It's Been Awhile...

Ok so really, it's been quite awhile since I blogged on here. So much has happened beginning with the Ravens and ending with the Terps. The Ravens went on to kick some serious butt this year. They finished with a 13-3 regular season record: their best ever!! We even snagged a first round bye in the playoffs. We thought this would help tremendously, but instead I think it hindered our performance quite a bit. We came into the Divisional playoff round real cocky and with super egos. Granted, our regular season performance warranted some of these emotions, but we were playing the freakin' Colts for God's sake. We hate the Colts. They used to be us. We used to root for the horseshoe. Now we despise it, that is unless it's on our Johnny U throwback. They were coming to our house once again, and this time we really wanted to beat them, it meant more now than it ever did before.

Of course the Ravens choked. There wasn't a touchdown scored the entire game between either team. Here the Ravens defense held the top ranked Indy offense to zero, nada, nilch touchdowns. All our offense needed to do was a score a TD, get in the end zone, cross the goal line, whatever you want to call it. Could they do that? Could Steve "Air" McNair air it out to D-Mason or hit up Mark Clayton? Hells no. He pulled out his most suckiest performance of the year. Technically, he had better numbers than Peyton "HARF" Manning, but still, Peyton got the Colts into our territory and set up Adam Vinatieri for the field goals. Something McNair couldn't get done. The turning point of the entire game was the interception McNair threw on the Colts 1-yd line. We were going in for the score at the end of the first half and he threw it away. He made a stupid pass and threw into double coverage. Had he looked around a little he would have saw that open man in the far corner of the end zone waiting to catch the play-of-the-day!! Instead, we lose. We lose to the Colts in Baltimore. Oh yeah, and the Colts go on to win the Super Bowl. Screw the Irsays! Fo' realz, yo.

Anyway, so yeah, football is done, so what's left? Why Maryland basketball, of course. The perennially disappointing men's basketball team was starting to suck again. We looked solid at the beginning of the season with big wins over Illinois and Michigan State. Then we hit ACC play with a thud, starting out 3-6 in the conference. The big ACC win for the Terps during that stretch was against Clemson. The Tigers came into Comcast as the last unbeaten with a 17-0 record. The odds were stacked against them, they were bound to lose. And of course they lost to our up-and-down Terps. It was our one legitimate conference win at that point. Then, of course, Clemson goes on a major slide and pretty much has stunk up the joint in the past two months. Seriously, I just heard last night that they're pretty much, barring a fantastic run in the ACC Tourney, going to become the only team to ever go 17-0 and not make the tournament. So now what for the Terps?

Well 9 games into the ACC season we meet up with enemy of the state #1, the Duke Blue Devils. Duke has lost 3 straight at this point, and the last time they lost 4 straight was when they sucked back in 1996 or something crazy like that. So odds are pretty much on Duke's side. The Terps are all over the place coming into this game, so no one thinks they can win except Terp fans. I have been saying since the beginning of the season that Duke is overrated and just not as good as everyone seems to think they are. I told my dad that no matter how bad Maryland is, we will beat Duke at least once this year, if not sweep them. We leave it as a "we'll see" scenario. So the big game comes, and Maryland beats the crap out of the Devils. It was Duke's most lopsided loss of the season! YES!! Goooo TERPS!! Now, all they have to do is keep it up. So what do the Terps do? They keep on winning.

They go on the road and win. They come home against what is arguably the best team in the ACC, University of North Carolina, and they start looking like their old selves. UNC gets a 12 point lead, the largest of the game, and Maryland looks desperate. Then all of a sudden it's like a light switch turning on. Mike Jones comes down the court and sinks a three, cutting the lead to 9. They get a defensive stop at the other end, and DJ Strawberry comes down and sinks a 3. YES! Now the lead is at 6. Maryland just keeps chipping away and they get their first lead of the game with 2:55 left. They keep the lead and go on to win by 2!! So now we have a 5 game winning streak, and guess who's up next? That's right ya'll!! It's the Dukies!!

So cut to last night. Maryland is taking on the Blue Devils for the 2nd time in less than a month. This time it's on their turf. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Cameron Crazies, blah, blah, blah who cares? I certainly don't. And apparently Gary doesn't either!! Their fans are just robots using cheers that some committee came up with. That does not scare the Terps. Last night was no exception. Keeping up the win streak, the Terps stormed into Cameron looking for blood, and they returned to College Park the victors!! It was an insane game (you know between all the "technical difficulties" on ESPN's part and the commentators calling us on flops when Duke does it every drive), and it was good to see the freshmen's reaction to playing at Cameron. Here's a quote from Mr. Greivis Vasquez:

"I love when the crowd is on me," said Vasquez, who had 13 points, a career-high 12 assists and 9 rebounds. "They were trying to make me mad. They were talking about the president of Venezuela. I love it. It was so nice. I've got three more years, and it's going to be fun. They might be worried about me now."

The Terps have the best record at Cameron Indoor Stadium since the 99-00 season. The Terps have won 4 games, that's one more than Duke's "real" rival, UNC, and 3 more than anyone else. We're also the only team to sweep a season series with Duke since, well we did two seasons ago. We have Duke's number, and they need to recognize! A student writer who blogs at the Duke Chronicle had this to say about the Crazies last night:

"Covering tonight's loss to Maryland, I noticed that the environment was much better than it was at the Georgia Tech game. But for a game of this importance and against Duke's second-biggest rival, it was a little subdued. And I couldn't help but be dismayed at the lack of creativity of the Crazies as a whole and specifically the ones around my seat on press row.

I'm convinced there are a lot of creative, passionate Cameron Crazies out there. But it just seems like I'm sitting in front of those that really don't know the game and end up embarrassing the Crazie population.

I'm all for going after the referees. They're the only ones between the lines getting paid for this, so they are clearly fair game. But some Crazies spend so much time yelling at the refs, they don't even seem to be cheering for Duke or paying attention to the game. My fellow writer heard one Crazie near us tonight yell to the ref, 'I hope you get cancer and die soon.' Umm, a little much."

