The case of San Diego Chargers defensive end Shawne Merriman, and here in Baltimore Kyle Boller, shows how difficult and tricky injuries can be for NFL players.

Merriman, the former Maryland star, is forgoing surgery on two knee ligaments that he will surely need at some point. He’s putting off the operation in order to play for the Chargers during a season when they feel they have a window of opportunity to contend for a Super Bowl.

If you read the stories about Merriman carefully, it would appear that the Chargers suggested that he have the ligament surgery after last season. But this is no minor procedure – it requires a six- to seven-month rehab – and the player elected to go with a less serious arthroscopic procedure that was unrelated to the ligaments. When training camp started, though, the knee started acting up.

After visiting a bunch of doctors recently, Merriman has decided to play wearing a brace and the coaching staff will have to pick its spots when to use him. Frankly, who knows what the right call should have been – either at the end of the 2007 season or now. These are medical dilemmas without absolute answers.

Here in Baltimore, the Ravens are still waiting to see how Boller’s shoulder injury -- which apparently occurred in the preseason game against Minnesota – works out. After Boller had an MRI, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome said that surgery is not imminent.

"Kyle Boller could play again this season," Newsome said. "That could change, but this is good news."

Boller has not been throwing in practice and he will miss his second preseason game tonight when the Ravens play Atlanta.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Last night, I had an opportunity to assist Sun baseball writer Dan Connolly with Orioles coverage  and if the results are any indication of my role, maybe I should switch jobs.

The Orioles came out of their homsestand funk to thrash the White Sox, 11-3, and had all three phases of their game working for them.  Starter Radhames Liz managed to get through 5.1 innings giving up just two runs on three hits (five walks, one intentional), the offense pounded out 16 hits including three homers (Melvin Mora, Aubrey Huff, Kevin Millar) and the defense -- well, the defense may have saved the game, believe it or not.

When the Orioles led by a nnt-so-secure, 3-1, in the top of the third, Mora made an incredible play when he robbed Jermaine Dye of a sure extra-base hit when the third baseman dove to his right and snared a hotshot down the line and threw Dye out at first.  With that play, More took away a run and put up an out.  Then in the same inning, when Jim Thome drove in a run with a drive off the right field scoreboard, he unwisely challenged Nick Markakis' arm and was thrown out at second to end the inning.

"When you play defense, you make your pitcher throw less pitches .. and good things happen." he said.

"Especially with Chicago," Mora added, "they have a great hitting lineup so you want to give them as little opportunity (as possible) … for me the most important thing is playing defense because I know we’re going to hit, we’re going to score some runs."

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

America may still be the land of opportunity for people from foreign shores but the LPGA has an unusual demand for some of its members -- speak English or risk suspension.

The women's tour is insisting that by the end of next year, its international members pass a language proficiency evaluation.  The LPGA has 121 international players and 45 are South Koreans and that group has become a force on the tour.

Apparently, the language proficiency requirement is about being able to give speeches after a victory and giving interviews without a translator.  Tutoring will be offered.  You might think this would touch a nerve but there doesn't seem to be a lot of balking so far.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
                    

You never want to wish misfortune on other teams when it comes to injuries (super bad karma) but if the Bengals wide receiving picture doesn't improve before the NFL regular-season opener with the Ravens on Sept. 7, it could be the break Baltimore needs in that game.

In case you haven't noticed, the Ravens' pass defense has been getting riddled in the last two preseason games with Minnesota and St. Louis with starting cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle still out.  The two opposing starting quarterbacks for the Vikings (Tavaris Jackson) and the Rams (Marc Bulger) were a combined 25-for-36 for 264 yards, three TDs and no interceptions, plus Jackson broke the pocket and ran pretty good.  Their backups didn't do too poorly, either.  And the Baltimore secondary has been taking turns getting singed so it's not like you can point the finger at one or two guys back there.

So the news that star wide recievr Chad Johnson (torn labrum) is a  question mark now in Cincinnati and that the talented T.J. Houshmandzadeh has been hobbled by a hamstring might indicate that the match-up between the Bengals receivers and Ravens secondary isn't as worrisome as it could be. On the other hand, it may not matter who's catching the ball if Carson Palmer is hot and the pass rush isn't getting there.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

There a weird sports story going around that you may have heard about.

A 9-year-old youth league pitcher in Connecticut is being told by league officials that they don't want him pitching in his 8- to 10-year-old coed league because he's too good.  Actually, officials say Jericho Scott -- I like the name -- throws too fast for other kids in the developmental league and citing safety concerns, they would prefer he play some other position or pitch against older children.  This is America so the boy's parents are talking to a lawyer.

Look, I have a better idea.  The Orioles can send a car to New Haven and get him down to Camden Yards to fill that No. 4 spot in the rotation.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

How quickly life changes in the NFL.  Who would have thought before this weekend that when the New York Giants begin defense of their Super Bowl title against the Washington Redskins that Michael Strahan would be playing for the Giants and that Jason Taylor may not be lining up for the Redskins.

Taylor joined the rapidly growing list of star defensive ends facing knee injuries when he was hurt in a game over the weekend against Carolina.  Luckily for him, he seems to be the least severely hurt.  His sprained knew is expected to keep him out of action for 10 to 14 days making him a maybe for the season opener.

Meanwhile, Strahan may come out of retirement to help bail out the Giants (and for, say, $8 million) who are suddenly without Osi Umenyiora, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in an exhibition game against the Jets.

The third Pro Bowl DE looking at serious knee problems is the Chargers' Shawne Merriman who is considering a tough choice regarding season-ending surgery.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:56 AM | Permalink
                    

First, let me say that I think Joe Flacco has every opportunity to be a good, maybe even a great, NFL quarterback.

But as Ravens coach John Harbaugh opens the door to the the notion that Flacco may be the starter when the season opens Sept. 7 in Cincinnati -- a possibility I can only see eventuating because Kyle Boller is not physically ready and Troy Smith doesn't show anything at all in Game 4 of the preseason -- here's one vote against the idea.

We have all heard the cliche about the speed of the game and how it accelerates from college to the pros, preseason to regular season, regular season to playoffs.

Well, for a quarterback, that's especially so.  A rookie quarterback gets used to a certain tempo in minicamps and training camps.  Then he gets a jolt of semi-reality with the first exhibition game.  Flacco -- and this is not a knock -- is a process guy more than an instinct guy, I think.  I have had one conversation with the guy but it was an enlightening one.  He talked about process, about wanting to be careful with the ball, about wanting to see what he was throwing at before the ball left his hand.  That's OK.  The guy is smart and studious and that will help him be an outstanding QB in time.  And the instinctive, auto-pilot part will take over when he internalizes all the things he needs to internalize.  Who knows when that happens, maybe midway through the season.  Maybe even next year.  That's up to Joe Flacco and his coaches.   But until then, he's going to be a little deliberate when he's running the team.

So I say this -- playing behind a suspect offensive line with Marvin Lewis game planning against him: Do Ravens fans really want that for Flacco?

Maybe Flacco would be able to weather that storm and succeed. But my point is this: Why take the chance on setting him back.  There was definite progress from the beginning of the Rams game into the second half.  That was great.  It showed the kid can mature quickly, even within the course of a game.  But in the Bengals game, the scrubs won't be coming in and everyone is playing for keeps. 

Does anyone remember John Elway's first game?  One of the reported all-time funny lines was Elway reflecting on having to line up against the Steelers and linebacker Jack Lambert in Elway's introduction to the NFL. "He had no teeth, and he was slobbering all over himself," Elway said of Lambert, who recorded the first sack of Elway's career. "I'm thinking, 'You can have your money back, just get me out of here. Let me go be an accountant.' I can't tell you how badly I wanted out of there."

Closer to home, we have the example of Boller.

Frankly, I don't think Harbaugh starts Flacco unless it is by default.  But here's hoping that it doesn't come down to that, at least not right now.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
                    

Tomorrow night in St. Louis, Ravens’ second-year quarterback Troy Smith gets an extended look at quarterback. So what should you be looking for?

For one thing, note the type of plays that Smith is asked to run. For one reason or another, he hasn’t gotten to drop back and throw much in his three quarters or so in the first two preseason games. Smith is 8-for-17 for 99 yards and an interception. Interestingly, he has six rushes for 41 yards. When Smith is in the game, the Ravens use plays that don’t get called often for Kyle Boller and Joe Flacco, such as rollouts and naked bootlegs. Smith is also more likely to bolt downfield when the protection breaks down.

It will be interesting to see whether the Ravens are OK with that approach by Smith or he’ll be urged to hang in the pocket and go through his reads and make a throw.

Since the announcement for Smith’s start has been out there for a few days, it will be interesting to see whether the Rams game play defensively for the more mobile signal-caller and if they’ll “spy” the Ravens quarterback or at least have a linebacker mirror Smith to keep him from breaking a big scramble.

But since the Rams are having big problems of their own, especially on offense, they may just elect to play Smith straight and work on their own schemes on both sides of the ball.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 4:00 PM | Permalink
                    

It is inevitable that with Michael Phelps' global celebrity that he is now going to be included in all sorts of celebrity gossip and the latest comes from one of the most popular listening posts for such news, the New York Post's Page Six.

Today, the Post has Phelps linked with Australia's gold medal swimmer Stephanie Rice and Page Six uses some colorful language in describing an alleged occurrence of smooching.  Rice (right) has gotten plenty of attention in the tabs for some saucy photos, including one in a police costume.  She has also posed for the magazine FHM.

