Monday, September 25, 2006

Weekend In Review

Well after a fun and sports-filled weekend it's back to the real world where the closest I get to a two-minute drill is when my boss calls to say she'll be in shortly and I haven't got any work to show her. Zing!

So as I was sitting at Camden Yards in my new Nick Markakis jersey (which received compliments from the O's faithful, by the way) on Friday watching the Orioles beat the Twins, something occurred to me while thinking about the transformation my jersey made from crappy replica Sosa jersey to authentic-looking Markakis awesomeness:

Sammy Sosa on the Orioles was like Johnny Unitas on the Chargers -- if Unitas was a cheater who spoke broken English.

After dropping the last two games of the series with the Twinkies, the O's are now 1/2 game behind the Nationals in the battle of "which area team is less bad." The Nats may even it up again when they play the Mets tonight. The O's have the night off.



Saturday I went to my first Maryland football game since graduating, and boy do they stink. The tailgating was fun and it was nice to be back at Byrd Stadium (even though now it was to look at Chevy Chase Bank Field), but Florida International University almost spoiled the fun, actually having a chance to win the game with a play from the 9-yard line with one second left, but Maryland picked off the pass to seal what may end up being their last victory of the 2006 season.

The remaining schedule will prove tough for a team that barely beat the FIU Golden Panthers. After a week off they go on the road to face No. 24 Georgia Tech and Virginia, then it's N.C. State and No. 19 Florida State at Byrd, at No. 18 Clemson, home against Miami, at Boston College, then home against Wake Forest.

Circle that Wake Forest game on your calendars. That could be the Terps' best chance for another win.



Sunday I played a charity pick-up hockey game that pitted Capitals fans from Maryland against Capitals fans from Virginia.

I faced what one teammate slightly overestimated was 70 shots and Virginia's fans won 5-2, not that anyone cares, and despite being informally chosen as "Team Maryland MVP" by some guy in the locker room and pleading for a 15-year extension, it seems I've been replaced and will now be playing forward in next month's game.

This really is a merciless sports town.

While that epic rivalry was being decided, some football team that a few people in Washington like finally got in the win column by beating the hapless Houston Texans, 31-15. If they had lost I think we would have woken up this morning to proclamations that the apocalypse was upon us because the Redskins would then only be "a conservative 75/25 favorite to win the Super Bowl" according to Washington fans.

The Ravens had an amazing come-from-behind win over the Browns to get to 3-0 for the first time in team history, but now the schedule starts getting tough. The next three weeks are San Diego at home, at Denver, then back to Baltimore to face Carolina before the bye week.



So what's on tap for tonight? Instead of Nats vs. Mets on MASN, I think it's going to be non-local sports time (so not me, I know) with Monday Night Football. Michael Vick's on national TV and that's always exciting.

Here's what to watch for tonight, though: I guarantee that at least one time in the pre-game show, one time during the game and one time after the game, some announcer on the broadcast will say, "This is such an important game, not just for the Saints, but for the morale of the entire city of New Orleans."

That may not be a direct quote but it'll be damn close, because sports writers and announcers are about as original as ... using similes to make a point.

1 comment:

Abram said...

You mean the undefeated, 5-0 Wake Forest Demon Deacons? I give MD a win vs. Virginia and that's it.