gary Williams and the Terps….

3:23-And just like that, this is a 2 possession game with 38.6 seconds to play. Talk about weathering the storm….

3:21-BOY the crowd in Charlottesville didn’t like that call. I’m on the opposite side of the arena and did NOT get a good look….

3:20-A GREAT play call, but an offensive foul, and Virginia has the chance to go ahead…

3:18-Boy, not what you’d expect from Vasquez in the games most important moments. Virginia cuts the Maryland lead to 66-65 with 1:36 to play, and Maryland has just one timeout remaining…

3:17-Williams makes just 1 of 2, but forces a big turnover with 2:36 to play. Time to work the clock I presume…

3:15-Virginia keeps it interesting by going to Meyinsse. Just…thank God for Greivis. Jordan Williams will be at the FT line in a big spot after the final media timeout of the first half.

3:13-He makes me eat my words quite a bit. Vasquez has come up huge here in the 2nd half….

3:12-The Virginia players are playing for pride, and have been gutty in doing so. A Will Sherrill 3 makes it 62-59 with 3:46 to play, and the Cavs call a timeout. Maryland is going to have to keep attacking, the Cavaliers are NOT going away.

3:11-Greivis Vasquez is just coming up HUGE in huge situations down the stretch. He has 16 now after that 3.

3:10-Eric Hayes can sure make a tough hoop. 59-54 Maryland with 5 minutes to play.

3:08-Jeff Jones (the former Maryland commit) with a BIG 3 to cut Maryland’s lead to 3, but Vasquez FINALLY breaks his scoring drought to answer with a 3.

Of course, there’s Jones again from outside. 57-54 Maryland. Gary Williams needs another timeout. Virginia playing with house money in the 2nd half, and Maryland has clearly gotten tense.

3:04-With 7:09 to play, this one is WAAAY too close. An Eric Hayes walk gives Virginia the ball back trailing just 53-48 in the second half. Maryland is going to have to go with their guys who are in foul trouble, as Virginia has gotten into a much too comfortable rhythm.

3:03-Yeah, I’m having Mamadi Diane flashbacks as I watch Jerome Meyinsse today. No doubt about that.

2:59-Gary Williams needs a timeout after a Will Sherrill hoop inside gets Virginia within 7 at 53-46. The crowd at JPJ Arena hasn’t been particularly spirited today, but they’re getting into it a bit right now.

2:58-3rd personal foul on Jordan Williams, 8th team foul on Maryland already here in the 2nd half. Cavs AGAIN cur the Maryland lead to 9, with under 9 minutes to play.

2:56-Greivis Vasquez isn’t exactly putting the ACC Player of the Year award on ice today….

2:48-8 points now for Sean Mosley, but he’s going to have to take a seat after picking up his 3rd personal foul. 5 team fouls after the most recent call against Adrian Bowie.

Maryland lead is back down to single digits after a 3 ball from Jeff Jones. Good defense from Jontel Evans on Vasquez, but ANOTHER big 3 from Bowie. Wow.

2:45-After Vasquez went off for 10 points to start today’s game, I said to our friend Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse on Twitter)…”he might go for 35 today.”

Wrong.

He hasn’t scored since then, and Virginia has clawed back within 10 of the Terps thanks to 11 from Zeglinski and 10 from Meyinsse.

2:42-Tonight’s North Carolina/Duke game will ultimately decide the OTHER half of the ACC regular season title picture (and the #1 seed for next week’s ACC Tournament in Greensboro), and there’s no doubt that the Terps will be pulling for North Carolina. That being said, even if Maryland and Duke win today, just the accomplishment of sharing a title is a remarkable accomplishment for this Maryland team. The Terps haven’t even shared a regular season title since their national championship year (2001-2002), and the ACC Tournament title in 2004 is their only significant championship since then.

2:37-Virginia showing a little bit of life in the 2nd half, they cut the lead down to 9 before a Hayes hoop re-extended the advantage to 11.

As Bob Haynie pointed out on Twitter (follow us @WNST), it didn’t appear to be a particularly inspired effort from Maryland in the first half. They were guilty of the same thing a season ago here, and it cost them as they lost their regular season finale.

First media timeout of the 2nd half: 44-31 Terps with 15:55 to play.

2:36-A putback for Jordan Williams to open the 2nd half, I’m surprised the ball hasn’t ended up in his hands more today. He already has as many boards in the 2nd half (2) as he did in the first.