The Terps, who are not ranked in ESPN/USA Today Poll and are #24 in the AP Poll, are seriously on a roll. They have one game left on Saturday at home against N.C. State. They have the momentum and are a projected #6 seed and rising by Joe Lunardi, the bracketologist. I can't believe that the Terps are back. I thought for awhile that they were gone, but this team is only getting better. Hopefully they make a good run through the ACC Tourney, and start kicking butt in the NCAAs!! It's so great that they're finally going back after a 2 year absence. We had an 11 year streak before we had an awful 2004-05 season. I think it's time to go streaking again!!

Well Let Me Bring You Back to the Subject...

So much to talk about!! Ahh it's been too long my friends! So we're on to Week 3 of the NFL and the Ravens are still up in the air in my eyes, especially after yesterday's performance. The Ravens are 3-0, but you need to remember who they have played: Tampa Bay, Oakland and Cleveland. These are beatable teams, yet our offense has put up not-so-great numbers against both. Granted, the Bucs have/had a great defense, so I can see why the offensive numbers weren't that spectacular. The Raiders D, eh - so-so. But the Browns!?!? Ok so, yeah, they do have my man D'Qwell, but are they really that great that the Ravens can only score 15 points against them?

I'm still not convinced Steve McNair is/was the answer for this team. Maybe it's because I'm a Boller sympathizer, but I'm just thinking he hasn't proven he's great. We still see the same 5 yard passes on a third and 7!! Why?? I think it's all play calling - well a little. The QB needs to be aware of the sticks. They don't have that fancy, shmancy yellow line on the field to tell them where to throw. (Believe it or not I know people who actually thought that line was ON the field and that it was moved when a team got a first down! D'oh!) They need to know where the ball needs to be to get a first down. Baltimore has always sucked in the YAC category - Yards After Catch. You can't always expect to throw it 5 yards and get about 8 out of the play. It's just not going to happen. If fans watching the game realize this, then why can't the offensive coordinator *cough*GiantsRejectSuperBowlLoserToTheRavens*cough*?

The test for the Ravens comes this week against San Diego. The Chargers have an explosive offense with Philip "I can't beat Maryland - WAHHH" Rivers and LaDanian Tomlinson. I'm not even gonna talk about their defense. When your linebacker's nickname is "Lights Out", you're gonna have a good defense. By the way, Shawne Merriman is a Terp...not that I'm bragging or anything! :-) The Ravens have and will face three of the most awesome Terps players Maryland has seen in the past few years. First it was Lamont Jordan with the Raiders, then D'Qwell Jackson with the Browns and now the Chargers' Shawne Merriman!! Not to mention after the Chargers, they face the Broncos who have Dominique Foxworth and Curome Cox. Then they face Carolina who has Kris Jenkins!! Ahh loving my Terps, but not against the Ravens.

Speaking of the Terps....yeah I'm not going to go there. All I'm gonna say is this in response to the quality of players we have on the field: "I think Fridge's recruiting trips were based around his favorite places to eat, rather than the talent." There's my piece on that!

The Orioles on the other hand, whew. I'm pretty glad that season is pretty much over. The only good thing to happen in our last homestand against the Twins is that by us losing we eliminated the Red Sox from the playoffs. Ahh karma. It's funny how teams with winning records don't make the playoffs in baseball. It's kinda like, "Yeah, we may have sucked and you beat us a lot, but guess what buddy? You're sitting at home with a six pack watching postseason baseball just like me, LOSER!" haha The only shining light in an otherwise dark season was Nick Markakis. Forget that he is gorgeous. Instead, focus on the fact that the kid has a serious campaign for Rookie of the Year! Anyone remember the last Oriole to garner that award? What, it wasn't Cal Ripken, Jr.? damn Gregg Olson with 2 g's!! Anyway, you get my point. Markakis has great potential with the O's and I hope our shitty owner realizes this. Don't give him away like so many young prospects who have gone on to be awesome elsewhere!!

Speaking of the O's shitty owner, there was a protest here recently to "Free the Birds". While I didn't have a chance to participate, the idea was pretty great. Basically a bunch of disgruntled O's fans got together, bought upper deck seats for a makeup day game with the Tigers, wore all black, chanted and cheered on the O's, and then at 5:08pm (5 for Brooks Robinson, 8 for Cal Ripken) they left. They walked out of the stadium and protested. They chanted for Angelos to sell the team. Of course it didn't do anything but draw some media attention. And Angelos' reaction: you just bought 1,000 seats - that, otherwise, wouldn't have been sold - to a game for $8 a piece, SUCKERS!! I agree with the concept, but I don't like the idea of walking out. I paid $8 dammit, I'm watching my O's win!!! (Which they did, once all the stupid protesters left - They came back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3!) I hate Angelos as much as the next guy, but they shouldn't have bought tickets. They should have petitioned for "Baltimore" to be on the away jerseys. They should have stood outside his office and begged for a change. Maybe not in ownership, but in attitudes and the way the team is run. It's been 9 years since the O's have seen the postseason. We want it back in Baltimore. We want to know what October really feels like.

Hell, if the Tigers made it to the playoffs after 19 seasons, then it could happen!

Nice Guys Finish Last

Ok so maybe Andy didn't finish last, but you get the point. Andy fought hard, but couldn't outlast Roger Federer at the Open. Roger dominated Andy, as usual, but all hope is not lost. Andy jumped up to #6 in the World Rankings and is back to #1 in the US rankings. Andy is also now at third in the points system to qualify for the Masters tournament in Shanghai. Only the top 7 men will compete!!

Andy's resurgence this summer has been exactly what the doctor ordered. When Andy's cofidence is high, so is his game play. I think beating Roger has become more of a mental hurdle, rather than a physical. Roger made key mistakes in his win over Andy. Andy could have easily capitalized on them if he was on top of his game. I think Andy needs to prepare more mentally before playing Roger. If Andy hadn't taken so long to get his game in order in his first few service games, Andy could have easily taken the first 2 sets and put him in a more focused attitude. Instead, he started out antsy and nervous. By the time he settled down, it was too late. By the fourth set, Andy conceded to Federer. Being down 2 sets to 1 after losing a tough tie break in the previous set, probably didn't have Andy in the best mind set. Hopefully, he'll keep the winning ways up and play his heart out in the coming months.

