Hey.
Can someone tell me if Sean Singletary was hurt?
It didn't really come up during the ESPN broadcast...
Showing posts with label Terrapins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terrapins. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Friday, August 03, 2007
Guest Blog by homertuck: Maryland gets no respect from coaches in first poll
In a first for Beltway Sports Beat, today I have a guest blogger. Tuck is a friend of mine who loves to rant about sports and used to have a blog of his own. Today he GChat messaged me, angry over something sports-related (this is not rare) and said he was going to revive his blog just to talk about it. So I convinced him that instead he should write a guest blog post for Beltway Sports Beat. Another potential rival blogger nipped in the bud. --C. Stone
Today, in what is the start of the college football season, the USA Today Top 25 coaches' poll was released. Toping the list is USC, followed by LSU, Florida, Texas and Michigan. I don't really have a beef with the top 5 teams. You can honestly make a justification for why any of the top 5 teams could start the season at #1. I really wish USC didn't start at #1 for the simple reason that I don't want to hear John David Booty's 20 times a day. Why is it that he gets his full name mentioned every time we talk about USC? When people talk about Cal Ripken, they don't say "Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr." But I digress...
The rest of the top 25, in my opinion, isn't really that exciting. I was, however, shocked by one thing, which in my opinion helps prove how stupid the coaches' poll is and why it should have no role in deciding the national championship. First, my beloved Terps, coming off a 9-4 season in which they won the Champs Sports Bowl, didn't receive a single vote. Not one. Zippy. Granted, UMD is still deciding who their quarterback is going to be, but how can we receive NOTHING? Maryland has maybe the best receiver corps in the ACC, with the speedy Darrius Heyward-Bey (voted preseason All-ACC selection at WR and had 45 receptions, 694 yards, and 5 TDs as a freshman) and the great hands of tight end Joey Haynos (37 receptions, 369 yards, and 3 TDs last season).
They also possess what has to be the best rushing attack in the ACC and one of the nation's best this year in the two headed monster of Lance Ball (855 rushing yards and 8 TDs last year) and Keon Lattimore (784 rushing yards and 3 TDs last year).
Also, Maryland isn't starting off the year with a walk on quarterback. Jordan Steffy and Josh Portis were both highly recruited out of high school. I'm sure either will do a great job as the Terps starting QB. And both are very capable of tucking the ball and running with it. I expect to see the return of the option play, something that has been lacking in the Friedgen offense that last several years, specifically since Scotty McBrien left.
Steffy and Portis will also get to tune up against Villanova and Florida International before going up against a real threat, which will be a Thursday night showdown against West Virginia.
Just remember folks ... these "expert" sports writers thought Maryland would be a bad team in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006 because we had a quarterback issue. What happened during those seasons? How about a 41-12 record, 4 bowl games, 3 straight bowl wins, an ACC championship and a trip to the Orange Bowl. Not to shabby.
On a side note, Duke's record last year was 0-12 and they are an annual staple on espn.com's "Bottom 10" rankings of worst football programs in the nation. CLEARLY they should be ranked above 80+ other D-1 football schools. I guess the person who voted for Duke thought this was the basketball poll...
--homertuck
Today, in what is the start of the college football season, the USA Today Top 25 coaches' poll was released. Toping the list is USC, followed by LSU, Florida, Texas and Michigan. I don't really have a beef with the top 5 teams. You can honestly make a justification for why any of the top 5 teams could start the season at #1. I really wish USC didn't start at #1 for the simple reason that I don't want to hear John David Booty's 20 times a day. Why is it that he gets his full name mentioned every time we talk about USC? When people talk about Cal Ripken, they don't say "Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr." But I digress... |
| Image from PointedMagazine.com. |
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| Image from washingtonpost.com. |
Also, Maryland isn't starting off the year with a walk on quarterback. Jordan Steffy and Josh Portis were both highly recruited out of high school. I'm sure either will do a great job as the Terps starting QB. And both are very capable of tucking the ball and running with it. I expect to see the return of the option play, something that has been lacking in the Friedgen offense that last several years, specifically since Scotty McBrien left.
Steffy and Portis will also get to tune up against Villanova and Florida International before going up against a real threat, which will be a Thursday night showdown against West Virginia.
Just remember folks ... these "expert" sports writers thought Maryland would be a bad team in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006 because we had a quarterback issue. What happened during those seasons? How about a 41-12 record, 4 bowl games, 3 straight bowl wins, an ACC championship and a trip to the Orange Bowl. Not to shabby.
On a side note, Duke's record last year was 0-12 and they are an annual staple on espn.com's "Bottom 10" rankings of worst football programs in the nation. CLEARLY they should be ranked above 80+ other D-1 football schools. I guess the person who voted for Duke thought this was the basketball poll...
--homertuck
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
A Week Has Passed, But The Story Remains The Same
The Maryland Terrapins basketball team, which I will admit I had left for dead after their loss at Florida State dropped them to 2-5 in conference, once again has a huge game tonight. And every time I say that they seem to go out and lay an egg.But here I am saying it again. Send the hate mail to cstone@beltwaysportsbeat.com.
After bouncing back (sort of) with a win over a dreadful Wake Forest team, the Terps are once again two games under the break-even point in the ACC -- only now they have two less games to make up the difference.
Tonight is a home game against Virginia, who beat the Terps, 103-91, in Charlottesville three weeks ago today. Virginia went into that game on a three game losing streak, but that game ignited the Hoos' current six game winning streak that has catapulted them to a tie atop the ACC standings with Boston College. The Terps are tied for eighth with N.C. State.
Game time is 9 p.m. on Comcast SportsNet.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Big Terps Game Tonight at Florida State
Ignoring that no men's basketball team has ever started its ACC season 1-4 and then earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament, Gary Williams' Terrapins have a game tonight in Tallahassee, where they will take on Florida State in an attempt to claw back toward a .500 conference record.