2:33-Vasquez has a game high 10; Tucker, Bowie, Milbourne and Hayes all have 5 for the Terps. 6 each for Jerome Meyinsse and Sammy Zeglinski to lead the Hoos at the break. Terps hold a 22-10 rebounding edge.

2:25-Check out the Virginia student section in the endzone today….

It might not be easy to tell, but the bulk of the sections on the left and the right are empty, and there are a number of Maryland fans who have infiltrated the section directly behind the band. An 8 game losing streak will hurt basketball excitement, there’s just no doubt about that. I guess you have to credit the fans in the upper deck, as the bulk of that level is actually full. A number of empty seats in the big money areas however.

2:19-After the over and back that gave Virginia the ball back, they couldn’t find a wide open Jontel Evans, and the score remains 38-27 at the half. I’ll be back shortly with more.

2:14-Mustapha Farrakhan was the beneficiary of Sylven Landesberg’s spot in the starting rotation, he has 4 points thus far. Tony Bennett also started some of his seniors to help celebrate Senior Day.

I don’t really love Dino Gregory continuing to step back for jumpers as much as he does, but I’d rather he hit them for sure. 4 for him already, 5 for Cliff Tucker, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne.

Sammy Zeglinski cans a 3, and Maryland’s lead is 38-27. Gary Williams calls his first timeout with 38.9 seconds to play to set up what he hopes to be the final possession of the half.

2:12-32-20 Maryland at the final official timeout of the first half. After Maryland jumped out to a 14-1 rebounding edge, Virginia has toughened up, it’s now a 19-8 advantage on the glass.

Vasquez hasn’t scored since posting his early 10 points, but has been distributing the ball just fine.

2:07-After 3 points early, Landon Milbourne has gone silent again. The lack of a natural position has really hurt him offensively this season.

2:04-5 points already for Adrian Bowie, who has played REALLY well over the last couple of weeks. Maybe the fans who were panicked over the idea of him starting next season after Eric Hayes graduates were being a bit overdramatic. 28-20 Terps with 6:15 to play in the half.

2:02-Obviously, this game took a dramatically different turn when it was announced that Cavs leading scorer Sylven Landesberg was suspended (academics) for today and the rest of the season. Virginia has struggled offensively in their hope to snap an 8 game losing streak.

2:00-The ‘Hoos have already tried a number of different defenders on Greivis Vasquez, they’ve all had an equal amount of success…..little to none.

Jeff Jones has 5 points for the Cavaliers….think he ever wonders why he chose UVa over the Terrapins?

1:58-Thanks to the Virginia IT staff for getting me online….today. Maryland is up 23-16 with 8:39 to play in the first half here at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. Greivis Vasquez has 10, and the Terps are just killing the Wahoos on the glass.

-G

It was a Happy Friday for me because…

1-the Morgan State thing was AMAZING last night

and 2-With sentencing being oft-delayed for Lil’ Wayne (it looks like Monday now), I’m just gonna go ahead and give props to Weezy today, since I don’t want this to keep dragging out. Dude is getting the Plaxico Burress treatment in New York, which is unfortunate. But props to Weezy.

“One Way Trip” is my favorite track off of “Rebirth” (Language NSFW)….

Let’s see what everyone has to say….

1. The AP says Reggie Holmes’ 36 lead Morgan State in rout of Coppin State

I can’t say enough about what an incredible night it was at Hill Field House.

Was it like Senior Night and Maryland/Duke in College Park? Maybe not, but the raw emotion was very similar.

Reggie Holmes has staked his claim as one of the greatest college basketball players in Baltimore history, and last night was some form of coronation. With some of the greatest players in Charm City history present (including Sam Cassell, the reigning Dean of Baltimore Basketball), Holmes put on a show for the ages against an Eagles team-that even in a down year-remains the Bears’ biggest rival.

But the event was so much more than that. It was chilling. It came in front of a packed house, where fans would have waited hours for the chance to see Holmes’ night. A group of 30 or so fans rushed the floor BEFORE the game to help celebrate Holmes (who surpassed Marvin “The Eraser” Webster as the all-time leading scorer in MSU history in the win). Coach Todd Bozeman told us after the game that it was “Cherry Hill” that rushed the floor-and joked that the team had thought about playing the game in that particular Baltimore neighborhood.

It was just special. If you weren’t there, I’m sorry. Both the Bears and Eagles are now off until the MEAC Tournament. Coppin State is the 11 seed, they’ll face UMES in the Opening Round Wednesday. Morgan State is the 1 seed, they’ll face the Howard/North Carolina A&T winner Wednesday night.

2. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says Terps rolling towards Top 4 seed in NCAA Tournament

Of course, Patrick didn’t give me much better news than that. For travel reasons, I’m hoping the Terps end up in Providence or Buffalo, but neither seems likely. If it can’t be one of those locations, then I would hope it would be somewhere nice. For example, Jacksonville….

…but Patrick says San Jose is more likely…..

I’m hoping for New Orleans…..

….But Patrick says Spokane is much more likely….

3. Fredericksburg Free Lance Star’s Steve DeShazo says Terps can clinch at least share of ACC regular season title for first time since ‘02 with win tomorrow at Virginia

I’ll be in Charlottesville tomorrow afternoon, live blogging at WNST.net. Luke Jones and I will chime in via Twitter, make sure you follow us (@WNST) during the game.

I can’t stand the Wahoos myself, I think “Auld Lang Syne” is a stupid fight song, and I think the only people who should wear ties to a game are coaches. At least it isn’t football, so I don’t have to see them do the stupid “arms around each other” thing after touchdowns.

The Cavs didn’t offer much when they came to Comcast Center, but I don’t imagine they’ll just roll over at John Paul Jones Arena. Sylven Landesberg played 36 minutes against Boston College despite a thigh injury, and should be good to go tomorrow. The good news is that Mamdi Diane graduated a season ago, meaning he can’t kill the Terps again.

If they can get the job done, they get a banner. That’s pretty special.

4. Washington Post’s Gene Wang says Maryland women topped North Carolina, will face Duke today in ACC Tournament quarterfinals

Congratulations to Brenda Frese and the Terps, who need to keep winning to have a shot at returning to the NCAA Tournament.

They played Duke tough for 40 minutes in College Park, and for 30-some minutes at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Now, I have to pose a question that apparently someone told me was sexist. With no offense to the Terps-as I’ll watch any game they play, but as far as the rest of the ACC Women’s Tournament is concerned-I think I’ll choose cole slaw wrestling instead…

5. UNC Wilmington Official Site previews today’s CAA Tournament opener against Towson

This is a matchup that Pat Kennedy’s club SHOULD win, but that obviously doesn’t mean they will. Even if they do, a date with Old Dominion looms Saturday in Richmond, meaning this will likely be a short trip for the Tigers.

That being said, there will be a LOT of good basketball at the CAA Tournament this weekend, most of which will air live on the Comcast Network. Work taking a poke at-especially on Sunday when there really isn’t anything else on. (NASCAR?)

6. Loyola Official Site previews tonight’s MAAC Tournament opener against Manhattan

Much like Towson, this is a very winnable game for the Greyhounds up in Albany; but that certainly doesn’t mean they WILL win.

I don’t think new AD Jim Paquette was brought to Loyola to clean house or make drastic changes (most young AD’s aren’t brought in for that reason), but there’s clearly some heat on Jimmy Patsos. A couple of wins this weekend could really ease that.

7. Inside Lacrosse’s Terry Foy says Maryland’s Ryan Young, Hopkins’ Kyle Wharton, Loyola’s Collin Finnerty worth watching at M&T Bank Stadium tomorrow

If I were staying in Baltimore, TRUST ME I would be at the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic tomorrow. It’s a great event (as is the Day of Rivals event IL does), and there’s a really cool atmosphere to it.

These are big games for these teams, too.

Maryland scored a ton of goals-but they really needed a minor miracle to beat Georgetown. Duke barely beat Bucknell and lost to Notre Dame, meaning this could be a clash of ACC rivals who have shown some signs of being “pretenders.”

Coaching changes always cause trouble, but Chris Bates is hoping to keep Princeton in the Top 10 nationally. They gave up 14 goals in a win over Hofstra to open the season. Hopkins is 3-0, but they’re coming off an 8-7 nailbiter over Siena.

Loyola is off to a hot start as well, but facing an Irish team that as I just mentioned has already topped the Blue Devils this season. The Hounds lost a close game to the Fighting Irish in Atlanta a season ago, this would be a real statement for Charley Toomey’s team before opening the Ridley Athletic Complex.

8. National Football Post’s Aaron Wilson says Mark Clayton, Marshal Yanda got 2nd round tenders, Adam Terry not tendered by Ravens

Going with the 2nd round tender instead of the 1st round tender means that while the Ravens want to bring both Clayton and Yanda back, but would be willing to accept solid compensation if another NFL team is REALLY interested in them.