Now onto football...All day on Sunday, I was thinking about Andy and the U.S. Open Final. Now that the tennis season is officially over, I can get back to football!! Ahh football. Saturday was spent at Byrd Stadium watching a mediocre team attempt to beat a presumably worse team. It was pathetic. The Terps are not looking good, and I'm worried about the West Virginia game on Thursday. The Mountainqueers... I mean Mountaineers are looking at possibly going undefeated this year. After Louisville lost it's star running back in the opening minutes of its season opener, WVU is poised for a conference sweep and a National Championship run. Of course, the pesky turtles in Maryland are known to suck and still beat good teams. Does anyone remember our insanely crazy win over Florida State in 2004? Hell, we beat FSU with Joel Statham behind center. Anything's possible with the Terps, I suppose. Of course, that was at home and we travel to the fiery hell that I call Morgantown. (By the way, Morgantown is the shittiest place in America I have ever been to. I had 5 year olds telling me to fuck off! I had friends who had beer and food thrown at them. And all of this happened before I got to the stadium! Fucking hillbillies!!)

Now you may think I was only referring to Andy with the title of the post, but alas you would be wrong. The Ravens are back to their ass whooping ways, and I couldn't be more happy about it!! The Ravens are not finishing last because they are not nice guys. Our defense devoured the Bucs offense!! There was not an ounce of nice of the field when Ray Ray and Company stepped onto it. It was all business. The Ravens got their first shut out since 2003, beating the Bucs 27-0. McNair looked awesome. The offense seemed to click for the first time in a long while. I'm not saying that I'm hopping on the McNair bandwagon like the rest of Baltimore. Before I can deem McNair the Ravens' savior, I have to see him in action. Honestly, I went to both of the Ravens' preseason games and he looked good on his first drive in the Giants game, and that was it. For me to say he is the reason the Ravens are playing so great, I have to see him beat a worthy opponent. The Bucs defense is not anywhere near as good as their Super Bowl one. And Chris Simms is probably worse than Kyle Boller when it comes to quarterbacking.

The Ravens play host to Oakland this weekend, and they are looking like one of the worst teams in football after last night's shut out loss at home versus the Chargers. Aaron Brooks was sacked more times than he completed a pass. He had 6 completions and was sacked 7 times. Not good. Of course, it's totally good for the Ravens. Granted, the Chargers defense is pretty awesome, mostly because of fellow Terp Shawne Merriman!! But I think the Ravens defense has a more complete group. With Ed Reed, Ray Ray, Bart Scott, CMac, etc. the Ravens are out for blood.

I still think the Ravens have a lot to prove, but it will take a few weeks for me to be totally sold on this turnaround.

So the moral of the story is: Screw Nice!!

I'm in the Hunt, I'm after you...

This is going to be a quick post, but I had to comment on the fact that Andy is back in a U.S. Open final!! I'm so excited for him and for his game. The "new" Andy is kicking ass and taking names!! Next up is his nemesis, Roger Federer. Roger is the Tiger Woods of tennis. He dominates everyone he plays, and he rarely loses. Great for him, bummer for everyone else. Andy has only beaten Roger once, and it was right after Andy won the U.S. Open in 2003. Andy has been preparing for this rematch with Federer for awhile and the time has arrived.

Hopefully, Andy can pull one out tomorrow!! I'm more excited for Andy playing in a Grand Slam final then I am for the start of the Ravens 2006 season. This is saying a lot about me right now!! haha

Go Andy!!! Good luck tomorrow!!

oh yeah....and Go Ravens!! Hopefully, McNair can win a few games before he gets hurt and Kyle steps in as the starter again!

I want to get back to my City by the Bay...

Ok, so I've recently realized, or more likely tried to forget, how much people outside of Baltimore hate on Baltimore. It's getting to the point of ridiculousness!! I mean most of these people have never even been to Baltimore, but feel the need to say how much it sucks and they hate it. The best part is how these people judge the city: by the sports in it.

Granted, I'll throw digs out there on Pittsburgh any day of the week, but from what I've heard, the city is a great one and very similar to Baltimore. I make fun of the team, but not the city. You're bound to get some ribbing from fans of teams that are rivals or yours, but to get shit from everyone is beyond crazy.

Our city is good enough for Boston and Yankee fans to come down and visit when their teams are playing the Orioles. From a restaurant stand point, we love when they come to town. They drive business in our city and we eat it up. I've met many people who thought they would hate the city and ended up falling in love with it. There's only a few places I've been in my travels of the U.S. that I have not liked the city at all. Columbus, OH, blows. And Jacksonville, FL, is nothing to write home about. I liked Atlanta, but I think the city is too small. But there are places I've been where, yes, I may hate the team there, but I love the city. New York is probably the greatest city in the world. But I loathe the Yankees. Even Cleveland is a great town, but I'm not a fan of the Brownies.

So what's up with the city hating? Yeah, Baltimore used to be a shit town, but it's been built up since those crazy days. There's so much to do in Baltimore, the list is endless. People need to get past the dislike for a sports franchise when they look at a city. Of course, I'm a Ravens and an Orioles fan. I don't get much O's hating these days because, well, they suck. That and the only argument you get from people is that Angelos sucks balls and any O's fan would agree with that statement. It's hard to even find true O's fans anymore. We're becoming extinct, I think. There is a movement in Baltimore to "Free the Birds". Let's hope that happens sometime in the near future!! As I'm writing this blog, the O's are beating up on the Yankees, 9-2! Hopefully it stays that way. Even self professed O's lovers don't care if they win after the All-Star break. The team has just become that bad! I assume it must be hard to hate on them. The Ravens, on the other hand, get all the hate.

Yeah so Ray Lewis saw a guy stab someone? He didn't do it, so stop saying he did. He served his time, let the man move on. Do you even realize how much Ray contributes to the Baltimore community? No. Because all you see is some irresponsible kid that got into trouble. He learned his lesson and turned into one of the most fiercest linebackers the league's ever seen. He stopped going out and partying, and instead he started to focus on football. Look what that led to...Super Bowl XXXV!!