A win would put the Terps right where they need to be to finish 8-8 in-conference: A 3-4 record with five home games and four road games remaining. A loss makes it an uphill battle -- not to say that it isn't already.
The Terps' have been inconsistent this season, but that shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone. Terp fans have come to know the inconsistencies of seniors Ekene Ibekwe, Mike Jones and D.J. Strawberry, as well as junior James Gist. So putting that group together with freshmen guards Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez is a recipe for a rollercoaster, and that's what we've seen this season.
The optimistic view sees Hayes and Vasquez maturing and adapting to the ACC game, giving the Terps a chance at a late run that propels them into the tournament, but that needs to start sooner rather than later.
Tipoff tonight is at 8 p.m., and the game will be televised on the CW.
A win would put the Terps right where they need to be to finish 8-8 in-conference: A 3-4 record with five home games and four road games remaining. A loss makes it an uphill battle -- not to say that it isn't already.
The Terps' have been inconsistent this season, but that shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone. Terp fans have come to know the inconsistencies of seniors Ekene Ibekwe, Mike Jones and D.J. Strawberry, as well as junior James Gist. So putting that group together with freshmen guards Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez is a recipe for a rollercoaster, and that's what we've seen this season.
The optimistic view sees Hayes and Vasquez maturing and adapting to the ACC game, giving the Terps a chance at a late run that propels them into the tournament, but that needs to start sooner rather than later.
Tipoff tonight is at 8 p.m., and the game will be televised on the CW.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Weekend Recap, ADD Style
1. Is there a more exciting team in the area to watch than the Wizards? They're in first in their division by 2.5 games and tied with Cleveland for the Eastern Conference lead after weekend wins over Orlando and Boston.
2. Going into the All-Star break it's looking more and more like the Caps are still a year away from being serious playoff contenders. They looked terrible on Saturday in a 4-1 loss to Florida, getting outshot 42-18.
3. I'm starting to wonder if the T in NIT stands for Terrapins. They fell to 1-4 in the ACC by losing to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, and if they don't finish out their ACC schedule by going 7-4 or better it'll be a third straight trip to the lesser postseason tournament.
4. As much as I learned to hate the Colts last week, it couldn't compete with my complete disdain for Boston area sports fans and I was openly cheering for Indy last night. You just know that New Englanders were already booking catering for their Super Bowl parties with two minutes to go in the first half. Plus anything that crushes Bill Simmons' emotions for a little while can't be a bad thing. Dan Steinberg of washingtonpost.com's D.C. Sports Bog wonders "whether Bill Simmons will write 7,000 columns on the Tom Brady face." And how stupid did Bill Belichick look in the post-game interview?
5. No local sports tonight. Not even Orioles Classics on MASN.
2. Going into the All-Star break it's looking more and more like the Caps are still a year away from being serious playoff contenders. They looked terrible on Saturday in a 4-1 loss to Florida, getting outshot 42-18.
3. I'm starting to wonder if the T in NIT stands for Terrapins. They fell to 1-4 in the ACC by losing to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, and if they don't finish out their ACC schedule by going 7-4 or better it'll be a third straight trip to the lesser postseason tournament.
4. As much as I learned to hate the Colts last week, it couldn't compete with my complete disdain for Boston area sports fans and I was openly cheering for Indy last night. You just know that New Englanders were already booking catering for their Super Bowl parties with two minutes to go in the first half. Plus anything that crushes Bill Simmons' emotions for a little while can't be a bad thing. Dan Steinberg of washingtonpost.com's D.C. Sports Bog wonders "whether Bill Simmons will write 7,000 columns on the Tom Brady face." And how stupid did Bill Belichick look in the post-game interview?
5. No local sports tonight. Not even Orioles Classics on MASN.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Call Me When Something Good Happens
With the exception of Gilbert Arenas' buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat the Jazz on Monday and snap a short, two-game skid, it's been a rough week-long stretch for local sports fanatics.
The Wiz lost to a terrible New Orleans team and then to a much much less terrible Spurs team.
The Caps celebrated their three-game winning streak by going on a three-game losing streak.
The Maryland women's basketball team lost for the first time this season -- to Duke.
Maryland's men's basketball team lost at home to Miami, one of the ACC's worst teams. Then the Terps beat Clemson, the last undefeated team in the nation and a team that always beats Maryland even in their crappiest years. Then the Terps lost to Virginia, a team that had lost six in a row prior.
And the worst of all, of course, was the Ravens losing to the Colts ... in Baltimore ... in the playoffs ... when the defense managed to hold the Colts to nothing but field goals.
Today I plugged all the Orioles games into my calendar -- gearing up for further disappointment, I guess.
Consider this my doom and gloom post for the winter sports season. I'm sure my usual optimism will return soon, but it would help if the Caps could win the next couple games and the Terps could beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Sunday.
Oh, and a snow day on Monday would do wonders, too.
The Wiz lost to a terrible New Orleans team and then to a much much less terrible Spurs team.
The Caps celebrated their three-game winning streak by going on a three-game losing streak.
The Maryland women's basketball team lost for the first time this season -- to Duke.
Maryland's men's basketball team lost at home to Miami, one of the ACC's worst teams. Then the Terps beat Clemson, the last undefeated team in the nation and a team that always beats Maryland even in their crappiest years. Then the Terps lost to Virginia, a team that had lost six in a row prior.
And the worst of all, of course, was the Ravens losing to the Colts ... in Baltimore ... in the playoffs ... when the defense managed to hold the Colts to nothing but field goals.
Today I plugged all the Orioles games into my calendar -- gearing up for further disappointment, I guess.
Consider this my doom and gloom post for the winter sports season. I'm sure my usual optimism will return soon, but it would help if the Caps could win the next couple games and the Terps could beat Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on Sunday.