Let's be clear that Phelps has also been linked to American swimmer Amanda Beard and U.K  model Lily Donaldson and reportedly, both have denied having any kind of romantic relationship with Phelps -- so who knows about the Rice report.

Photo: Matt King/Getty Images

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Despite struggling offensively in stretches, especially in rhe second quarter, the U.S. men's basketball team beat nemesis Argentina, 101-81, today.

Baltimore's Carmelo Anthony led the Americans with 21 points despite shooting just 3-for-14 from the field. LeBron James had 15 points and the U.S. got 41 points from its bench. Argentina's Manu Ginobili hurt his ankle early in the game and finished with just two points The United States now plays Spain for the gold medal. The Americans already beat the Spaniards by 37 points in pool play.

The Americans started fast and led 30-11 after the first quarter but in the second period, Argentina came back to with six points, 46-40. However, a 17-6 run by the Americans helped crush Argentina's hopes for a comeback.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

All along today's game against Argentina has been considered the toughest test for the U.S. Redeem Team. Argentina has beaten the Americans twice, most notably in the 2004 Olympics. That loss relegated the Americans to playing for the bronze medal.

The most recognizable name for Argentina is Manu Ginobili. The Americans have been averaging 105 points a game but have really excelled defensively. The game is on now on NBC.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:10 AM | Permalink
                    

The American baseball team dropped a 10-2 semifinal game to heavily favored Cuba today which means that the U.S. (5-3) will play Japan for the bronze medal while the Cubans play South Korea for the gold tomorrow. Cuba (7-1) has won three of the four gold medals in baseball since the game became part of the Olympics. However, baseball and softball are both off the schedule for the London Games in 2012 and may not be played again.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:56 AM | Permalink
                    

Part of a blog statement from the head of USA Track & Field Doug Logan:

I have received emails from people across the country, particularly about the relays. They all say more or less the same thing: the dropped batons were reflective of a lack of preparation, lack of professionalism, and of leadership. I agree. Dropping a baton isn't bad luck, it's bad execution. Here's the entire statement.

So It’s not just the folks watching at home who have noticed that the United States is uncharacteristically absent from the medals stand in certain track events at these Olympic Games, especially the sprints. Officials at USATF are scratching their heads as well as they watch the Jamaican team fly by the once dominant Americans.

Of course, American frustration reached the boiling point when both the men’s and women’s 4x100 relay teams -- an event where American sprint depth has generally carried the day – failed to even make it to the medal race because of dropped batons in qualifying heats.

Individual efforts have also been disappointing. A hamstring injury has kept American sprinter Tyson Gay from living up to his World Championship status and pre-Olympic hype.

Some bright spot for the U.S. has been hurdles events where the Americans, led by Angelo Taylor, swept the men’s 400-meter hurdles and Dawn Harper took gold in the 100-meter hurdles. The U.S. swept the 400-meter run as well with LaSahawn Merrit winning the gold.

But by and large, U.S. track fans see Beijing as a Waterloo for American track and officials are promising a review when these Games are over.

Said Harper’s coach Bob Kerse in an interview with Reuters: “We have to go back to developing our sprinters. … Whether it's the college system or just training and being prepared, we have to concentrate on taking it up to this level. We can be spoiled at times in the United States.”

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

While the favored United States women's softball team lost its gold medal game to Japan today, the underdog  U.S. women's soccer team upset Brazil, 1-0, in overtime to win the gold in that sport.

Carli Lloyd score in OT to put the American ahead.  Meanwhile, Hope Solo who was embroiled in controversy a year ago during the World Cup when she criticized the former team coach for not playing her against Brazil, was stone wall today in shutting out the Brazilians. Lloyd's goal came off a feed from Amy Rodriguez.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:56 AM | Permalink
                    

For the first time in just about forever, the NFL has made a couple of rules changes that actually help the defense. One of those rules concerns the force-out along the sideline for pass receptions and the other addresses more minor facemask contact that has drawn five-yard penalties.

A receiver who is forced out on the sideline does not get the reception but one is carried out does get the catch. The five-yard facemask penalty has been eliminated but the more egregious 15-yard penalty remains. In this video from Denver TV station KCNC, the rules changes are explained in a humorous but clear fashion. Thanks to the Al Tompkins on the Romenesko Web site for pointing it out.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

In what may be the final Olymoic softball game ever, the United States lost to Japan, 3-1, today and missed what would have been the Americans' fourth straight gold medal.

The U.S. was undefeated in Beijing -- in fact, the Americans hadn't lost an Olympic softball game since the 2000 Games -- but their run to a another gold medal was derailed by Japanese pitcher Yukiko Ueno who worked her way out of two bases-loaded, one-out jams.

In 2005, the International Olympic Committee voted to discontinue softball at least for the next eight years.

What is especially disappointing for the Americans is that they had already beaten Japan once in Beijing, 4-1, in extra innings, in the semifinals.  Japan won its way into the gold medal game by beating Australia in what amounted to the bronze medal game.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

NFL Players Association head Gene Upshaw died, it was reported earlier this morning.  Upshaw was 63 and battling pancreatic cancer.

Upshaw's death comes at a tense time for the players union.

*  NFL owners want to re-open negotiations on a labor agreement that was hammered out two years ago.  While the continuation of the games is guaranteed for three more seasons, there is the threat of an uncapped season in 2010 and possibly a stoppage in the games the next year. 

* Upshaw and the union have been under fire from retired players for not doing enough for players who suffer post-career disabilities.

* And more recently, some former players -- including Ravens kicker Matt Stover -- have pressed for a change in union leadership.

Upshaw had sometimes been criticized by observers for not being a strong enough advocate for players.  However, under his watch, NFL Players have gone from working under the most repressive conditions among athletes in American major professional team sport to enjoying some measure of guaranteed pay and conditional free agency.  While baseball players are considered to enjoy some of the best labor conditions in all sports, there are enormous discrepancies in team payrolls while the NFL salary cap mandates both minimum as well as maximum parameters.  And the NFL, when one considers franchises from top to bottom, is probably the healthiest among the major sports leagues helping to ensure competitive balance.

On all of this, Gene Upshaw had a direct impact.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

What a difference a year makes for Boston pitcher Clay Buchholtz.  Last year, on Sept 1, in just his second Major League start, he threw a no-hitter against the Orioles and was the toast of Fenway Park.  Last night at Camden Yards, Buchholtz failed to get out of the third inning as the O's went on to win, 11-6, and was sent to Double-A Portland after the game.

It appears that the no-no was Buchholtz' career high-water mark. Since then, he has failed to get past the sixth inning in most of his starts, is 2-9 this season and has not won a game since early May.

For the Orioles, rookie Chris Waters who had his own brilliant performance in his first MLB start this year -- a one-hitter over eight innings against the Angels earlier this month -- stayed in the game for five innings despite giving up five runs (four earned) and got the win as Baltimore rallied for 11 runs in the middle innings. Melvin Mora had four more RBIs and Ramon Henandez hit a three-run homer. Tomorrow, the Yankees are in town for a three-game series and former Oriole Mike Mussina is scheduled to pitch the first game for New York.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

It's hard to tell who's demantling their team faster in the National League, Pittsburgh or Cincinnati, but at least the Reds have the good sense to realize that they're putting an absolute rotter on the field.

Cincinnati is 16 games under .500, 22 1/2 games out of first in the NL Central (actually behind the Pirates) and have traded one the team's all-time heroes, Ken Griffey Jr., and Adam Dunn, whose 33 homers have him tied for the NL lead. As a result, the Reds have issued what amounts to a public apology to their fans saying: "We ask your continued trust and patience as we build the roster that will get us back on top."

Here, singer-songweiter Ryan Parker laments the plight of the Reds comparing them to American Idol's William Hung, a real nice guy but with zero musical talent. To turn up the volume, slide the volume bar to the right. It's located next to the loudspeaker icon in the lower right of the video screen

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:18 PM | Permalink
                    

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin is unhappy with his contract -- a four-year, $22.75 million deal that he signed after the 2005 season -- and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is asking for a trade.  While he doesn't admit as much, it seems obvious that Boldin is looking at the $40 million deal ($30 million guaranteed) that fellow WR Larry Fitzgerald got after the 2007 season.

What I don't get about NFL players is this -- don't they realize how futile it is to demand a trade in the middle of a contract?  There's nothing that requires the team to do so.  If the player holds out, he merely doesn't get paid.  And even if the team wanted to trade the player, it would be just about impossible to get fair value in exchange.

Bottom line, it's pointless for an NFL player to demand to be traded.  Unless his name is Brett Favre.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

The Redeem Team mowed down Australia today, 116-85, using a formula that's become familiar for the United States men's basketball team at these Olympic Games --- outstanding defense.

The Americans now advance to the semifinals against the winner of Greece-Argentina, a game that's currently in progress.  Kobe Bryant scored 25 points for the U.S., LeBron James had 16 plus nine rebounds, four steals and three assists, and Carmelo Anthony had 15 points.

The Americans held the Aussies to 42 percent shooting (30-for-70) while shooting 56 percent. 

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:32 AM | Permalink
                    

The unexpected development that helped doom the Orioles last night in a 7-2 loss to Boston was the lack of clutch hitting, especially by Melvin Mora, when there was an opportunity to get to Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka.  More struck out in the first inning with runners on first and second and no out and in the fourth with the bases and one out.  The Orioles failed to score both times.

