With the NFL lockout now in its third month, it's obvious we're all beginning to have weird football withdrawals. People are so desperate for football talk, Vinny Cerrato co-hosts a radio show in Baltimore. We're gnawing for scraps, people. If this lasts another two months, I'm pretty sure I'm going to start to feel like Ewan McGregor's character in Trainspotting, when he locks himself in his room and tries to kick his addiction to heroin.

Some of my thirst for the NFL is just general curiosity. I'm curious to know what the players have been up to in all these months they've been scattered about the country, forced to live a life lacking structure for the first time in many years. I suppose I could scour 1,500 Twitter accounts and piece together a quilted narrative of the NFLPA's Endless Summer, but that seems like a lot of work. Plus, it's way more fun to speculate. So here's what I assume various NFL players have been up to while the two sides try to figure out a way to divide a $9 billion pie.

Joe Flacco -- Spends hours each day at a crosswalk near his house, waiting for an opening in traffic large enough so he can pull the trigger and cross the street, where Anquan Boldin is waiting with diminishing patience. It probably doesn't help matters that Cam Cameron keeps calling Flacco on his Bluetooth every two minutes to blame the bad traffic on Jim Zorn.

Mark Sanchez -- Days are filled by throwing Frisbee passes to his golden retriever that are either way too high or way too low for the canine to catch cleanly. Nights are spent drunk-dialing Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato and the entire cast of The Secret Life Of The American Teenager.

Continue reading "What do we imagine various NFL stars have been up to this offseason?" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 12:47 AM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

 By Kevin Van Valkenburg

Tiger Woods once said that his favorite childhood memory was probably the first time he beat his father, Earl, in a round of golf. Woods was 11 years old, and not surprisingly, he never lost to his old man again. But he also never forgot the magic of that day.

I can relate. Sort of.

It's easy for golfers to get sentimental on Father's Day. The final round of the U.S. Open is always scheduled to take place on the Sunday that coincides with the holiday, and there is almost always a tearful exchange between a father and a son -- or a father and his children -- just off the 18th green. It might feel manipulative if it wasn't so consistently moving. When Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell won the U.S. Open last year at Pebble Beach, his dad ran onto the green and hugged his son's face in the way that Irish fathers often do, and in his exuberance, the elder McDowell kept shouting in his wonderful Irish brogue: "You're some kid! You're SOME kid!" The air suddenly got dusty in my house, as they say. My eyes, for some reason, were watering.

Other than baseball, golf seems to be the one sport where it's OK to be a little maudlin and wax poetic when telling stories about the family patriarch. But my favorite rounds I've played with my father over the years don't make me misty-eyed or wistful.

Instead, they tend to make me laugh.

My father has passed on many things to me in life. Genetically, I have his thick calves and his broad shoulders, as well as his his square chin with a divot in the center. We have the same muscular forearms and a stocky, athletic build that makes us awkward at times, yet capable of rare moments of grace. When I look at pictures of him in his early 20s, wearing the same style of thick black glasses I wear now, I sometimes feel as if I'm looking at a time machine. That's me -- joining ROTC, contemplating law school, believing I can change the world -- not him. We are different in many, many ways, but occasionally, I can hear the cadence of his voice in my own, and I can now fully understand why my sister would ask me to call our high school attendance line, and pretend to be my dad excusing her absence, when she wanted to ditch class. I reluctantly admit my father and I even have similar sneezes, a barbaric yawp that sounds a lot like someone handed a yodeler a stick of dynamite just as he was about to belt out a tune.  

Continue reading "Here is to bad golf and good fathers" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 2:46 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

I want to see LeBron James win an NBA championship someday.

In fact, I want to see him win several. If I had to wager on it, I would guess that he will win several. Eventually.

I just didn't want to see him win this one. 

Feeling that way has very little to do with the infamous broadcast of "The Decision" -- a miserable Song Of Myself that I loathed at the time, but have since mostly forgotten. And it has virtually nothing to do with the idea that he bailed on the people of Cleveland, betraying them somehow, by taking his talents to South Beach to play with his friends. He didn't handle that particularly admirably, but James' faults seem to be more about a lack of self-awareness than they do any villainous calculation. 

Instead, I rooted against him this week because I don't want his greatness to come so easily. Because if it does, we'll never know how good LeBron James could have been. 

There has been some talk in recent days that the Heat need to blow up their triumvirate and start over, even though they made it to the NBA Finals in their first season together. Or that they need a better point guard, or a deeper bench. I honestly don't think they need to add or subtract anyone.

But what they could definitely benefit from is James spending the offseason trying to develop a mid-range game or the ability to play with his back to the basket.

Yes, he is a wonderful basketball player, already one of the best ever. But so much of that right now is his off-the-charts athleticism. He is a blend of size and speed the NBA has truly never seen, a tank with the engine of a Porsche. He's also incredibly smart, with a beautiful gift for seeing the floor, especially in transition. But there is very little poetry to his game. And to truly be the greatest player of all time, he needs a little poetry to go with all that thunder. He needs the soft touch of an artist. Because all the great ones have it. 

Continue reading "LeBron James disappearance in the Finals was good for basketball, but not for the reasons you might think" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 4:13 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

When the Orioles name a new manager, they can only hope he’ll turn the last-place team around as quickly as did the man who took the same job 118 years ago.

Ned Hanlon was 34 years old when he became Baltimore manager early on in the 1892 season. The Orioles were then the laughingstock of the National League, an undisciplined bunch who’d lost 14 of their first 15 games when Hanlon stepped in.

It was too late to stop the bleeding that summer: The Orioles finished last in the 12-team league, 54-1/2 games off the pace. Then Hanlon went to work rebuilding the team.

"I decided we had too many big, clumsy fellows," he said. Most of the Orioles thought they were the mighty Casey, said Hanlon, who replaced most of them via deft trades for scrappy, aggressive players, including three future Hall of Famers (Willie Keeler, Hugh Jennings and Joe Kelley).

The new Orioles ascribed to Hanlon’s mantra of playing "scientific" baseball – the bunt, the hit-and-run, and the squeeze play – in addition to more than a little chicanery, like running from first base to third, when the lone umpire’s back was turned.

Sure enough, the Orioles perked up. In 1893, they finished eighth. Then, in 1894, they won the NL pennant – the first of three straight championship flags that would fly over their field at Union Park. In 1897, the Orioles finished second, but still won the Temple Cup, precursor of the World Series.

Baltimore’s upturn was sweet revenge for Hanlon, who’d been fired as Pittsburgh’s manager in 1891 for trying to discipline his boozing players. Perhaps the smartest move he made here was to loan the Orioles’ owner $7,000; in return, he was named club president. Hanlon was supreme boss of the franchise; the team owner wore a lapel button that said, "Ask Hanlon."

A masterful judge of talent, Hanlon drove his players to scrap for every base and scrounge for every run. Success earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame in 1996 – the same year that Cooperstown enshrined another headstrong Orioles’ manager, Earl Weaver.

"Had the Orioles had less of that aggressiveness, we would never have won any pennants," Hanlon once said. "Players are only human, and when they are (not hustling), their hearts will go down in their boots, they will become indifferent, the game will go glimmering and the public will leave in disgust."

Then, as now.

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:20 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Meet the 2010 Johns Hopkins Blue Jays, the No. 1 college baseball team in Division III -- and their predecessors from 1891.

 When Hopkins advanced to the College World Series this weekend, Sun librarian Paul McCardell dug into the archives and found the old photo of the Jays, taken four years after Hopkins began playing baseball in 1887. We then asked this year's starting team to strike a similar pose for the camera.

The '91 Jays were a rowdy bunch who finished 7-5, with two victories each over Navy and Virginia. Pictured are (front row) outfielders George Carey and J.P. Fleming, catcher H.H. Keedy, and outfielder J.E. Davis; (back row) catcher C.R. McKay, utilityman A.P. Smith, Jr., second baseman P.J. Dashiell, third baseman W. Griffis, and shortstop D.C. Turnbull. Pitcher J.E. Davis was absent. 

The 2010 Jays, who are 43-5, open play in the NCAA championship round against Heidelberg (Ohio) on Friday in Appleton, Wis. Hopkins' lineup includes (front row) pitcher Alex Eliopoulos, outfielder Matthew Bernardi, outfielder Dave Kahn, and third baseman Lee Bolyard; (back row) outfielder Jesse Sikorski, catcher John Swarr, first baseman Chris Huisman, designated hitter Brian Youchak, shortstop James Teta and second baseman Stephen Bejsiuk.

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 8:00 AM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

In Friday's fourth race at Pimlico, eight retired female jockeys will compete in a race to benefit breast cancer research. The riders, all middle-aged, broke ground for women in the sport of kings. In doing so, they often faced daunting pressure to beg off of the track.

Take Barbara Jo Rubin, who finally bolted through the glass ceiling in February, 1969 with a victory at Charles Town (W.Va.).  Before that, however, Rubin had struck out in a bid to race at Tropical Park (Fla.). There, she said, male jockeys turned on her after welcoming her into the fold.

"Three of them posed for pictures with me, and wished me luck, before a race I was scheduled to run," said Rubin, now 60. "Then they all turned around and boycotted the race."

Even when she finally got onto the track, said Rubin, male bias ran high.

"People tried to discourage you," she said. "Riders would pull up short, in front of me, to try and make my horse stumble. At Aqueduct, (Hall of Famer) Bobby Ussery came right in front of me and cut me off. My horse stumbled but didn't go down.

"Another time, on a foggy night at Waterford Park (W.Va.), some jockeys got me in a pocket on the backside and whipped me a few times, trying to discourage me. So I backed off, went along the rail and won the race.

"Afterward, the stewards called me in and asked what had happened out there, because they couldn't see it for the fog. 'Nothing happened,' I said. A few of the guys thought I was cool and accepted me after that."

Jennifer Rowland Small, a Marylander who began riding in 1971, heard her share of taunts and sexist barbs.

"I just tried to rise above it," said Small, 57, who lives in Upperco. "II had ways to deal with (jockeys) who gave me a hard time. Number one was to beat them. They couldn't stand that. You didn't want to walk off the track with bettors yelling, 'You got beat by a girl.' "

While racing, Small soon quit wearing her hair in pigtails and put it up in a bun, so that when other riders peered over their shoulders to see who was charging up behind them, they couldn't tell it was her.

"I didn't want them to say, 'Here comes THAT GIRL,' and give them added incentive," she said.

Early on, she said, women's dressing quarters at tracks were primitive, at best.

"At Shenandoah, I had to change in a broom closet that had no lock on the door," Small said. "I was 19 at the time. I just pushed a plastic chair against the door."

P.J. Cooksey began riding in 1979, but even she weathered her share of the chauvanist storm.

"I remember a race where I rode a 4-to-5 shot who lost," said Cooksey, 52. "Turned out the horse was sick, but the bettors didn't know that.

"As I was walking back to the jocks' room, here comes this guy running toward me, screaming at me and cussing over the fence.

"He said, 'You can't ride. Why don't you go back to the kitchen?'

"I just looked at him and said, 'Sir, I can't cook, either.' "

PHOTOS: (Above, right) Retired jockeys Barbara Jo Rubin and P.J. Cooksey flex their muscles as fellow retired jockey Mary Russ looks on. (Above, left) Jennifer Rowland Small exercises Sneaky Lewis at Laurel Park.

Rubin, Cooksey and Russ photo by Kim Hairston/The Baltimore Sun
Small photo by Algerina Perna/The Baltimore Sun

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:38 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

Interesting piece by Ravens beat writer Jamison Hensley in today's Sun -- you can read it here -- about where the team should turn its attention next, now that Derrick Mason has been signed and the wide receiver position has been shored up.

Hensley says defensive end is probably the Ravens' next priority, and that could involve re-signing Dwan Edwards.

Edwards has been making free-agent visits to the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, Hensley reports, but has yet to sign with another team.

Which brings us to today's question, which we ask you to kick around in-between your beer-swilling and postseason college basketball watching: Which position do YOU think the Ravens should concentrate on now?

Do you agree with Hensley that it should be DE?

Or do you think -- as I do -- that the more pressing need is cornerback, with Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington both coming off serious knee injuries.

Or do you think tight end should be the priority, now that Todd Heap has lost a step or two -- or maybe three -- and there's absolutely no one behind him on the depth chart.

Put down that beer and remote and let us know.

Daily Think Special: Which hole should the Ravens try to fill next?

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:20 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (41)
        

Unless you're a little crazy, or you're out training for the Iditarod, you're probably like me, sitting at home today in front of the computer. Sports usually takes a back seat to bad weather when it brings an entire region to its knees, and this week is no different. The Maryland-Virginia basketball game that was scheduled for tonight was canceled, as were countless high school contests and horse races at Laurel Park. But sports don't always shut down when bad weather strikes. Sometimes the games really must go on, and the result is some of the most memorable moments of competition. Before you head outside to reluctantly shovel out your car for the third time this week, here is a look back -- in no specific ranking or order -- at five iconic moments when sports and snow collided. 

