WNST Insiders

Ravens tidbits

Fri, 16 May 2008 15:25:43 GMT

Here are a couple of Ravens interviews from on the team website and other websites:

Terrell Suggs talked to NFLPA about his passions outside of football. Terrell is a big movie buff and has plans to start his own movie production company. During the season he will review movies for the team’s website.

Todd Heap recently sat down with Rich Eisen from NFL Network and discussed everything from his injuries last year to Brian Billick and John Harbaugh.

Mike Duffy who writes for BaltimoreRavens.com does his best job of shooting a Cloverfield/Blair Witch Project video recently at the Fiest 5k. (WARNING: Not for those with a weak stomach)

James Walker from ESPN.com was at Ravens mandatory camp and has an article on Ray Lewis.

Also if you want to check out the Ravens cheerleaders while they are doing a swimsuit calendar shoot, BaltimoreRavens.com has a ton of videos, articles, and blogs. Wonder when we are going to do a WNST swimsuit calendar?

Never too early to start talking Fantasy Football

Fri, 16 May 2008 14:01:18 GMT

So, since I will miss another Chicken Box Friday...last one til July....I figured a blog...

My early top 5 picks this year:

1. LT...until someone consitently does what he does...he is still number 1

2. Brian Westbrook...maybe a bit risky...because of injury, but no one does more for their team.

3. Steven Jackson...I still believe

4. Joseph Addai...again I love 3 down back that catch the ball...

5. Adrian Peterson...before you all start a revolt...he still does not catch the ball out of the backfield...still has C. Taylor stealing 5 to 10 touches a week and is still only going into his second year...lets not crown him yet...plus MN still has no passing game so teams will have to key on him.

BEST ROOKIE: Jonathan Stewart

SLEEPER ROOKIE: Matt Forte

Beware of: TOM BRADY and RANDY MOSS...not saying they will be bad, but just do not draft them based on records...draft them based off a solid pro-bowl year..

Clem Florio and the day before Preakness

Fri, 16 May 2008 13:10:30 GMT

It’s a rough day for me today.

While out at the Alibi Breakfast at Pimlico yesterday, my old pal Ted Patterson told me he saw a piece in The Examiner written by Michael Olesker about one of my favorite people not only in horse racing, but a true mentor to me, Clem Florio.

According to the story, Florio, 78, is in a hospice in Florida and not doing so well. He told Olesker, “I need a win real bad.”

Maybe some of you remember Clem’s work at The News American or with The Washington Post. Or maybe you remember his gentle laugh and his great voice on my show.

The first decade that I did my radio show, The Budweiser Sports Forum, every Friday evening before the Preakness I was joined by Clem Florio. It started 16 years ago today. Clem would usually drive over to the studio, but he sometimes just did it on the phone (it was afterall, Black Eyed Susan Day) and it was always a show I loved doing.

Anytime I got to spend time with Clem was always a joy. He was truly one of my favorite people to be around.

The first time I met Clem was in the press box at Pimlico, circa 1985. It was the year Spend A Buck was dodging Old Hilltop. Florio was a regular in the press box, and I also befriended Charley Eckman and Vinnie Perrone among others during those years. Ross Peddicord (who now publishes Maryland Life) covered the track for The Evening Sun and Charlie Lamb and Rich Petro (a Dundalk guy and another great track pal of mine) were at The News American. Dale Austin and Marty McGee (another one of my all-time favorites) did the honors for The Sun.

Of all the guys at the track, Florio was the best storyteller and he loved to watched the horses in the post parade to see how their coat was, their walk, their focus, etc. He’d always give me tips, some of which actually multiplied my $2 or $5 bets.

Clem just loved those animals. (I think he owned a horse with Chris Thomas?)

When I started my show in 1992 the Preakness was still a VERY big deal around these parts. People talked about it, the town was abuzz, horse racing and the names of the horses in the Preakness were top of mind for any Baltimore sports fan. Celebrities came to town, bands came to town, big-time parties were thrown. It was a major party, even before I got drunk on the infield.

