A.P. Men’s Top 25.. My Vote..

Much of my college career at St. Lawrence University was spent arguing about sports (the rest involved other assorted non-printable social activities, spritzed every once in a while with a class.)  The most heated discussions outside of who was more hated (the Redskins or Giants) came with the college polls, football and basketball.

They add layers of nuance, grief, frustration, and exultation.  Their inherent subjectivity inspire more opinions, more discussion, and therefore greater interest.  What do we love to do more, than argue about who should really be number one?

And now, I have an opinion that matters.   Along with 66 others from around the country I will rank ‘em from one to 25 each week for men’s college basketball.

It’s a task I see as a privilege, one the gravity of which will weigh heavily on my mind each week.

I will publish my rankings here each week, inviting discussion and dissent.

Now I’m assuming the first one is the toughest because we have no body of work to judge.  But to get things started for 09-10, here it is:

1) Kentucky

2) Michigan State

3) Kansas

4) North Carolina

5) Texas

6) Villanova

7) West Virginia

8)  Butler

9) Purdue

10) Connecticut

11) Washington

12) Oklahoma State

13) Duke

14) Ohio State

15) Minnesota

16) Tennessee

17) Florida

18) Notre Dame

19) Missouri

20) Michigan

21) Maryland

22) California

23) Georgia Tech

24) Florida State

25) Georgetown

Also included, my preseason All America team.  Again, tough to judge only on potential and past performance, but I wanted to select those that did amazing things last season, but are capable of more this season.  Here it is:

Scottie Reynolds, G – Villanova

Greivis Vasquez, G – Maryland

Patrick Patterson, F – Kentucky

Cole Aldrich, F – Kansas

Luke Harangody, C – Notre Dame

Can’t wait to see how this thing plays out, and I’m now officially allowed to watch even more college basketball at home (thanks honey), what could be better than that!

Pro’s Pro

Amazingly, 18 holes of watching my off plane swing did not affect Jay Haas in round one of the Constellation Energy Sr. Players Championship.  Haas went low with a 66 Thursday, earning a tie for 2nd place with Tom Watson, one shot back of Lonnie Nielsen.

Haas was forced to endure, as he is every week out here on the Champions Tour, the dreaded Pro-Am.  The best golfers in the world, thrust into a fivesome (guaranteeing at least a five hour round) of amateurs that have non stop questions, uninformed swings, and likely poor etiquette (not my group the ams were great partners.)

Now, it’s not the worst thing in the world.  Again, the group with whom Haas played worked quickly and with smiles.  But I’ve witnessed enough pro-ams and you certainly know enough golfers that are horrible to endure for a round.  Now imagine those guys when they really feel entitled.  That can make for a miserable afternoon.

But from the moment we met Jay on the first tee his mission was clear.  He was our host.  Haas took it upon himself to read nearly every putt, to offer thoughtful advice, and answer all the questions we had about his life as a pro golfer.  He didn’t just give tips, he delivered real lessons.  There was a moment on the back nine, about three hours into the round, when Jay and I were standing on the right side of 13 green while one of our partners was kind of stuck in the woods on the left side.  She had a scoreboard in her way, and was planning to hit over it and through a tree.  Haas jogged over before she hit, explained she could take relief, and helped her plan the shot.

That is going above and beyond what any of us could have hoped for, much less expected.

I asked Haas why he was so committed to our enjoyment of the day.  He made it clear that Wednesday is just as important as Thursday through Sunday because without the sponsors and fans, he has no tour on which to continue earning millions.  This is a business decision, but also a personal one.  He simply feels blessed for his opportunities, and if he can share what it’s like to be inside the ropes if only for a round, he does it with glee.

So hats off to Haas for “getting it”, and here’s hoping his influence on the rest of his brethren remains strong.

Game Day and the fog has lifted

A dreary, drizzly morning gives way to balmy sunshine at M&T Bank Stadium.  Maybe not a legitimate metaphor for the Ravens, but it lately it seems awfully sunny in Baltimore. 

As they ready for the Browns they sit at 2-0 atop the AFC North despite not having neared their best football.  They offered enough mistakes in weeks one and two to make John Harbaugh likely consider serious self medication.  How he stomached his defense giving up 421 total passing yards last week I’ll never know. 

But the beauty of this team thus far comes in how it handles adversity.  Joe Cool 2.0 refuses to succumb to panic and when called upon in dire need, Ray Lewis made up for 59 minutes of mistakes.

Watching the Browns warm up on the field I almost feel bad for them.  They play for a joyless coach and know that even at their best, it would take the Ravens self imploding to get a win.  A trip to the land of 3-0 looks certain for Baltimore, but if I’m wrong, my word count at Gilbert’s Arena will greatly top 180.

2009 Season Recap: Part 2

A ficticious review of the season rolls on, but just in case you want thoughts on actual events, check out my real game recap right here: http://wbal.com/apps/news/templates/ravens.aspx?articleid=35658&zoneid=5

As for the continued ridiculousness, please remember  that attempts at humor do no neccesarily reflect the opinions of my bosses, family, or Chris Dachille.