But the real concerning news was on the pitching side.  Relief pitcher George Sherrill went on the DL and that, folks, is a major problem. And while starter Daniel Cabrera had another sub-par outing, the worrisome part is his velocity.  In today's game story, Sun Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec notes that Cabrera is not hitting those mid-90s with consistency.  And Orioles announcers have mentioned that same fact even before last night. Just perhaps, there's something to this pitch count business.  For a guy who's flirting with a 5.00 ERA, Daniel Cabrera pitches a whole lot of innings.  He's tied for seventh in the AL with 171 innings and he's with four frames of being No. 3.  Toronto's Roy Halladay has 191 innings and the Orioles' Jeremy Guthrie has 177. And as any Orioles fan knows, Cabrera doesn't have 1-2-3 innings.  So it could be he's just a little weary here in late August.  As far as Sherrill is concerned, note that the Mets closer Billy Wagner is out again, this time perhaps for the season. 

They say that pro football is a game of attrition.  Perhaps when it comes to pitching in the 21st century Major league, the same is true of baseball.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Hard to believe but the Cincinnati Bengals may re-sign wide receiver Chris Henry, according to the player's agent.  The Bengals are not commenting.

The Bengals had cut Henry after his latest arrest in March but charges of assault and criminal damaging were dropped.  However, the NFL still suspended Henry for the first four games of this season. Henry's legal troubles have been many and he was suspended for two games in 2006 and eight games in 2007. 

In July, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said of the possibility of signing Henry: "I'm not interested. I don't think it would be productive for our football team. You have to be a productive part to be an NFL player, and there's responsibilities to being an NFL player. It's a privilege, it's not a right. There's a lot that comes with being an NFL football player."

Since then, wide receiver Chad Johnson hurt his sholder in the last preseason game and WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh has had a hamstring injury.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Last night's Orioles game, a 6-3 loss to Boston, is indicative of how fragile the pitching situation is for Baltimore.

Jeremy Guthrie pitched another good game -- two runs in seven innings -- but was bested by Jon Lester who was just a little bit better, seven innings, one run.  And the Red Sox beat up the O's bullpen for four more.  So now that the Orioles lose a game with their ace, they have Daniel Cabrera tonight against Dice-K.  Daisuke Matsuzaka is 14-2 with a 2.74 ERA.  The night after that, it would appear that the Orioles get a break with a pitcher over 6.00 ERA but it also happens to be Clay Buchholtz who threw a no-hitter against them a year ago.  Meanwhile, Dave Trembley keeps looking for starters and keeps coming up with the same names that he's already exiled to the minors at least once.  Are you ready for Liz Radhames and Brian Burres?  Those are the guys likely to replace Garrett Olson and Dennis Sarfate.

On the bright side, Guthrie managed to hold Boston to two runs despite not having his best stuff.  He gave up five walks.  You wonder if he was trying to be too fine because of the close game.  But to keep the Orioles in the game on a night when he was getting only about half of his pitches over the plate speaks well of his maturity as a pitcher.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is keeping his own counsel on whom the starting quarterback will be for Baltimore’s next preseason game on Saturday against St. Louis.

It’s an interesting decision because the third preseason game is when the starters get their most substantial playing time. As a result, the naming of the starting quarterback for the next game would seem to be a bellwether for who starts the season, either Kyle Boller or Troy Smith.

This much is clear, though. It will not be rookie first-round draft pick Joe Flacco.

What Saturday’s 23-15 loss to Minnesota illustrated regarding Flacco was both his promise as an NFL quarterback and how much work he still needs to do to handle the job.

When Flacco went in during the fourth quarter – playing behind a shaky offensive line – he was immediately besieged by Minnesota defenders, much as he was by New England Patriots defensive backups the week before.

The scene was familiar. Flacco retreats. Looks, looks, looks. Gong! Time’s up. Bad guys arrive. Football pops loose.

However, with less than two minutes left in Saturday’s game, Flacco found his rhythm and (with a little help from a Vikings penalty that nullified an interception) drove the Ravens to within 13 yards of having a chance to tie the game. His final pass overshot the end zone.

Afterward, Harbaugh seemed most impressed with Flacco’s self-critique, such as hanging onto the ball too long and misreading how much time he had left at the end of the game.

“Those are all things he was telling me in the locker room just now,” Harbaugh said, “That’s the kind of guy he is, ‘These are the five things I can do better,’ and that’s got to excite you as a coach.”

The Ravens drafted Flacco, in part, because he is a cerebral guy. They sent several quarterback draft prospects copies of their offense. Flacco did the best job of deciphering it.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that Flacco would be the kind of quarterback who might concentrate on process, hence those awkward moments when he seems to hang onto the ball a second too long.

“I want to see things as much as I can,” Flacco said Saturday night. “I don’t want to just go out there and ... throw it blindly right to the defensive guys. I’m trying to go back there and process the information”

“I want to see the guy before I hit him,” the former University of Delaware star said. “If that means holding onto to the ball for an extra split second, that’s something you go through. Obviously, over time, I’m going to speed up and get better and make those decisions faster.”

In the last-ditch drive, Flacco demonstrated he could process and execute. And that, he said, is when it feels like football.

He reeled off the exhilarating things about the final drive that covered 71 yards in 13 snaps with 1:52 left and no timeouts: getting the ball out of bounds, checking down to the running backs, spiking the ball to stop the clock.

When he threw his last pass through the back of the end zone as time expired, he mistakenly thought he’d have a tick or two left for another play.

“It’s all about getting to the point where you just play,” Flacco said of the learning curve. “At some point, everyone reaches that and it’s just -- how fast do you get there. I’m trying to get there as fast as I can.”

Posted by Bill Ordine at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Michael Phelps' eight gold medals will provide any number of marketing opportunities for the Olympic superstar and commercial entities that are along for the ride.  Bu there's been one avenue for just average fans to try to cash in on Phelps-mania -- the trading card market.

There is one official Phelps trading card -- it was produced by Donruss -- and there are two types, the signed and the unsigned versions.  There are 300 signed Phelps cards (right) and many more unsigned ones.  Phelps was one of a handful of "fans of the game" from sports and show business featured.  Phelps is a huge Ravens fan.

According to a Donruss press release, before the Beijing Olympics, a signed Phelps card was going in the range of $30 to $60. In a three-day period as Phelps was marching toward the Olympic record, the price of the card climbed from $60 to $150 to $350.  At the moment, the card is being priced from $600 to $800, a Donruss spokesman said today.

The more common unsigned card is showing dramatic immediate appreciation as well.  It was a $2.50 card initially.  On eBay today, there are unsigned Phelps cards on sale from $10.49 (with the auction still in progress) up to more than $60 and one with a "buy it now" price of $150.

The card plays up Phelps' passion for the Ravens.  On the back of the card is Phelps' quote:  "After the Olympic Games in '04, all I wanted to do was catch a Ravens game!"

Be mindful that the collectibles market is highly volatile and prices can go up or down rapidly.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:50 AM | Permalink
                    

This one slipped below our radar last week but it's still warm so we'll run it out there for your amusement.

Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman, who has been active in trying to lure a big time sports franchise to town, suggested last week that the city replace minor league Cashman Field with an 80,000-seat football stadium.  Cashman Field is currently the home of the L.A. Dodger's Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s.

Goodman has done a good job in getting Vegas even mentioned as a contender for major franchise but he latest notion comes right from Pluto -- he suggests that the new stadium be the home of all NFL Monday Night Football games and all Super Bowls.

His comment on how this might be received by the NFL -- which has had a contentious relationship with Vegas over Super Bowl-related issues -- was, "Believe me, they need us more than we need them."  Frankly, considering the league put the kibosh on hotels holding massive Super Bowl parties and effectively banned even the use of the game's name in marketing promotions, we think otherwise.

At this point, I'd like to remind folks that it was Goodman who, in addressing a local fourth-grade class a few years ago, said that if he were marooned on a desert island, the thing he would want to have with him was a bottle of gin.

Explains a lot.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

A lot of folks may not be in a position to watch but just in case ...

The Hagerstown Little Leaguers continue play in the Little League World Series at noon on ESPN2. The Maryland team, representing the Mid-Atlantic Region in Williamsport, won its first game within its division on Friday, 3-2, against the Great Lakes Region team from Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Today, Hagerstown plays against the Northwest Region team from Mill Creek, Washington. Maryland is in Pool A of the United States section of the 16-team tournament. There are four pools.

On the International side, yesterday, Mexico's Jesus Sauceda pitched a perfect game and hit a grand slam home run in beating Italy, 12-0.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:41 AM | Permalink
                    

No one could have ever expected this kind of production from Melvin Mora but actually, the Orioles' third baseman has been clutch all season.

Obviously, his 10-for-13 weekend against the Tigers, including a six-RBI day in a 16-8 win yesterday, is "zone" stuff but if you look at the bigger picture, More has been spectacularly consistent when it has counted.  Overall, he's hitting .286 with 20 home runs and 91 RBIs.  But with men on base, he's hitting .330.  With men in scoring position, he's even better at .372.  And in the critical situation of men in scoring position with two out, he's .345. Not bad for a 36-year-old that some folks though may be on the down side after 2007 when his numbers dropped in games played, home runs and RBIs.

