I'm getting ready to head to the ballpark but thought it was important to pass this along: The Boooog Pows! have released a new song.

You'll remember The Boooog Pows! from such hits as "Boo Teixeira," and... well, OK, that's really it. But it was a hell of a ditty. 

Check out their new song and see if you think it measures up.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:45 PM in Must-see Web TV, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

If you were thinking of attending Saturday's NFL draft in New York, you might want to start packing your overnight bag right now.  And bring some blankets  --- these loons, uh loyal fans, start lining up in front of Radio City Music Hall on Friday.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 7:30 AM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Internet video has surfaced of Ray Lewis on the program Sport Science. (Hat tip to Shutdown Corner who posted this earlier today.)

Here's what the Sun's Ray Frager reported last month when the episode was originally broadcast: 

If Ray Lewis knocks at your door, better let him in. That's the lesson to be learned from the next edition of Sport Science (airing Sunday at 11 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet).

The program uses lots of high-tech equipment to film and measure actions of athletes in scientific fashion. In this case, Sport Science decided to compare the Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker with a battering ram. Each would be used to break down a thick, locked door.

Lewis filmed the show -- now in its second season -- in July in Los Angeles. He didn't get paid and stayed out on the field for six hours, said John Brenkus, creator and host of the series.

(The co-creator and co-executive producer is Mickey Stern, a Baltimore native.)

"It's literally a program that people do for free," he said. "By Season 2, everyone in the sports community had seen Sport Science. ... The sell just gets easier as the show goes on." 

I'll admit to not having seen the show before receiving a preview DVD, but, as my 12-year-old self would have said, it's pretty neat -- measurements of force, super slow motion from all angles.

But what about the risk of injury? (I checked with the Ravens, and a spokesman said the team had no idea Lewis did this.)

"The athletes are in such incredible shape, and we take every precaution," Brenkus said. "Where you get hurt is when you're not actually going full speed."

 

Posted by Rick Maese at 1:15 PM in Must-see Web TV, Ravens | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

You can argue whether imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery. But what is certain is that when imitation takes the form of celebrity impersonation -- and it resonates with a mass-media audience -- the person being imitated has been stamped as a cultural icon.

And so it is with John Madden, who announced his retirment from broadcasting today.

Comedian Frank Caliendo built a career using his Madden impersonation as a launch pad by mimicking Madden's overwrought delivery. The broadcaster is famous for hawking products from hardware to foot powder and in this skit, Caliendo lampoons Madden-the-pitchman.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:39 PM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Maybe it will work out for Isiah Thomas at Florida International where he has been hired to coach the basketball team. Clearly, he wasn't NBA material as singer-songwriter Ryan Parker pointed out when Thomas was fired after a miserable turn running the New York Knicks.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 9:00 AM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Few sports events evoke the nostalgia and romance of the Masters Tournament. The first of golf's Grand Slam tournaments, and arguably the most-closely followed, gets started tomorrow with Tiger Woods going for his 15th major title. He's set to tee off at 1:52 p.m. ESPN begins coverage today with the Par 3 contest at 3 p.m. Here's a lyrical tribute to Augusta National.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:00 PM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Any Baltimore sports fan with a pulse knows that the Orioles open the season Monday at home against the Yankees. As if O's followers needed any more reason to dislike the Bombers, in the offseason hometown star Mark Teixeira signed as a free agent with the Yankees. Now no one begrudges Teixeira the money but the Yankees?  C'mon!  Even if you don't have tickets for Monday afternoon, there'll be plenty of opportunity to let him know how you feel about that. The doo-wop group is TheBooogPows.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 10:00 AM in Must-see Web TV, Orioles | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