Ok, so Baltimore stole Cleveland's team from them, and after you Baltimore people boo-hooed all those years about the Colts, you did the same thing to the Browns. Not exactly. Is there still a team called the "Cleveland Browns"? Yes. Because Art Modell told the city of Cleveland that he was losing money being in Cleveland. Cleveland needed to build the team a new stadium because Art couldn't finance one himself. Cleveland refused. Art didn't want to go completely bankrupt, so he moved the team to Baltimore. Not before he said he would leave the team name, colors and history with the city of Cleveland. Did Robert Irsay have the same kindness towards Baltimore when he uprooted our beloved Colts from Baltimore to Indianapolis? Not an ounce. Art said he was leaving well before he did. Irsay just left. And the old Colts of yore stood by the town, not the team.

When Johnny U (God rest his soul) passed in 2002, which city was the only one allowed to have a ceremony honoring him? Baltimore. Which quarterback was allowed to wear the nondescript black high tops that Johnny U made so popular? Not Peyton Manning, but Chris Redman, a Raven and fellow Louisville alum. (OK so Chris Redman may have been a bad move by the Ravens, but you get the point.) Indianapolis brags about how great the Colts are, but how many Colts championships were won in Indy? 0. I like to think of Indy not winning as some great curse. The Mayflower Curse, as I call it. This past season after the Indy meltdown against the Steelers, I was driving home from work, after just staying longer to watch the end of the game. I was turning onto 95 when across the highway stood, dead stopped and broken down, a Mayflower moving van. The same type that helped Irsay escape in the middle of the night in 1984. How fitting, I thought. It was poetic justice!!

Baltimore does not deserve the injustices it gets. We are a hard working city with pride. The freakin' National Anthem was inspired by our city. It was written in our harbor. Everytime you sing it at a sporting event, know that you're singing about Baltimore. It's our anthem and we'll "O" if we want to. No disrespect. Only love. You may continue to hate on us, but we'll kill you with kindness. We'll fill your bellies full of steamed crabs and Natty Boh. We'll let you sun on our free beach in Ocean City. (haha Jersey kids are suckers for paying to go to the beach!!) We'll give you the best crack you've ever had in your life. And if you are still hating on us, we'll knife you!! BLIEVE, HON!!

I have reason to believe that I have victories to taste

He did it again...Andy keeps his hopes alive at the U.S. Open. He finally got past the grandslam hurdle that is Lleyton Hewitt. Andy was winless against him in grandslams. The match was electrifying!! I swore it would go to 5 sets, but Andy surprised me and a few others by winning in straight sets.

He looked amazing! He was hitting these shots that just seemed impossible to make. I couldn't even describe the shots to you; they were that amazing. Hewitt looked old and outplayed. Andy dominated. He was in that mindframe where he knew he was going to win! It was awesome to see him play that way!

After the match, he was asked if the old Andy was back. Andy simply answered, "This is the new Andy Roddick!" I could not stop grinning after this comment from Andy and neither could he. I'm excited for the "new" Roddick and can't wait to see him continue with this great play! He needs to get his game in shape because I'm sure somewhere down the road Roger Federer is waiting.

As a closing remark, I'll leave you with this quote from John McEnroe at the end of the USA telecast last night, "At least there's one A-Rod playing well in New York!" (you know I had to get my Yankees dig in there! ;-))

Hey Hey! It's Andy Roddick!

Andy's Back! Thank the Lord. It took him long enough. After faltering for pretty much an entire year, whether it be to poor play or injury, Andy Roddick is finally back and in good form. He won his first tournament of the year in Cincinnati and, consequently, won the U.S. Open series. His game is back and better than ever!! He has hired Jimmy Connors as his co-coach. (His brother, John, is his primary coach, and I don't see them "parting ways" anytime soon!) Jimmy has been awesome for Andy. Who better to help Andy with his tennis shortcomings than a legend known for his strategic and dominating play?

Along with the awesome tennis play, Andy has brought back the emotion - or should I say the positive emotion. The fist pump and subsequent yell are back! I really think Andy has a terrific shot at the finals and even the championship. I've never seen his game at such an amazing level. I would even venture to say that it is equal, if not better than his play in 2003 when he won his first grandslam. Andy came into the Open as the 9 seed and ranked 10 in the world. (Technically, he is 9 in the world, but the official rankings aren't released until after a grandslam.)

Andy just beat Benjamin Becker from Germany (no - there is no relation to Boris!). As my friend, Stacy, and her boyfriend, Dave, pointed out, the match looked like Stifler vs. the 40-Year-Old Virgin!! lol I definitely could see it, and I'm glad Stifler won!! Becker ended the storied career of Andre Agassi two days ago after a hard fought bout. Andre did Benjamin and, in turn, Andy a favor by taking out 8 seed Marcos Baghdatis. Baghdatis had beat Andy in Australia, and that is where Andy's year really started to crumble. Andre helped American tennis with his win over Marcos. Who knows if Andy would be where he is right now in the tournament if Marcos was still around. I'd like to think that Andy would still be playing, but no one will ever really know. Tomorrow he plays Lleyton Hewitt in the quarterfinals. As some of you may remember Lleyton dated Kim "the Dog Faced girl" Clijsters for years. They were even engaged at one point. They broke up sometime at the beginning of last year or the end of the year before that. A little after they broke up, Lleyton started dating some Australian model, got her pregnant and married her. Poor Kim! I'm not a Hewitt fan anymore!!

Andy became the first American man to reach a quarterfinal of a grandslam this year. That's not saying much for American tennis, but I think it's on the rise. James Blake is ranked 5th, so hopefully he can play well and make it to the end. Who wouldn't want an all-American final at the U.S. Open?

I Can't Drive...55!!

There should be traffic laws that forbid trucks, not pick ups or SUVs but TRUCKS, from being on the road at rush hour times. This law should also include old people. I haven't figured out the age of these so-called old people, but they should be banned from the road. Old people should only be able to drive from 10am to 11:30am, or something like that. Don't they go to bed at like noon anyway?

Oh and I forgot, police cars should also not be allowed on the road at said rush hour times. They only cause people to slow down when they're already going under the speed limit. Duh people, they're going to pull you over when you're speeding!! But remember, they can pull you over if you're going too far under the speed limit, so next time you see a cop and you're not going the speed limit, SPEED UP DAMMIT!!