1. "The Tuck Rule/Snow Job" -- New England vs. Oakland, 2001-2002 Divisional Playoffs: When it comes to football in the snow, this is the game that comes to mind first. It's weird to think back to this game and wonder if the Patriots dynasty might not have happened had Tom Brady's "arm-moving-forward-fumble" actually been ruled a fumble. Remember, Brady was just a second-year quarterback at this point, and there was still a healthy debate going as to whether or not the Patriots should go back to Drew Bledsoe the following season. But once Brady led the Patriots to a Super Bowl victory, a Hall of Fame quarterback was born. In case you've forgotten the details, Oakland was leading New England 13-10 with less than two minutes remaining. A heavy snowstorm was blanketing Foxboro Stadium. The Patriots were driving the ball down the field when Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson drilled Brady on a blitz, just as Brady was pulling the ball down. The ball came loose, and Raiders linebacker Greg Beikert recovered it. But after looking at the replay, referee Walt Coleman invoked the little known "Tuck Rule" (Rule 3, Section 21, Article 2, Note 2) which states: 

When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body.

The Patriots retained possession, Brady hit David Patten on the next play for a 13-yard gain, and Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-tying field goal with 27 seconds left. The Patriots won the toss at the start of overtime, and Brady drove his team 61 yards in 15 plays, putting Vinatieri in position to kick the game winner. New England players scrambled to clear off the snow so Vinatieri could get his plant foot down. His kick was low but straight and true. As snow swirled, delirious Patriots fans began their transition from lovable underdogs to entitled whiners.

One aspect I always felt gets overlooked in all this: the Raiders had multiple chances to stop the Patriots even after the "Tuck ruling," but instead of continuing to fight, they folded up and pouted. 

Continue reading "Five great snowy moments in sports history" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 3:32 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

There are lots of things to admire about Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams.

 One is the obvious passion he brings to the job. The guy lives and breathes to coach hoops. Another is his unwavering devotion to his players -- he never, ever throws them under the bus after a bad game and goes after anyone in the media who does.

A third is the emphasis he places on teaching during games -- when the Terps do something wrong on the court and you see Williams yelling at the poor guys on the bench, he's actually explaining (not in a gentle way) what went wrong and how to avoid it.

But for all his strengths as a coach and all the things he's accomplished, you wonder why he so often seems so joyless doing his job.  Even after the Terps emotional 92-71 demolition of North Carolina Sunday at Comcast Center, Williams couldn't -- or wouldn't -- crack a smile.

From his demeanor after a win, you sense Williams is feeling a lot of things: relief, exhaustion, vindication, pride.

But hardly ever joy. Not on the sidelines, not in his post-game courtside interview with Terps broadcaster Johnny Holliday, not in his remarks to the media later.

It can be puzzling to witness. And a little sad, too. After all the years in coaching and all the wins and even a national championship, you'd think he'd loosen up a little -- especially after a great victory like the Terps enjoyed Sunday.

But he hasn't. And maybe he never will.

 Maybe that's just asking too much. 

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 1:31 PM in Terps, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

If you follow baseball at all, you've known for years that Jon Miller is a special talent. Me, I'd listen to the guy read the contents of a soup can. Now Miller, the luminous voice of the San Francisco Giants and ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball who spent 14 seasons as the play-by-play announcer for the Orioles, has been honored as the 2010 winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for his major contributions to baseball broadcasting.

I still remember the moment the guy won me over. This was back in the late 80s. It was April and a freak snow shower was pelting Baltimore as I drove up the JFX, listening to Miller call another O's game on the radio.

Then I heard it:

 "Warming up in the bullpen for the Orioles, that's Donner the right-hander and Blitzen the lefty," Miller intoned.

I laughed so hard, I almost drove off the road. It was the perfect line for a surreal scene. And that was Jon Miller behind the microphone: knowledgeable and respectful of the game, but witty and irreverent, too, always eager to have fun when the situation presented itself.

Luckily, it presented itself often during his 14 seasons here. Veteran radio guys speak in awe of Miller's dulcet voice -- one of his old play-by-play partners once said Miller had "the best set of pipes God ever gave an announcer.

Continue reading "Jon Miller: the voice that got away" »

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 7:52 AM in Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

We’re going to recycle a little bit today.

Never say this place isn’t good for the environment.

A few months ago we talked about Melvin Mora and his place in history with the Orioles, because we knew he wouldn’t be back.

But now it is official. Mora agreed to terms – a one-year deal worth $1.3 million with the Colorado Rockies – on Sunday.

Mora finishes top 10 in most of the franchise’s offensive categories, including hits, homers, doubles, RBIs, runs scored and at-bats.

He also led the club in speaking his mind; usually good for one or two critical outbursts a season. He’d rip teammates and club personnel if he felt it were necessary. At times, that endeared him to fans while rankling teammates and/or club officials.

Mora was an enigma. He could pout and lose focus and act like the typical privileged athlete of this generation. And he could also show support and compassion for his community that is so rare these days. He chose to live in the Baltimore area year-round, which got him a whole lot of points around here.

I’ll tell you this much: No professional athlete I have covered supplied me with more humorous, head-shaking moments (most of which I couldn’t print) than Melvin, who said some genuinely hilarious things, some of which weren’t even meant to be funny.

Here’s a quick one. Melvin was once up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth of a tied game when an errant pitch headed right for his back. Instinctively, Melvin shot to the ground – even though if the pitch had hit him, it would have won the game.

A few pitches later, Melvin walked and the Orioles won anyway. Afterward, we interviewed Jerry Hairston, one of the more loquacious players I have covered. Hairston joked that the next day the team was going to send Melvin out for early hit-by-pitch practice.

When the quip was relayed to Mora, he half-smiled and simply said, “Jerry Hairston talk too much.”

For the next year, every time Hairston was being interviewed, one of the guys in the press box would say, “Jerry Hairston talk too much.” And then we’d all laugh.

There is so much to remember about Mora’s days here, but I think I will remember most the crazy things he said when we were just shooting the bull.

What will you remember? Will it be good, bad or a little of both?

Daily Think Special: What will you remember most about Melvin Mora’s Orioles’ career?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:08 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (71)
        

I like Jeremy Guthrie. The Orioles right-hander is a serious, inquisitive and thoughtful guy. He didn't end up at Stanford because he lacks brainpower.

But as he struggled through a 10-17 season with a 5.04 ERA in 2009, there were times when he looked totally lost on the mound, and in the clubhouse, too.

Reading his comments in Tuesday's Baltimore Sun story by Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec, you get the feeling he's putting a lot of pressure on himself to do well in 2010 and rebound from last season's disaster. A whole lot of pressure. And it's only January.

Continue reading "Guthrie in need of a confidence booster?" »

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 8:08 AM in Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

The magical season of the New York Jets and their voluble coach, Rex Ryan, came to an end in a 30-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC championship game yesterday, and this corner of the Toy Dept. is bummed.

Ryan, the great big bear of a coach, was fun to watch as he stalked the sideline, alternately smiling and cursing at officials and exhorting his team. He showed more passion and life than any other 20 NFL coaches combined. The frowning, corporate headset-wearer, able to cooly remain above the bloody and bruising dock brawl on the field -- that was never Rex Ryan's way. And more power to him.

As to what has this corner of the Toy Dept. irritated this morning, well, that would be the incessant camera shots of a concerned Deanna Favre and her family in the stands during the New Orleans Saints' 31-28 OT win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Sure, she SHOULD have been concerned, since her old man was getting pounded like a veal cutlet in the second half by the Saints' pass rush.

But did the FOX network really have to milk the drama with all those cutaways of Deanna with her hands over her mouth, agonizing as Brett was pummeled to the turf time and again?

She's an NFL quarterback's wife. Quarterbacks take a beating in this league, even 40-year-old Wrangler-shilling sure-bet Hall of Famers. It's a fact of life. She's been watching Brett take beat-downs for years.

One of the Favres' older daughters, I noticed, seemed much more relaxed about the whole thing. You could almost see her thinking: Oh, well, dad's getting smacked around again. Hope we can still go out for Chinese food when this is over.

It was a great game. And Favre showed the same heart and guts he's always shown. There was enough drama taking place on the field -- FOX didn't need to go looking for more in the stands.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 8:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

I don't know about you, but I love watching Rex Ryan coach.

Did you catch his sideline act during the Jets 17-14 upset of the Chargers yesterday? The Jets coach -- and former Ravens defensive coordinator -- was his usual exuberant self, breaking out in a radiant smile and pumping his fist whenever his team got a first down, pounding his players on their helmets and shoulder pads and yelling "Now that's football!" whenever they made a big play.

 No wonder the guy was so beloved by the Ravens -- he radiates enthusiasm for the game and for his team.

 NFL coaches, as we all know too well, tend to be a humorless lot. Their default expression during a big game tends to range from a scowl to an irritated sneer -- that is, when they deign to show any emotion at all.

But not Rex Ryan. He's a joy to watch. I'm pulling for his team in next week's AFC championship game against the Colts. The game needs him to stick around this season for as long as possible. 

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 8:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

Not really sure what to post today.

Is there some big game going on this weekend involving a local team?

And a former local team?

With the winner getting one step away from the Super Bowl?

Yeah, I heard something about that.

Bring in your big, frosty mugs today, people. Natty Boh is flowing, and so are your predictions. I am stoked enough about this game that I’m not charging anyone today – not even Rich or Barry or Waspman or Scooter.

I’ll even give Putin free vodka shots if he materializes here.

So, will your Ravens continue their improbable run playoff run and knock off the AFC’s No. 1 seed, that blue-and-white team in Indianapolis?

Or will Peyton Manning and company be too much for the Ravens’ secondary?

I am going to stay consistent – which is a good thing for Ravens’ fans. Because I have been fairly consistently wrong on Prediction Fridays this year.

I am going with the Colts. I think the Ravens’ running game will make this one a contest, but unless the Ravens can jump out early again, I don’t like the idea of a rested Manning with the game on the line in the fourth quarter.

So I say Colts 24-20. Manning the hero.

Drinks on me if I am right. Drinks on me if I am wrong.

Your turn to predict the score and the hero of the game.

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Colts

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:30 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Not only do I admit when I am wrong, but there are times when I like it.

Sunday was one of those times. I just didn’t think the Ravens could handle the Patriots and Tom Brady in New England.

I was wrong. Incredibly wrong. Nineteen points wrong.

The Ravens throttled the Patriots 33-14 and are now headed to Indianapolis to play Peyton Manning and the … well, that team’s nickname escapes me right now.

There was a whole lot of optimism about this game on the other side of the bar this weekend. And I give you loyal fans credit. I especially give credit to Mike, who said he had a dream that the Ravens beat the Pats 31-17.

And that was his prognostication on Prediction Friday. He came closest to nailing it head on, and so he’ll get the free open drink tab this week.

Congrats Mike, live the dream.

Many of you Ravens fans are in dreamland, too. This club that made you shake your heads and fists much of the season are now in Round 2 of the playoffs.

And you have to be impressed with how they did it – absolutely punching the Patriots in the mouth in the first quarter to go up 24-0. The defense stepped up and the rushing attack was phenomenal.

I’ll leave the analysis for you guys today, since I proved this weekend I don’t exactly have my fingers on the pulse of this Ravens team.

We’ll get to Saturday’s clash in Indy later this week. Today, I’ll let you focus on the good that was Sunday in Massachusetts.

Do you think it was the start of something big? Or do you think the Patriots were just highly overrated? Was it a little bit of both?

Were you exhilarated by the rush-heavy game plan or did it make you concerned about how Joe Flacco and the receivers will respond after a veritable week off?

This is your turn. Use it.

Daily Think Special: What’s your take on Sunday’s Ravens’ win in New England?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:07 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

We have made it to the postseason version of Prediction Friday.

This one is for keeps (cue the ominous piano strains).

I have thought a lot about how the Ravens are going to fare against the New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium.

For the most part, I like the match-up from a Ravens’ perspective. They can run the ball and the Patriots’ rush defense is spotty. Plus, potentially bad weather in New England could be conducive to a strong rushing attack.

Having Wes Welker out of the game certainly is a plus. Although Tom Brady is always difficult to contain, it helps when the defense can pressure him. The last time these two teams played, Brady was sacked three times.

In the end, though, I just don’t think I can pick the Ravens to win this. And it’s not because the Patriots have dominated these clashes before or because the Ravens are 1-6 this season against playoff-caliber clubs.

What sticks with me is that I have yet to see the Ravens dominate a really good quarterback. And in these situations, even without Welker, Brady is among the best.

So I apologize, my dear purple patrons. I’d love to side with the hometown team.

But I see the Pats winning this one 24-17. I see Brady as the hero of the game with three TDs, including a game-sealer in the fourth quarter.

Raise your glass and toast to the idiocy of your barkeep. And then give me your score and hero of the game for Sunday afternoon.

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Patriots.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:30 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

We're still five days from Ravens-Patriots in the first round of the NFL playoffs and the story lines are forming like an MTV reality series:

Will Patriots quarterback Tom Brady get special treatment from the refs? Will the Ravens get flagged for unnecessary roughness every time they breathe on the guy, never mind hit him?

Will Bill Belichick get all sorts of breaks from the officials, too, just because he's Bill Belichick, winner of three Super Bowls as coach of the Patriots, the yoda of the gridiron, the Albert Einstein of the chalkboard and the most brilliant mind in pro football coaching today? 

Will the NFL pundits -- Sports Illustrated's Peter King, NBC analysts Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison, etc. -- ever stop dissing the Ravens' playoff chances?

What's the central theme here?