Clayton would come back with a cheap price tag (the type of price tag that means he wouldn’t necessarily have to be guaranteed a roster spot), as I just don’t see teams being interested in offering a 2nd round pick for him. Yanda will be a bit intriguing, but I think will ultimately end up returning as well.

Adam Terry could also return, as teams are not likely to be banging down the door of an oft-injured OT.

9. The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Anquan Boldin, Kevin Water most likely WR options for Ravens

Walter is the easy call. The Ravens could bring him by 1 Winning Drive this weekend and try to make sure he doesn’t leave. There’s no off the field concerns, even if he isn’t your typical #1 receiver. He’s still 6′3″, and the Ravens DESPERATELY need a taller receiver.

Boldin is attractive, as the Cardinals are rumored to be looking for no more than a 3rd round pick in return. But he’s got some question marks-including a few injury issues and some tangles with coaches in the past-including former offensive coordinator Todd Haley.

It always works that way. They’re attractive, but you’re just not 100% certain they’re a perfect fit. Sorta like Nicki Minaj….

10. ProFootballTalk.com/NBC Sports’ Gregg Rosenthal says Broncos pursuing Dwan Edwards, Justin Bannan

Sadly, this is the business of football. The Ravens don’t want to see either of these players walk away-but with money tied up elsewhere, a team like Denver could easily view these players with a higher value than the Ravens could match.

The Ravens love Bannan off the field, but they’re deep at DT-and a Kelly Talavou or Brandon McKinney could move into the D-Line rotation. Dwan Edwards found a real role for himself (despite making way for Trevor Pryce in obvious passing situations), and I get the feeling the Ravens will really try to get him back.

11. Carroll County Times’ Rich Dubroff says Matusz gave up 2 run homer in Orioles’ loss to Rays Thursday

Apparently it wasn’t exactly a ball that was crushed, but it was a home run nonetheless.

The Birds return to action tonight against the Pirates in Sarasota, Chris Tillman gets his first Grapefruit League start against Zach Duke.

12. ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark says Andy MacPhail had approached Tejada about moving to 3B before trading him to Houston

It’s a pretty good read about how both Tejada and Placido Polanco are making the move to third base this season.

You can read it…..or you could watch the video of Brittney Griner punching Jordan Barncastle again. Your call.

And finally, I leave you with this.

Have you heard the story about…ahem….”actress” Samantha Ryan?

According to the Huffington Post, Ryan is a BIG Kansas Jayhawks fan, and Wednesday night’s game against Kansas State fell on her birthday, so she put out on Twitter than she was looking for tickets. She got them, apparently thanks to assistant coach Kurtis Townsend.

Please insert your own “Friends with Benefits” joke here.

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983….

-G

It’s a Happy Thursday for me not only for the obvious reason, but also because I got a text from a buddy yesterday that said “Do you like the whole Timbaland/Daughtry thing?”

To which I responded: “What, did they get into some sort of beef?”

It’s amazing how unbelievably un-hip I am. Apparently Daughtry helped Timbaland on a track called “Long Way Down” for his new record “Shock Value II.” I can see why….

Let’s see what everyone has to say…..

1. WNST.net’s Luke Jones says Maryland pulled even with Duke in ACC race thanks to 79-72 win at Comcast Center

Gee, that was fun.

There are games that are intense, then there are games like that one last night. Games where the actual event couldn’t POSSIBLY match the buildup, yet somehow they do anyway.

Just a tremendous game from both teams. Maryland was red hot to start out, then Coach K made some great adjustments (specifically a zone), and allowed Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith to take advantage of mismatches and erase a 14 point lead before building their own lead in the 2nd half. But Maryland got answers from unlikely sources, including Adrian Bowie to scratch back in it.

The final 5 minutes were exactly what you’d want from a big college basketball game. The entire game changed on every individual trip down the floor. The Terrapins and Blue Devils traded big shots, before Greivis Vasquez’s miracle floater iced things away with :37 to play.

Wow.

If you were there, I’m sure the hairs on your arms stood up. If you weren’t there, I’m sure your heart was still racing at a speed that would have crushed Jamie McMurray at Daytona. Just incredible.

Maryland now knows that they can clinch AT LEAST a share of the regular season ACC title with a win Saturday afternoon against Virginia in Charlottesville.

(Edit from GMC: I heard a couple of people say that they thought Jordan Williams should have been called for a charge on his RIDICULOUS dunk. I guess defenders don’t have to get set anymore? Not only was Scheyer not set, he was already working on how he was going to fall down. It was pretty funny.)