Oh, and a snow day on Monday would do wonders, too.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Wizards Face Nuggets Tonight, Caps Try To Find Support
The Wizards will take on the Denver Nuggets tonight at the Verizon Center at 7 p.m. The game is on NewsChannel 8 and "Comcast Sportsnet Plus," which for Comcast Howard County suckers ... err ... customers like me is channel 95, which comes in about as clear as George W. Bush's plan for Iraq. (See what I did there? Yeah. I could write for the Post.)
If the Nuggets wear their shiny powder blue uniforms and the Wizards wear their new shiny gold uniforms, it'll look like everyone's wearing their pajamas!The Wiz are 9-11. The Nuggets are 12-7 and play in a much better conference.
In other Wizards news, on Monday Gilbert Arenas was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week. He averaged over 37 points a game in a stretch that saw the Wizards go 3-1, including their first two road wins of the season, AND he released his kickin' new shoes.
As the Capitals look for ways to pump up home attendance, they've turned to the loud and proud D.C. United fan group, the Barra Brava.The group's first attempt to bring their raucous soccer-fan style of cheering to the Verizon Center was the December 8 game in which the Caps were spanked, 6-1, by the NHL-leading Anaheim Ducks, and the soccerheads were met with mixed feelings from Caps fans.
Despite the complaints, they've been invited back and will try again on Tuesday, Jan. 9 when the Caps play the hated Flyers. (Seems like I've been saying "hated" a lot recently when talking about Caps opponents. I HATE THEM ALL ARGHGHHGHGHHG!!!11one)
Tickets are a discounted $19 for the yet-to-be-named section.
I think it's a good idea, because it would be great if the Caps could cultivate a group of loud and crazy fans, assuming they can keep them centralized in a set location where they won't be too annoying to the fans who bought regular tickets not expecting to be stuck next to (or in the middle of) a group of drum-bangers who stand for the whole game. It may take a while before the Caps brass figures out how to set up these nights in a way that best limits the complaints.
My (not so good) name suggestions:
The House of Representatives
The Lobbyists
Parliament
At the moment Army of the Potomac (a Civil War reference that I don't get and am too lazy to research) is getting a lot of run, but is trailing "5th Line" in the very unofficial message board poll. I like 5th Line just fine. I'd like it even better if they somehow incorporated Rod Langway's number five in the logo.
The Terrapins men's basketball team takes on University of Missouri - Kansas City tonight. Marquee match-up if there ever was one...
Monday, December 04, 2006
Maryland Is Going To Orlando For The Champs Sports Bowl
The Washington Times reported that the Terrapins football team has accepted a bid from the Champs Sports Bowl. The Terps will face Purdue in the game, which will be held in Orlando on Dec. 29.Nothing screams cheap airfare like Orlando between Christmas and New Year's ...
Maryland finished the season 8-4 (5-3 in the ACC) and were just one win away from competing in the ACC Championship game. Purdue, 8-5 (5-3 in the Big Televen), managed to avoid Ohio State and Michigan this season but got smoked by every ranked team they played.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Terps 8-0, Caps and Wizards End Skids
I don't know what happened last night, but all the planets must have aligned just right because all three local teams playing won their games!The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team held off Illinois for a 72-66 win in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, despite being without surprise senior standout Ikene Ibekwe. The Terps led by as much as 15 in the first half but watched their lead dwindle while they couldn't get anything going for much of the latter three-fourths of the game on offense.
Freshman guard Greivis Vasquez provided the spark for the Terps, who are now 8-0 and will get another test when they face Notre Dame at the Verizon Center in the BB&T Classic on Sunday.
The Capitals snapped their six game slide with a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay. The Lightning chucked 50 shots on Olie Kolzig, but he stopped 48 of them and the Caps took the win.Alexander Semin scored a goal and added an assist in his first game back after missing four games with a shoulder injury. Alex Ovechkin scored an empty netter for his 16th goal of the season.
The Caps host the Dallas Stars tomorrow in a game that will feature the return of native son and former Caps captain Jeff Halpern. Elliot of Elliot in the Morning says the fans should boo Halpern to acknowledge him, but I think the fans will give him a nice round of applause.
The Wizards managed to snap their four game skid with a 96-95 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards were tied with just over a minute left in the game, but they managed to pull out the victory despite Gilbert Arenas getting called for charging twice in the last 90 seconds.Caron Butler went 15-for-15 from the free throw line, including the conversion of a three-point play to put the Wizards up 96-93, which was enough for the win.
The Wizards hope to build on the victory on Friday when they host Charlotte.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Long Weekend: Good For Pro Football, Bad For Everything Else
Chronologically:
Wednesday night the Capitals got beat, 4-2, by the Atlanta Thrashers who I am gaining a solid hatred for. The Caps got into a couple fights with less than five minutes remaining and in the new NHL that means suspensions. Donald Brashear got three games and Brian Sutherby got one.
Later that night, the Wizards lost a decently close game in Houston, 86-82, their second loss in a row.
Thursday there was turkey and stuffing and Miami beating Boston College in football, meaning the Terps could win the ACC Atlantic Division with a win over Wake Forest at home on Saturday.
Friday the Maryland basketball team came out sloppy against High Point (isn't that a high school?), but won by 18 anyway. Then the Caps and Wizards played that night and it was bad.
I went to the Caps game and watched as they were completely dismantled by the Maple Leafs, 7-1. The Caps were without Brashear and Sutherby, but still, 7-1?
Meanwhile, the Wiz were in Memphis getting their asses handed to them by the Grizz, 95-80, and it wasn't even that close. It was the Wizards seventh straight loss on the road to open the season.