Week 5:  How in the name of Tila Tequila did the Ravens go to New England and beat the Patriots, then come home and lost to the Ochocinos???  Probably after watching HBO’s Hard Knocks, and seeing how the Bengals charged their players for televisions in their rooms at training camp, the Ravens figured there’s no way Cincy could ever give exceptional effort for owner Mike Brown.  Somehow, they overcame that and did at M&T Bank Stadium what they did in 2004, pull the upset.  I think Flacco got a little out of whack after all the Gisele texts, witness his two interceptions and Carson Palmer reminded us he’s still pretty good.  Never though imagined 400 yards good in Baltimore.  John Harbaugh, whom above all wants consistent effort, accused writers and reporters in post game press conference of not wanting to win enough.  Losing to the 2-3 Bengals 34-25 , I’d go off too.  And he’s right, Peter Schmuck doesn’t want to win enough.

Week 6:   You could see this one coming all the way from Duluth.  No Adrian Peterson.  No Chester Taylor (odd that they chose to parasail together and couldn’t predict the snapping of the safety harness.)  Just Brett Favre.  More amazing though than Favre throwing the ball 45 times with that robotic arm, that he lasted long enough in the game to throw it 45 times.  The Ravens set a record for blitzes at 927 (unofficial) and sacks 124 (official).  All the frustration of losing at home to the Bengals, and of falling two games back of Pittsburgh erupted like Earl Weaver circa 1982.  The 37-0 victory once again put the Ravens into Super Bowl talk and nearly caused tampering charges from the Bills as they tried to contact Greg Mattison about replacing Dick Jauron.

Season Recap Preview: Part 1

An oxymoron?  Sure.  Take away the first two syllables and my wife will tell you it’s spot on.  But deterred I am not.  So here’s a recap of the Ravens 2009 Season.

Week 1:  I still can’t believe the Chiefs started Matt Cassel.  Seriously flawed logic in allowing a gimpy QB to face the Ravens rush although had Brodie Croyle started the 34 point margin probably wouldn’t have been much different.  Curious to see if the 41-7victory bloats the Ravens egos too much for the road trip to San Diego. 

Week 2: Sure enough.  The  jet lag, Philip Rivers, and that regrettable late night trip to the San Diego Zoo ended the Ravens bid for a perfect season (can’t believe Frank Walker convinced Tavares Gooden and Chris Carr that a thrill jog through the panther pit was a good idea.)    For the first time since January in Pittsburgh the Ravens defense was humbled as Rivers threw for 319 yards and 3 scores.  LaDainian Tomlinson however did not crack 100 yards and Joe Flacco earned his first 300 yard game.  The Ravens return to Baltimore with a 1-1 record, losing 28-17.

Week 3: After stripping away the 53 Mighty Men of Baltimorepullovers he delivered as gifts before week one, John Harbaugh threatened further removal of amenities if his defense failed to respond.  Obviously,  the D likes its comfort.  Brady Quinn suffered a season ending soul injury as the Ravens picked him 5 times, 3 returned for touchdowns (2 by Haloti Ngata, that ought to get him to Honolulu.)  Rarely has a team so thoroughly eviscerated a division opponent, but the 51-3 final actually hurt Cleveland fans more than when the Browns moved to Baltimore in the first place.

Week 4: Bill Belichick vs. Bill Belichick with a smile.  Advantage nice guy.  No let down following the largest margin of victory in team history for the Ravens.  A trip to Foxborough showed that Tom Brady indeed had not totally healed his knee and that if Joe Flacco ever waxes his eyebrows, Giselle just might make a switch at quarterback.  Flacco’s 3 touchdowns and no picks showed the Ravens can pass first against a good team and win.  Kelley Washington’s 5 catches for 89 yards and a score left unsmiling Bill unwilling to shake his hand after the game.  31-23 the Ravens won, upping their record to 3-1 and a share of first place.  Not a bad first quarter of the season for the league’s highest scoring offense.  That’s right,  I started with an oxymoron and I’ll end with one.

Snoop a loop

Training camp elicits many descriptions from players.  Intense, exhausting, draining, miserable, and fun.  Fun?  Today, camp was fun.

Already invigorated by a cool cloudy morning in which the team practiced with playoff energy, the Ravens received a visitor.  Snoop Dogg.

Snoop Dogg at Ravens Training Camp

The former gang banger turned multi, multi million dollar rapper, slash actor watched practice from the Ravens sideline. Snoop transitioned from the L.A. streets to main stream America star thanks to a genuine likeability and sense of humor. After practice he led the team in a “Dogg Cheer”, smoothed his way through some footwork drills (more impressively than Frank Walker I might add) and made his way to the mike.

Snoop Dogg made everyone smile at camp (except for his dressed to the nines entourage that refused to offer any facial expression). A much needed break of levity for the grind of training camp thanks to the author of “Doggie Style”.