So, on the eve of the race, Clem would spend the afternoon in my studio handicapping the whole card, bringing his unique sense of humor and soft, gentle way to my show. It was something we set up in March and I looked forward to for months.

Clem was the one who strongly encouraged me to go to the Kentucky Derby and was the first person who wanted the details when I returned in 1996.

I loved having Clem Florio do my show on the Friday before the race because I honestly felt this: It doesn’t get ANY better than Florio if you're talking ponies. I couldn’t find anyone at that track who knew more about horses or who could be more entertaining than Clem. And I just thought he was a super great guy to be around.

How renowned was Florio in the world of horse racing and media?

One night I came home late and put Larry King on at 2 a.m. on a rerun and there was Clem Florio on the set with the man with the suspenders on CNN.

Florio, as Olesker pointed out, was one of those guys with a myriad of celebrity friends from all walks of life. People gravitated to Florio because he was a joy to be around, always animated and full of laughs and energy.

But over the last decade or so, the place I always found Clem was on the bocci courts in Little Italy. My son and I played bocci many, many times with Clem after dining at Amicci’s and it was always a supreme joy. He was SERIOUS about throwing the baleen, for sure! And he taught me the rules!

Hard to say what Clem loved more: the horses, bocci or boxing, which was his first love and he made quite a name for himself from what I’ve read as a pugilist back in the day. Anytime there was a big fight, Florio would come into the studio on those days as well and talk about the history of the sport with guys like Bert Sugar, who is now a regular on Bob Haynie's show.

Reading Michael Olesker’s story yesterday brought back so many memories. And the fact that I turn 40 later this year has made me a little wistful in general, but losing friends to age and eventually death has been a hard transition for me.

I hope Clem Florio gets that longshot that he needs. He was like one of my favorite uncles, like family.

I think the world of Clem Florio.

And if you knew of Clem through my show or through reading his work, keep him in your thoughts today.

I know I will.

NCAA Needs To Come Down Hard On USC

Fri, 16 May 2008 11:23:19 GMT

It might seem like I am about to come down hard and unfairly on USC, but the NCAA needs to crack down and send a real message to each of its member institutions. And in this case, USC has to become the sacrificial lamb. The NCAA's message should be simple and clear--what has gone on with USC involving Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo will not be tolerated, and the University, even with its storied history, must pay its debt.

The NCAA needs to use harsh sanctions against USC--strip both teams of scholarships, three years of probation with tournament and national TV bans, and make them repay bowl and NCAA tournament money earned by these two teams. Sure other schools are committing the same mistakes. Fortunately for them, they are ones not getting caught. Tell USC that any further infractions in the next five years will result in their programs being shut down for two years. Force athletic director Mike Garrett to get fired; this happened on his watch after all. Make them look at firing both Pete Carroll and Tim Floyd. Come on, you don't think anybody at USC knew what was going on?

A slap on the wrist won't do. Send a message to the other universities that this type of behavior will not be allowed. In other words, put a precedent in place and have the gumption to stick with it. If the NCAA lets this one slide, then they might as well go home and let chaos reign.
A few years ago the University of Alabama should have received the death penalty for its transgressions; however, the NCAA, fearful of sparking a possible rebellion and seeing what's happened to SMU's program since it was given the death penalty, relented and just gave them sanctions. This is why you have this current situation at USC, because schools don't fear the reprisals.

It's time for the NCAA to act swiftly and forcefully. Stop making Mickey Mouse rules and show some tooth. The clock is ticking. Push has come to shove.

Pimlico: Preakness Notes & Selections for Black-Eyed Susan Day (Day 18)

Thu, 15 May 2008 21:43:13 GMT

Bright and early (at 7am) on Thursday morning, with my Press Pass proudly hanging around my neck, I made my maiden voyage through the Press Gate at Old Hilltop. After nearly 45 years of following horse racing, I finally got to experience walking through the stable area, talking to trainers, grooms and exercise riders, and seeing these magnificent animals at arms length. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I walked along the Stakes Barn with my head held high like I owned the place.