The Orioles' hitting yesterday masked another poor performance for Garrett Olson who didn't get out of the second inning and left with the game tied, 5-5.  Baltimore is creeping close to the .500 mark again and come home for three series against three tough opponents, the Red Sox, Yankees and White Sox.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Ravens second-year quarterback Troy Smith may have to deliver a knockout performance tomorrow night if he wants to win the the starting job, at least to start the regular season.

Reports from Sun reporters in Westminster put Kyle Boller ahead in the three-way quarterback competition but that's not to say Boller's performance has towered above that of Smith or rookie Joe Flacco.  If it were a prize fight, you could say Boller is ahead on points and that's why I say Smith would need a "knockout" performance when he gets the start tomorrow night against the Minnesota Vikings at M&T Bank Stadium.

It could still happen that Smith wins this starting job because head coach John Harbaugh is going to weight the games more than the practices, or at least that is what he has said.  And there is always the possibility that Boller could play himself out of a job but I don't think so -- he's developing into too smart a QB to do that.  What could happen is that Boller starts the season but is eventually replaced.  In all cases, though, the quarterbacks are being held hostage to a situation where injuries have sidelined half of the offensive starting lineup, including the two tackles.

Interestingly, from among this year's draft class, it might be running back Ray Rice who winds up being the most productive, particularly if Willis McGahee doesn't come back from from arthroscopic knee surgery as quickly as projected or if the knee winds up being a chronic problem. So Rice is one of those players you want to watch and a lot will depend on how he handles his duties when he doesn't have the football.  It doesn't help if a running back gets you five yards on a carry and then gives up a 10-yard sack because of a bad blitz pick-up.

Because Ed Reed is still nursing an injury, you might want to keep an eye on the Ravens' two rookie safeties, Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski, and you have to wonder if defensive coordinator Rex Ryan will find a spot in some of his defensive formations for fourth-year safety Jim Leonhard.

Photo: Patrick Smith/Sun

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
                    

The United States women's soccer team advanced to the semifinals with a 2-1 win over Canada today. The winning goal came in overtime from Natasha Kai on a header. Kai had substituted into the game for Heather O'Reilly.

Angela Hucles scored to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead but Canada's Christine Sinclair tied the game. The Americans now play Japan on Aug.18. Also in the semis are Brail and Germany.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:37 PM | Permalink
                    

We may start a Sports Moron of the Week entry and we have an outstanding candidate for the inaugural award.

Our first honoree is some alleged dope from Philadelphia who is accused of sending a couple of letters to New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin in late July in which the man poses as a couple of women who are trying to extort money from Coughlin under the threat of exposing a supposed sexual relationship that occurred when the Giants and Eagles played last December.

Understand that apparently there was no sexual relationship and Coughlin and the women do not know each other and the women had nothing to do with the letters. 

The accused criminal mastermind here was a Herbert Alex Simpson, 30, who -- according to court papers -- admitted to investigators that he did all this as an act of revenge against the two women over some "work-related" issue. Simpson may have aggravated the situation when he allegedly made references to Coughlin's family in one the letters. Now Simpson is facing federal charges related to using the U.S. mail to extort money and make threats.  Here's the report from the Smoking Gun Web site along with the federal criminal complaint.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:57 AM | Permalink
                    

John McEnroe reminds me of my all-time favorite Disney character. John McEnroe is Donald Duck.

Think about Donald going into one of his tirades, hopping up and down, fists balled, sputtering a string of unintelligible duck epithets.  McEnroe, right?

Well, the 49-year-old McEnroe was at it again.  Forget the self-effacing commercials and the elder statesman role as U.S. Davis Cup captain.  McEnroe will apparently always be McEnroe. 

Yesterday, he was tossed from an Outback Champions Series match (for players over 30) at the International Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, for a trifecta of bad behavior that was the result of arguing with a chair umpire, a McEnroe classic.

According to this account, it started with an "audible obscenity" by McEnroe in the midst of the debate with the chair umpire, then a heated continuation that escated into "abuse of official code violations," and then when fans started yelling at McEnroe to shut up and play, he "responded to the fans with a visible obscene gesture."

As a result, McEnroe was required to default his match to MaliVai Washington.  McEnroe gets to continue in the round-robin tournament today against Karel Novacek.

The only time I saw McEnroe play live was right there in Newport in Davis Cup against Spain in 1991.  At the time, McEnroe also was grousing but with good reason.  He was being critical of top American players who skipped Davis Cup because it interfered with their more lucrative professional careers.

I've always admired McEnroe for his stance on Davis Cup.  He considers it a patriotic gesture and as a result, has been one of the most active players in that international competition.  And the outbursts? Well, I do appreciate the guy's competitiveness, even at age 49. But I've never liked the elements of bullying and intimidation in his harassment of officials.  I think I've managed to overlook it by imaging that he's wearing a little sailor suit.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

OK baseball fans, so how is this for a consolation.  The Orioles are easily the best last-place team in baseball. And I don't say that with sarcasm.  They have the best record of any team currently in last place and it is quite possible that the O's could finish at or above .500 and still wind up in the AL East cellar. 

At 58-62, the Orioles are three games behind fourth-place Toronto.  In the NL West, they'd be only 3 1/2 games out of first place. Overall, the Orioles have a better winning percentage than 11 other teams in the majors. But enough of the silver linings, last place is last place.

In last night's 11-6 win over Cleveland, the Orioles illustrated that they're far from the only team in baseball with a bullpen that can go "boom" at any time.  Both starters, Baltimore's Daniel Cabrera and Cleveland's Zach Jackson left with the game a tidy 3-3.  But after the Indians' Juan Rincon held the fort for two innings, the O's teed off on Cleveland's relievers for eight in the eighth.  So, a lack of pitching depth is certainly not unique to the Orioles.  The Indians were division winners a year ago and now they're 12 games under .500.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The superlatives may have all been exhausted in describing the ongoing performance of Michael Phelps in Beijing who, last night, won his sixth gold medal at these Olympics, this one in the 200-meter individual medley, and stands just one step from Mark Spitz' record of seven golds in a single Olympics.  Phelps has two more races to go, the 100 butterfly and the 400 medley relay.

And on top of the six straight gold medals, every one of them has represented a world record.

In trying to frame what Phelps is accomplishing at these Olympic Games, I defer to Sun colleague Kevin Van Valkenburg, who is on the scene in Beijing and who has chronicled all things Phelps for some time.  This was the final sentence of Kevin's' story in today's paper about Phelps' win in the 200 IM:

As he climbed out of the pool, he raised a weary arm in the direction of the crowd. They responded with polite applause, perhaps still in awe of the man who, this week, has made the remarkable look almost routine.

"Made the remarkable look almost routine."  And that does put the Phelps Phenomenon in perspective.

I think that sense that this is all so casual for Phelps comes mostly from Phelps himself in the way he conducts himself apart from his feats in the water. That he is unfailingly polite and upbeat and, well, just a nice kid from Towson.  That he becomes immersed in the tunes on his iPod, furiously text messages with his friends and has a passion for video games just like any other young adult. That he has a just-between-friends greeting with teammate Ryan Lochte. That he leaves his gold medal from last night's victory in his warm-up jacket pocket while he goes out to swim in a qualifying heat for the 100 fly.

But let's all remember this as we watch.  While Phelps may make it look routine, it's unlikely we will we ever see anything like it ever again.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 8:49 AM | Permalink
                    

They're feeling pretty good about things today up on the North Side of Chicago.  Those lovable Cubbies swept the Braves in a doublheader down in Atlanta yesterday -- smoked 'em actually, 10-2 and 8-0 -- and the Cubs are 26 games over .500 (73-47), which hasn't happened in nearly a quarter-of-a-century.  They also lead the NL Central by 3 1/2 games over Milwaukee, not their biggest lead of the year but close.

The Cubs' recent surge has ESPN.com daring this in a headline today:  Catch Them If You Can.

Ahem.  These are the Cubs we're talking about.  And so it made me wonder where those 1969 Cubs stood at this same point 39 years ago and here's an interesting coincidence:

On Aug. 16, 1969, the ill-fated Cubs hit essentially their high-water mark for the season when Ferguson Jenkins shut out the San Francisco Giants and Gaylord Perry, 3-0.  As a result, the first-place Cubs were 75-44 and had a nine-game lead in the NL East.  Then, of course, the bottom fell out.  They finished the rest of August by going 8-10 and went 9-19 in September and October.  Of course, the Amazin' Mets had a 23-7 September and rocketed past the Cubs on their way to a World Series championship over the Orioles.

So, almost to the day, the 1969 Cubs and the 2008 Cubs reached what seemed to be pinnacles.  We know what happened in 1969 and while I'm not predicting doom for this year's Cubs, well, I'm just saying, you know.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:05 PM | Permalink
                    

The Redeem Team settled one score today when they routed Greece, 92-69, on the strength of outstanding defense. In fact, defense has been the trademark of the Americans so far in Beijing.

Greece beat the U.S. two years ago in the world championship semifinals shooting 63 percent and schooling the Americans in offensive fundamentals.

That’s not the way it went today.

Greece shot just 41.3 percent from the field and committed 25 turnovers. The Americans had 15 steals, six by Dwyane Wade and seven blocked shots (in contrast, Greece had just four steals and one blocked shot).

Seven U.S. players played at least 20 minutes and Chris Bosh, off the bench, had 18 points. Kobe Bryant also had 18 and Wade had 17 plus five assists. LeBron James had 13 points and six assists.