Right, nobody likes the Ravens. The Ravens will get shafted at Gillette Stadium this Sunday. They're going into a bar fight with one arm tied behind their backs.

I don't see any of the bad stuff happening.

In fact, I think the Ravens have an excellent chance to knock off the Patriots. No Wes Welker, Tom Brady struggling lately, the Patriots' shaky defense against the run, a Ravens strength -- all of it points to the Ravens having a good day and coming out with a win. 

But we love drama in this town. We love the whole us-against-them mindset. It's been around forever.

Way longer than "Jersey Shore."

I love this town

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 7:58 AM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Sighs of relief and shots of Purple Jesus all around.

Your Ravens are in the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Boy, that John Harbaugh is one heck of a coach (if you were here last week, you’ve gotta be chuckling about that).

Anyway, it wasn’t pretty. But the Ravens beat the Raiders in Oakland, 21-13. And now the Ravens are back in the postseason.

Kevin is our winner of the free bar tab for the week with a 24-13 prediction. This might be No. 2 for Kevin this year, though it might have been Kevin in Iraq who won in the past. The mind is slipping now that I am 40 (and the work ethic really has slipped, because I am not looking it up. We‘ll use the honor system).

Cali Chris (20-16) and Bob M (20-17) get a chip tossed their way. And I just had a field goal going the wrong way in my 24-10 prediction. So the barkeep is backed up one on the barkeep.

No one, by the way, had Willis McGahee running for 167 yards and three scores or Dannell Ellerbee with a pick and a fumble recovery. And you guys call yourselves educated fans?

OK, we’ll get into the playoff match-up later this week. Right now, I just want to know if what you saw Sunday in Oakland encouraged or discouraged you about the Ravens’ playoff chances.

On one hand, the resurgence of McGahee sure was refreshing. But there’s also concern that Raiders QB Charlie Frye, who had to leave due to injury, looked pretty good against the Ravens’ secondary (18 for 25 for 180 yards and a TD).

And my guess is the next few QBs the Ravens might have to face are a tad better than Frye, starting with some cagey vet up in the Boston area. But they did win on the road when they had to -- and that says something.

So making the playoffs was the goal, but the Ravens’ performance against the Raiders didn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence for the second season in my opinion. But I could be wrong here.

Daily Think Special: Did the Ravens' performance in Oakland encourage or discourage you for the postseason?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:41 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

 Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

He arrived at Colts camp with the face of a high school freshman and the savvy of a seasoned pro. Never mind that Rick Volk looked like Opie Taylor and got carded in bars until he turned 30. He started every game at safety as a Baltimore rookie in 1967 and played in the first of three Pro Bowls, en route to a stellar 12-year NFL career.

Agile and aggressive, Volk anchored the Colts defense for nine seasons. Mostly, though, he’s remembered for his role in the team’s two Super Bowl appearances.

In the 1971 game, he helped KO the Dallas Cowboys with a late interception. Two years earlier, during the loss to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, Volk himself was knocked out -- twice -- and went into convulsions after the game.

1967 Sun file photo 

"The team doctor kept me from swallowing my tongue," said Volk, 64. "He used to show me the bite marks on his hand to prove it."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Rick Volk" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 7:30 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

The Orioles are in a deep winter slumber and the Ravens are basically in crunch time.

So I apologize that a so-called baseball guy is riding the Ravens’ writers’ coattails right now. But it is what interests you guys the most. And I am here to please.

So I am serving up more purple-tinged cocktails today.

During Tuesday’s spirited conversation about whether the season would be considered a success if the Ravens make the playoffs, several of you voiced displeasure with head coach John Harbaugh.

This time last year Harbaugh was the toast of Charm City, a first year head coach who had motivated and instructed a merry band of underachievers to the playoffs and, eventually, a spot in the AFC Championship.

The Ravens are likely headed to the postseason again – depending on what happens Sunday in Oakland – and yet not everything is kosher on the USS Harbaugh.

He’s been criticized for questionable personnel decisions, head-scratching clock management and an overall lack of discipline by his players on the field (which we’ve argued in the past about who is to blame with that one).

And then there’s that goofy “mighty, mighty men” stuff, too.

Anyway, I don’t think it is time to buy Harbaugh a one-way ticket out of town on the Billick Express. But I have been surprised by how many of you have changed your tune on Harbaugh in the past year.

I understand the honeymoon is over, but is this relationship now on the rocks?

Daily Think Special: John Harbaugh: What do you think of him now?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:30 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (74)
        

I’ve heard head coaches and managers talk about team wins before.

Sunday’s Ravens’ deflating defeat to the Steelers was a team loss. Just how many Ravens’ made individual mistakes that contributed to the downfall? Once I got to 10, I think I lost count (it was too cold to pull off my shoes and keep counting).

If you are a true Ravens’ fan, you should have at least three welts on your head Monday morning -- from banging your head against the wall (bar, coffee table, etc.) with each Ravens’ potential turning point that wasn’t. Some of you probably look like you ran into a bee hive with a honey-flavored ski cap.

For the record, I am giving the free bar tab to Sizemo, who predicted a 30-27 Steelers win. Most who predicted Steelers had them in a blowout.

Frank gets a free drink chip for having the right score, 23-20; he just flipped the outcome.

Here’s my question: Which part of Sunday’s frustrating contest frustrated you the most?

My answer: Derrick Mason’s dropped catch in the end zone. Yes, that stuff happens. But it normally doesn’t happen to Mason. And it shouldn’t happen for a team’s go-to veteran -- a guy who makes that catch 99 times out of 100.

That 100th time was a killer, though.

You have plenty to choose from in a such a head-shaking loss: Terrell Suggs’ boneheaded block, Frank Walker’s mugging at the end of the game. You name it. Literally. I want you to name it.

Daily Think Special: What was the most frustrating moment of Sunday’s Ravens’ choke job?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:16 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (50)
        

We’re so close to Christmas I can almost smell it. Or maybe that’s the mall Santa at the end of the bar drinking his paycheck. Bad Santa (loved that flick), but we accept all kinds here at Connolly’s.

I’ve done my best to try and remain in the Christmas spirit. We have Dylan’s “Christmas In The Heart.” on the jukebox right now (it‘s definitely cool if you haven‘t picked it up), and I’ve listened to the Bowie-Bing “Little Drummer Boy” roughly 1,000 times so far.

I did feel a little Scrooge-y earlier this week when my tremendous neighbor Denny allowed me to borrow his snowblower and I paid him back by running over a patch of Christmas lights and pulling the blower’s blade right out of the casing. Seriously.

I am hoping it isn‘t broken -- another friend got the blade back in thankfully -- meanwhile Denny received an early Christmas present of a case of Blue Moon Belgian Wheat courtesy of his idiot neighbor.

Anyway, we’ll be closing the doors for Christmas, but we’ll move Prediction Friday to Prediction Thursday this week, and leave it up until Sunday’s clash in Pittsburgh.

We’ll talk football then. We’ll talk Orioles now.

Garrett Atkins was introduced Tuesday and will likely be the Orioles’ 2010 Opening Day third baseman unless they sign someone else -- such as Joe Crede -- later in the offseason and move Atkins to first base.

Atkins just turned 30, and had three seasons, from 2006 to 2008, in which he batted .286 or better, hit 21 homers or more and drove in 99 or more runs. In 2006, he batted .329 with a .409 on-base percentage, hit 29 homers, 48 doubles and had 120 RBIs.

He placed 15th in the MVP voting that year and was part of a Colorado Rockies team that made the World Series in 2007. But then there was 2009, when he batted .226 with nine homers and 48 RBIs, lost his starting job and eventually his spot on the Rockies‘ roster.

To me, his one-year $4.5 million contract (that includes a $500,000, 2011 option buyout) is a low-risk, high-reward move for a talented player looking to rebound. But, after hearing about the Atkins signing, a friend of mine shook his head and said, “The Orioles should have just re-signed Melvin Mora for another year.”

Truth is the Orioles and Mora are probably both better off with a divorce after 10 seasons together, especially after Mora and manager Dave Trembley publicly clashed toward the end of the season. Mora turns 38 in February and had a rough 2009. He batted .260 with eight homers and 48 RBIs -- numbers similar to Atkins in about 100 more plate appearances.

But Mora was pretty good defensively last year and Atkins isn’t known for his defense, though I have heard mixed reviews on that part of his game.

So, if you look at the numbers and throw in defense, I guess I can see my friend’s point. Although I still contend it was time for the Orioles and Mora to part ways and Atkins, based on age alone, has a much higher upside.

Daily Think Special: Is Garrett Atkins an upgrade at third over Melvin Mora?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:10 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (37)
        

I was hoping for the holiday spirit from you people. Or at least some understanding that it is a down economy.

But you guys are too good.

The Ravens beat the Bears 31-7 on Sunday in impressive fashion.

And we had one guy (Dave) predict a 31-6 victory and another (Jeff O.) predict 30-7. Since neither predicted Joe Flacco would be the star of the game with four TDs, this one sits at a tie.

So both of you get the free bar tab this week -- and I take out a second mortgage (you should see the receipts from the last time Jeff O. won).

OK, the Ravens did what they had to do the past two weeks, pummeling teams they absolutely had to beat. Now, if they win their next two, they are in the playoffs, guaranteed.

The big one comes up this weekend, of course. In Pittsburgh against the Steelers, and the Steelers still have something to play for besides pure hatred of the Ravens. We’ll talk about that one as the week progresses.

Still. if the Ravens win, they’ll have to earn it.

I listened to several national TV types after the Bears game and they were praising the Ravens, saying, in full TV cliché, that they are “clicking on all cylinders.” That the defense, running game and Flacco are “peaking at the right time.”

I am sure some of you believe that. By nature, I am skeptical. And the Ravens’ so-called peak came against the Lions and Bears. That previous loss to the Packers was anything but a “peak” show. So I am more inclined to believe that the competition is what has led the Ravens to look like they are playing their best football, and not reality.

To me, the test comes in Pittsburgh. I’ll change my mind if they win by 20 there. I could be wrong here. I’ve never claimed to be Mr. Football. So are the TV talking heads right?

Daily Think Special: Are the Ravens peaking right now?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:17 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

We’re switching back to baseball today. Write what you know.

Or at least what I think I know.

As this offseason has progressed, the New York Yankees have traded for Curtis Granderson and the Boston Red Sox reportedly have added John Lackey as well as Mike Cameron and Marco Scutaro.

The Tampa Bay Rays solidified their bullpen with closer Rafael Soriano and the Toronto Blue Jays, God bless them, apparently are dealing away ace Roy Halladay.

The Orioles, meanwhile, added innings-eater Kevin Millwood to the top of the rotation. That’s not a bad move, but it certainly isn’t the same as grabbing Lackey.

Now this is where you, as fans, can help me out. Intellectually, I understand that the Orioles cannot compete with the Yankees and Red Sox this offseason. Partially it’s a money thing, but primarily it’s a reality thing. The Orioles haven’t competed with that duo for more than a decade on the field, so they aren’t going to be able to do it off the field. Certainly not now, and perhaps not ever.

So it doesn’t bother me that the Orioles haven’t answered the Granderson or Lackey moves. It’s a chicken or the egg concept. The Orioles can’t improve unless they get better players. And they can’t buy better players until they show they can be more competitive on the field. And in the 2009 standings, the Orioles actually went backward.

What needs to happen is the Orioles’ young nucleus must take another step forward, and serve notice it can be counted on. Then it will be easier – and more justified – to add big names for big money (or expendable prospects).

This is what President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail said recently when I brought up the subject of the player movement within the AL East.

“We watch it, of course, like everyone does,” MacPhail said. “But it really doesn’t dictate what we do. We make decisions that we think make sense for us. We have been pretty upfront about what it is we are trying to do. And those things stay the same despite what swirls around us.”

Again, I understand that intellectually, especially since this free-agent market is utterly underwhelming. But as a fan, are you buying this? Because I know it’s what has been sold here for 10-plus years.

Daily Think Special: Should the Orioles try to keep spending pace with their AL East rivals this offseason?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:01 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

Think of Baltimore sports in its glory days and two pictures come to mind.

One is of the Orioles’ Brooks Robinson – airborne, outstretched and spearing a line drive headed past third base.

The other is of the Colts’ Raymond Berry, same pose, his body parallel to the frozen turf while hauling in a sideline pass.

Berry, 76, smiles at the analogy of the two men whose focus and work ethic made them shoo-in Hall of Famers.

"We were a whole lot alike," he said. "Not too many balls got by either of us."

Was there ever a football receiver as resolute as Berry, the Colts’ go-to guy for 13 years and two NFL championships? Obsessed with perfection, he pored over grainy game films, night after night, looking for an edge against the Colts’ next foe. 

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Raymond Berry" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:40 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I am back, just in time to see the Ravens play well in an exhibition game against the Detroit Lions.

I think they may be ready for the regular season soon.

Seriously, it’s hard to make too many observations after Sunday’s throttling of the Lions. The defense played well and Ray Rice was phenomenal, but it wasn’t exactly a litmus test for the final quarter of the season.

Still, a win is a win, and the Ravens need each one they can get right now.

At this point, they trail the Bengals by two games with three to play, so you have to assume the Ravens are really playing for the Wild Card. They are currently one game behind the Denver Broncos (whom they have beaten) and tied with the New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars for the final wild card spot.