The global recession is creating hardship even among Olympic-caliber athletes. Recently, French pole vaulter Romain Mesnil ran naked through the streets of Paris -- his pole in his hands -- as he made a bid for attention that he hopes will help land him a sponsorship. According to a BBC report, Mesnil lost his Nike sponsorship and blamed it on widespread economic woes. "It was probably for budgetary reasons. It's the crisis," he was quoted as saying. The taste disclaimer on this one is that there are a few partial posterior views but otherwise it's fairly discrete. The Parisians seem to take Mesnil's romp with an air of nonchalance but what else would you expect from the French.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:00 PM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

There's no hiding the feeling in Kentucky about the hiring of new Wildcats coach John Calipari.  Songwriter-balladeer Ryan Parker, who hails from Kentucky, literally sings Calipari's praises in Caliparication

Posted by Bill Ordine at 11:15 AM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Maryland's men's lacrosse team made collegiate sports history over the weekend as the Terps battled Virginia in the longest college lacrosse game ever -- an incredible seven overtimes -- before losing, 10-9. But the defeat was even tougher to take when a Maryland goal in the seventh overtime that would have been the winner was negated by a ref's bad call. To bring that game to life a bit, here's the radio call of the dramatic ending as it was heard on
WINA 1070 AM in Charlottesville, Va. Play-by-play by John Freeman with commentary by Doug Tarring.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 2:20 PM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

The Mint 400 -- The Great American Desert Race -- roars into the rugged wilderness surrounding Las Vegas  tomorrow (March 28), renewing a tradition that started in 1968 as a PR event for Del Webb's Mint, a downtown gambling joint that was later swallowed up by another casino. After a 20-year spin, the Mint 400 disappeared into sports lore but, after another 20 years of hibernation, was revived a year ago.

Perhaps more importantly, in the early '70s, the event earned a place in literary history as the reason why Sports Illustrated dispatched Dr. Hunter S. Thompson to Vegas to set down his observations on the race. Terry McDonell, currently the Editor-Sports Illustrated Group who became a friend of the late Dr. Thompson, said that Thompson came back with four- or five-thousand words that the magazine's editors felt were unusable and suggested that it all be boiled down to a long caption for some photos. Apparently, that was unacceptable to Thompson and the manuscript seems to be lost, McDonell said.

But Thompson did author a Rolling Stone magazine article about his odyssey in Sin City and then a book called Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a gonzo journalism manifesto at its drug-inspired and/or drug-addled finest.

Among the trappings of the Mint 400 are the Mint 400 Girls. And, yes, that's Lynda "Wonder Woman" Carter in the black-and-white photo.  A video of last year's race is below (note: the mostly G-rated video has a couple of NSFW expletives at about the 1:05 mark when a VW Bug gets stuck).

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:15 PM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Big-time soccer is coming to M&T Stadium with AC Milan playing Chelsea so we thought we'd take a look at an aspect of the game that helps make the real football a worldwide favorite -- the drama. Or should we say the melodrama. Oleee, Ole Ole with an assist from "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 1:05 PM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

So there's Guthrie and Uehara, then pray for ... what?

Three days of rain? A volcanic eruption on the East Coast? An appearance every fifth day by the ghost of Moe Drabowsky?

As the Orioles' braintrust ponders the imponderable of how to fill the third, fourth and fifth spots in the pitching rotation, we offer a suggestion -- a variation on the JUGS pitching machine.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 4:30 PM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

There's a fine line between calamity and hilarity and Wyoming basketball player Adam Wadell was fortunate to be on the better side of that divider. His unintentionally acrobatic dunk last week has received national attention and a scheduled trip to the Today Show this morning.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:00 PM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

We really do appreciate Michael Phelps around here. Heck, let's face it, when it comes to drawing Web traffic, the guy is absolute money. And, of course, we're very respectful about the business of the eight gold medals and bringing all this credit to Baltimore and blah, blah, blah.

But seriously, we really, really do appreciate Michael Phelps. So it's all in the interest of just funnin' around that we bring you this little goof on one of Charm City's favorite sons.

Posted by Bill Ordine at 12:45 PM in Must-see Web TV | Permalink | Comments (5)