Saturday brought opportunities for redemption and celebration, but there would be none. The Caps went to Long Island and got beat, 4-1, by the Islanders. It was the Capitals' sixth straight loss, dropping them to 8-9-6.
The Wizards were at home against Detroit hoping to shake off the terrible road trip but it was not to be, and they lost 115-111 to fall to 4-9.
Maryland's football team couldn't stop the Fake Worest running game, and the Deacons ran for 296 yards in a 38-24 win that gets them into the ACC Championship. The Terps now get to sit and wait to see what bowl game they're headed to.
On Sunday the pro football teams managed to salvage some good in the weekend. The Redskins beat the Panthers, 17-13, with Jason Campbell earning his first NFL win. Chris Cooley showed why it's a tough game if you can't tackle, scoring the winning touchdown on a 66-yard passing play that saw Cooley break two tackles before heading in for the score. The 'Skins are now 4-7 and face struggling Atlanta at home on Sunday.
The Ravens absolutely crushed the hated Steelers, 27-0, embarrassing Ben Roethlisberger (I'm not looking up how to spell that so if it's wrong that's too bad) and the Steelers' O-line to the tune of nine sacks. The Burgh only managed 36 yards in the first half. It was so bad, Ravens coach Brian Billick actually replaced Steve McNair with Kyle Boller with more than 10 minutes left in the game. Take that, Steel town!
In other competitive and athletic sporting competition, I dominated my brother in Wii Sports bowling but we kept playing until my leg got tired and he beat me.
Question: Should I be embarrassed that I got tired playing a video game?
Answer: Not when it's Wii Sports.
Monday the Orioles signed former all-star but currently mediocre reliever Danys Baez to a 3-year, $19 million deal that could only possibly make sense to a team with a bullpen as bad as the Orioles.
The big news around the globe today, of course, is that Busted Tees, a site I visit semi-frequently, stole my brilliant shirt idea and is undoubtedly profiting from it an immeasurable number of times more than I could ever hope to.
In local sports tonight it's Ball State vs. No. 14 Georgetown at Verizon Center. The big story in this game is that G'Town coach John Thompson III will be taking on his brother, Ball State coach Ronny Thompson. The game starts at 7:30 and you can catch in on TV on MASN.
Wednesday night the Capitals got beat, 4-2, by the Atlanta Thrashers who I am gaining a solid hatred for. The Caps got into a couple fights with less than five minutes remaining and in the new NHL that means suspensions. Donald Brashear got three games and Brian Sutherby got one.
Later that night, the Wizards lost a decently close game in Houston, 86-82, their second loss in a row.
Thursday there was turkey and stuffing and Miami beating Boston College in football, meaning the Terps could win the ACC Atlantic Division with a win over Wake Forest at home on Saturday.
Friday the Maryland basketball team came out sloppy against High Point (isn't that a high school?), but won by 18 anyway. Then the Caps and Wizards played that night and it was bad.
I went to the Caps game and watched as they were completely dismantled by the Maple Leafs, 7-1. The Caps were without Brashear and Sutherby, but still, 7-1?
Meanwhile, the Wiz were in Memphis getting their asses handed to them by the Grizz, 95-80, and it wasn't even that close. It was the Wizards seventh straight loss on the road to open the season.
Saturday brought opportunities for redemption and celebration, but there would be none. The Caps went to Long Island and got beat, 4-1, by the Islanders. It was the Capitals' sixth straight loss, dropping them to 8-9-6.
The Wizards were at home against Detroit hoping to shake off the terrible road trip but it was not to be, and they lost 115-111 to fall to 4-9.
Maryland's football team couldn't stop the Fake Worest running game, and the Deacons ran for 296 yards in a 38-24 win that gets them into the ACC Championship. The Terps now get to sit and wait to see what bowl game they're headed to.
On Sunday the pro football teams managed to salvage some good in the weekend. The Redskins beat the Panthers, 17-13, with Jason Campbell earning his first NFL win. Chris Cooley showed why it's a tough game if you can't tackle, scoring the winning touchdown on a 66-yard passing play that saw Cooley break two tackles before heading in for the score. The 'Skins are now 4-7 and face struggling Atlanta at home on Sunday.
The Ravens absolutely crushed the hated Steelers, 27-0, embarrassing Ben Roethlisberger (I'm not looking up how to spell that so if it's wrong that's too bad) and the Steelers' O-line to the tune of nine sacks. The Burgh only managed 36 yards in the first half. It was so bad, Ravens coach Brian Billick actually replaced Steve McNair with Kyle Boller with more than 10 minutes left in the game. Take that, Steel town!
In other competitive and athletic sporting competition, I dominated my brother in Wii Sports bowling but we kept playing until my leg got tired and he beat me.
Question: Should I be embarrassed that I got tired playing a video game?
Answer: Not when it's Wii Sports.
Monday the Orioles signed former all-star but currently mediocre reliever Danys Baez to a 3-year, $19 million deal that could only possibly make sense to a team with a bullpen as bad as the Orioles.
The big news around the globe today, of course, is that Busted Tees, a site I visit semi-frequently, stole my brilliant shirt idea and is undoubtedly profiting from it an immeasurable number of times more than I could ever hope to.
In local sports tonight it's Ball State vs. No. 14 Georgetown at Verizon Center. The big story in this game is that G'Town coach John Thompson III will be taking on his brother, Ball State coach Ronny Thompson. The game starts at 7:30 and you can catch in on TV on MASN.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
University of Maryland Basketball Rolling
Coming off of consecutive 19-win seasons that led to NIT trips, the Terps men's basketball team came into this season needing to shed their underachieving image to get back to the NCAA Tournament.Six games into the season, the Terps are undefeated and looking strong. The Terps' 71-60 (it was never that close) win over Winthrop last night was another step toward a return to prominence for the program that won a national championship just five seasons ago.