Traffic sucks...especially in the rain! It's raining in Baltimore (I love Counting Crows), and traffic is abysmal. I hate how people have to go 30mph on I-95!! Please go at least 50mph if you're going to go slower than the posted speed. It's not like it just started raining, which is when you should be the most careful. It's been raining for 12 hours or more, I think it's ok to go a little bit faster.

Don't you forget about me...

Ok, I admit, I have forgotten all about this here blog. Not that anyone reads it, but I felt like I needed to update.

The Ravens didn't do so well, as my previous posts alluded. Onto MLB season, right!? Wrong. The Orioles are the Orioles and they haven't fared well at all. They're down right pathetic. I have done myself proud, though. I have gone to quite a few games this year. I only went to one last season, so I'm on a roll this year. If memory serves me right, I've been to five with at least two more to come. I have tickets for the 15th and 19th of July. The 15th is Brian Roberts bobblehead night. The 19th is Brian Roberts growth chart day. Do you see a trend?

Right now, I'm caught up in the Wimbledon buzz. I love tennis, and I have always enjoyed rooting for the Americans in the Grand Slams. I've been an Andy Roddick fan since I first saw him play. C'mon, he was hot!! and only a month younger than me!! You can't beat that! I've followed his career pretty intensely and was so excited when he won the U.S. Open in 2003! What a thrill!! (By the way, I get really into tennis when I'm watching on TV. I find myself yelling things as if I were at the match!! It's pure comedy.) He hasn't been playing so hot, as of late. He's bowed out pretty early in all of the past three majors. Wimbledon is where Andy shines!! This is the first year since 2000 he has come into Wimbledon without winning at least one tournament this season.

His ranking has dropped from 1 to 2 to 3 and now down to 5. Still, being the 5th best player in the world is a pretty good accomplishment!! Andy's looked great at Wimbledon, so far. I'm really hoping he can make his third straight final, and that he can finally beat the man, Roger Federer. He has been the bane of Andy's existent. Whenever Andy gets close to a title, Roger has squashed his hopes!! Damn Swiss!! Only good thing to come out of Switzerland is the cheese, army knives and banks!! Another exciting story at Wimbledon has to do with Andre Agassi. I was always a Pete fan, but when not playing Sampras, I rooted for Agassi. My first memory of him is a Canon commercial from the 80s. I think it was the mullet/headband combo that sticks out. I then realized afterwards that he was a tennis player. Forgive me, I was 6!

Andre has had an awesome career, and has won at every Grand Slam. What an accomplishment? This will be his last Wimbledon and will retire from tennis at the conclusion of the hard court season at the U.S. Open. As much as I want Andy to win, Agassi winning would be the ultimate!! What a way to leave the game!? (I still want Andy to win Wimbledon!)

As I'm writing this, I'm watching a replay of Agassi's second round match today. He won. He now has to face the French Open Champion and Number 2 seed Rafael Nadal. I don't like Nadal because he wears manpris. Enough said. He should carry his towel and water bottle in a man purse. It would work well. All this Wimbledon watching makes me want to travel. I would love to just be a tennis groupie. Think about it. Before the French Open, there is a clay court tournament in Rome. The French Open is in Paris. Then the short grass court season is throughout England/Britain. Then it's Wimbledon, right outside of London. Then it's hard court season. You travel back to the U.S. and tour the country for the summer. Then it's on to New York City for the U.S. Open. And don't forget the off season. It's mostly charity stuff here and there all around the world. Then it's hard court season again, and it's off to Sydney, Australia for the Australian Open. What a trip!!?? Why couldn't I have played tennis? Jeez.

I'm making a resolution to do a tour of Europe before I turn 30. That gives me 6 years and 28 days to plan and pay for my trip. I think I can do it. I'm a wimp, though, so I'll have to find someone to tag along. I hate doing things by myself. I moved to NYC and lived there for 6 months by myself, so I paid my "do it by yourself" dues. I need to do things with friends. Note to self: find some friends with money.

I'm out for tonight, but I'm sure I'll be back more often. I promise. Even if no one reads this, it's still good to get everything off my chest. Ahh, I can breathe now, thanks!!

ugh: Blogger is being a poohead with photos. I will jazz this post up when the issue is resolved!!

M-A-R-Y-L-A-N-D What the hell are you wearing??

Two quick things:

1) WHAT THE HELL?? This is fugly!! This better be a one time thing...like the Byrd Blackout!!

2) After visiting the previous link...YES I am a girl!! I guess it's innate for me to notice these things!!

Slam Dunk da Funk

I love football...it's exciting and thrilling and fun, but nothing gets me going like college basketball. As I'm writing this I'm watching Maryland's first game of the season against Fairleigh Dickinson. Of course, the game's off to a typical Maryland start...slow!! The team is coming out a little rusty, and I'm beginning to think that the preseason ranking was very generous. This team has lost its cancer - John Gilchrist. He was becoming a me a player and it was affecting the team. When Gary basically benched him in the NIT, the team did pretty decent. Except for that South Carolina game that I attended at the Garden.

I love college basketball, and going to Maryland made me love it and appreciate it so much more. Basketball was my life at Maryland. I can count on one hand the games that I missed. I can recount losses and wins like its my religion. I made the 12 hour drive to Atlanta to see my Terps win their first National Championship. That is one of my top Maryland moments. I was lucky to go to Maryland when the bball team was at its peak.

I always get caught up in sports. I wait all summer for football. I follow all news on Training Camp and even mini-camps. And don't forget the draft. It comes at the most perfect time. College Basketball is just ending, spring football is starting, lacrosse season is in bloom and then it hits you...NFL Draft time!! Ahh its perfect. But once October rolls around and Midnight Madness is here, basketball becomes an obsession. Granted, I don't feel like a super crazed fan anymore since I graduated, but I love Maryland Basketball nonetheless.

It's a way of life in College Park. It brings people together. Especially at Maryland! (Riots, much!?) Everyone whoever attended Maryland hates Duke. I would say if I made a list of things I hate, Duke would be number 1 and probably number 2 because its that bad. I was watching Jeopardy! the other night and it was the college championships. There was a Duke girl there and I laughed everytime she got an answer wrong. I rooted against her to the point that I was reciting anti-Duke chants commonly heard at basketball games. It was bad.