Just a day earlier, the Stakes Barn only housed two of the Preakness starters… Hey Byrn and Kentucky Bear. But late yesterday the place was invaded by at least half dozen or more Preakness starters, including the star of the show, Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. Hence, the media blitz was underway. While the majority of the media types swarmed around the Big Brown camp, I elected to engage in conversation with Kentucky Bear’s exercise rider, Cassie Garcia. The Canadian native has been in town with the Preakness hopeful since last week and shared with me how she just recently switched from show horse rider to thoroughbreds. She was even nice enough to let me pet her… horse.

Some other observations include seeing what I thought was an impressive looking filly, Pious Ashley. She’s entered in Black Eyed-Susan Stakes after just breaking her maiden on Derby Day in her second career start. I normally avoid fillies running back in two weeks time, but since she only ran 6 furlongs and she is bred to “go long” (out of Broad Brush), she might surprise a few folks.

Equipped with my digital camera, I got up close photos of more than half the Preakness field... Kentucky Bear (of course), Yankee Bravo, Hey Byrn, Stevil, Riley Tucker, Macho Again, Tres Borrachos and plenty of Big Brown before and after his gallop... he looked smooth during the gallop. I got trainers Nick Zito and Eddie Plesa. Personally, my most interesting photo was one with Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey, ESPN Racing Analyst Randy Moss and NBC Racing Analyst Bob Neumeier shooting the breeze.

Unfortunately, my fun had to end (aka leave for work) around 9am, just before Rick Dutrow's post Big Brown’s gallop news conference. I wanted to stay in order to ask him an intelligent question. It's pretty bad when Fox 45 Sports reporter, Amy Fadool, appears to be the most knowledgeable one about horse racing among the local media present.

I cannot believe I passed on going to the Alibi Breakfast (at 10am), but I only have so many vacation days with my “real job” which pays the bills and allows my daughter to dance six (6) days per week. Alas, on Friday I sacrificed one of those precious vacation days to enjoy Black-Eyed Susan's Day. Then on Saturday I’ll be back at Pimlico by 7am.

I lived the dream... for at least 2 hours this morning. Thanks Nestor!

Recapping Day 17 (May 15th)…

Unbelievable! Even though the actions taken by track management today (races taken off the turf) makes perfect sense to me, it left us with no action on today’s card. Both Best Bet and Longshot picks were in turf races and both were scratched. The reason why not running on the turf today makes sense, is that on both Friday and Saturday, there are a number of quality races scheduled on the turf. Considering the amount of rain this region has received recently, the turf course must be awfully soft.

In addition to the turf being soft, I noticed during the morning workout session that the main track looked very deep. So as long as we don’t get an inch or more of rain between now and Saturday at 6:09pm, the track shouldn’t favor early speed or those who come from off the pace.

Best Bet, Doots (# 7; 7th race OFF the turf; 3-1 M/L) as mentioned above was scratched.

Longshot, Speedy Freddie (# 6; 5th race OFF the turf; 8-1 M/L) was scratched.

For Friday, better known around Old Hilltop as Black-Eyed Susan’s Day, I wanted to provide my opinion on the two feature races versus the Best Bet and Longshot selections typically seen here. So without further adieu, here’s who I like on official Racing Day 18 (May 16th) of the Pimlico Spring Meet…

Pimlico Special (10th): Student Council (# 3; 10-1)

A. P. Arrow (# 4; 5-2)

Grasshopper (# 7; 3-1)

On paper, Student Council shows that he’s not quite up to this level, but I’m looking beyond the PP’s with this selection. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan is in town for this race only. After 3 turf and synthetic surface races, he’s back on the natural dirt where he’s won or been second in 8 of 17 starts. He fits the turf-to-dirt angle. He’s been working great at CD (dirt oval) and has already run beyond today’s distance (1 3/16 mile) at least 3 times in his career. A. P. Arrow will have a hot pace up front to assist his stretch running style. Grasshopper is a solid runner who has been no worse than second in his last 5 races… all Graded Stakes events.