The victory gets the Americans (3-0) into the medal round and next up within their bracket is world champion Spain on Saturday.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:46 AM | Permalink
                    

Just a word here for a Baltimore swimmer not named Michael Phelps who will be leaving Beijing with Olympic honors.  In the midst of Phelps-mania, it is easy to overlook Towson competitor Katie Hoff.

Hoff has earned three medals, a silver in the 400 freestyle and two bronze in the 800 free relay and 400 IM.  She also just missed in two events finishing fourth in the 200 IM and the 200 free. Yesterday, she failed to qualify for the medal race in one of her better events, the 800 freestyle and that has certainly left a bitter taste for her.

However, if any swimmer, when they first jumped into a swimming pool, could know that they would one day wear three Olympic medals around their neck, would have to be thrilled and consider it the athletic achievement of anyone's lifetime.  And so it should be for Hoff who had higher expectations but whose accomplishments are still lofty by any standards.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Jeremy Guthrie did it again last night, showing he is the stopper in the Orioles rotation who reliably can keep Baltimore from a free fall.

In his last 11 games dating back to June 18, Guthrie is 7-1 with a 2.53 ERA, 46 strike outs and 16 walks.  Just as significantly, he is averaging close to seven innings a start providing much-needed relief to a heavily-worked bullpen.  The win last night ended a three-game losing streak for the O's.

In today's Sun, Orioles beat writer Jeff Zrebiec points out that Guthrie's performance last night, a 6-1 win over Cleveland, was meaningful for the right-hander in that the Indians had drafted the him in the first round in 2002 but never gave him the opportunity to flourish.  Cleveland waived him in early 2007 and that's when the Orioles made one of their best -- or luckiest -- moves in a long time when they grabbed him.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:12 AM | Permalink
                    

Jeremy Guthrie pitches tonight against the Indians in Cleveland and that sigh of relief you hear is from the Orioles bullpen, not to mention manager Dave Trembley and O's Nation, in general.

Guthrie (right) has become a 24-carat solid gold stopper keeping the team from free falling with a predictably strong outing every fifth game. In fact, over his last 10 starts, Guthrie has been on what would be a Cy Young-caliber pace if a pitcher could do it all season. Since June 18, the right-hander is 6-1 with a 2.64 ERA over 68 innings with 42 strikeouts and just 15 walks.  Even before that, Guthrie was having a solid season but suffered from a lack of offensive support.

Overall, Guthrie is 9-8 with a 3.26 ERA, 104 strikeouts and 42 walks.  Certainly good but as a body of work, hardly Cy Young territory.  But it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up with a team that is losing ground incrementally.

For a point of comparison, former Oriole Erik Bedard, now with the Mariners, had a similarly hot run just about the same time last season that did have folks talking about him as a potential Cy Young candidate until a muscle strain near his rib cage ended his year. Bedard's nine-game stretch from early July through mid-August went thusly: 7-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 84 strikeouts (he finished with 221).

Of course, Bedard has broken down in successive seasons. Along with the oblique muscle issue in 2007, he's been on the mend from shoulder tightness since early July in Seattle.

Photo: Karl Merton Ferron/Sun

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

The baseball gods can be cruel. Just when it appeared that the Tampa Bay Rays were cruising to one of the most dramataic turnarounds ever, injuries have struck down two of their best position players.

Carl Crawford, their star outfielder, may be out for all of the regular season after he has surgery on his right hand. He hurt it on a checked swing over the weekend. His .273 battting average and eight home runs tell only part of the story. He also has 57 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and in the last couple of weeks, Crawford was hitting close to .350 with five triples.

In addition, all-star rookie third baseman Evan Longoria is now on the 15-day disabled list with a fractured wrist. He's expected to be back before the end of the season. He was hitting .278 with 22 home runs and 71 RBIs. The Rays are trying to hold off the Boston Red Sox who are three games behind in the AL East
.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:11 AM | Permalink
                    

The maddening thing about the Orioles most recent slide as they try to retain the respectability they have built all season is that they don't give up -- they just can't finish off teams.

For the second night against the Indians on the road, they climbed out of a deep hole, this time from three runs down, and tied the game in the seventh only to see it get away, 7-5. On this occasion, the bullpen implosion belonged to Jim Johnson, one of the few reliables.

The starting pitching has been a mess. Garrett Olson gave up four runs in the first and that followed poor starts by Chris Waters and Dennis Sarfate. In all three games, the O's gave up four first-inning runs but came back to tie or lead only to see the game fall apart on them.

Here's the real differeence between good teams and bad teams. With good teams, one part of the club picks up for the other. The hitting may be weak for a while but the pitchers throw shutouts. On bad teams, the part of the team that's going well is overwhelmed by those parts that are struggling. That's why the Orioles are six games under .500.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Forget the Orioles for the time being and their faltering pitching and stumbling defense. Forget the Ravens for a while and their three-way quarterback competition.

Now is a time for Baltimore (and the world, for that matter) -- whether you’re a sports fan or just a fan of the idea that the combination of a lifetime of hard work, enormous talent and steadfast determination is indeed a wonder to watch – to enjoy Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.

Last night, the 23-year-old from Towson won gold medals No. 10 and No. 11 of his career, more than any other person in the history of the Olympic Games, and the fourth and fifth of the Beijing Olympics keeping him on track to surpass Mark Spitz’ record of seven golds in a single Olympics.

His latest triumphs last night were the 200-meter butterfly and as part of the 800-meter freestyle.

The first was made more difficult by the fact that Phelps’ goggles filled with water when he entered the pool at the beginning of the race. The second was a magnificent triumph for the Americans as the four of them, with Phelps as the lead-off, crushed the world record by five seconds, and such was the American lead that the anchor man, Peter Vanderkaay, looked like Secretariat in the home stretch of the Belmont he was so far ahead of the competition.

But back to the goggles, how bitter would it had been had those goggles – with water keeping Phelps from seeing his competition or the walls of the pool – been the reason that he missed the gold in the 200 butterfly.

Instead, it merely becomes an interesting anecdote in the larger story of stunning triumph.

So enjoy.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Add former Ravens offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden to the list of athletes who have lent their likeness and name to a wine label in order raise money for charity. 

Ogden's picture and name will be on a special edition Cabernet that will be available this fall and benefit the Jonathan Ogden Foundation.  The foundation's mission, according to a press release, is to "help student-athletes take responsibility for their futures though lessons learned on the playing field, in the classroom and throughout their local communities."

The California wine, which is being released through Charity Wines, is one of a lineup of athlete-associated wines, including ones that feature former Orioles Brooks Robinson (a chardonnay) and Eddie Murray (also a Cabernet).  Other athletes with their own labels have included Dan Marino, Mike Schmidt and Ernie Banks.

The Ogden label wine will cost $14 and be available in some wine stores in Maryland.  Those outside Maryland can order at http://www.charitywines.com.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:14 PM | Permalink
                    

Just an observation from last night's Orioles' loss, 13-8, to the Indians in Cleveland. Baltimore rallied for five runs in the seventh to take a one-run lead only to see the bullpen give back three runs in the bottom of the seventh and the eighth. The game got out of hand when O's reliever Jamie Walker gave up two homers in the eighth.

Walker has now given up eight home runs this season. That's in just 26.1 innings. On the face of it, it's an enormous number but when you consider that Walker has usually been brought in to pitch to just a few batters, ideally left-handers, and he should be in an advantageous position just about every time he takes the mound, it's even worse (note: yesterday's homers were to right-handed hitters). Throughout his career, Walker has given up a few too many home runs (about 1.4 per nine innings) but this season, the long-ball problem has become extreme.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

There are almost as many video tributes on the Internet dedicated to Michael Phelps as there are to Brett Favre. And before this Olympics is over, it’s a certainty that Phelps will hold that record, too.

As Phelps goes for his fourth and fifth medals tonight at Beijing in the 200-meter butterfly and the 4x200 freestyle relay, here is one musical nod to Baltimore’s hometown hero.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:12 AM | Permalink
                    

The Redeem Team stayed on track today defeating overmatched Angola, 97-76. The American men's basketball team is now 2-0 with tougher competition ahead, namely Greece and Spain, in that order.

The U.S. stars continue to shoot poorly from outside. They went 5-for-21 from three-point range, including an ofer-8 from Kobe Bryant. The free throw shooting was so-so again, 16-for-25. But the Americans did shoot nearly 56 percent from the field overall and they also continue to play good defense holding Angola to less than 40 percent from the field and getting 25 turnovers.

Dwyane Wade continued to be a spark off the bench with a team-high 19 points.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:28 AM | Permalink
                    

Jason Lezak's astounding comeback in the last 50 meters of the 4X100 freestyle relay that overtook what seemed like an insurmountable lead by France, won the gold medal for the Americans and preserved Michael Phelps' chances to eight gold medals in this Olympics will obviously stand as one of the Games' most memorable moments.

In a turn of coincidence, tonight, the American women's gymnastics squad will compete for the team championship against a talented and in some ways, favored Chinese team. All of which brings back what, for many, is the all-time triumphant memorable moment in Olympics Summer competition, at least in the televised era, when Kerri Strug stuck a last-chance one-point landing on the vault a la the Karate Kid to help her team, nicknamed the Magnificent Seven, win the gold in 1996.

Here's a replay, and keep a tissue handy.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers will go through a lot of "firsts" this season, not the least of which will be at the first quarterback not wearing No. 4 to start a regular-season game as the signal-caller for the Packers in 17 years.

But a not inconsiderable first was last night when he took the field as The Man in Green Bay's opening preseason game, at home no less, against Cincinnati.