Maryland has owned Duke in recent years, and their fans act like it doesn't bother them, but they know we have their number. It's soo bad that when I was living in NYC I went to a Terrapin Club game watch party for the Duke game at this nice sports bar and Duke was having their alumni party there as well and some old Duke guy started crap with a young Maryland guy. It was pathetic. But awesome because the police were called. My dad and I got a kick out of that!!

I can't wait for that first Maryland/Duke game this year. It's gonna be awesome!! Of course, it's not the same since I no longer attend Maryland, but I'm a proud alumni and Terrapin Club member so the Terps will always be my team. I will love them win or lose!!

Did I mention how much I love college basketball!!?? and that I hate Duke!!??


BTW...Fairleigh Dickinson's roster is beyond comical. First, Justin Timberlake's "brother" plays for them. Second, this guy's name is Peeples...I can't help but think of this guy!! Lastly, their head coach can blow a bubble with his bum, bum, bum!! Haha...hysterical!!

My Boyfriend's Back and You're Gonna be in Trouble...

...Ok maybe you won't be in trouble, but the Jacksonville Jaguars may be.

That's right folks, Kyle Boller is making his triumphant return this Sunday against the Jags. Hopefully he'll do alright, since he's only played 2 1/2 quarters this season, and he was cheered off the field.

He really needs to show the fans he can handle the job of NFL Quarterback. People in Baltimore have zero tolerance for formidable players/teams. Probably due to the fact that O's suck and pretty much have ruined our tolerance for bad seasons and players.

I have always said Kyle can be a good QB and lead this team the way the Ravens organization has planned. He has never had a good receiving corps, and I personally think the O-Line has declined immensely since his rookie season. Because of both of those factors, Kyle's job is pretty tough.

I remember watching football as a kid and feeling bad for the quarterbacks after they threw interceptions. My dad would say something about a receiver running a wrong route or dropping a pass into a waiting defenders hands. I piped in about feeling sorry for the QB. Everything always falls back on him, no matter if it's his fault or not.

That's why I've always had a weakness for QBs. I love them. Plus, it helps that most of them are pretty hot.

But in all seriousness the pressure is on Kyle to perform well. Right now, realistically, the Ravens are out of the playoff race. Unless we rock the socks off the rest of our games and the rest of our division falls apart...aka Carson Palmer being killed by lightning or Chad Johnson and Big Ben being hurt for real, like in a motorcycle accident (that seems to be a favorite).

Kyle has a lot to prove. He needs to prove he can lead this team into the redzone and score a touchdown. He needs to prove that he is the quarterback of the future for the Ravens. I don't know how anyone expected a rookie QB to come into this organization with the O-line and the receivers that were available and go to the Superbowl. The Defense can't carry this team anymore. They're not the studs that they were in 2000.

Kyle finally has some legitimate receivers in Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton (when healthy) and Todd Heap. Now is definitely make or break time. I want Kyle to stay in Baltimore, and not as a backup QB. I want him to excel. I want him to win. And not just because I think he's hot. It's more than that. I don't want the Ravens going through 10 more QBs to find the perfect one.

So hopefully Kyle can show Baltimore and the rest of the league that he deserves to be here. These last 8 games are more than a test for Kyle, they're a final exam. His fate in Baltimore and as the number one QB is riding on these last 8 games. No one expects him to take this under-achieving team to the playoffs. They just want him to put some points on the board, preferably not the Matt Stover kind.

I think Kyle will impress people, especially the ones who have been calling for his head here in Baltimore (that means you Mike Preston!) He's better than everyone thinks. He's ready, and trust me, here in Baltimore we're ready for anything.

But then again I may be a little biased!!

Were we watching the same game??

Last night, my beloved Ravens were featured on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, we were destined to lose.

I don't know a single Ravens fan who thought we could actually win, well at least before the game started. The Ravens came out strong. We looked good, for once this season. We made the big plays, for the most part. We drove down the field and got a touchdown on our opening drive. Something, I'm guessing, we haven't done in a loooooong time.

While the game was close the whole time, the Ravens seemed like they were dominating. We were always one play away from going up big time on the Steelers in Primetime!! Of course, we could never capitalize on anything, as always. We took the lead with 3 minutes left in the game. Up by 2 and Pittsburgh had the ball. After two big pass plays, the Steelers were in field goal range and most of us realized that the game was over. The Steelers would either be up by 1 or 5. Either way, the Ravens were going to have to score when they got the ball back, with no timeouts, either.

That's when we, or should I say Anthony Wright, reverted back to old form. Wright didn't even get a pass downfield. The seconds were ticking off the clock and we had 3rd and 10 and he didn't even launch a pass downfield. Instead he runs the ball!! RUNS THE BALL!!! YOU'RE A QUARTERBACK NOT JAMAL LEWIS OR BETTER YET CHESTER TAYLOR!!! What the hell. We didn't need to run the clock out. We needed to keep as much time on the board as possible.

This is what I don't get. Everyone seems to forget about the entire game, offensively, minus a few big pass plays to Derrick "The Man" Mason (btw, my new nickname for him). Wright was regular old Anthony "Dumbass" Wright. Plain and simple. So then why today do I hear people saying how great he is. Are they blind? He made stupid mistakes. He threw a sure TD pass over the head/intentionally out of bounds to Randy Hymes in double coverage when he had Mason in the endzone wide open waving his hands around like Tom Hanks in Cast Away!!

Why does everyone forget the dumb things he does CONSTANTLY?? Maybe I feel this way because I am a Boller supporter, but there are obvious reasons why Wright is a backup!! Sometimes he makes big plays that overshadow his thousands of mistakes.

I still blame this loss on Wright and the offensive play calling. We had a shot to go up before the break and instead took timeouts to conserve time and then throw 3 yard passes rather than make some big plays and get into field goal or rather TD position. We wasted time and plays. The defense played their hearts out considering they were missing their two biggest players, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. But depsite the heart of the defense, the offense let us down once again. And that is why we are 2-5 rather than 6-1, like we should be now. We had a cake schedule, minus the Indy game.

The Ravens have screwed themselves, and while I admit, that last night was probably one of our best performances this year, it was still par/sub-par. We can do so much better!!