2. WNST.net’s Glenn Clark says Greivis Vasquez closed out home career in fitting way

It really couldn’t have been more of an exact science. The moment itself was just amazing. I’m not sure there’s been a player in Maryland history that has induced more “what are you doing?” thoughts and exclamations from fans, and the shot at the end of the game was one more of those.

I’m also not sure there’s been a player in Maryland (or ACC) history that has induced more “oh Thank God” thoughts and exclamations from fans AFTER a “What are you doing?” type of shot; yet there it was once again.

It’s just tough to say much more about the moment. For someone who has been as scrutinized as Vasquez has for four years, I think it’s safe to say he “deserved” it.

NOW….the point is to try to sustain the momentum, not crash after such an emotional peak. That is of course easier said than done.

3. ESPN.com’s Dana O’Neil says Vasquez proved himself as best player in ACC

I don’t think there’s much of an argument left here. There’s no doubt that Scheyer is the 2nd best player in the league and VERY deserving of All-ACC status, but Vasquez won the ACC Player of the Year award last night.

There will still be a bunch of votes for Scheyer. Remember, the bulk of the media that votes for the award is BASED in North Carolina, and they just see more of players like Scheyer than they do players like Vasquez. However, I can’t FATHOM that it will be enough to carry him to the award; even if Duke clinches the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament by beating North Carolina.

Dana said something else that I liked in her column. I described the moment as “poetry” when Vasquez hit the floater. She described it as “theater in motion” instead of poetry. That’s a much better description. Vasquez’s game will never be labeled as “beautiful”, which is the concept of “poetry in motion.” Len Bias was poetry in motion. Vasquez just has this unbelievable flair for dramatic moments, which has made for captivating theater.

4. D1scourse’s Patrick Stevens says fans have to hope for Maryland-Duke 3 in Greensboro for ACC Championship

Obviously, this is the best possible scenario for basketball fans in the area. The game at Cameron Indoor Stadium wasn’t brilliant by any stretch of the imagination; but after seeing the game last night, you’d have to want to see these two teams play again 10 days from now.

That being said, a Duke win Saturday night would clinch the 2 seed for Maryland and the 10 seed for UNC. If Wake Forest wins or Georgia Tech loses (follow Patrick on Twitter @D1scourse for info on these scenarios), the Yellow Jackets would get the 7 seed. If Georgia Tech plays North Carolina next Thursday, I would tend to assume that the Jackets would be victorious.

An ACC Tournament opener against GT would really be “less than desirable” for Maryland. As we all remember, it took a Cliff Tucker miracle for the Terps to win the first matchup.

I guess we need to take things one step at a time, though. Maybe Roy Williams and crew will play the game of their season in Durham Saturday night and stun the Devils; giving Maryland a shot at the #1 seed. Who knows?

Before I move on from the Maryland game, I want to point out that after I asked Patrick Stevens to look this up last night, he delivered me a stat I absolutely couldn’t believe. The Terps have now defeated a Top 6 ranked team in the country at least once in FOURTEEN straight seasons now.

Once again….wow.

5. Morgan State Official Site previews tonight’s Senior Night visit from Coppin State at Hill Field House

I can’t say enough how much I would implore you to go to this game tonight. Especially if you’ve never been able to see Reggie Holmes play live over the last 4 years, you have no idea what you’re missing. The guy is legitimately one of the best players in the country.

On top of that, it’s ALWAYS special when the Bears face the Eagles. There’s just an incredible level of intensity in the building. I spent a lot of time talking to Fang Mitchell following Coppin’s loss to Norfolk State Monday night, and you could just sense it in him. He’s happy for Todd Bozeman, and he’s looking forward to the challenge of going up against him-both on the floor and in pursuit of kids around Baltimore and throughout the region.

There’s nothing REALLY on the line tonight-as Morgan clinched the #1 seed in the MEAC Tournament some time ago, and the Eagles are going to finish in last place-whether they finish in last by themselves or they share last place. But it won’t diminish the atmosphere tonight, in the closest thing Charm City has to anything like the Bayou Classic.

So let’s “Tweet Up” tonight. I’ll be sitting along press row. If you come by and see me, I’ll have a Steve’s Deli gift certificate for you. Hope to see you tonight, please “ReTweet” to your friends.

6. Loyola Official Site says Collin Finnerty scored 5 goals to pace Greyhounds in win over Bellarmine

You mean to tell me that not only did Dave Cottle’s Terps go to Louisville to play lacrosse, but Charley Toomey’s Greyhounds did as well?