To get to the point, he looked good -- even better than his statistics indicate (9-for-15, 107 yards, 1 TD, 1 interception).  The interception could have been a completed pass and another pass was dropped.  He led drives that amounted to 10 points and got an assist from receiver James Jones on a good catch-and-run for the touchdown. Here are the highlights.

What was particularly notable was the enormous enthusiasm with which Packers fans welcomed Rodgers onto the field.  They indicated they clearly understood that the events of the last month had nothing to do with Rodgers and that the kid deserved a chance --and he does.  One thing you can can say about l'affair Favre.  Regardless of whether you think Packers management was at fault, or Brett Favre was at fault, or both, Rodgers has handled all this with dignity and restraint and tried to keep focused on doing his job.

If a quarterback is measured by the way he handles pressure, in Rodgers case, so far, so good.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Steve Smith needs to take a deep breath and start this training camp all over again.

The Panthers' Pro Bowl wide receiver is having a miserable preseason, some of it of his own making.

Already suspended by his own team for the first two games of the regular season for beating up teammate Ken Lucas on the sidelines during practice earlier in camp, Smith is now sidelined himself after suffering a concussion in a preseason game against Indianapolis on Saturday. The Panthers won the game, 23-20, in overtime.

Smith was making a leaping grab of a 19-yard pass in the first quarter. Smith now joins Lucas on the sidelines because Lucas has to sit out following a procedure to reset his nose that Smith broke.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

A ago, the New England Patriots suffered a black eye over Spygate admitting to having broken NFL rules in their zeal to scout opposing teams.  It was a national embarrassment to the entire organization and owner Bob Kraft wound up apologizing to his fellow owners.

However, this year, the Patriots are coming out of the gate as a franchise doing something entirely admirable.  Tomorrow, the Patriots, along with the Federal Reserve, are holding a giant mortgage consultation at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro for homeowners who are facing loan difficulties. 

For seven hours, folks who took out expensive sub-prime loans will get to meet with mortgage experts to see if some remedy might be available to help keep them from drowning in interest and losing their homes.  The event could draw thousands of people and about 20 financial and mortgage service companies are participating, including Wells Fargo and Bank of America.

It's anyone's guess how many homeowners can he helped but Kraft, who sits on the Boston Fed board, said: "We hope some people come out of this saving their homes."

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

The Brett Favre frenzy is slowing down a bit -- but just a bit.

On Saturday, Favre's first practice as a New York Jet, more than 10,000 fans showed up at the team's training camp at Hofstra to watch.

Yesterday's highlight was a "penalty" jog that Favre took along with his new center, Nick Mangold, after a fumble on an exchange. Apparently, it's the practice of Jets' coach Eric Mangini to make players who put the ball on the ground take a little jog as contrition and Favre wants no special treatment. An unevetful 18-second video of the lap (below) had over 2,000 hits as of this morning, an indication of how fans are interested in Favre's every move.

Mangini good-naturedly went along with the Favre-mania with this report to the media on the quarterback's breakfast: "Brett had his two hard-boiled eggs, a little bit of orange juice. There was a garnish, I think, and some hashbrowns. And I can take you through minute-by-minute after that."

Along with the fan video is an ESPN report.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

We're a little less than two weeks short on a dubious anniversary, the 30-run rout that the Texas Rangers hung on the Orioles last season and yesterday, it seemed that the O's pitchers were doing their best to commemorate the event.

Baltimore hurlers gave up half the number from that 30-3 embarrassment a year ago in a 15-6 loss to Texas yesterday where the consolation was that Baltimore took the three-game series, 2-1.  The O's held the Rangers to just one run in the previous two games.  Jeremy Guthrie continued his strong second half with a one-run performance over seven innings on Friday and on Saturday, the Orioles' own Dr. Jeykll and Mr. Hyde, Daniel Cabrera, threw six shutout innings.

Yesterday, rookie Chris Waters, who looked like Superman when he came up from the minors last week, returned to earth with a thud.  After pitching masterfully in his debut -- eight innings, one hit -- yesterday he was tagged for six runs in four innings, including two homers.  The Orioles actually had a 5-4 lead after four innings but Waters and Randor Bierd had a fifth-inning meltdown.

Also having a lousy day was Baltimore shortstop Alex Cintron who, while he wasn't charged with any errors, didn't remind anyone of Ozzie Smith in the field.  What games like this do is put into focus where the Orioles need to concentrate their personnel efforts -- starting pitching and shortstop.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Already, we have a spectacular moment at the Biejing Olympics with the American swimming comeback -- specifically, 32-year-old Jason Lezak's rally in the anchor leg of the 4x100 freestyle relay where the French seemed certain to make good on their boast to win the event. The charge by Lezak, particularly over the last 50 yards kept alive Michael Phelps' bid for an unprecedented eight gold medals. If you missed it, here it is.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

For much of the Brett Favre melodrama, we've been offering music videos -- usually amateur efforts, but usually funny or poignant -- to illustrate the current moment.

So here were are at the end of l'affair Favre with the future Hall of Famer playing for the Jets and Packers fans feeling a little empty.

Some are venting their spleen on quarterback heir Aaron Rodgers who said today that he gets cursed at pulling into the parking lot and that even a little kid dressed him down with bad words.

"When a little kid is yelling swear words at me. That kind of gets to me," Rodgers said. "The boos, they expect a high level of play and they miss Brett Favre. I understand that. ... the little kids saying swear words to me, I don't understand that."

So here are some little kid Packer fans who are a lot better mannered as they bid Good-bye to Brett.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:28 PM | Permalink
                    

So Brett Favre was in New York for a press appearance that included mayor Michael Bloomberg.

There were gifts and here's what Bloomberg gave the Jets' new quarterback:

* Cheescakes from Junior's Cheesecakes.

* A mass transit MetroCard with $4 in fares on it (for Favre's jersey number).

* A Broadway street sign.

* A copy of the mayor's book, Bloomberg by Bloomberg.

* And a key ring with the promise of the key to the city if the Jets win the Super Bowl.

However, Favre knows enough not to be swept up by the hero's welcome.

"The pressure is just building," he said. "The attention I've gotten since I've been here has been overwhelming. The bottom line, as we all know, is to win games. That's what I'm here to do."

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Student athletes are notoriously strapped for cash.  Well, college students, in general, are nororiously strapped for cash -- a fact to which any parent with children pursuing degress can attest.

So it comes as somewhat interesting news that one college football player, offensive lineman Michael Eynon of Ohio University, just hit the Mega Ball lottery for $250,000 (about $172,500 after taxes).  Eynon, 22, is a senior and reportedly said that he plans to give some of the winnings to this church, some to his family and invest the remainder.  Eynon matched five numbers but missed the Mega Ball, which woukd have been a $34 million payoff.

To his credit, Eynon wasn't particularly disappointed because he didn't become a multi-millionare.

"Everyone was like, 'Dude, you were one number off,' " Eynon was quoted as saying in a news report. "I was like, 'I'm satisfied.' This is awesome either way."

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

In today’s Sun I have a column that discusses what Brett Favre – currently the toast of the New York – will face once the honeymoon ends.

Part of that column is reprised here because I realize that the audiences for the newspaper and the blog can be different, even though the column appears on the Sun Web site. And I was taken with how similarly Favre sees the situation

He’s a realist, I’ll give him that, and he was being soberingly frank when he said yesterday, “To a certain degree, I don't know what I'm getting into” and “I hope I can play at the level that I've always played at. There's no guarantees. There have never been any guarantees for me. It's football and anything can happen.”

So here it is, the circumstances that make New York a dramatically different challenge for Favre.

In Green Bay, Favre's on-field peccadillo of throwing the occasional ill-advised pass might have been overlooked somewhat by the media and certainly by the fans because of what he had done in salvaging a proud franchise that had fallen on hard times when he got there in the early 1990s. But in New York, Favre will have no such reservoir of goodwill from which to draw. Media scrutiny will be harsher because of expectations for immediate success despite the fact that the Jets were 4-12 last season.

In Green Bay, there was one team and one superstar, Favre. But New York has a fistful of pro sports teams populated by any number of stars. And the jaded sports public there is less inclined to hand out free passes for poor performances and more likely to say, “What have you done for me lately?”

In Green Bay, Favre could ask for some privacy and expect to get it. In New York, the tabloids stake out hotels and restaurants looking for a photo to plaster on Page 6.

In Green Bay, if Favre had somehow continued to play for the Packers but failed to get the team even as far as it went last season - the conference championship - he would still be revered. In New York, if he doesn't get the Jets to the playoffs, he'll be called washed up.

In Green Bay, he played in the NFC North, where he was the only quarterback of any demonstrated ability. With the Jets, he will play in the AFC East, with the ominous presence of the New England Patriots and Tom Brady looming.

 Obviously, the future Hall of Famer didn't have a whole lot of choice regarding a new team, so after a suitable amount of romancing by Jets officials, Favre decided to take a bite out of the Big Apple. It remains to be seen whether he has bitten off more than he can chew.

Clearly, he has his own misgivings. “I haven't played in New York. I'm a South Mississippi boy, but I know how tough the city can be and I know how great it can be,” he was quoted as saying. “It can be as good as you want to make it.”

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing your 2008, 2007, 2006, 2000-whatever Baltimore Ravens.

OK, just kidding.  Honestly, the first preseason game means absolutely nothing.