The Ravens’ final three games are against teams that are under .500, so that’s a plus. But they have to go to Pittsburgh and to Oakland to end the season, and neither place is friendly to visitors despite how much the home teams may be struggling.

If the Ravens win out, I think they make the playoffs. There is at least one real tough game facing each of the other wild card contenders. And there is no reason the Ravens can’t win out. Then again, I don’t see the Steelers rolling over for their arch-rival, no matter how bad they have looked recently.

Just for your edification, this is the remaining schedule for the five contenders (assuming the current division leaders stay that way): Ravens (vs. Chicago, @ Pittsburgh, @ Oakland); Broncos (vs. Oakland, @ Philadelphia, vs. Kansas City); Jaguars (vs. Indy, @ New England, @ Cleveland); Dolphins (@ Tennessee, vs. Houston, vs. Pittsburgh); Jets (vs. Atlanta, @ Indianapolis, vs. Cincinnati).

Here’s the way I see it: The Ravens and Broncos make the playoffs with identical 10-6 records. In that scenario, the Ravens would actually get the fifth seed.

If the Ravens slip up once, however, it gets dicey. Still, I don’t see any of the other contenders running the table.

Now you have seen the schedule. What do you think?

Daily Think Special: Which two teams get the AFC Wild Card berths?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:06 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ..." . Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ..."

He’ll be 51 next week, but the gift that Randy McMillan wants most, no one else can bestow.

"I want to be able to walk under my own power," .said McMillan, one-time fullback for the Baltimore Colts. "Maybe not 100 percent. But doctors say I’m capable, and I’ve got to be able to do that."

Injured seven years ago in a car crash that damaged his spine, McMillan – the Colts’ No. 1 draft pick in 1981 – uses crutches to get around his condo in Towson. Next month, he’ll receive steroid injections in an effort to kick-start the healing process that has slowed of late.

Meanwhile, McMillan works to strengthen his legs, inching his way along neighborhood streets with all of the might he can muster.

It’s a fight he’s determined to win.

2005 Sun file photo by Andre F. Chung

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Randy McMillan" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 8:00 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

What's the Tiger Woods alleged mistress count up to now? Ten? An even dozen? With more coming out of the woodwork every day?

If this keeps up, he could challenge the record of the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, the pro basketball Hall of Famer who claimed to have slept with 20,000 women.

How did he have time to play ball?

And this morning there are reports that a middle-aged woman, who appears to be Tiger's wife's mom, was rushed to a hospital from Tiger's home complaining of stomach pains.

 Who WOULDN'T have stomach pains if you were holed up in Tiger's house, peering behind the drapes at the media circus taking place outside the gated Florida community where he lives?

Then last night, David Letterman, of all people, took a few shots at Tiger and the burgeoning scandal in his opening monologue and Top 10 list entitled "Top 10 ways Tiger Woods can improve his image."

As usual, the Top 10 list was hilarious.

"Safely land golf cart in Hudson River," was one suggestion.

"Find Osama bin Laden" was another.

And the no. 1 way Tiger Woods could improve his image: "Blame Letterman."

It was funny stuff. And the late-night comedians and pundits will continue to have a field day with the Tiger scandal until the guy comes out of his house and addresses the issue.

Stone-walling never works in these scandals. You'd think Tiger was smart enough to know that.

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sporrtswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

 He grew up in Govans, a poor kid on welfare who never owned a basketball. But that didn’t stop Gene Shue from making his name in the game.

He starred at Towson Catholic and then at Maryland, where Shue broke all of the Terps’ scoring records and made All-American. A first-round draft pick in 1954, he played a decade in the pros, earning a rep as a defensive guard and making the All-Star team five times.

Then Shue moved to coaching where, over 22 years, he developed a knack for turning train-wreck pro teams into winners. Twice, he was named NBA Coach of the Year.

Not bad for the once-skinny tyke from Willow Ave.

"I’ve had a charmed life, to be able to pursue the thing I really love," said Shue, who turns 78 this month.

"I’ve been blessed."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Bullet Gene Shue" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:30 PM in Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

That sigh of relief from Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Williams comes not just from going on the road and beating Indiana 80-68 last night. It also comes from finally seeing his excitable senior guard, Greivis Vasquez, playing like his old self.

Vasquez often seemed out of sync in the Terps first three wins over punching bags Charleston Southern, Fairfield and New Hampshire. He forced passes, passed up open shots and his jump shot was off.

Things didn't improve too much in the EA Sports Maui Invitational, where he often seemed sluggish and out of sorts, especially when the Terps were mauled by Cincinnati.

But against Indiana, he seemed to get his confidence back after a shaky start and finished with 23 points and eight assists for his best game of the season.

Continue reading "Vasquez finally plays like Vasquez" »

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 7:58 AM in Terps, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

OK, raise your hand if you had Paul Kruger as the hero of Sunday night’s Ravens-Steelers game. Yeah, that’s what I thought.

In the abbreviated version of Prediction Friday, our free drink tab for the week goes to Sean Quinn, who nailed the final score, a 20-17 Ravens win. Sean didn’t have it going into overtime, but when you get the exact score, you also get some slack.

One of our regulars, Kevin In Iraq, had the Ravens winning with an OT field goal, 23-20, so a handful of drink chips his way. And our old buddy Jack was just one point off, predicting a 19-17 Ravens win. So a drink chip his way as well (seems like I could send my kid to college for all the drink tabs I give Jack).

I’ll be honest, I am not sure what to think about Sunday’s win.

On the one hand, the Ravens have beaten Pittsburgh once, are now 6-5 and are in a three-way tie for the final AFC playoff spot. And they are just one game behind the Broncos, who have lost a head-to-head against the Ravens.

So your purple-and-black squad basically controls its own destiny – and that’s all you can ask in the last five weeks of the season.

Now, let’s look at that other, not-so-pretty hand. The Ravens were pushed into overtime at home by a team that didn’t have its best defensive playmaker (Troy Polamalu) or its best offensive playmaker (Ben Roethlisberger).

I don’t want to take anything away from Dennis Dixon, but the kid was making his first NFL start and he threw for a TD, ran for one and wasn’t sacked once. There was a day when the Ravens’ D would have feasted on such a neophyte, and this year it took until overtime to take advantage of Dixon’s inexperience.

Of course, if you are a believer in positive thinking (and no one has ever accused me of that), you can be excited that Kruger and Mark Clayton made significant contributions and Chris Carr and Lardarius Webb both played well. And Ray Rice is becoming a force (maybe already is one) before our eyes. So maybe things are starting to click.

Honestly, I am not sure what to think about this team and its immediate future. Is it a playoff team? Will it play to a record (9-7, 8-8) that is indicative of the mediocrity it has shown much of the season? Are the Ravens good enough to beat bad or struggling teams but not good enough to win against the elite ones?

The latter is probably my take.

Now, it’s time for you to jump onto the lawn of optimism or pessimism. I want no fence riders in this place, unless, of course you are a big tipper.

Daily Think Special: Is the Ravens’ 2009 cup half-full or half-empty?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:58 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... " 

He wore silver football shoes, the right color for a mercurial runner. Was there ever a seam so small that Joe Washington couldn’t sneak through it? For three years, he rallied Colts fans, feinting and dashing and dancing for yardage, a ray of hope on a team spinning in reverse.

"Yeah, they were lean times," Washington, 56, said of his hitch in Baltimore (1978-80). "But I never thought I had limits. I could get in and out of places that other guys couldn’t dream of.

"My feet had a mind of their own."

Getting Little Joe proved a bonanza for the Colts. Remember Washington’s debut on Monday Night Football? Acquired a month earlier from San Diego in a trade for Lydell Mitchell, he put on a show that made a believer of acerbic Howard Cosell.

In the fourth quarter of a game at New England, Washington scored three touchdowns – all by different means – to upset the Patriots, 34-27 in a driving rain in September, 1978.

First, he threw an option pass 54 yards to Roger Carr for a TD. Moments later, he caught a 23-yard scoring pass from Colts’ quarterback Bill Troup.

"That ball was right on the money," Washington recalled. "Ray Charles probably could have caught it."

Then, with 1:18 left in a tie game, the onetime Oklahoma All-American ran a kickoff back 90 yards to win it.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Joe Washington" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 8:00 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

We’ll go a little lighter this Wednesday. Or maybe we’ll get deep and thoughtful. I guess it all depends on where you people want to take it.

The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest bar days in the country. I am not exactly sure why, but it’s an excuse to drink on a Wednesday evening, I guess.

I am thinking this bar won’t be jammed, though, since many stop by here to get away from work for a few minutes. But, let’s face it, half of America doesn’t show up for work on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Still, Connolly’s doors are open now (though they’ll close Thursday and re-open Friday morning for Prediction Friday.)

And I want to know what (or who) in the sporting world you are thankful for this year.

Maybe you are thankful that the baseball season is over, so you don’t have to watch the Orioles lose again.

Maybe you are thankful that college basketball has started up, giving you a little bit of hope for a cold winter and spring.

Maybe you are thankful that the Ravens are in the Cleveland Browns division.

I’m going to get sappy for a second here. I am thankful that sports – no matter the heartbreak it continually delivers – will occasionally offer that moment of redemption or triumph that is nearly impossible to receive anywhere else.

Case in point: With three minutes left in his final game of the season, my 10-year-old son scored the first goal of his five-year soccer career on Saturday. The goal tied the game and two minutes later his teammate scored to seal the win. And my son finally felt what it was like to score a goal in a game after all those years of practices and drills.

He may never score one again. But it doesn’t matter. That was his moment. And I was there to share it (actually, I had to fill in as the referee and couldn’t show any emotion initially when the ball hit the net. Later, Alex was asked about my reaction and he said, “He smiled a little with his mouth, but his eyes were smiling really big.”)

So I guess I am thankful that I could witness such a cool sporting moment for my son.

And now I am hopeful you guys have much funnier, less sappy responses to share.

Daily Think Special: What in the sporting world are you thankful for?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:30 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.// By the time you see Stephen Colbert’s wild ride on his Comedy Central show, it’ll be a neatly packaged laugh riot.

But in no way will it resemble reality.

The host of The Colbert Report was a passenger aboard a four-man bobsled and steered himself on a skeleton sled in the weekend’s final hours as dusk settle over Mount Van Hoevenberg.

The boblsled ride for most civilians starts partway down the mile-long tube of ice, the office for Olympians in training and the site of many World Cup competitions.

But Sunday’s driver, world champion Steve Holcomb, said Stephen Colbert insisted on “the full treatment.” Let the record show Holcomb then smirked.

Continue reading "The full package: Colbert on ice (and video) " »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:37 PM in Today's Special, World Cup Bobsled/Skeleton | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

Let's come right out and say it: in the final seconds of the Ravens' 17-15 loss to the Indianapolis Colts Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium was as quiet as I've ever heard it.

Ever.

Even the drunks seemed to have the life sucked out of them. They guzzled the last of their Budweisers and shuffled forlornly to the exits like everybody else.

Continue reading ""The Bank" turns into a chapel" »

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 8:13 AM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. // As he slipped into the bullet-shaped black bobsled and stared down the mile-long icy chute, Stephen Colbert faced his moment of truthiness.

He didn’t blink or scream -- so he said -- but the Comedy Central host did admit to getting a pounding “like losing the worst snowball fight of your life,” after riding a four-man sled driven by world champion Steve Holcomb and taking a solo skeleton slide.

As the bobsled crossed the finish line and slowed to a stop, Colbert raised his arms above his head to the chants of U-S-A from the crowd remaining after the World Cup competition. He helped hand out medals and stood at attention as the national anthem played, his reddish-orange speed suit clashing with, well, almost everything.

The segment for The Colbert Report will be one in a series of Olympic bits spun off from the host’s promise to raise money for the U.S. speed skating team.

When asked which ride he preferred, Colbert pointed at the skeleton sled and said, “That one ... it was slower.

- Candus Thomson

Photo courtesy of Getty Images 

Posted by Baltimore Sun sports at 4:02 PM in Today's Special, World Cup Bobsled/Skeleton | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

 Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's going on in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He had one of the shortest names of anyone to play for the Baltimore Colts – and one of the longest careers here.

For 13 years, David Lee punted for the Colts, sending spirals airborne and often pinning opponents near their goal line. Twice, he won the NFL punting crown (1966 and 1969) while helping Baltimore to six division titles and a Super Bowl victory.

Lee retired in 1978, having punted 838 times for more than 34,000 yards, or nearly 20 miles. But it was one lousy kick, early in his career, that the All Pro remembers most.

"I shanked a punt, stormed off the field, tore off my helmet and started to swing at the water cooler," Lee said.

Then John Unitas tapped his 6-foot-4 teammate on the shoulder.

"You’ve got to forget about that (bleeping) kick," the Colts’ quarterback said, "because you may have to do it again in five minutes."

Lee nodded and cooled off.

"At that moment, I knew what made John tick – bad plays never affected him," he said. "I never forgot."

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt David Lee" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 4:30 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

I was a little late getting going this week, sort of like the Ravens in Cleveland on Monday night.

As we know, a win is a win. But that one was not particularly inspiring. At least the Ravens don’t have to face an undefeated team on a short week this Sunday.

As for our free tab of the week based on the prediction for Sunday’s game, you’re all paying. Because the house won. Or at least I came the closest on both sides to predicting the 16-0 win. I had 24-6, and so did Frederick McMurray (a drink chip your way).