Injuries or not, the Ravens are slacking and not playing their best football. Jamal admits it, so why doesn't the coaching staff or the rest of the team!?


Ok so now that that rant is done, I'm going to share a funny story/thought I had while visiting my good buddy Dre in Chicago last weekend....We are walking on Navy Pier and we see this guy with a Ray Lewis jersey on. Dre yells to him that "Ray Lewis is God." The man says, "Preach on Brother!" I then say to Dre, "If Ray Lewis is God, then is Ed Reed Jesus?" We have both decided that this statement is true. If Ray Lewis is God, then Ed Reed is Jesus! Plain and simple. Now my question to you is "Who's the Virgin Mary?" Ozzie Newsome or Brian Billick. I'm thinkin Ozzie!!

My Pumpkin ROCKS!!!

My pumpkin is freakin awesome....it pales in comparison to any other carved jack-o-lantern!! Ok so maybe the team didn't win last night, but that had to be the best performance we have put up this year!! We actually looked good, you know except for that whole Anthony Wright thing!!

Boller...DEMOTED!?!

Because I love Kyle, I can do this!

Captions for above photo:

• After three disappointing seasons at the helm of the Ravens offense, Kyle Boller was demoted to ball boy. Head Coach Brian Billick had this to say about the unexpected move, "Kyle is a great kid with lots of heart, and he has a great passion for this organization and team. But after Mike Preston said I might lose my job because of my love for Kyle, I decided to keep him on as a ball boy. It's a win-win situation. I hope."
• Kyle Boller tries to practice throwing four balls at the same time with the hopes of one of his receivers actually catching one of the thrown balls.
• In addition to rehabbing his hyperextended toe, Kyle Boller is required to carry every football he turned over during the preseason and opening game.

I'm sure I could keep going, but I'm having some writer's block when it comes to insulting my boy! By the way, I want that sweatshirt!! :-D

"Remember "Push It" was the bomb shit, nuttin like the old school"

I've come to the realization that I'm totally old school! This past weekend I had the pleasure to witness one of the greatest concerts that I will ever attend. I saw one of the two remaining Beatles - Sir Paul McCartney.

It was like watching the Beatles perform. Paul played for 2 hours. He played some of his stuff, some Wings and lots of Beatles. It was amazing. As I was sitting there singing along, I couldn't help but glance around me. First of all, I was the youngest person in the group that went with me to see him. The next youngest was 20 years older than me. There were many 40 & 50 somethings around me, and I realized that my taste in music stretchs well beyond my own generation.

I grew up listening to Oldies music with my Mom. My dad, on the other hand, listened to one station: 98 Rock! I grew up singing with my Mom to the Beatles and rocking out with my dad to Metallica. So it was very appropriate that the only concerts I ever attended with my parents were Paul McCartney (Mom) and Metallica (Dad).

I think my parents had a great influence on me when it came to music. I listen to everything. But my favorites are bands that are either broken up or dead. My iPod is filled with Journey, Bon Jovi, Paul McCartney, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Frank Sinatra and the Beatles. (It also has tons of Nsync, Britney Spears and other boy bands, but that totally doesn't count because that's my guilty pleasure. :-D)

I love classic rock. (Because we all know that 80s hair bands are now considered classic rock) I love riding in my dad's car because that's all we listen to (that and it's a frickin' awesome G35 Coupe!!). He is usually the one asking to listen to something more modern. Of course the modern music I listen to doesn't really qualify. I absolutely love my boy bands. Particularly, I love NSync!!I can't help it...it's catchy and they're all so cute!

People usually respect my choices in music until I mention my love of all things pop! (at least pop from my high school years - '96-2000) I know I have good taste in music considering I listen to just about everything. I indulge in Hip Hop, Rock, R&B, Pop, Country and everything else you can think of with the exception of New Age and Classical. I usually don't have a problem listening to other people's music, unless of course it's Dave Matthews Band which I truly cannot stand except for maybe 2 songs.

But besides my guilty pleasures, my taste in music is eclectic. My little sister has helped me realize this. She used to depend on me for her music. She would listen to whatever new band I was listening to. Now I pass by her room (which is actually my room, but it was taken from me in a hostile takeover while I was in NYC) and she's listening to some pop-punk shit. I ask her what the song is, and she gives me that "Are you kidding? This song came out, like, last summer!!" look! I'm out of it. I have no idea what's hip anymore. Even my friends who used to come for me for music guidance know more about today's music than me. I listen to CDs in my car constantly. Since the demise of B102.7 and most recently HFS, I have abandoned the radio. I feel that no station out there will play the music I want to hear.

But then again, I'm wrong. New stations are popping up all the time. WQSR, the oldies station I grew up listening to, went off the air this Spring. Now it is this awesome station. It totally reminds me of my iPod. One minute it's Bon Jovi, next it's some old school rap song, then it's Nsync and then maybe some Metallica. It's called JACK FM. Apparently it's a generic station that different markets have been picking up on. It's not really broadcast out of Baltimore. I kind of enjoy it.

That is why I have decided to abandon my CD player while driving. I listen to the radio. I want to catch up. I'm in the dark, musically speaking. I have no idea what's popular. I find myself constantly flipping through the radio though. I refuse to listen to commercials. Now I've reverted back to the days of high school, which I'm really unsure about. I hate commercials, one positive to CDs. But what can you do? Oh yeah, satellite...I'm not paying to listen to the radio. I guess that's just the old school in me!

This is what it's like when worlds collide

My life revolves around television. I watch it at work. I watch it at home. I'm fascinated by it. It's that simple. I become involved with certain shows, and I begin to feel like I actually know these characters.

I began watching most of the shows I'm addicted to because of my roommates. I told myself I wouldn't watch The OC when it debuted. But then my roomies had OC Parties in the apartment, and I felt compelled to watch. Of course I missed almost all of the first season due to that crappy Journalism law class that went from 7-10pm every Wednesday, but have no fear Direct Connect saved the day.

One of my favorite old roomies, Dana, would download every episode as it came available on Direct Connect, a download program that every Maryland student that lived in a dorm frequented. We would sit on Erin's bed and watch the episode that was just on like three days before. We were nerds, but we loved it.