The run has brought the Terps to rankings of 25 in the AP Poll and 24 in the Coaches.
Ikene Ibekwe, always one to throw down the ferocious dunk but also a horrible liability shooting in any sort of manner that required the ball to travel more than six inches between hand and basket, has worked to improve his shooting and was the catalyst in wins over St. John's and Winthrop.
Freshman Eric Hayes can't help but be compared to Steve Blake, which is a refreshing thought after a year without a natural point guard.
The Terps wins haven't come against cupcake opponents, either.
Maryland beat Vermont by 18 points in the second game of the season. Five days later the Catamounts walked all over No. 14-at-the-time Boston College, beating them by 14.
The Terps destroyed St. John's by 32 in the fourth game of the season and the next day the Johnnies took then-No. 18 Texas down to the wire, losing by a point.
In game five, the Terps handed Michigan State its only loss of the season thus far.
And then there was last night against Winthrop, one of those scary mid-major opponents that top-tier conference coaches hate to face in the regular season -- You beat them and it's "yeah you were supposed to beat them"; but if you lose everyone says, "See how good those mid-major teams are!?"
Winthrop, no stranger to big opponents, had already crushed fellow giant-killing mid-major Iona, upset Mississippi State and played a down-to-the-final-minutes contest against No. 2 North Carolina, but Maryland would have none of it.
Ibekwe made his presence felt with back-to-back rim-rattling dunks in the early minutes and by halftime the Terps led by 16.
The Terps led by as much as 26 in the second half and Ibekwe finished with 18 points and six rebounds.
One thing that seems to be true for the Terps thus far is that when they get on a roll they're hard to stop.
Gary Williams' team takes on High Point on Friday at 1:30 at the Comcast Center, then travels to Assembly Hall in Champaign, Ill. to take on the Fighting Illini in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Weekend Stuff
MARYLAND TERRAPINS FOOTBALL: After going to the game against Florida International that required a last-second defensive stop to preserve a win over an unknown opponent, I thought it would be tough for the Terps to get the six wins they'd need this season to go .500 and be bowl eligible. Six games later, the Terps are 8-2, ranked, and seriously contending for a spot in the ACC title game.
The Terps beat Miami yesterday, 14-13, for their fifth straight win. The team travels to Boston College next Saturday for a clash of 8-2, ranked teams before coming back to College Park to face currently 9-1 Wake Forest to close out the regular season.
MARYLAND TERRAPINS BASKETBALL: The Terps basketball team kicked off its season this week with a wins over Hampton and Vermont at the Comcast Center in the 2K Sports Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer (formally just the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic). They take on Florida A&M tonight at 7 before heading to New York on Thursday to take on St. John's in the semi-finals of the 2K Sports Hoops Classic.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: The Caps had their 15th game of the season this week, and even though it was a blowout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Caps managed to take three wins in games 11 to 15, meaning they reached their goal of 6 points in that segment.
With a 3-1 win over the Rangers on Saturday, the Caps now have 18 points in 16 games, which is only good enough for 9th place in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile the Penguins, who started the season red hot, are mired in a five-game losing streak and have only managed to get two points in that span by sending games to overtime. The Pens are in 10th, right behind the Caps in the standings.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: The Wiz have shown that they can score, but for another season it appears defense is going to be a struggle. The Wizards are now 3-2 and leading the NBA in offense, but they're 25th in defense.
The Terps beat Miami yesterday, 14-13, for their fifth straight win. The team travels to Boston College next Saturday for a clash of 8-2, ranked teams before coming back to College Park to face currently 9-1 Wake Forest to close out the regular season.
MARYLAND TERRAPINS BASKETBALL: The Terps basketball team kicked off its season this week with a wins over Hampton and Vermont at the Comcast Center in the 2K Sports Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer (formally just the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic). They take on Florida A&M tonight at 7 before heading to New York on Thursday to take on St. John's in the semi-finals of the 2K Sports Hoops Classic.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS: The Caps had their 15th game of the season this week, and even though it was a blowout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Caps managed to take three wins in games 11 to 15, meaning they reached their goal of 6 points in that segment.
With a 3-1 win over the Rangers on Saturday, the Caps now have 18 points in 16 games, which is only good enough for 9th place in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile the Penguins, who started the season red hot, are mired in a five-game losing streak and have only managed to get two points in that span by sending games to overtime. The Pens are in 10th, right behind the Caps in the standings.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: The Wiz have shown that they can score, but for another season it appears defense is going to be a struggle. The Wizards are now 3-2 and leading the NBA in offense, but they're 25th in defense.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Terps Bowl Eligible, United Moves On, Ravens Win, Caps Miss Goal
With a post title like that you hardly need to read on, right?
Let's get right to business:
The Maryland Terrapins blocked a last-minute field goal to hold a 27-24 lead over the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday night at Byrd Stadium.
The win is the Terps' sixth, making them bowl eligible for the first time since 2003.
I know some people disagree with me on this, but I really think the Terps will need one more win to make it to a bowl game. Sure, if the bowl invites were being handed out today the Terps would get an invite riding high off a win over FSU on national television, but if they tank it down the stretch and finish 6-6, bowl committees aren't going to be jumping at the chance to showcase a team that has lost its last four games.
The Terps remaining schedule is brutal (and I know I said that two weeks ago and all the Terps did was win the next two games). This weekend it's a road trip to Death Valley to face No. 19 Clemson, who's coming off a tough loss to Virginia Tech. Then it's back home to face a struggling Miami team, back on the road to No. 16 Boston College, then finishing the season at Byrd Stadium against No. 22 Wake Forest.
The Miami game on Nov. 11 is still the Terps' best shot to secure a bowl bid.
D.C. United played to a 1-1 tie in the second leg of its two-game, first-round playoff series against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, earning United a spot in the Eastern Conference Final.