2 weeks from today

The Ravens kickoff the preseason hosting the Redskins. They do so with all their draft picks signed and ready for the first day of full team training camp. No other hold outs from veterans either as they prepare for the season (minus Derrick Mason’s retirement which may, or may not prove to be a hold out. the Ravens would gladly have one in that stat column if it meant Mason would return).

What this has me thinking about is the overall direction of the franchise. All the distractions across the league from players in trouble like Plaxico Buress and Pacman Jones, to the teams that can’t avoid the crazed T.O. show, or are so desperate they’ll engage the Brett Favre hype sweepstakes.

The Ravens suffer no such distractions. John Harbagh just ain’t having it. They draft versatile players who have track records as good teammates. They court veterans the same way. The coaching staff has varied backgrounds, full of guys not afraid to speak their minds.

They treat their fans with respect, remembering that without them there is no team. Ravens training camp, comparatively speaking, offers as good a fan experience if not better than around.

I write this with some trepidation. WBAL TV is the local broadcast partner (in case some how you missed our ample ateadvertising of that fact). I don’t want to be a homer, and frankly, I’m not. The last 20 years I’ve called the Redskins my team when I take off my sportscaster hat and hit a tailgate with friends. You just can’t help but be impressed with how the organization chooses to run its business from Steve Bisciotti down to the P.R. interns. It makes covering the team far more enjoyable.

The wins and losses will vary from season to season, but consistent losing does not seem possible with this franchise, consistent winning hard to avoid.

Happy Training Camp Month!

All diversions and no football make Petey snarky boy.

Enough of the Orioles tantalizing then traumatizing.

Enough of the only occasional non rain soaked golf.

Enough tennis, on grass, indoors. Mother Nature finds much at fault with that abomination.

Enough quality US soccer. You can’t suck me in with a fantastic performance like that, then not play meaningful games again for at least a year. It’s just rude.

It’s almost time. The July doldrums arrive, but in doing so signal the end is near. Our football famine soon ends.

Ravens training camp kicks off the 28th. We’re shooting a training camp special just three days later. The hitting, the yelling, the screaming, the occasional fight (it’s like we have our own practice without pads.)

Seriously, the diversions of sport that tide us over till football season have grown tiresome. I need the full emotional commitment to following football again. I’ve had enough conversations wtih John Harbaugh in the off season to believe the Ravens at worst equal their level of play from last season. At worst.

The end is near, enough already.

In the meantime, this should help:

Going, going..

Going out with a bang.  Bulle Rock, arguably Maryland’s finest public golf course, enjoys the best shape of its 11 year career (a bold statement.)  Nice to see that the near perfection comes just in time for the LPGA Championship.  Not so nice that this is the final year of the event for Harford County.

 

The LPGA moves away next year (the tour doesn’t know where yet, just seemingly anywhere but here).  The argument from LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens for the move centered around our community’s failure to embrace the event.  In these economic times, the Tour couldn’t afford the luxury of allowing the relationship grow. 

 

A reasonable offering, if there proved a viable alternative.  But for a year the LPGA has tried to find a new home with no luck, and now examines the possibility that one of its major championships will just go away. 

 

It’s not just the LPGA though struggling in Maryland.  All professional golf not associated with Tiger Woods endures serious hits from sponsorships. With declining attendance and revenues, you have to wonder if the Senior Players Championship at Baltimore Country Club will soon join the LPGA in searching for a new home. 

 

Wait a minute.  I keep looking and the struggles don’t stop at the Maryland border.  The PGA St. Jude Classic in Memphis lost its title sponsor and is on life support trying to find another. 

 

All across the professional golf landscape tournaments with rich traditions and history barely hang on.  Unless Woods tees it up there is no guarantee of financial success and Tiger plays less than 20 times a year. 

 

So we have a lousy economy, with shrinking TV revenues, creating a sport that’s dropping from major to niche status. Oh dear.  In that case, I highly recommend (if you like golf at all) to take in a round at Bulle Rock next week walking with the best women’s players in the world.  And do the same this fall at BCC when the legends of the game tackle one of the top courses in the world.  With time running short, these may be your last best chances.

We are all witnesses

A nice add Nike ad campaign for LeBron James, and the perfect needling joke for a rookie catcher.  Orioles starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie had some fun pre-game with Matt Wieters.  The veteran righty taped signs on the back on the dugout that read, “WE ARE ALL WITNESSES”.  A mocking jab at Wieters for all the hype as he makes his debut, but one done in fun.  Wieters also received some heckling as a horde of media beelined for the catcher for his first interview as an Oriole. 

But as the veterans do their best to keep Wieters grounded, there is no denying the impact Wieters has already made in Baltimore.  Oriole Park glows a sea of orange, packed well beyond any Friday night game in May, against anyone other than the Yankees or Red Sox, the last decade.  This reminds me of the mid nineties love fest at Camden Yards.  Love directed squarely at the rookie catcher.

The ovations for Wieters deafened, and the roar for a line drive out in his first at-bat gave chills.  It feels like the dawn of a new era, like the Orioles may finally have found a formula for success in the beast that is the American League East.