Black Eyed-Susan (12th): Pious Ashley (# 9; 8-1)

Highest Class (# 4; 7-2)

Shes All Eltish (# 8; 5-2)

As mentioned earlier in this blog, I was visually impressed with Pious Ashley. Though she just ran two weeks ago, maybe the 6 furlongs didn’t take much out of her. She’s taking a huge step up in class, but will have no problem going the distance (1 1/8 mile). Highest Class got her act together last Fall, being a two time winner and three third place finishes as she entered Graded Stakes company. Her troubled trip in her last race resulted in coming up 7 lengths short of the winner, Shes All Eltish. But today Highest Class gets a 6 lb. swing in weight assignments versus Shes All Eltish. I’m throwing out Morning Line and local favorite, Bsharpsonata, because historically fillies that run in the Oaks rarely come back with a strong effort in the “Susan”.

Good Luck with your selections today!

Sporting Event Bucket List

Thu, 15 May 2008 19:20:08 GMT

I was asked this question last week, and I'm just getting to it. Here is my "Bucket List" of sporting event.

I know, some of you are wondering where is the Orioles World Series game or the Ravens' Super Bowl. I didn't list that because They aren't events that happen every year. These are sporting events that you can set your calendar to.

5. Wimbledon

4. USC/UCLA Football Game

3. The Super Bowl

2. NCAA Basketball Final Four

1. BCS Championship Game

The AL East, the NBA Mystery, and Poor, Poor Philadelphia

Thu, 15 May 2008 14:07:00 GMT

About every six months as a sports fan, we see something that we thought we’d never see. The Rockies run at the end of last year one was of those things. Now, after seeing the home team win something like 84 out of 85 games in the second round of the NBA playoffs, I can add another one to the list. I mean, the home court matters, but come on!

Now that the Flyers are all but done, you can cross off another season without a title for the City of Philadelphia. The last championship parade in Eastern PA, not counting Villanova, was the Sixers in 1983. People don’t realize how big of a city Philadelphia is. In the 2005 five census it ranked as the fifth largest city in the U.S. behind New York, L.A., Chicago and Houston. Just think, in the last 25 years those cities have produced champions the likes of the: Yankees, Mets, Giants, Rangers, Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Bulls, Bears, White Sox, and Rockets. Just pick a city, any city, (except Seattle and I guess Cleveland) and they’ve had champions. Now, this is not to say Phily hasn’t been close. The Flyers made the finals in ’85, ’87 and ’97, the Sixers in ’01, the Phillies in ’93 and the Eagles in ’05. Think of it this way. Since the last title in Phily, two teams in Miami have won titles (the Marlins twice and the Heat once) who didn’t even exist 1983. Thankfully, the one time the Panthers made the finals they got swept or it would have been a Miami expansion trifecta, which would have only made the Phily drought look worse.

I’m not going to talk about how the Orioles are better than everyone thought. That’s obvious. What I am going to talk about is how the Yankees and Red Sox aren’t as good as people thought. The Yankees have problems scoring and the Red Sox are having problems pitching. The Bombers wait patiently for Posada and Arod and the BoSox cross their fingers on Schilling. If Schilling doesn’t come back and contribute greatly, they are in need of a July trade. So, if the two teams that usually run away with the division don’t actually run away with the division, who is going to be close to them? Matt Bender has beaten the Rays’ drum all year and now no one is calling for his medication to be strengthened. If the O’s, now two games over 500 at the quarter pole, can stay at 500 through the all-star break, this division may resemble a logjam for the first time in years. I don’t know what kind of depth the O’s and the Ray’s have as far as AAA pitching, but if the guys that they roll out there right now can stay healthy enough to make 25-30 starts apiece………..