The Red Bulls controlled the play for much of the game and 16-year-old Jozy Altidore put them ahead 1-0 in the 70th minute, which would have been enough to send the game to overtime if not for an amazing goal for D.C. United in the 86th minute.
Josh Gros booted a cross from the right side seemingly into the pack in the middle, but at the last second United's Bobby Boswell flopped out of the way and the ball made it through to Christian Gomez, who buried it and evened up the score.
Despite the win, ESPN 2 commentators stated early and often that a similar effort from United would not be enough to beat the New England Revolution in the Conference Final.
United won the first leg at New York, 1-0, and in Major League Soccer's crazy "aggregate goal" playoff system, that means a tie was good enough to advance and face the Revolution, who beat the Chicago Fire on penalty kicks.
The Eastern Conference Final is only one game, which will be at RFK Stadium this Sunday at 4 p.m. It will also be shown live on ESPN 2.
My concerns about the Ravens falling to 4-4 after starting 4-0 have been alleviated, as the Ravens beat the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday, 35-22.
In the first game since Head Coach Brian Billick fired Offensive Coordinator Jim Fassel and took over the playcalling himself, Baltimore's offense scored three touchdowns and Jamal Lewis had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
But the offense wasn't the only side putting points on the board for the Ravens.
When asked about his playcalling after the game, Brian Billick quipped, "I particularly like the play calls of the two interceptions for touchdowns."
The win kept Baltimore a game ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals for first place in the AFC North.
The Ravens and Bengals face off on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Baltimore to get to the halfway point of the season.
The Capitals started their first and only west coast swing of the season promisingly, beating the Avalanche and getting a point in an overtime loss to the Canucks, but on Sunday they were trounced by the defending Western Conference champions, 4-0.
The loss meant that the Caps only managed to get four standing points in the second "five game mini season" of the year and gives them 10 points after 10 games, a pace that would probably not be good enough to make the playoffs.
The Caps wrap up the road trip tonight at 9 p.m. against the Calgary Flames.
Let's get right to business:
The Maryland Terrapins blocked a last-minute field goal to hold a 27-24 lead over the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday night at Byrd Stadium.The win is the Terps' sixth, making them bowl eligible for the first time since 2003.
I know some people disagree with me on this, but I really think the Terps will need one more win to make it to a bowl game. Sure, if the bowl invites were being handed out today the Terps would get an invite riding high off a win over FSU on national television, but if they tank it down the stretch and finish 6-6, bowl committees aren't going to be jumping at the chance to showcase a team that has lost its last four games.
The Terps remaining schedule is brutal (and I know I said that two weeks ago and all the Terps did was win the next two games). This weekend it's a road trip to Death Valley to face No. 19 Clemson, who's coming off a tough loss to Virginia Tech. Then it's back home to face a struggling Miami team, back on the road to No. 16 Boston College, then finishing the season at Byrd Stadium against No. 22 Wake Forest.
The Miami game on Nov. 11 is still the Terps' best shot to secure a bowl bid.
D.C. United played to a 1-1 tie in the second leg of its two-game, first-round playoff series against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, earning United a spot in the Eastern Conference Final.The Red Bulls controlled the play for much of the game and 16-year-old Jozy Altidore put them ahead 1-0 in the 70th minute, which would have been enough to send the game to overtime if not for an amazing goal for D.C. United in the 86th minute.
Josh Gros booted a cross from the right side seemingly into the pack in the middle, but at the last second United's Bobby Boswell flopped out of the way and the ball made it through to Christian Gomez, who buried it and evened up the score.
Despite the win, ESPN 2 commentators stated early and often that a similar effort from United would not be enough to beat the New England Revolution in the Conference Final.
United won the first leg at New York, 1-0, and in Major League Soccer's crazy "aggregate goal" playoff system, that means a tie was good enough to advance and face the Revolution, who beat the Chicago Fire on penalty kicks.
The Eastern Conference Final is only one game, which will be at RFK Stadium this Sunday at 4 p.m. It will also be shown live on ESPN 2.
My concerns about the Ravens falling to 4-4 after starting 4-0 have been alleviated, as the Ravens beat the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday, 35-22.In the first game since Head Coach Brian Billick fired Offensive Coordinator Jim Fassel and took over the playcalling himself, Baltimore's offense scored three touchdowns and Jamal Lewis had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
But the offense wasn't the only side putting points on the board for the Ravens.
When asked about his playcalling after the game, Brian Billick quipped, "I particularly like the play calls of the two interceptions for touchdowns."
The win kept Baltimore a game ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals for first place in the AFC North.
The Ravens and Bengals face off on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Baltimore to get to the halfway point of the season.
The Capitals started their first and only west coast swing of the season promisingly, beating the Avalanche and getting a point in an overtime loss to the Canucks, but on Sunday they were trounced by the defending Western Conference champions, 4-0.The loss meant that the Caps only managed to get four standing points in the second "five game mini season" of the year and gives them 10 points after 10 games, a pace that would probably not be good enough to make the playoffs.
The Caps wrap up the road trip tonight at 9 p.m. against the Calgary Flames.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Weekend In Review
Apparently the sporting world has decided it's OK to cheat, as this weekend Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers was found using some foreign substance on his hand, for which he received no penalty, and former Maryland Terrapin and current San Diego Charger Shawne Merriman was suspended four games for failing a steroid test.
What frustrates me more than anything in these stories is the relative lack of outrage. Is it too much to ask that professional athletes not cheat? Apparently not.
Now if you'll allow me to dismount this high horse I'll get on to the local stuff...
D.C. United won 1-0 in the first leg of its first-round playoff series against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday afternoon. The second and final game of the series is set for Sunday at 6 p.m. at RFK Stadium, and all United needs is a draw to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.