But if you're a Ravens follower, how familiar was last night's 16-15 win over the Patriots up in New England.

Great defense. Exceptional special teams. And an uneven offense due, in part, to inconsistent quarterback play.

Have we seen that before, or what?  Doesn't matter if the final record was 13-3 or 5-9, that's the way it has been.  Somewhere, Brian Billick was chuckling. 

Again, Kyle Boller presented adequate evidence to make you want to love 'em or loathe 'em.  He threw some great passes in going 11-for-15 for 102  yards in less than two quarters but gave up a fumble in the pocket and threw an interception.  With Troy Smith at QB, the offense looked, um, more creative.  But his 7-for-12 for 74 yards and two near-miss picks dampens one's enthusiasm.  And rookie Joe Flacco looked like a guy without a clue (0-for-3, lost fumble).  Oh yeah, and the running game (35 yards on 21 carries) never showed up.

And let's be fair.  The Ravens had neither projected starting tackle and were missing their first-string tight end, running back and one of their one of their wide receivers. But it was deja vu all over again watching the game turn on a big return by Yamon Figurs, a stout defense led by two Fabian Washington interceptions and three field goals by two Ravens kickers.

But as I said at the beginning, the first preseason game means absolutely nothing. ... Right?

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

In the first preseason game, I think the emphasis for fans should be to concentrate on very specific things. Naturally, everyone is interested in how the quarterback competition plays out but the fact that Chad Slaughter will be at left tackle and Mike Kracalik on the right side means that has to be factored into the quarterbacks' performances.

In the case of Kyle Boller, the coaches will be watching his decision-making and whether he is able to keep his composure and not rush himself. Naturally, it'll be a good thing if he completes passes and moves the chains, but more to the point is that he finds the right receiver.

Rookie running back Ray Rice will see a lot of time but I'm going to be interested in how he performs when he isn't carrying the ball, specifically on his blitz pick-ups and pass catching.

The depth level at wide receiver has always been problematic for this team. We know what Derrick Mason can do and Mark Clayton to an extent. But what about Demetrius Williams and Yamon Figurs? They both have the potential to be home run hitters but they also have to be consistent.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The marketing folks in New York were apparently all set to pounce on the revenue potential of the Brett Favre trade. No sooner had the annocement been made that Favre had been dealt to New York when a Brett Favre relica jersey was up for sale on the home page of the Jets Web site.

Apparemtly, it's a hot seller today because every time I tried to click through to the order page, I got this message "Sorry, the shop is inaccessible temporarily. Please try again later."

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

The dominoes are beginning to fall in the Brett Favre trade that sent the future Hall of Famer to the New York Jets.  Chad Pennington, who has been as fragile as Favre has been sturdy over the years, apparently will be off the Jets' roster by 4 p.m.,  New York GM Mike Tannenbaum indicated. Rumored possible landings for Pennington are Kansas City where his old coach, Herm Edwards now runs the Chiefs, and Minnesota, where it appears the Vikings are looking for anyone to replace Tavaris Jackson.

For the Packers, they reportedly get a  conditional draft pick in the range of of a fourth-rounder that could go to at least a second-rounder and perhaps even a first-rounder depending on the Jets' performance.

Of the teams with which Favre's name had been associated -- namely, the Vikings, Buccaneers and Jets -- New York was the least comfortable fit on a couple of levels.  Tactically, it will be a system least resembling the West Coast offense he played in under several coaching staffs in Green Bay.  And no place could be more different culturally from small-town Green Bay where Favre's laid-back Mississippi style translated perfectly despite the obvious differences in latitude.

The harsh media glare will be withering where the expectations will be for immediate success despite the fact that the Jets were just 4-12 last season.  In Green Bay, Favre's faults may have been overlooked somewhat by the media and certainly by the fans because of what he had done in salvaging a proud franchise that had fallen on hard times when he got there in the early 1990s. But in New York, Favre will have no such reservoir of goodwill on which to draw.  Every week, it will be a case of "What have you done for me lately" in a city long jaded by superstars, such as Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. 

And one more thing, they happen to have another NFL team in town that just won a Super Bowl.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Orioles followers have grown accustomed to manager Dave Trembley's demeanor that makes him a glass-half-full kind of guy. Trying to patch together the psyche of a team that was down-and-out when he took over last season and is in a rebuilding process this year, Trembley has generally tried to look on the bright side of things, even losses.

But after Garrett Olson got knocked around for six runs in 2.2 innings yesterday and never really gave the Orioles a chance in a 9-4 loss to the L.A. Angels, you could hear the weariness that Trembley has to be experiencing with his starting pitching.

Of the first-inning two-run homer hit by the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero's off of Olson, Trembley said the pitch looked "looked like it was on a tee."

And of the game in general: "We had some momentum going on our side after [Tuesday] night's game [when rookie Chris Waters pitched a gem in an 3-0 O's win], and you come in here and before you know it you're down.  It's always going to be starting pitching. Starting pitching not only sets the tone for you but gives you the feeling that you're going to have a chance, one way or the other."

It's not an Ozzie Guillen-caliber rant but for Trembley, any kind of criticism raises an eyebrow.  Some fans would like Trembley to be more fire-and-brimstone.  I suppose, in a way, it would be vicarious venting to hear the manager rip the players for chronic sub-par performances.  But I don't think Trembley can act out of character.  And at this point in the season when the Orioles are trying to get along without key players such as pitcher Matt Albers and now center fielder Adam Jones, I' don't think there would be much point.

At this juncture, Trembley just has to nurse this team home without giving up the ground and the progress it has made this season and locker room eruptions wouldn't help in that effort.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Brett Favre and his wife Deanna left Green Bay a few hours ago for Mississippi. For Favre, it represents an end as a Packer. Meanwhile, a deal with either Tampa Bay or the New York Jets seems to be imminent.

So as we move along, the tune that seems to fit today is this bluesy-rock-folk tune called Let Brett Play.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 6:42 PM | Permalink
                    

The final chapter of Brett Favre's career in Green Bay was written yesterday when Favre and head coach Mike McCarthy seemed to come away from meetings with the same conclusion that both the Packers and Favre have to move on from this point.

From what can be inferred from the comments of both Favre and McCarthy, the quarterback is having a difficult time getting past what he apparently believes was duplicitous behavior on the part of team management. And even if Favre could have put that behind him, there's the issue of whether a QB competition between the future Hall of Famer and Aaron Rodgers would have been fair. Apparently, no one will ever know the answer to that.

The next stage seems to be trying to find another NFL team who can come up with a deal for Favre. By now, everyone knows who the likely candidates are: Tampa Bay and the New York Jets. Here's McCarthy talking about what would seem to be the end of the Favre era in Green Bay.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

There you have it. The answer to the Orioles' pitching problems was pretty simple all along -- just bring up a guy from the minors every fourth day or so, hand him the ball and let him go out and throw like Sandy Koufax.

Who can figure out why a pitcher like Chris Waters, the lefty the Orioles brought up from Norfolk to serve as a fill-in starter last night and who has spent nine seasons in the minors, can come in against one of the best teams in baseball, on the road, and pitch eight innings of one-hit shutout ball. Waters' highly unexpected performance was the story of last night's 3-0 Orioles' win over the L.A. Angels.

Manager Dave Trembley summed it up this way: "Gosh, we didn't expect it, [but] we'll take it" And: "Boy, you talk about a shot in the arm, a big lift for our club."

Aubrey Huff said that Waters "took out nine years of frustration on the best team in baseball."

So can Waters be an answer for a team that has precious few dependable starters? Or was it simply an unknown quantity having a career night?

We're certainly going to find out because he's not going back to Norfolk just yet.

.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
                    

Brett Favre said a lot today but the results are that his situation with the Packers is just as it has been for the last several weeks.

There seems to be an implied opportunity for an open competition between Favre and Aaron Rodgers but both head coach Mike McCarthy and Favre concede that the ensuing turmoil would wreak havoc on the team. Favre said today the "best thing for this team is for us to part ways."

More from Favre: "We're at a stalemate. Mike and I both agreed last night that me being out there is a distraction and will continue to be a distraction. We all know the reason I'm here is because the commissioner [Roger Goodell] reinstated me so we have a lot of things to figure out. It's simple and complicated, both at the same time."

A trade is problematic. The Packers understandably are balking at a deal with an NFC North rival.

Listening to Favre, you can tell his beef is with Green Bay GM Ted Thompson: "They want to know if I'm committed but I want to know if they're 100 percent committed. The problem is that there's been a lot of damage done and I can't forget it. Stuff has been said, stories planted, that just aren't true. Can I get over all that? I doubt it."

Favre was referring specifically to reports that he had a team cell phone and that the numbers called may have indicated that he used that phone to communicate with members of the Vikings organization, possibly to discuss playing for the Vikings. Later, it came to light that Favre did not have a team phone.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
                    

On the stupid scale of 1 to 10, this is about an 18.  The hometown of Dale Earnhardt, Kannapolis, N.C., apparently has a tourist attraction, the  "Dale Trail.".  The Dale Trail is marked by flags that fly in tribute to the late NASCAR driver.  Landmarks include the former site of Edelman's garage, the Junction Cafe & Grill and something called Idiot Circle.  None of that is the stupid part.

However, the flags must be a little worse for wear because the city took them down after a representative of a local billionaire developer and a tourism official said that the shabby flags might upset a visiting dignitary who was a guest of the rich guy.