We all assumed a Ravens’ beating for the Browns, but most of us overestimated the Raven’s offense. There were three customers who predicted shutouts; the closest was 27-0.

So, yeah, the Ravens won, but there were plenty of red flags from that game. Most alarming was the continuing number of yellow flags. There’s a fine line between aggressive and stupid.

Monday also marked the end of Steve Hauschka’s Ravens career. Missing a 36-yarder and having an extra point blocked was not the way he needed to rebound.

Now the Ravens are kicker shopping with a more than a week to go before Black Friday. Not a good sign for a team that still has playoff hopes.

Forget Monday-morning quarterbacking, the Hauschka decision should create some Wednesday-morning placekicking. It’s pretty obvious the Ravens should have stuck with fan favorite Matt Stover this season. His accuracy is definitely missed.

But how much? What I mean is how much different would this Ravens’ team be with Stover, who is now with Sunday’s opponent, the Indianapolis Colts? Would it still be in “long playoff run, Super Bowl talk” discussion?

One school of thought is that Stover would have given them a win against Minnesota and possibly one against Cincinnati. The other way of thinking: Stover is a kicker. If your team is lamenting the loss of its kicker, it’s got bigger problems than missed field goals.

My opinion: Stover would help, for sure. But unless he can cover 6-foot-4 receivers, provide a pass rush and get to the line of scrimmage without a false start, I am not convinced Matt Stover is the difference between a playoff Ravens’ team and an also-ran.

Then again, I am a baseball guy by trade. School me, people. Learn me, football gurus.

Daily Think Special: How much has Matt Stover’s absence hurt the Ravens?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:47 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

We’re going from the outfield to the open field today.

It’s Prediction Friday, which in recent weeks could be called, “Dan’s Wrong Friday.”

I can’t seem to figure out these Ravens, at least not as well as opposing offenses.

The gut says the Ravens roll on Monday Night Football. That the maligned defense feasts on a weak Cleveland Browns’ offense.

And that the Ravens’ offensive line beats down the Browns’ defensive front, allowing Ray Rice and company to run wild while Joe Flacco gets time to pick apart the secondary.

But the gut has been so wrong so often this season when it comes to the Ravens that I am not sure whether to trust it.

My best guess is that the Ravens’ win 24-6. Rice has two TDs and over 100 yards rushing to be the hero of the game.

Now, it’s your turn. Predict the score and the hero on Monday Night Football. Are you betting on Jekyll or Hyde to show up?

We’ll give you an extra day to contemplate this one. We’ll leave this up until Monday’s game.

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Browns.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:31 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

It was an interesting day at the bar on Wednesday.

Lots of good discussion about the Orioles’ current defensive outfield situation.

And a few silly comments thrown in there, too. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, but I am going to have to call a cab for some of you.

For the record, and in case it didn’t get spelled out Wednesday, I am happy for Adam Jones that he won a Gold Glove. I never questioned whether he is deserving; I simply said I was a bit surprised because I think he had a better defensive year in 2008.

And I do believe, at this point in their careers, Nick Markakis is a slightly better defensive outfielder, though Jones has the potential to be better as his career unfolds. Plus Jones plays center field, and that does mean something.

The important thing for beleaguered Orioles fans is that you have both of them for a long time. Enjoy that.

The overall discussion – and some of the rants about the Gold Glove going mostly to center fielders – got me thinking.

If you were to use the current Gold Glove rules – that is, choose three overall outfielders, not necessarily one each from left, right and center – to represent the Orioles’ all-time best defensive outfield, who would be in it?

As much as I don’t like the “three center fielders approach” that the Gold Glove committee uses, it’s true that when I think of the best defensive outfielders in O’s history, I immediately think of center fielders, before I shift to the left and right.

So here’s the task at hand today: If you were to give out Gold Gloves to three Orioles outfielders throughout the years, who would win?

There’s no question Paul Blair is one answer. Even if you never saw him play – and I don’t have clear memories of him in Baltimore – he probably should be on your list. Everything I have ever heard from players and fans is that Blair was the best defensive outfielder to ever wear an Orioles uniform. And he has eight Gold Gloves to prove it.

So he gets my first award. I think I have to give the second to Al Bumbry, who was the guy I watched growing up, and that little guy had serious hops before we ever referred to jumping ability as serious hops. Plus, he had his share of outfield assists.

The third is tricky. Mike Devereaux is probably my ultimate answer, but that leaves Jones (the only other Orioles outfielder with a Gold Glove) off the list. That also would deny Nick Markakis, Brady Anderson, Steve Finley, Frank Robinson and Jackie Brandt, among others, the award.

There is no wrong answer here. Pick three outfielders (yes, it can be all center fielders) to receive the Orioles’ all-time Gold Glove. I’d love to hear the reasoning behind your choices.

Daily Think Special: Who are the three best defensive outfielders in Orioles history?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:23 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (72)
        

Adam Jones is now the 13th Oriole to receive an American League Gold Glove and the first since some pitcher named Mike in 1999.

Jones deserves congratulations for the honor – just another impressive accolade for the Orioles’ 24-year-old center fielder.

But I have to admit I am a bit surprised.

Honestly, I thought Jones had a better year defensively in 2008 than he did this year. His penchant for playing a shallow center field caught up with him at times in 2009, probably partially because Jones was dealing with leg issues much of the season and his incredible initial burst was slightly stunted.

Since Jones is a gamer, though, he kept playing through the injuries, until a sprained left ankle sidelined him for the final month of the season. And that’s another reason I am surprised he won the award this season – he only played 116 games in center in 2009.

A case could be made that the Orioles didn’t lose much – if anything – defensively when Felix Pie took over in center. Pie doesn’t make it look as easy or as pretty as Jones does, but he also makes fewer mistakes.

And then there is the guy to their left, right fielder Nick Markakis.

Rawlings – on votes cast by managers and coaches – names three Gold Glove outfielders per league per year, but specific outfield positions aren’t used.

Therefore, the recipients are usually three center fielders, since they are considered the generals of the outfield.

So Markakis, by virtue of being a right fielder, has a built-in handicap in the Gold Glove voting.

If it were my vote, I’d give it to Markakis over Jones in 2009, though Jones, who, remember, was a shortstop not that long ago, has a tremendous upside.

Nick, though, is extremely instinctive and has a more accurate arm than Adam. Pie is most certainly in this conversation, too.

The bottom line is that all three are very good defensive players and make up one of the best trio of outfielders this club has seen in a long time.

But I want to know who you think is the best defender of the group – you can throw left fielder Nolan Reimold in there if you like, though the rookie, in my opinion, doesn’t come close defensively to the other three. You stats guys can use zone rating and the like to support your cause if you please. I am sticking with my eyes in this instance.

Daily Think Special: Who is the Orioles’ best current defensive outfielder?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:06 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

OK, I think we can all admit this now.

The Bengals are a lot better than we thought. Even better than they looked last time around. There were only five bar patrons this weekend that predicted a Bengals win.

CB, Mike B., Steven and Rich all get a free drink chip for picking the right winner. And T.J. gets a free drink tab all week for his guess: 24-13 Bengals. It was the closest to the 17-7 outcome.

Here comes the tough part. I’m not really sure what to say here about Sunday’s loss. They simply looked like an overmatched team.

The Ravens have dropped to 4-4 and don’t have an easy road ahead. They have to play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice, as well as the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.

They do face a trifecta of bad teams – and must wins – against Cleveland, Detroit and Oakland.

So they need to win those, at least split with the Steelers and then win two of three against the Colts, Bears and Packers to get to 10-6.

It can be done. But the Bengals are in the driver’s seat and the Steelers are riding shotgun. So the Ravens have to excel in the second half to make it to the playoffs.

There’s definitely a lot of season left. But even the most optimistic Ravens fans have to be disappointed in the first half. The question is can they do enough to make the playoffs?

Or maybe the real question is what must they do on the field to make the playoffs?

Daily Think Special: What must the Ravens do to have a successful second half?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:07 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (59)
        

Before we get to the Ravens today, I have some Orioles info to pass on.

Bodog.com, an online gambling site, set its odds for winning next year’s World Series, and the Orioles are 75-1 longshots. The only clubs worse off are the Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals. They are all at 100-1 to win the 2010 title.

So, yeah, aren’t you glad it’s Prediction Friday and we have the Ravens to discuss?

(By the way, here’s a drink chip to CSB Jack, who predicted the exact score of the Ravens’ 30-7 victory over the Broncos. Of course, he cheated and submitted it after the fact while the bar was closed. But I am offering a chip anyway for his creativity.)

Now, for your predictions (you must submit before the Bengals’ game, Jack).

For the record, I will not be overlooking the Bengals the way I did in Week 5, when Cincinnati won in Baltimore, 17-14. But I am still going with the Ravens to win.

I am sticking with the same theory I had for the Broncos game (though I didn’t write it). The Ravens need this win more than the Bengals. If they lose, they drop two games behind Cincinnati and also will lose the head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Ravens aren’t talking about desperation, which admittedly is a bit of a stretch at Game 8. But this one is pretty darn important.

So I say the Ravens win 17-10 on a Kelley Washington 23-yard TD reception from Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter.

We’ll make Washington the game’s hero. Why? No clue.

Daily Think Special: Predict the winner, score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Bengals game.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (36)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ..." Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

For five years he manned the trenches for Baltimore, stalking quarterbacks and dropping ball carriers in their tracks. During the 1970s, few players could stuff the run like John Dutton, the Colts’ 6-foot-7, 290-pound All Pro defensive end.

So what does Dutton do now?

He sells stop signs.

He used to be one.

A member of Baltimore’s celebrated "Sack Pack," Dutton helped the Colts to three straight American Football Conference East championships (1975-77).

Driven by their young front four – Dutton, Fred Cook, Joe Ehrmann and Mike Barnes – those Colts won 31 of 42 regular-season games, but lost each year in the playoffs.

"What chemistry we had," said Dutton, 58, who owns a sign-making company in Dallas. "All four of us were tough to block, and quarterbacks couldn’t just sit in the pocket. One of us was always breaking free to make a sack."

Too often, it was Dutton, a first-round draft pick from Nebraska who had a career-high 17 sacks in 1975, his second year in the pros. Three times, he nailed Kansas City’s Len Dawson in a 28-14 victory. The game ball sits on a shelf in Dutton’s den, beside his battle-scarred Colts helmet and three Pro Bowl trophies.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt John Dutton" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 7:39 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

With the Evil Empire poised to win its 27th World Series tonight in Philly, tell me what you'll remember most about this Yankees-Phillies matchup.

Cliff Lee's lights-out pitching mastery for the Phils in Game 1? Alex Rodriguez finally shucking the choking-dog label and emerging as Mr. November for the Yankees?

Me, I'll remember Johnny Damon's brilliant base running in the Yankees' 7-4 win in Game 4. Two steals in the ninth inning after a great nine-pitch at-bat and a single off Phillies closer Brad Lidge. He steals second, sees that Philly third baseman Pedro Feliz took the throw (a shift was on for Mark Teixeira) and no one's covering third. So he promptly takes outruns Feliz and steals third.

What a heads-up play! It was one for the ages. They'll be talking about it for as long as people talk about the Fall Classic.

Now if only the Yankees would tank tonight so the Phillies can get back in this thing ...

Posted by Kevin Cowherd at 12:31 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Today, Sun scribes and Brent Jones and Kevin Van Valkenburg bring back one of our favorite reoccurring features at the Toy Department: The Conversation. Two writers swap e-mails and give their take on something recently in the news. This week, Brent and Kevin discuss the recent ESPN "30 for 30" documentary "Muhammad and Larry" about the 1980 heavyweight bout between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes, and why mixed martial arts can never live up to the sweet science.

KVV,

First off, good piece last weekend on mixed martial arts making its debut in Maryland. Although I’m largely indifferent about the sport, I appreciate the skill and toughness these athletes need to have to make it work. What saddens me about it, though, and prompted me to write is that the sport’s rise coincides with a substantial decrease over the last decade in the popularity of another pugilist mainstay – boxing. I love the sweet science. Always have. Good news is, I got a fix on Tuesday when ESPN’s "30 for 30" series ran a wonderfully depressing documentary on the Muhammad  Ali-Larry Holmes fight in 1980. (A quick aside before we delve into the topic; the "30 for 30" series may wind up easily being the best original production ESPN has ever done. This is, in no small part, because it outsourced all of the work to experienced filmmakers. Barry Levinson’s piece on The Colts band's remaining relevant after the team’s move to Indianapolis was the most comprehensive work I’ve seen about the departure. I know you were in Montana and I was in Florida in 1984, and frankly I think I was 7 and you were 6. It’s safe to say we don’t know much about what happened. I found the piece fascinatingly informative and a must topic for another thread, although the piece ran three weeks ago, so we’d be running a little late.)

Back to the present and Ali (it’s re-running this week on the Deuce, for those of you who missed it). And yes, I didn’t mention Holmes because much like the fight itself, Ali’s presence overshadowed Holmes. I don’t remember Ali fighting live, as I’m sure you don’t either, but being sportswriters, I know we’ve both seen our share of Ali films, books, interviews and, of course, fights. I had not seen much footage of the Holmes fight. And while the beating he took was disturbing in and of itself, one of the most head-scratching things I’ve ever seen in sports came leading into the fight.