MVP candidate Christian Gomez scored the only goal of the match on a sweet give-and-go from Jaime Moreno. Gomez got through the defense and chipped the ball over Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway in the 77th minute.
When watching the game on TiVo I initially thought the shot missed and hit the outside of the net (which, thinking back, would have been almost impossible from where he was shooting). It was a fantastic shot.
The Maryland Terrapins avoided choking away a 20-point lead in their homecoming game on Saturday afternoon, holding on for a 26-20 victory over the N.C. State Wolfpack.
The Terps are now 5-2 (2-1 ACC) and are only one win away from bowl eligibility, although that may not be enough to actually get them into a bowl game.
N.C. State beat Florida State and Boston College at home earlier this season, which is a good sign because the Terps still have to face both of those teams (although BC will be in Boston).
The 'Noles come to College Park on Saturday for a 7 p.m. game.
Do I really need to comment on the Redskins? No? Good.
The Capitals lost, 6-4, to the Lightning on Saturday night despite two goals from Alexander Ovechkin (although you'll never convince me that the first shouldn't have been credited to Alexander Semin).
In the third period, coach Glen Hanlon played with the lines a little, moving center Jakub Klepis up to the second line to work with Semin and Richard Zednik, displacing Kris Beech who thought he was a good fit on that line.
Now it appears Hanlon will give Klepis a few games with Zednik and Semin to see if they can add some production.
Klepis has no points so far this season, compared to Beech's goal and four assists. Granted, Klepis has been playing on a line with Rico Fata and Donald Brashear.
The other concern, as JP on Japers' Rink pointed out, is that Beech is the fourth best faceoff man in the NHL, while Klepis has lost 60 percent of the faceoffs he's taken.
Ideally when you have two potential big-time scorers like Semin and Zednik on a line, you'd like to gain control of the puck as often as possible.
On a side note, how long can Zednik possibly go without a goal? It seems like he's constantly swarming around the puck, going hard into the corners, making plays and making strong moves to keep the puck in the face of tight pressure from opposing defensemen, yet he hasn't found the back of the net this season. It's only a matter of time.
The Caps start a four-game Western Conference road trip Wednesday when they take on the Avalanche at 9 p.m. Eastern.
What frustrates me more than anything in these stories is the relative lack of outrage. Is it too much to ask that professional athletes not cheat? Apparently not.
Now if you'll allow me to dismount this high horse I'll get on to the local stuff...
D.C. United won 1-0 in the first leg of its first-round playoff series against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday afternoon. The second and final game of the series is set for Sunday at 6 p.m. at RFK Stadium, and all United needs is a draw to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.MVP candidate Christian Gomez scored the only goal of the match on a sweet give-and-go from Jaime Moreno. Gomez got through the defense and chipped the ball over Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway in the 77th minute.
When watching the game on TiVo I initially thought the shot missed and hit the outside of the net (which, thinking back, would have been almost impossible from where he was shooting). It was a fantastic shot.
The Maryland Terrapins avoided choking away a 20-point lead in their homecoming game on Saturday afternoon, holding on for a 26-20 victory over the N.C. State Wolfpack.The Terps are now 5-2 (2-1 ACC) and are only one win away from bowl eligibility, although that may not be enough to actually get them into a bowl game.
N.C. State beat Florida State and Boston College at home earlier this season, which is a good sign because the Terps still have to face both of those teams (although BC will be in Boston).
The 'Noles come to College Park on Saturday for a 7 p.m. game.
Do I really need to comment on the Redskins? No? Good.The Capitals lost, 6-4, to the Lightning on Saturday night despite two goals from Alexander Ovechkin (although you'll never convince me that the first shouldn't have been credited to Alexander Semin).In the third period, coach Glen Hanlon played with the lines a little, moving center Jakub Klepis up to the second line to work with Semin and Richard Zednik, displacing Kris Beech who thought he was a good fit on that line.
Now it appears Hanlon will give Klepis a few games with Zednik and Semin to see if they can add some production.
Klepis has no points so far this season, compared to Beech's goal and four assists. Granted, Klepis has been playing on a line with Rico Fata and Donald Brashear.
The other concern, as JP on Japers' Rink pointed out, is that Beech is the fourth best faceoff man in the NHL, while Klepis has lost 60 percent of the faceoffs he's taken.
Ideally when you have two potential big-time scorers like Semin and Zednik on a line, you'd like to gain control of the puck as often as possible.
On a side note, how long can Zednik possibly go without a goal? It seems like he's constantly swarming around the puck, going hard into the corners, making plays and making strong moves to keep the puck in the face of tight pressure from opposing defensemen, yet he hasn't found the back of the net this season. It's only a matter of time.
The Caps start a four-game Western Conference road trip Wednesday when they take on the Avalanche at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Your Saturday Programming Schedule
A quick hit before I head off to the Maryland game:
It's a full day of sports today, starting at noon with Maryland vs. N.C. State in Terps' homecoming game.
(Also at noon is Fulham FC vs. Aston Villa on Fox Soccer Channel, for which I will be using the antiquated VCR for future viewing).
At 2:00 it's D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls in the first game of the two-game playoff series (I'll be TiVoing that).
At 7:00 the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Washington Capitals for some Southeast division action in the NHL (I may have to watch some of that from a bar in College Park ... assuming I can find a TV showing that instead of the World Series).
At 7:30 is game one of the World Series, Detroit Tigers vs. St. Louis Cardinals.
Happy sports watching!
It's a full day of sports today, starting at noon with Maryland vs. N.C. State in Terps' homecoming game.
(Also at noon is Fulham FC vs. Aston Villa on Fox Soccer Channel, for which I will be using the antiquated VCR for future viewing).
At 2:00 it's D.C. United vs. New York Red Bulls in the first game of the two-game playoff series (I'll be TiVoing that).