Is Marty Bass scheduling games for the lacrosse teams in town these days?!?!?!?

That being said, it’s good to see an offense outburst from Finnerty, as the Hounds will need him to keep scoring as the schedule gets tougher (starting Saturday against Notre Dame at M&T Bank Stadium).

But since I’m thinking about it….do you think he’ll run again???

7. Stevenson Official Site says Geoff Hebert posted career high 15 saves as Mustangs trounced RIT at Caves Athletic Complex

Thanks to those of you who came out to Owings Mills for my first real “Tweetup” of the lacrosse season. There were only a couple of you braved the cold and wet conditions, but I appreciated seeing you. As the weather warms up, we’ll do this a few more times at Stevenson and around the area.

The Mustangs looked REALLY impressive offensively, they can score goals in bunches. Unfortunately, they have the potential to go on defensive lapses. It won’t hurt them against teams like RIT, but it will hurt them in games against teams like Salisbury (who they play on April 3).

Unlike Louisville, Rochester LOVES lacrosse. But the question is-do they love lacrosse more than they love their own Savanna Samson? You may know her from….ummm….movies you don’t want your kids watching…..

8. The AP says Josh Bell, Rhyne Hughes each homered twice to lead Orioles to win over Rays in Spring Training debut

Just go ahead and make your World Series plans accordingly.

In all seriousness, it is MUCH better to be scoring 12 runs in Spring Training games than to be giving up 12 runs in Spring Training games.

Of course, no one is REALLY concerned about the O’s lineup. There’s the lack of a natural power bat, but I think most Birds fans feel as though there’s good balanced pop throughout the lineup, and the team will be able to score runs.

The issue is the pitching. Jeremy Guthrie was good yesterday, but he barely pitched. Brian Matusz goes today for the Birds against Tampa’s Jeff Niemann in Port Charlotte.

9. MLB.com’s Brittany Ghiroli says Nolan Reimold left out of Birds’ lineup, Dave Trembley gave no timetable for debut

Doesn’t appear to be any cause for concern here, but I guess it’s easy for me to say that. You want to see Reimold get out there and get some action, but the team has no reason to rush him this early in March.

This is a big season for Reimold, who was red hot when he first got to Camden Yards last year, but cooled off. He has to prove he can sustain his production over an entire season, and you don’t want to see him lose a ton of at bats in the Spring as he works toward that.

10. The Sun’s Peter Schmuck says Miguel Tejada hit cleanup for first in first Grapefruit League game

I have long assumed that Tejada would be in this role come Opening Day, but there are certainly plenty of other options. It will be interesting to see if Tejada continues to bat cleanup as Trembley gives him the chance to seize the role or fail in the opportunity; or if he gives Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold, Garrett Atkins, Luke Scott or others the chance over the next couple of weeks.

Also…I believe this guy is still available to hit cleanup if necessary….

11. Carroll County Times’ Aaron Wilson says Jared Gaither, Le’Ron McClain, Fabian Washington assigned 1st round tenders by Ravens

I wonder what kind of tender the Ravens would have used on have used on former DB Ryan Sutter had they known what his wife Trista was going to look like at 37 years old…

That being said-nothing surprising here. Fabian Washington is CLOSE to a surprise-but as an affordable option at corner, it makes sense to not just let him walk away. Jared Gaither is the only player on that list that teams might even THINK about for that level of compensation, but he’s coming up on a big contract and has a semi-questionable injury history.

Mark Clayton is expected to get the first round tender as well, which is again a case of “he’s affordable, let’s hold on to him. It makes sense.

12. The Sun’s Jamison Hensley says Ravens “could be interested” in Brandon Marshall with Broncos assigning just the 1st round tender

VERY unlikely. The Ravens just aren’t interested in giving away 1st round picks. If there was some sort of pick swap involved, they might be-but trading a 1st round pick for a player-even if it WAS Larry Fitzgerald-would seem unlikely to me.

Anquan Boldin for a 3rd round pick (as reported by Michael Lombardi on the NFL Network) is certainly interesting however.

And finally, I leave you with this.

Was it weird to see a 10 minute delay so the staff at Comcast Center could fix a snapped net last night? Yeah. Was it as weird as a goalie in Germany scoring an own goal because the wind picked the ball back up and blew it right in to the net? No, it wasn’t as weird as that….

Flexing my mic muscles since 1983…..

-G