Photo courtesy of ESPN 

I thought for a moment that Ali was joking. His pranks and sense of humor were legendary, so surely he was just clowning around when he was having trouble hitting the speed bag. Indeed, he was not. Few moments in sports have struck me as more pathetic. Here was the greatest boxer of all time, one who relied on quick hands and speed as much as any heavyweight in history, unable to do the most basic of boxing training regimens. It took him three tries to actually work up a decent rhythm with it. Along with that sweet mustache Ali was sporting, I don’t think I’ll ever forget that image.

Obviously, Ali’s career went on entirely too long, and it helped contribute to the Parkinson’s disease he has now. But after watching the beating he took during his training and the fight itself, how much do you fault this fight for putting him over the edge and in the mental state he is in now? And do you find it as unreal as I do that his handlers actually allowed him to enter the ring considering how awful he looked in training?  And why are we just now seeing this footage for the first time? I have my conspiracy theories about why it never made it on television for 29 years.

Attempting to become the greatest buffalo wing eater of all time,

Jones

Continue reading "The Conversation: Muhammad and Larry, Boxing and MMA" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 11:36 AM in The Conversation, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his\her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

Bert Jones backpedaled, ducked the rush and threw. Fifty yards away, Roger Carr gathered in the football and, having outrun two defenders, streaked into the end zone for a 68-yard touchdown.

Then, as the Memorial Stadium crowd of 50,374 roared, the young Baltimore Colts receiver leaped high in the end zone, reached over the crossbar ... and spiked the ball.

The fans went nuts. So did Carr, who would add two more TDs that afternoon in a stellar performance during the Colts’ 1976 home opener. He finished with six receptions for 198 yards in a 28-27 victory over Cincinnati.

Thirty-three years later, Carr, now 57, recalled the buzz he felt that day, a sense that he’d finally arrived in the NFL.

"That’s the game that really got me going," said Carr, a first-round draft pick from Louisiana Tech in 1974. "I’d made other catches, sure, but that day told me that I belonged. That’s why I spiked the ball. When I crossed the goal line, I felt as though I’d busted through."

1976 Sun file photo by Carl D. Harris

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Roger Carr" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:15 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Back to baseball for a day.

(But a quick programming note first. With the Ravens’ bye week coming up and the Orioles rather silent, I am going to be shutting the bar down, likely for the rest of October. That means probably no Prediction Friday this week or next, but we’ll get back to sports talk in early November. Thursday will probably be the last day for a while, but I’ll leave the key under the door in case you guys need an emergency drink.)

Anyway, I was in Philly on Monday and watched the Phillies come back to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers and go up 3-1 in the National League Championship Series.

In the preseason I predicted the Dodgers would win the World Series. Technically, they are still alive, but I don’t see it happening now. The Phillies are a very good team with a great offense and a dependable – if not formidable -- rotation.

So I am pretty sure they’ll represent the NL again in the World Series.

Now I know if they play the Yankees in the October Classic, this place will suddenly become South Street South. But otherwise I am curious as to hear what Baltimore fans think about the success in Philadelphia.

There was a time when the two cities had a little geographical rivalry, especially between the Orioles and Phillies, who met in the 1983 World Series.

I went to a Pennsylvania college and the number of Philadelphia sports fans there grossly outnumbered Baltimore/Washington or New York area fans.

And so I had a lot of Philly sports shoved down my throat in four years.

It has been a long time since I have been a fan or hater of any particular sports team, though. So I want your opinion on the Phillies and Philadelphia sports in general.

To be honest, I think this Phillies team is pretty likeable. Also, two men with Orioles ties that I respect, third base coach Sam Perlozzo and assistant GM Scott Proefrock, are in line for a ring, and I’d like to see that happen for their sakes.

Plus, after the initial celebration wore off, Philly Phanatics were pretty darn civil and respectable this year as the fans of the defending World Champions. They didn’t seem to flaunt it the way a certain crew up north has recently. I think part of it is that Philly fans are so used to falling short that they were waiting for someone to wake them up this year.

So I don’t have a problem if they repeat. But do you?

Daily Think Special: What’s your feeling on Philadelphia sports fans and their teams?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He was the most prolific placekicker in Baltimore Colts history, a rugged miner’s son with coal-black hair, a snarly look and a square-toed shoe that booted 107 field goals for the team in its heyday.

Famous, Lou Michaels was not. Other Colts made more spectacular kicks. Steve Myhra’s field goal sent the 1958 NFL championship game into sudden-death, and Jim O’Brien’s three-pointer won the 1971 Super Bowl.

But no kicker teed it up more times here than Michaels, who played six seasons (1964 through 1969), during which the Colts won 63 games, lost 17 and tied 4.

"Nowhere in there can you find a game where we lost because I missed a field goal," said Michaels, 74.

1965 Sun file photo

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Lou Michaels" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Now that Ravens fans are a bit on the disgruntled side, there has been a whole lot of remorse getting tossed around the bar.

Usually we save that kind of second-guessing for old flames at 1 a.m. But I’ll indulge you all today.

The Ravens broke up their long-term relationships with several players/personnel last offseason.

The list of those hitting the road included linebacker Bart Scott, kicker Matt Stover, defensive back Jim Leonhard and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, among others.

Each name has been brought up in the last few days, with that “I never should have dumped him” tone.

You could argue the Ravens could use all of them back here. But which one do they miss the most? Is there someone else from the 2008 team that they need right now?

Sure, some left on their own accord, others the Ravens chose not to re-up. Point is, they aren’t here anymore.

It’s time to cry in your beer over spilled milk.

Daily Think Special: Which 2008 Raven does this year's team miss the most?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:44 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

Let’s get the obvious out of the way first.

That was one heck of a game at the Metrodome Sunday. I know it didn’t end the way most of you wanted, but it couldn’t have been much more entertaining.

And Joe Flacco couldn’t have looked more like vintage Brett Favre if he had worn Wranglers and retired in the fourth quarter.

Still, the Ravens lost and have dropped three straight. What was a season of immense possibilities (3-0) is now one of confounding mediocrity (3-3).

Several of you picked the Vikings to win this one, but no one was real close to the 33-31 score. So I am giving the free bar tab this week to Space, who predicted a 24-23 Ravens’ loss. He wins because he knew this would be a nail-biter that would end poorly.

Steve Hauschka missed the game-winner, but he didn’t lose this game. The secondary did. It was a concern before the season started and it’s absolutely alarming now.

Sure, there are plenty of positives with this team. It has heart, and Joe Flacco, despite his inexperience and inconsistency, is often a pleasure to watch. That said, it may not matter if other teams can slice apart the Ravens’ pass defense.

That’s what I take from Sunday’s Ravens’ loss. Great game, but if the secondary doesn’t improve, the Ravens won’t get far in the postseason, if they make it at all.

Daily Think Special: What do you take away from Sunday’s Ravens loss?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:42 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (58)
        

You’ve made it to another Prediction Friday.

We are serving double shots of Purple Moose (or Purple Jesus in some parts) in honor of the Ravens-Vikings game in Minnesota. So line up.

I am no longer predicting blowouts. I have learned my lesson.

I think the Ravens win, because I don’t think they’ll lose three in a row heading into the bye week. Pretty scientific, huh? And some of you thought I was just a baseball guy.

I look at it like this: If the Vikings defensive front can keep up its impressive season, get past the young offensive line and pressure Joe Flacco, there could be some serious trouble for the Ravens. It Flacco can get some time, though, the Ravens should put up points, especially if they can add a balanced running attack as well.

Adrian Peterson is going to get his, as will old man Favre. But I still like the Ravens in this one, 27-24, on a late touchdown pass to Derrick Mason (remember him?)

I’ll give Flacco the hero of the game tiebreaker for three TDs, including a Favre-esque, game-winning drive.

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Vikings match-up.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

Each week in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... " 

Three months shy of his 84th birthday, Gino Marchetti sees life as an all-out pass rush. Forget old age – he hurdles it as nimbly as he did all of those blockers before sacking the quarterback.

Gino Marchetti at his West Chester, Pa., home in 2003. (Sun photo by Lloyd Fox)  

Marchetti walks up to three miles a day and bowls four times a week. In West Chester, Pa., where the Baltimore Colts Hall of Famer lives, they’re still buzzing about the 299 game Marchetti rolled a couple of years ago, one pin shy of a perfect score.

This year, he took up painting – not with brush and palette, but with roller and paint tray. He painted the master bedroom, plus the homes of two of his seven children. Then, feeling restless, Marchetti built a cedar closet in the basement for his wife, Joan.

How long can he keep up the pace?

"As long as I’m breathing," he said. "Hell, I’ll go on until I can’t open my eyes any more, until I join (John) Unitas up there in the sky – I hope."

As a player, patience was not Marchetti’s forte. Sundays found him prowling the Colts' dressing room, end to end, five hours before kickoff.

"I probably walked 30 miles before each game," he said.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Gino Marchetti" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 4:30 PM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

I know it is football season, but we’re going to talk baseball today.

We are going to talk baseball lots of days, no matter what the temperature is outside. We won’t abandon the Ravens, but I have to stick with my so-called expertise on occasion.

And that’s baseball, and those battered and beaten birds of Baltimore.

Before I get to them, though, a quick scouting report on the Jason Isbell concert for those that care (and based on the e-mails I’ve gotten about my lack of music discussion recently, some of you, a vocal/typing portion anyway, do).

Isbell put on a heck of a show, one that would make all Drive-By Truckers fans proud. He played for about two hours, did several of his most recent solo tunes as well as covers of The Talking Heads and Tom Petty and mixed in some of his Truckers stuff (“Outfit,” “The Day John Henry Died,” “Decoration Day.”) There were some technical difficulties at the venue, but Isbell and his band, the 400 Unit, fought through it and sounded great.

The only disappointment was the size of the crowd. I wasn’t expecting a Truckers’ audience, but thought there’d be more people out. Of course, as an old guy, I’m much more comfortable with gatherings versus crowds these days.

Two Baltimore notes from that night: The opener was Charm City’s own J Roddy Walston and the Business, a fun band that’s energy is only matched by its volume of hair. The drummer is Steve Colmus, who is one of the Warning Track Power guys that created “How Bout Dem O’s?” which we have featured here before. Steve came up and re-introduced himself to me before his gig, which was cool.

Also, I discovered after Isbell’s show that one of the guys in his band, keyboardist Derry deBorja, is from Towson. He’s a McDonogh grad, and this old Calvert Hall guy didn’t hold it against him. I swear.

So, yeah, Baltimore’s music scene was well represented in Pa. last week. Good to see.

OK, back to something you care more about: the Orioles.

As I wrote today, Dave Trembley has brought back all of his coaches except bench coach Dave Jauss. I guess that’s somewhat of a surprise from a team that lost 98 games in 2009. But if you believe that Trembley deserved to return despite the record, the same can probably be said about his staff.

The fact that the only one to get the ax was the bench coach isn’t surprising. The manager and the bench coach have to have a special relationship and if that doesn’t develop – or if it slips some over time -- it’s an easy spot to make a change. Don’t worry about Jauss, who has been in the game forever. He’ll surely find a job somewhere else.

I know some were disappointed that Juan Samuel stayed. A bad team’s third base coach is always a target for fans. It’s by far the easiest coaching position to criticize and, in the time I have covered this club, fans wanted the heads of Sam Perlozzo and Tom Trebelhorn, too. Yes, Samuel made some mistakes in 2009. But a third base coach is only noticed when he makes a questionable decision. The other 700-plus times when the team scores, no one gives him any credit for waving his arm.

Here’s what you need to know about Samuel: He is arguably the most respected person in the Orioles' clubhouse – players and coaches alike. A former all-star, he’s unafraid to tell a player when he did something wrong or isn’t acting professionally. And, at 48, he’s still has the muscle (and resume) to back it up. I would have kept him, too.

In fact, I’m OK with the returning of these coaches; there is something to be said for continuity, But are you?

Daily Think Special: Should the Orioles have brought back most of their coaching staff?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:26 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

My guess is you are stunned.

I definitely was stunned by the Cincinnati Bengals’ last-minute upset of the Ravens Sunday. Part of that was because I wholly underestimated the Bengals, especially their defense.

I also didn’t see the Ravens’ defense folding during crunch time. OK, I’ll be honest. I didn’t even expect a crunch time on Sunday.

That folding, of course, had plenty to do with the Ravens committing penalties. You can blame the officiating all you want, but the bottom line is the Ravens have lost two straight, and the Bengals now have an advantage in the AFC North.

And I guess the Bengals are for real.

Four patrons – Sentient, Space, Christian and Larry – each had the Bengals, and all deserve an open tab today. Larry, with a 21-17 Bengals’ prediction, gets the tab for the week. Enjoy.

For the rest of you, I am sure the first part of the week won’t be enjoyable. Rest assured, it won’t be a bowl of cherries for the Ravens, either.

My question is a little different today. Let’s forget about the two consecutive losses, and be forward thinking and try to build on Sunday's loss.

Daily Think Special: What must the Ravens do to improve from here forward?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:09 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (56)
        

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 4:32 PM in Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

OK, all.

The place is open for business and I’m swapping filled shot glasses for predictions.

But before we go there, a few personal notes (it is a blog, after all. So I am allowed to get personal. The gambling part is for recreational purposes only).