How rampant were steroids and HGH in baseball? I just heard a stat that home runs were down by 500 from ’06 to ’07. This year, they are on pace to be down 500 more. The question I have though is how rampant do you think HGH was/is in the NFL. Since there is no test for this, at least there wasn’t, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why every NFL lineman goes 300+.

KEEPING TRACK...

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:37:26 GMT

Cabrera = Sardines

Lightning Round .....

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:50:12 GMT

It’s Thursday, which means we’re ready for another game of LIGHTNING ROUND ….. where I throw ya a half-dozen questions requiring simple, yet, opinionated responses. Of course, I’m providing my responses ….. but I really want to know what you think. Without further delay, here’s the batch for this week …..

Question #1 - Which team will finish higher in the standings …. the Orioles or Rays?

Answer #1 - The Rays ….. they’re simply a better team. In fact, they’re good.

Question #2 – If there’s one person you could drink a beer with ….. it would be …..

Answer #2 – Howard Stern …. I think it’s all an act, and he’s a very normal guy.

Question #3 - Who’s the #1 ranked player in fantasy football, in 2008?

Answer #3 – Adrian Peterson

Question #4 – Van Halen performs at 1st Mariner Arena tonight. Who’s the better frontman, Roth or Hagar?

Answer #4 – Neither Dave or Sammy would be mistaken for Michael Buble’. However, Roth embodied the role of lead singer ….. he’s got IT.

Question #5 – Will Ray Lewis do the “Dance” this season?

Answer #5 – It’s Harbaugh-Law …. NO WAY !!!!

Question #6 – Of all the movies based on baseball, what actor gave the poorest performance as a baseball player?

Answer #5 – Tom Selleck in “Mr. Baseball” ….. he was awful.

OK sigh I'll do their work for them...

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:02:20 GMT

I'm really NOT sure why I'm this nice to them, but once again - like I've done all season - I'll do the Orioles marketing work for them.

Last month, I wrote a blog about the major strides the team has made in their community relations efforts over the last year or so.

Sadly, those endeavors and good deeds haven't translated into better home attendance. In fact - ahem, even with the team winning (the supposed tonic for all attendance-woes) - there are fewer people in the seats this year than in 2007.

The reason the team's PR efforts haven't yielded more customers can be traced, somewhat, to a very simple principle. A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN'T AWARE OF THEM.

The sad-caravan of O's PR rolled on this week when I contacted the team about trying to have Jeremy Guthrie appear on WNST to discuss a GREAT day-of-game promotion that comes up this Sunday, May 18.

At this point, I feel like I should be on the payroll like a handful of other media members in town, but I'll go ahead and tell you about the promotion and figure out who to invoice later on today.

This Sunday is "Bike to the Park" day at OPACY. Fans can ride their bike to the stadium, park it there (in a secured bike rack) and then get a voucher redeemable for a $6 upper reserved ticket.

For a franchise whose stadium is situated downtown - surrounded by 20-somethings living in Federal Hill, Canton, Fells Point, etc., this is a PHENOMENAL concept and one that should yield them some positive results on Sunday.

But no one knows about it.

You know why?

No one knows about it because they won't allow Jeremy Guthrie to appear on ANY radio or TV station in town that is not one of the team's rights holders. Well, that effectively eliminates about 25 or 30 media outlets in town that would probably be happy to have Guthrie on the air today or tomorrow to talk about Bike to the Park Day (Guthrie is the team's designated spokesman for this promotion...I'm not sure why, but he is.)

I even got the cold shoulder from a previously very warm and professional member of the team's PR staff yesterday in the press box. I asked him why he didn't respond to my e-mail request for a Guthrie appearance to promote THEIR revenue-generating promotion and he merely said, "I didn't get your e-mail..." - Wow, what a coincidence, huh? I send out 50 or so e-mails every day and the ONE that got hung up in cyberspace somewhere (somehow) just happened to be the one headed for the O's PR staff.