At 7:00 the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Washington Capitals for some Southeast division action in the NHL (I may have to watch some of that from a bar in College Park ... assuming I can find a TV showing that instead of the World Series).
At 7:30 is game one of the World Series, Detroit Tigers vs. St. Louis Cardinals.
Happy sports watching!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Quick Hits: Capitals, Ravens, Redskins, Terps and United
Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said on his blog that the Caps will be looking at this season as a series of five-game "mini-seasons," with the goal of earning six points in the standings for each five-game stretch. (For those who don't know the NHL's point system, you get two points for a win, one for an overtime or shootout loss, and zero for a regulation loss). Averaging six points every five games would give them about 98 points on the season, which would have been good enough for 7th place in the Eastern Conference last season.Leonsis wrote that, in business, breaking down a large task into smaller tasks with shorter-term goals "makes it easier for all stakeholders to focus on the task at hand."
The Caps have 4 points after four games, and "mini-season one" ends tonight with a home game against the Florida Panthers. Washington needs a victory to reach their goal for the first five game stretch.
The Ravens fired Offensive Coordinator Jim Fassel yesterday. Head Coach Brian Billick will take over the play-calling on offense.Apparently Billick decided he needed to be more involved in the offense, Fassel felt Billick already had too much input, and now Billick will have all the involvement he can handle.
Billick, who may be running out of chances in Baltimore, now puts himself in a "no one to blame but myself" situation.
After jumping out to a 4-0 start, the Ravens have lost two in a row. They are off this week before going to New Orleans to face the Saints.
The Ravens offense is ranked 28th in the NFL.
The Redskins suffered a devastating loss to the previously winless Titans, so I guess I was wrong (see number 4)... There will be no escape from the "Redskins suck, my life is over" attitude in the nation's capital in the foreseeable future.The Maryland Terrapins came back from a 20-0 halftime defecit against Virginia on Saturday to take a 28-26 win. The victory brings them to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC.The Terps need only two more wins in their last six games to be bowl eligible, but that's eaiser said than done.
Maryland does have four home games in the second half of the season, taking on N.C. State, Flordia State, Miami and No. 25 Wake Forest at "Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium" (excuse me while I roll my eyes). On the road they take on No. 12 Clemson and No. 22 Boston College, so realistically you can forget about road wins.
A win over N.C. State this Saturday during Maryland's homecoming would be huge because the last five games on the schedule are brutal.
I was thinking after the Miami-FIU brawl that the Terps would have a good chance against a Miami squad that would have to be missing numerous players because of suspension, but as it turns out of the 13 players suspended, the only guy who may not be on the field for the Terps game is Anthony Reddick, who was clearly visible on TV running up and whacking a player on the back with his helmet. The 12 other suspended players will only miss Miami's epic and much-anticipated match-up with winless Duke. Convenient, eh?
Even with those players back with the 'Canes, the Terps' best chance to snag an upset win might be that Nov. 11 meeting with Miami, who, like the Terps, struggled against FIU.
D.C. United fell to the Chicago Fire, 3-2, in the regular season finale Sunday. After dominating the league for much of the season, United has dropped three straight going into the playoffs and is 2-6-5 in its last 13 games.United Coach Peter Nowak told The Washington Post, "We give up the goals like an under-12 team," adding, "In the playoffs it's going to cost us a game, it's going to cost us a series, and we'll all go fishing."
Yikes.
They're still in first place and, lucky for them, they face one of the two teams they beat in the last 13 games, the New York Red Bulls, in the first round of the playoffs.
The first "leg" of the two-game series is Saturday at 2 p.m. That will be followed by another match on Sunday, Oct. 29, at RFK.
In the oddity that is the MLS playoffs, series leading up to the MLS Cup are two games each, and the team that scores more goals over the course of the two games moves on. The league championship is still only one game.
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.
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.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
A message to Terps fans, courtesy of the Little Red Hen
Congratulations are definitely in order to coach Brenda Frese and the Maryland women's basketball team for winning the Terps' first ever Women's NCAA Championship. What makes it especially sweet was that they handed Duke a soul-crushing overtime loss after the Blue Devils led by 13 in the second half.After the win, the students took to the streets of College Park as they so love to do, but haven't had anything worth celebrating in the past couple years (sorry ... the soccer championshp doesn't count). Some in the media chastised Maryland students for once again showing how much they love to run around and break things. Others scoffed at the fact that the students would riot for women's basketball. What has me befuddled is this:
Where were these rioters in 2004 when the team went 10-18 in Brenda Frese's first season as the Terps coach?
Not at Comcast Center watching games, that's for sure. The athletic department actually started holding drawings at the games, giving away X-Boxes and (get this) men's basketball tickets to persuade people to come. It was very strange. There's something unsettling about going to a game one week and being one of six students in the crowd, then coming back a week later and sitting in a group with a few hundred kids just there for a shot at a free X-Box.
As for the rioting, I generally don't have a problem with the students running around Route 1 in an intoxicated stupor to celebrate big victories, but I don't think you should be allowed to suddenly declare your fanhood the day of the championship just so you can have an excuse to drink heavily and wreak havok on the College Park storefronts.
What should make a celebration like that so sweet isn't just a recognition of the victory, it's also a ceremonial erasing of the memories of past suffering. But I'd be willing to guarantee that most of the students who crowded the streets Tuesday night have no such memories of women's basketball to erase. How many of those students actually know that Duke was 8-0 against Maryland under Brenda Frese before the Terps knocked the Blue Devils out of the ACC Tournament this year?
What really made students erupt with emotion after the 2002 men's basketball championship was that everyone remembered how crappy they felt the previous year after the Final Four game when the Terps led Duke by 22 in the first half only to lose by 11.
You should be celebrating in recognition of the hard work over the years that led up to the championship, not the afternoon you spent drinking leading up to tip-off.
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