The  guest?  As it turned out that was Martha Stewart, the home designer, cook and, yes, and former guest of the government for her involvement in an insider-trader problem.  She was visiting the campus of a biotech complex.

Now to be fair to Martha, there is absolutely no indication that she had anything bad to say about the Dale flags or even had an clue they were being taken down in advance of her visit.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:41 AM | Permalink
                    

Perhaps the Brett Favre should stop surprising us. It has taken so many twists and turns since the Packers lost to the Giants in the NFC Championship game and the future Hall of Famer announced his retirement before almost immediately beginning to second-guess his decision that we should be prepared for anything.

But what happened last night really was stunning. For Favre and Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy to have to spend 4 ½ hours talking about the very same issues that have been churning for weeks and weeks is just mind-boggling. It was suppose to last an hour-and-a-half. I have to confess that after Favre had spent hours and hours with team president Mark Murphy last week and all the back and forth with GM Ted Thompson (that you would think included, even indirectly McCarthy) that there would have been an understanding between the two sides before Favre returned to the team.

Well, apparently not. That the Packers had to cancel much-anticipated meetings with the team and the media simply shows that even the organization was caught off-guard by the impasse that still exists between the player and now the coach.

The Packers next practice is scheduled for 2 p.m., CT. At this point, it’s unclear whether Favre will be there. What is clear is that unless Favre simply gives up and returns to Mississippi, this will be with us for a while.

To inject a little levity, we've been posting Favre-related videos. This one is a take-off on the trailer for the Batman movie Dark Knight. This is called Favre Knight with Thompson apparently cast as the villain.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:25 AM | Permalink
                    

Last night's 6-5 Orioles loss to the Los Angeles Angels could be called a lot of things but mostly it was exhausting.  There were a lot of moments when the game looked like it should have been over considering the O's were down by four runs in top of the ninth with two out.

But if you stayed up late enough to see the game or have read about it, you know that an error by Angels first baseman Mark Teixeira and clutch hits by Nick Markakis and Melvin Mora allowed Baltimore to tied it.  Then, closer George Sherrill wound up giving up a double and three walks to force in the winning run.

After the game, the Orioles had reason to feel good about a comeback against the team with the best record in the majors and their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, but we are in that part of the season when attrition becomes a factor.  For instance, the Orioles will bring up Chris Waters from Norfolk to pitch tonight.  Waters, who is making his first Major League start,  was doing well at Double-A Bowie (1.69 ERA) but less so at Norfolk (5.70 ERA) so this could be interesting.  On top of that, center fielder Adam Jones, who has been an iron man this season, is out with a foot injury.  Somehow, the Orioles have to come up with the bodies and enthusiasm to keep battling with a shallow roster and after a disappointing defeat.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

The news that Brett Favre is returning to the Packers' training camp hardly means that the Favre soap opera is over -- far from it.

Favre’s reinstatement is effective at noon, Central Time, and that rumble you hear coming out of Wisconsin is the media stampede to cover the homecoming of Favre to the Packers.

Luckily for the Packers, they don’t have a practice scheduled for today and Favre will meet with head coach Mike McCarthy. Then, McCarthy will meet with his other quarterbacks, including the guy who had the starting job for a few weeks, Aaron Rodgers. Tomorrow, should be as exciting as football can get in early August

The complications are several, the competition for the starting QB job being the most obvious. But as training camp goes on, there will be ongoing, breathless speculation that Favre will still be traded.

So far, the advantage in the tug-of-war between Favre and the Packers in the person of general manager Ted Thompson, who wanted Favre to stay retired, goes to Favre but this is just getting good. We’ve been making light of the situation with music videos of the situation and we continue to do that with this humorous spoof of what’s happened so far.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

Not to be overlooked in the excitement of yesterday’s brawl between the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals over a Sox pitcher hitting the Royals’ Miguel Olivo and subsequent ejections that included the always diplomatic Ozzie Guillen was Guillen’s tacit admission that he orders his pitchers to throw at batters.

As others have already noted, that’s hardly a secret that Major League managers order retaliation but leave it to Guillen to actually say it out loud.

He was trying to make the point that he did not order D.J. Carrasco to hit Olivo by pointing out it was the wrong time (bases were loaded) and the wrong pitcher. Carrasco was tossed for hitting Olivo; Olivo was tossed for charging the mound and eventually slugging catcher A.J. Pierzynski, and Guillen was tossed for arguing about Carrasco getting tossed. Kansas City won the game, 14-3.

“You think I'm going to bring in somebody to hit somebody with an 82 mile-an-hour fastball?” Guillen said of his own pitcher, Carrasco, who is more a sinkerball guy than a heat guy. “I'm going to bring in my best guy and make sure we get it done. That's the baseball I grew up with, not the [stuff] we play with right now.”

Yikes.

The funny thing about it is that as a defense for yesterday’s specific circumstance, Guillen’s point is well taken. But in the larger picture saying that there’s a right way and a wrong way to intentionally hit a batter is probably a wee bit impolitic.

So here’s the video.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:38 PM | Permalink
                    

When you look at Daniel Cabrera's line in yesterday's 8-4 loss to Seattle, you would think he just had another one of his blow-up games that has become his habit after a good outing.  Cabrera was  coming off a strong performance against the Yankees but his stats against the Mariners was seven runs, six earned,  in six innings.  With that kind of performance, you can't even beat, well, the Mariners.

Actually, it wasn't that terrible.  He had the Orioles in the game through six inning, 4-4, and he struck out six and walked only two.  Unfortunately, for Cabrera one of those two free passes was to lead off the seventh.  Then he failed to field a ground ball up the middle.  And finally, he gave up his second walk on a Seattle bunt attempt.  So without giving up a solid hit, Cabrera was out of the game.  Jamie Walker's relief appearance didn't go well but again, it was deceiving.  Orioles fans had grown weary of Walker giving up the big blow but yesterday, his undoing was ground balls.  They just happened to be in bad spots.

However, a loss is a loss and so the up-and-down journey of Daniel Cabrera continues on its roller-coaster ride.  And for the time being, Orioles fans are along for the ride.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl wide receiver Steve Smith is a genuine danger to his teammates. 

Six years ago, he punched out fellow WR Anthony Bright during a film session and was suspended for a game. Today, he got into a knock-down, drag-out with Panthers cornerback Ken Lucas while the two were just standing on the sidelines during a special teams drill in training camp. 

Lucas needed an ice pack over his eye and was taken to a side area. Meanwhile, veteran WR Mushin Muhammad took Smith over to Lucas to speak with him. The cornerback was loaded onto a cart and taken to the locker room. No word yet on whether Smith will be disciplined.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
                    

In the USA Today's coaches' college football poll, Georgia has been named the preseason No. 1 after finishing last season in a rush by crushing undefeated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. The rest of the top five: USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Florida, in that order.

Just a historical footnote, last year the preseason honors went to USC but as the season went along, the top spot was a game of musical chairs as the distinction turned out to be an invitation to getting knocked off. LSU finished the year at No. 1 and USC came in at No. 2 (USA Today) and No. 3 (AP). And, of course, there were more calls for a college football playoff.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:54 AM | Permalink
                    

So how would you feel about getting $20 million or $25 million just stay out of your boss' hair.

I know, the multi-million dollar deal that Green Bay Packers management is offering Brett Favre to make the nightmare stop is being characterized as the formalizing of a longterm relationship and is not intended as a bribe to keep Favre out of the clutches of the Vikings. But ... who's really buying that.

Reported specifics of the offer are a little inconsistent. The proposal has been described as $20 over 10 years for Favre to act in a marketing and public relations capacity or as much as $25 million over just two years. Details, details.

So Favre is mulling and occasionally texting his thoughts to ESPN and the Packers are sweating and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could use a good stiff Gatorade. Here's the view from Wisconsin. Here's the view from Minnesota. And here's the take from ESPN.

But our contribution to the the all-Favre-all-the-time coverage of America's favorite QB is to offer a daily Brett Favre concert. We actually rolled this out for the first time maybe a year ago but it's worth hearing again. Hey, because (almost) everyone loves Brett Favre.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

The focus of yesterday's three-way trade that sent likely Hall of Famer Manny Ramirez to the L.A. Dodgers will obviously be on how Ramirez will fit into an already crowded Dodgers outfield.  And, of course, whether Jason Bay -- the player from the third-party team, the Pirates -- will take up the offensive slack in Boston.

However, I wonder about the Pittsburgh fans.  Pittsburgh received four prospects for Bay, two each from the Dodgers and Red Sox. Three will report to the Major League club and one to Single-A.   The Pirates are in a longer franchise losing streak than even the Orioles (their 50-58 record has them positioned for a 16th straight season under .500) and Bay was one of their few stars.  Earlier, they had sent Xavier Nady to the Yankees.

Bay is hitting .282 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs. He's rebounding from a 2007 when he slumped in almost all offensive categories but his career 162-game averages are impressive -- .281, 31 HRs, 102 RBIs and he's only 29 and considered a team leader.  That's a lot to replace, I don't care how many prospects you get or how highly they're rated.

Considering this has been a franchise famous for shipping off its stars who had great careers elsewhere, it would be a shock if its fans didn't view the Bay trade with skepticism, something the Pirates acknowledge themselves. Here's what Pirates team president Frank Coonelly: "I understand there's skepticism based on the history, but I believe the fans will see very quickly that this isn't the same old story. We've made trades here based on sound baseball judgment and building a championship-caliber organization, not for financial reasons, and we're confident people will see that."

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)