First, I apologize for the closed door this week. I was taking a breather after the long Orioles season and the breather turned into a veritable slumber after I had to tend overnight to a couple incredibly flu-bitten daughters. But I am back now.

Secondly, I must apologize to the music fans out there -- and I’ll eventually get to those of you who e-mailed me -- for my lack of music banter the past few busy weeks. I have some time to download new CDs now and I’ve updated my iPod (took me a while to figure out how to exclude my son’s “Harry and the Potters” tunes from my sync).

So we’ll throw some names and CD ideas around in the next few weeks, but I do have one programming note: I’m heading out Friday to see Jason Isbell play in Harrisburg, Pa. Isbell, as many of my hip patrons know, is the former “Drive-By Truckers” guitarist and songwriter who has ventured out on his own. The recent studio album is good, but rather bluesy and mellow. Curious as to how that translates into a live show.

Last, and most important, you may have read that The Baltimore Sun lost a valued employee this week when business editor Tim Wheatley was killed in a car accident while taking his 9-year-old daughter to school.

Tim was my sports editor for a few years, and he was the one who listened intently and then approved a silly idea to create a blog based around a fictitious sports bar. I’m sure he had his doubts, but he encouraged me to do this two years ago, and, honestly, if it weren’t for him, Connolly’s would never have seen the light of the Internet. For that, and the opportunity to interact with you people, I will forever be grateful to Tim.

Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers during this tragic, difficult time

Thanks for that. Now, to the matter at hand: The Ravens will crush the Cincinnati Bengals and Chad Ochocinco this week. I’m going with 34-14.

My hero of the game is the Ravens young running back Ray Veintisiete, who will run for two touchdowns, including one in excess of cincuenta yards.

I want your predicted score and game hero. Fake bar tabs are at stake, people.

Daily Think Special: Predict the Ravens-Bengals score and the game’s hero.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:07 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ... " Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

 He wasn’t much to look at – a slender, 6-foot-3 guard with knobby knees, creaky hips and elbows that looked as if they’d been run through a pencil sharpener.

But, oh, could Earl Monroe play basketball.

For four years, Monroe wowed the crowds in Baltimore with circus shots, between-the-legs dribbles and no-look passes. Head fakes, stutter steps? Earl The Pearl wrote the book. Double pumps, reverse layups? Fans howled. Monroe suckered teams with triple spins that would have awed Kimmie Meissner.

AP Photo/2007

"God couldn’t go one-on-one with Earl Monroe," the Bullets’ Ray Scott once said of his Hall of Fame teammate.

From the time Monroe hit town as a rookie in 1967, the Civic Center was his juke joint. A first-round draft pick out of little Winston-Salem, he scored 22 points in his first game and a team-record 56 that same season against the Los Angeles Lakers. With Baltimore, he won Rookie of the Year, made All-NBA first team and led the once-dreadful Bullets to the NBA finals in 1971.

On the court, Monroe was a wizard long before the team moved to Washington and changed its nickname.

And then he was gone, packed off to New York, the Bullets’ archrival, following a contract dispute with Baltimore management. Though Monroe played nine years with the Knicks and helped them win an NBA championship, his edge had gone pffft, harnessed by a team that frowned on spontaneity.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Bullet Earl Monroe" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 PM in Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

The Ravens weren’t the only ones who had a rough Sunday.

Of the 40 or so prognosticators at the bar this week, only four had the Patriots winning. Plenty of confidence in the old Balmer team, and you have to respect that, I guess.

Didn’t work out though.

No one correctly predicted a 27-21 Pats win (Never More gets one drink chip for the right score, but the wrong winner).

The closest -- and therefore the winner of the free bar tab this week -- was JTK, who had New England to win, 27-17. Congrats, I suppose.

Since I have never lied to you before (at least that you know of), I have to come clean today. I didn’t watch much of the Ravens game, not enough to be analytical anyway. You see, I have this pesky day job watching another professional sports team in Baltimore.

Yes, there is one.

So I basically know what happened on Sunday in New England -- I know about Jared Gaither and Mark Clayton‘s drop and the referees' spots. But I don’t know the big picture stuff. Like, specifically, what ultimately cost them the game.

That’s where you come in. It’s time for you to be the analyst (you guys do it in here every week anyway). What did you think went wrong on Sunday?

Was it the game plan? Was it the execution of a particular facet? Or did they just run into a good team that was more desperate to win?

Daily Think Special: What went wrong for the Ravens on Sunday?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:27 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (43)
        

We made it to Friday.

Grab a spot at the bar, snag a cold glass and while I pour give me your prediction for the Ravens-Patriots game this Sunday.

I have a special on the spiked purple Kool-Aid. Because I think the Ravens go into Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and take this one.

I know, I am the guy that predicted a loss to the San Diego Chargers in Week 2. But I am more of a believer now.

That’s not to say I think it will be easy. I’m by no means dismissing the Patriots.

I think Tom Brady will get his share of yards passing and a couple touchdowns. But their running game will be non-existent, and the Ravens’ secondary will come up big at the end.

My call: Ravens 24, Patriots 17.

Ed Reed gets his first touchdown of the season – late in the game – and serves as the hero of the day.

That’s how I see it. I want your thoughts on the fourth Prediction Friday of the season.

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Patriots game.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:50 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

This is not an official poll. The results are haphazard and arguably meaningless.

What did you expect? I mean, it’s not even a real bar. But if you are truly disappointed, then I will return your cover charge.

Anyway, I tallied Wednesday’s comments for and against keeping Orioles manager Dave Trembley for 2010.

It was 32 against him, 25 for him and a bunch that commented around the specific question without giving a definite answer (I’m cool with that, too. We don’t judge at Connolly’s).

The point is it was close. An argument can be made each way.

I guess my contention is that those who criticize Trembley’s in-game moves are missing the big picture. Oftentimes, he is replacing one reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors with another reliever who shouldn’t be in the majors.

He is pinch-hitting a kid who won’t be in the big leagues in two years with a veteran who won’t be in the big leagues in two years.

OK, I’m exaggerating a bit, but the guy doesn’t have enough quality personnel to allow us to properly evaluate his managerial skills on a daily basis. Are there things he has done I disagree with? Absolutely. But are his mistakes so rampant that it proves he can’t manage at this level? Nope.

I keep him for 2010. And one of the reasons is I don’t know who should be his replacement. Or, I should say, what kind of manager should replace him.

Today I don’t want to get into the names of potential replacements. Trembley still has his job, and it would be disrespectful to start clamoring for another candidate.

But I want to know this: What type of manager should lead the Orioles in 2010?

What’s funny is that the Orioles have tried all kinds of prototypes in the past decade: There was the veteran who would force accountability onto the players (Ray Miller), the proven winner (Mike Hargrove), the fresh-faced hot commodity (Lee Mazzilli), the players’ manager (Sam Perlozzo) and the nurturing development guy (Trembley).

How did those work out?

What’s left is the hard-(nosed) disciplinarian -- which is usually a disaster for young teams. No doubt some Orioles could use a good benching when they don’t give 100 percent. But let’s see how that disciplinarian keeps the clubhouse when this team is losing 90 in 2010 and the veteran leaders are grousing about being treated like rookies. (Remember, the 2009 player is much different than the ones Earl Weaver terrorized in 1970.)

Again, I think it is a lot more about the personnel than the manager right now.

But I want to hear what personality type you want in your next manager. And I want to see how that differs from what Trembley brings to the table. Or what Sammy P brought. Or Mazz or Grover or Rabbit.

Daily Think Special: What type of manager do the Orioles need for 2010?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:22 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (89)
        

We have officially made it to the last week of the Orioles season.

And I am ready to address the elephant in the barroom.

It’s really a two-headed pachyderm.

Will Orioles manager Dave Trembley be fired at season’s end?

Should he be?

My colleagues at The Sun, columnists Peter “The Promised Land’s Ugly American” Schmuck and Kevin “Cat Hater” Cowherd give their differing opinions in Wednesday’s edition. If I were you, I’d check it out.

Now, I am weighing in as well.

I have been waffling on the first question during the past month, and now, as the Orioles are hideously stumbling to the finish line, I’m leaning toward the belief that Trembley will be fired. It’s tough to survive a 100-loss season (or something real close).

The second question I have answered consistently all year: No, Trembley shouldn’t be fired. He didn’t put this team together. He didn’t assemble the bullpen. He didn’t ask for several of his best veteran players to be dealt away or shelved with injuries.

Trembley did what he could with this mess of a roster. Like those before him -- Sam Perlozzo, Lee Mazzilli, Mike Hargrove -- he was handcuffed the moment he said, ‘I do.”

You can make the argument that Trembley has done a better job than those mentioned above. Because, collectively, he probably had less talent to work with, and, for the most part, the players haven’t openly turned against him.

Sure, Trembley made some lineup and pitching moves that could be questioned. But that’s the beauty of baseball. None of us is under the same pressure as the manager and yet we can second-guess his decisions.

The biggest criticism of Trembley is that his players failed miserably when it came to mastering the fundamentals. Yet Trembley’s teams practiced fundamentals more during the season than any other group I have covered. Whose fault is that?

Some of Trembley’s biggest critics within the clubhouse are the same guys who failed to do their job this year. But as the old adage goes, "You can’t fire 25 players."

The only reason to can Trembley now is to change the ever-present “culture of losing.” Yet whoever takes over almost certainly will have to suffer through another terrible season next year. And then that person will be caught in the undercurrent of losing as well. And the cycle, the criticism will continue.

That is until the club has enough horses to compete with the big boys in the AL East. That could be coming, but it isn’t here yet. And won’t arrive next year.

So until then, it doesn’t matter who the manager is. Therefore, it seems unfair to ship out Trembley now to pay for the sins of past regimes.

That’s my $2.02. Give me yours.

Daily Think Special: Would you fire Dave Trembley? Why or why not?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:37 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (78)
        

Now, that one was easy.

I know there were several of you that were slightly worried that the Ravens could experience a letdown against an inferior Cleveland Browns team.

They did; they allowed a field goal. They should be ashamed.

Seriously, the final was 34-3, more of a blowout than most of you blowout predictors had anticipated (including myself).

Drew Johnston gets a free drink chip for his 34-6 prediction. Ed gets one, too, for his 31-3 guess.

They aren’t the big winners, though. This week’s free (and fake) bar tab goes to Tay Dizzle, and not just because he has a cool name.

Tay Dizzle went with 31-3, Ravens. But he also called the tiebreaker, predicting Willis McGahee would be the hero of the game. Drew and Ed were thinking running back, but went with Ray Rice.

Plenty of heroes on Sunday, but McGahee ran for two TDs and nearly 10 yards a carry.

So drink up Tay Dizzle.

As for the rest of you, I have a simple question: Are the Ravens this good?

They are 3-0 and look much improved offensively. Their defense is still fierce against the run, and perhaps their pass defense – four picks Sunday – is getting it together.

I know any NFL team can beat any other on any Sunday, but, be honest. Even the most pessimistic Ravens’ fan had to expect the team to be 2-1, at the worst, at this point. And the San Diego Chargers, with their injuries last week, weren’t as good as everyone expected heading into the season.

So the real test comes next week, when the Ravens travel to New England. If they can beat the Patriots, and then the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings, they would head into the bye week 6-0 and arguably be considered the NFL’s best team in 2009.

That will be the week to truly evaluate. But what about now? Are the Ravens as good as they have looked so far? Or is their unblemished record more of a by-product of the teams they have played.

I am thinking it’s a combination of both.

Daily Think Special: Are the Ravens this good?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 4:21 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (56)
        

I am officially south of the border now.

I’m not buying fireworks or anything, just home from Toronto.

Just in time for Prediction Friday.

I won’t be going against the patrons this week. Consider me happily in the majority.

I don’t see the Ravens having a letdown Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. And partially that’s because I don’t think much of the Browns. (And as an Irish Catholic I am biologically obligated to support Brady Quinn in his endeavors.)

Really, even a Jonathan Ogden-sized letdown shouldn’t be enough for the Ravens to drop one at home to the Browns.

But it is the NFL, so I guess you can never say never.

Still, I’m predicting a 24-6 Ravens win. My hero of the game is Ed Reed, who snags two interceptions, and returns one for a touchdown.

Am I off? Did I jinx your beloved purple and black?

Daily Think Special: Predict the score and hero of Sunday’s Ravens-Browns game.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:18 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

I am finishing up at Rogers Centre – I can call it Skydome in a blog, thankfully -- after the Orioles were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays in an amazingly forgettable three-game series.

There is truly only one highlight from this series.

Matt Wieters hit an absolute bomb against Scott Richmond that hit the façade just under the club-level seating in right field. They don’t give estimates in Toronto – and I am not smart enough to do the conversion anyway – but trust me, it was crushed.

There was so much buzz about Wieters when he arrived that his slow start at the plate and behind it made it seem like he was a disappointment.

But the kid has heated up in a big way.

After two hits Wednesday, he now is batting .290 with eight homers and 38 RBIs. He’s also made some great throws to second recently.

He has hit safely in 15 of the 19 games he has played in September and is batting .367 in the month.

He is hitting an outrageous 12-for-22 (.545) since being moved to the third spot in the lineup five games ago.

So I am impressed.

This kid has become a major league hitter before our eyes. Yes, he could exhibit more consistent power, but for a guy in his second pro season it’s a matter of time.