Now I can't miss an episode. But here's the bad thing...The OC won't be back until *gasp* November 3rd!!! There was no new episode this past week!! A whole month without The OC! They teased us with three new episodes, and now a month long wait til the next. And it all comes down to one thing. One thing any sports fan (me) can appreciate. The culmination of a long, boring season. THE WORLD SERIES!!

Now this is the baseball that is exciting. This is the baseball people have been waiting for for 5 long months. This is the Playoffs. This is what keeps my work busy on Tuesday nights in the middle of October. This is where the winner is determined. This is baseball.

So here is the dilemma. I'm obsessed with The OC. I'm obsessed with sports. What happens when the two collide? It's the World Series. Granted my team is not playing, nor will it ever be in the foreseeable future. But it's still baseball. I watch the games involving the teams I hate just so I can laugh at their misfortunes. (HAHA SUCK IT, YANKEES!!! and RED SOX!!) But now with no teams I hate in the Series anymore, I want The OC back badly!!

I need to know if Ryan is going to accept the fact that Marissa has made new friends at her new school! I need to know if Ryan and Marissa are going to be allowed back into Harbor since Dean "Dickface" Hess is sleeping with that Taylor chick! I need to know if that money monger Charlotte is going to come between Sandy and Kirsten! These things are important to me, and the worst part is....they totally should not be!!

These are things that keep me up at night after watching these crazy shows. The OC is only the beginning. One Tree Hill is a whole other story. That show didn't start until last week. Of course, I had something to do (opening day of the NHL), so I taped it. Now my tape is being crazy and the show is all weird. But I must somehow fix it before tomorrow. I can't watch the next episode without watching the first. It's bad enough I forgot what happened at the end of last season.

And the one show that is the most addicting, not only to me, but I've sucked my dad in, is Lost!! That show has to be the best on TV. It's insane. The show throws a curve ball at you every 15 minutes. It's insane. Sometimes at work I get bored, so I'll cruise around the Internet. I stumbled upon a Lost message board on IMDB.com, and I realized that if I even attempted to look at some posts on one of the more popular Lost websites, I would be sucked in completely. It's bad enough that when I stumble upon other Lost watchers I hypothesize about what is and is going to happen on the show. If I just looked at a post on one of these boards, I'd be gone.

It's just awful, I tell you. My next big purchase will be TIVO, this I can guarantee. I should be thankful that I have a working VCR, for the most part. Because without one I would be lost (no pun intended). For example, I'm going to the Maryland/Virginia Tech game next Thursday. Thursday being the best night on TV. The OC at 8pm (not next Thurs. though), CSI at 9pm, Without a Trace at 10pm. Three full hours of three great shows. So I'm going to need a VHS tape to record all my shows. It's a pain. But a necessary one.

My name is Jenn, and I have a problem.....I'm a TV-aholic!!

Forgive me, I'm new at this...

Ok so I think I'm going to buy into this whole blogging trend and start writing crap for random people to read on the Internet.

Now I was a journalism major in college, mind you, but don't expect any well written columns coming your way via this blog. I'm trying to put aside my fine Maryland education and ignore all grammar rules...........OK who am I kidding, horrible grammar and misspellings are two of my biggest pet peeves. Along with stupid Ravens penalties! And on that note....

So the Ravens really blew the big one today. Not only did they lose to a horrendous Detroit team, but they let the game get out of hand. They set a franchise record in penalties (21) and were one shy of an NFL record. How pathetic??

How can this be the same team the National media was heralding as a playoff contender in the preseason? How can this be the best defense in the land? Hell, I don't even think this defense is the best in the Land of Pleasant Living!! The Ravens have two subpar lines! J.O. is older than my grandmother. He's a big oaf who, let's just all admit it, is past his prime. He is not the Pro Bowl run blocker he was once. And please don't get me started on Orlando "Zeus" Brown. Why the Ravens wanted damaged goods in the first place is beyond me? As I like to say around my house, "If I ever see him, I'll throw a flag in his GOOD eye!!"

Then in the off season, Baltimore decides they want to screw with Pittsburgh and sign Keydrick Vincent. BAD MOVE!! He sucks! Why do you think the Squeelers didn't want to resign him? He's old and slow!! Wait...what's that I hear?? Oh it's just the tremendous laughing coming hundreds of miles away in Pitt.

The defense is a whole other story. Baltimore's defense is so old that if you added up their collective ages it would be older than GOD!! There was a stat up during the game today that showed the number of Pro Bowl appearances by members of the defense, both starting and on the bench. They collectively had more appearances in the Pro Bowl than Detroit receivers had starts! Sounds good, but also shows the defense's age. If they had the players they have now 3-5 years ago, Baltimore would have been the latest dynasty, not New England. This defense is just too old to keep up with all these young receivers. Football has evolved, but the Ravens' defense still thinks it's living in the year 2000!! (haha, I just thought of the Conan O'Brien skit "In the year 2000!" Classic!)

Please don't get me started on the offense. With the targets they have like Derrick Mason, Todd Heap and even Mark Clayton, the offense should be producing. Personally, I don't think Kyle Boller even got a chance to prove himself this year, but according to Baltimore fans, they've seen enough. As you will all find out eventually, I'm totally in love with Kyle Boller. He has potential (not to mention he's a total hottie!), but Raven fans are too fair-weather to give the kid a shot. They were calling for his head on a plate, and they had the nerve to cheer when he went down in the first game. Everyone wanted Anthony Wright. Now they don't want him either. Wright makes the biggest mental errors. For example, in the first half Terrell Suggs (another moron) gets the Ravens first interception of the year. The Ravens have the ball in the Red Zone and are looking for the endzone. It's third and goal, last chance. No receivers are open and Wright is scrambling. Instead of throwing the ball away and settling for a field goal, he forces the ball into triple coverage!! And we can all guess where this is going...INTERCEPTION!! It's just stupid errors. That INT was his second of the game, the first being a piss poor pass attempt to Derrick Mason (Mason was towards the sideline; the pass was way to his left). Even I was calling for Kordell "I *heart* wood...um...I mean I'm not gay" Stewart by the middle of the first half.

One word to describe this team today was PATHETIC. The Ravens looked it, they acted it and they played it. Well I guess you could use another word there too, SHIT!!