But I know some of you wanted more from Wieters early on. Has your perception changed in the past month or so?

Daily Think Special: What are your impressions of Matt Wieters now?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:17 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Orioles, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (66)
        

She has an island fantasy camp to run this week, a fall wedding -- her own -- to plan, an Olympic hopeful to mentor and a televised holiday show to prep for.

Yet Dorothy Hamill, the figure skater crowned "America's Sweetheart" after her gold medal performance at the 1976 Winter Olympics, still finds time to stop for a phone call to her summer home on Nantucket to catch up.

Although she wasn't a summer camper growing up, Hamill started to get the bug to run a skating camp one year when she was packing her reluctant daughter off to an adventure.

David Hobby/2007 Baltimore Sun file photo

"Alex said, 'I don't want to go to camp' and I'm thinking, 'Well I do,'" says Hamill, laughing. "Baltimore has a great adult skating community and I thought, 'This would be a gas to put together for adults who still want to learn and challenge themselves and not drop off the face of the earth just because they're getting older.'"

She recruited longtime collaborators Nathan Birch and Tim Murphy and added Peter Carruthers, the 1984 Olympic silver medalist in pairs with sister Kitty, and Randy Gardner, who with partner Tai Babilonia won a world title and five national championships.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... Dorothy Hamill" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:00 AM in Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Hey everyone:

Transportation issues have made Monday one heck of a day. So I decided to bang out a bar entry before I got to the ballpark in Toronto.

Therefore, we are going back to football again for Tuesday.

(Quick aside: If I could have one superhero power it would be teleportation. No question in my mind. After sitting for a couple hours in Baltimore rush hour traffic and a few more hours at BWI, I would pay good money to be able to teleport. I’d give up the potential of having X-Ray vision or flying like a bird or superhuman strength if it meant I could just show up where I wanted whenever I wanted.)

OK, back to the real item at hand. And speaking of superheroes.

After the Ravens’ Ray Lewis tackled San Diego Chargers Darren Sproles for a loss with 30 seconds left and fourth down on Sunday, I heard an announcer refer to the game-clincher as possibly the greatest play in Lewis’ career.

I immediately scoffed. Great play, sure. But come on, this is Lewis we are talking about. This is a Hall of Fame career we’re talking about.

No way it was his best ever, right?

Well, after the game, Lewis called it “probably one of the greatest plays of my career because of what we did as a team.”

OK, well he would know.

It got me thinking. In your opinion, what is Lewis’ greatest play? Certainly something from the Ravens’ Super Bowl run qualifies.

I am going with the now famous Eddie George hit that teleported the Titans running back into another zip code. Maybe it didn’t end a game, but it served notice about the force that was Lewis and the Ravens.

Daily Think Special: What is Ray Lewis’ greatest play?

Bonus Think Special: Which superhero power would you most want to possess?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (56)
        

You all were right. I was wrong. I am more than OK with that.

Your Baltimore Ravens are now 2-0 after a 31-26 win at San Diego.

Excellent win. Definitely not an easy one, though.

Most of you said the Ravens would be victorious. A lot of you predicted a blowout.

Both Jeff Orndorff and Ed SoPaFan had the Ravens winning 31-27 and Bob Dana was right there, too, with a 31-24 prediction.

Bob gets a free drink chip and Ed can enjoy a free tab today. But we’ll give the free (and fake) tab for the week to Jeff, who won the tiebreaker by saying Todd Heap would be the hero of the game.

He wasn’t. Willis McGahee deserves that title (with Ray Lewis delivering the biggest play of the game). But Heap caught a TD, and Ed didn’t list a tiebreaker.

So if you can’t follow the fake rules, Ed, you can’t fully reap the fake benefits. It’s probably not his fault, however. Those guys up in York County get confused easily.

Anyway, be thirsty, Jeff. You are a winner at Connolly’s.

Now, to Sunday’s victory. I must be honest, I had other responsibilities and couldn’t watch the Ravens’ game as intently as I would have liked. I saw most of it, but had to listen to some on the radio. So I am even more ill-equipped than normal in my not-so-expert analysis.

But here are three quick observations: 1. The offense really does look like it will be formidable this season. 2. The secondary concerns me even more than it did last week.
3. So long as the offense is for real, this team should win a bucketload of games, because the defense will improve.

I want to hear what you think. Let’s get a good discussion going today among the patrons while I fly to Toronto to watch those other birds of Baltimore.

Daily Think Special: What did you take from Sunday’s Ravens’ win?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:25 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (82)
        

It’s Prediction Friday, people.

You know the drill.

I don’t want to bore you with a lot of useless prose. You don’t read it anyway on Prediction Friday.

It’s all business and dry martinis when it comes to pigskin prognostication.

So give me your prediction for Sunday’s Ravens game in San Diego. I want a score, a winner and who you think will be the game’s hero.

If you get it right, you’ll get lauded at this very site next week.

I am going with a hunch here people. Remember, don’t shoot the bartender. Or at least not until after closing time.

I think this is a knock-down drag-out with a few big plays mixed in.

My prediction: The Chargers win 20-17 with a last-second 51-yarder by Nate Kaeding. I’ll make Kaeding my star of the game, too, for that potential boot.

I know, I am wrong. How dare me.

So set me straight.

Daily Think Special: Predict the Ravens-Chargers outcome and star of the game

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:48 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

OK, let’s be honest.

None of us saw that coming.

Thick 5, Steve and the ubiquitous Anonymous had the Ravens scoring 38 points in Sunday’s opener. No one had the Kansas City Chiefs scoring 24 in what was the second highest scoring game of the day (behind New Orleans thrashing Detroit).

The open bar tab this week goes to Dave, who at 33-14 was at least in the ballpark.

But it certainly wasn’t a blowout, like most of us expected. The opposite in fact. Heck, it was a tied game with three minutes to play.

Yet here is my lasting impression of Sunday’s Ravens’ 38-24 win over the Chiefs: I never thought the Ravens were going to lose. That’s not Monday morning quarterbacking or pure homerism.

And maybe it had something to do with how bad I thought the Chiefs were. But it never struck me that the Ravens would lose that one, even as the score was tied. I was taken aback that it was so close, but didn’t expect them to lose.

And that is a feeling that I didn’t have at the beginning of last season. So that’s what I’ll take from Week 1 of the 2009 NFL season: This team has confidence, and it spills over to the stands.

Here are a few other quick thoughts from Sunday’s Ravens game before I give you the floor. (Disclaimer: I have covered football in the past, but it has been years since I stepped into a NFL locker room. These observations have no insider-info linked to them. If you want true analysis, check out the Sun’s Ravens’ beat stuff, which is excellent.)

It’s nice to see the Ravens can air it out -- and will do so when necessary.

I don’t want to see them get into a shootout with a good NFL team.

Flacco’s no fluke.

Great to see Kelly Gregg back (and Todd Heap, too).

The big play could haunt the defense this year.

Daily Think Special: What’s your lasting thought about Sunday’s Ravens’ win?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:51 AM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

We’re cracking open the bubbly. And not the cheap stuff either.

This champagne comes all the way from French Lick, Indiana.

Only the best for my patrons.

We’re celebrating because you have made it to our first true, football Prediction Friday of the late summer.

If you are new around here, Prediction Friday is simple. It’s a fiesta and party all wrapped into one.

Basically, the deal is this: Each Friday we share our predictions for the upcoming Ravens game. The one who is closest to the score gets a free drink chip and the adoration of his barkeep and fellow patrons for a full week.

(Neither is worth anything, but this is a fake bar people. What do you expect?)

If you hit it straight on, it’s a free bar tab for a week and your name in Christmas lights over the sports mural on the front wall.

The tiebreaker – if we need one – is if you correctly select the hero of the game (decided at my discretion to give me a better chance of winning).

But since this is the very special week one, we have even more fun and games on tap (bad bar pun). I also need your prediction for the Ravens’ season record.

I’ll keep them and get back to you in January. Last year, almost no one had them over .500. My guess is that changes today. We'll have this run all weekend, and you can make your prediction up until kickoff.

OK, here is my entry: I say the Ravens win 23-6. Todd Heap catches two TDs for hero of the game.

And the Ravens go 11-5 in 2009.

Your turn.

Daily Think Special: Predict the winner and score of Sunday’s Ravens-Chiefs game.

Bonus Think Special: Who will be the hero of the game?

Double Secret Think Special: Predict the Ravens’ record at regular season’s end.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

A few weeks ago, Ravens safety Ed Reed was talking to the media after practice when someone asked him about the white wrist band he was wearing just above his left hand. There was clearly writing on it. We were curious: What did it say? What did it mean?

"It says 'Once I Get The Ball You're At My Mercy,' " Reed with a bit of a shrug. "That's (Michael) Jordan. You know how Jordan was."

Reed is right, of course. I do know how Jordan was.

I know a lot about Michael Jordan, in fact. Even though I was never a big fan. I think Michael Leahy's "When Nothing Else Matters" is one of the best sports books written in the last 20 years, because it really captures Jordan's gifts as well as his flaws. I've seen his ESPN SportsCentury profile countless times. I've read about his kids, his divorce, his business ups and downs, and his bottomless appetite for competition.

But what I don't really know is how Ed Reed is.

Or who he is.

Of course, I know Ed Reed the football player. I know he's probably the most exciting defensive player of my lifetime. I know he has the hands of a wide receiver, the feet of a ballet dancer, and the football brain of Nobel Prize winner. I know he possesses the rarest and least talked about skill in sports: the innate sixth sense of anticipation.

He sees things unfolding before they ever happen. And when he gets the ball in his hands, the other team truly is at his mercy. No defensive player has ever been a greater threat to score than Ed Reed with the ball in his hands.

But as a person, he's a bit of a mystery. I can count on one hand the number of lengthy magazine profiles that have been written about him. I can't imagine anyone ever attempting to write a book about him. And though I don't know for certain, I suspect Reed likes it that way. 

Continue reading "Ravens safety Ed Reed: An Appreciation" »

Posted by Kevin Van Valkenburg at 7:37 PM in Ravens, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

We dipped into the NFL pool on Tuesday.

Let’s jump in feet first today.

I am looking for a breakout Raven (prison jokes not welcome). Could be offense, could be defense, could even be new kicker Steve Hauschka.

Basically, I am looking for this year’s Le’Ron McClain, Jim Leonhard or Joe Flacco.

Players that helped carry the team that you weren’t exactly counting on before the first game. Players that took the biggest leap from one season to the next.

Ray Rice is going to be the popular answer here. I will give you two more: Tavares Gooden and Todd Heap.

Yes, Todd Heap. Yes, I know it is not 2003. Yes, he’s already broken out, but then he broke down.

As Paul of Arlington (free drink chip) predicted in Tuesday’s fantasy football entry, Heap could be a big source of TDs if he is healthy.

A huge if, I get it. But I think he might have one more productive season left in him.

Call me an optimist.

Or call me an idiot. But call me.

Come on Ravens’ fans, I want your breakout Raven for 2009-10.

Daily Think Special: Which Raven (or Ravens) will have a breakout year? Why?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:41 PM in Connolly's Corner Sports Bar, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

Each Tuesday in The Toy Department, veteran Baltimore Sun sportswriter Mike Klingaman tracks down a former local sports figure and lets you know what's happening in his/her life in a segment called, "Catching Up With ..." Let Klingaman know who you'd like him to find and click here to check out previous editions of "Catching Up With ... "

He lives in Upperco, in a weathered old farmhouse on 46 acres that he bought for a song when he retired from football. There’s a sweet spring-fed pond out back full of catfish and bass, a vegetable patch stuffed with sweet corn and beans, and a woodpile large enough to keep the home fires burning all winter.

Fred Miller doesn’t want for much. And if he did, you wouldn’t hear a peep from the 69-year-old tackle, a mainstay on the Baltimore Colts’ defensive line during their heyday.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Miller spent a decade here (1963-72), much of it as defensive captain of the Colts. Though undersized at 250 pounds, he anchored the club’s front four despite chronic back spasms and bum knees that would have sidelined most others.

Baltimore Sun photo by Doug Kapustin

Teammates called Miller "a pro’s pro" and paid heed when he spoke, which wasn’t often.

"Fred never has a bad game, and he’ll never tell you he’s in pain," head coach John Sandusky once said.

Sun file photo

The son of a Louisiana farmer, Miller plowed through enemy lines, dragged down runners and helped the Colts to Super Bowls in 1969 and 1971. Guess which one he’d rather recall.

"The one we won," he said of the Colts’ victory over Dallas in Super Bowl V. "That was one of the hardest hitting games I ever played. The next morning, when I got up for breakfast, I could hardly lift my arms to cut my pancakes. First time that ever happened."

Trouble is, said Miller, "nobody will let us forget the ‘other’ Super Bowl (a loss to the New York Jets two years earlier). Every year, at Super Bowl time, when I turn on the NFL Channel, they’re running that game in its entirety."

That’s when Miller sighs and hits the remote.

"When we lost, we didn’t know it would last forever," he said.

Continue reading "Catching Up With ... former Colt Fred Miller" »

Posted by Mike Klingaman at 6:00 AM in Baltimore Colts, Catching Up With, Today's Special | Permalink | Comments (31)
        

Thursday was an off day for the Orioles, but baseball writers still have to come up with stories.

That and the fact that baseball players make roughly 600 times what we ear