So, the team's viperish upper management crew have successfully groomed one of their really good, ultra professional PR kids to give me the freeze-him-out routine. Nice. When I asked to have Guthrie on the station (not just my show...Haynie's, Rob's, etc.) I was told this: "We don't allow any of our players to appear on any station except our rights holder."

I knew that already. But it's always fun to see someone who really doesn't believe that's smart be forced to say it as if it makes sense.

I'm not sure if the team understands this concept but here goes: Generally, in any one market, you can only sell your rights holder agreement to ONE entity. In this case, CBS Radio owns "the rights" and they have a few stations in town. So, by selling your soul to ONE entity and allowing that entity to run your PR department, you've effectively eliminated another 25-30 media outlets in town. They won't allow Guthrie on at WNST, WBAL, WCBM, WPOC, 92Q, WCAO, WTMD, 98 Rock and so on.

I'm a dummy and I can tell you that's not smart business.

The Ravens have a rights holder agreement with WBAL Radio - and they certainly give WBAL extra-special treatment (which they should)...but the Ravens would NEVER prohibit their players or staff from going on other radio/TV stations to promote either a game, promotional endeavor or charity program.

Anyway, I urge all of you downtown who own a bike to take advantage of this great opportunity on Sunday. Bike to the game (save $$ on the parking) and get a $6 ticket to see the Birds and Nationals. It's one of the best promotional concepts I've seen from them in a long, long time.

It would be more exciting if you could hear Jeremy Guthrie talk about it, and the team's great '08 start, but he's not allowed to speak on the subject unless the team is getting paid for it.

But because I'm getting soft in my old age - and because I'm tired of seeing 10,000 people in the ballpark - I'll go ahead and do the team's marketing work for them.

This time, though, I think I should send them an invoice.

EDIT: Oh, while I'm serving as the team's quasi-Marketing Director, I will also let all of you know something else you haven't heard this week...Daniel Cabrera will be appearing at Chick-Fil-A in Marley Station Mall this Saturday from 11am-1pm. Go on by and say "hi" and get an autograph or picture with him.

Thursday Morning's Crabs and Beer

Thu, 15 May 2008 08:57:02 GMT

Birds sweep Sox behind Cabrera's guile, Peyton's "grand" heroics. Hoey to miss season; R. Hernandez, Mora scratched again. "Magic" a hit again. Ravens adjust schedule for missing Flacco. Big Brown arrives in Baltimore, draws 7th post. UMBC agrees to new deal with Monroe. Salisbury advances to D3 semis, Washington Coll. season ends. Should Terps' Cottle be fired?

If you're not having fun yet...

Thu, 15 May 2008 08:27:32 GMT

Wednesday was a very memorable afternoon.

I went to the game with Bob Haynie, Drew Forrester and some other great friends and one of them just happened to have seats in the front row behind the third base dugout.

(If I write his name, I’m sure the Orioles will look to have his season tickets revoked).

Great seats, amazing weather, good friends, plenty of laughs to fill a dozen games and another amazing “Why Not-ish” comeback led by a Jay Payton grand slam en route to a 6-3 a victory to sweep the Boston Red Sox (OK, so it was only two games) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

What else could any Orioles fan want in the month of May other than to have a chance, right? It’s been ELEVEN YEARS!!!

I just got done watching Casey’s posted video of Kevin Millar and several of the good-natured Orioles doing a 30-year “send up” of “Orioles Magic” and I gotta tell you it’s the best thing that this organization has done in a decade.

Imagine that? A player on the team actually doing what this lousy, miserable ownership has found to be impossible: Millar is RECRUITING the community!

Tonight, on his one off night of the week, manager Dave Trembley is actually going out and speaking to one of the oldest and best sports fan clubs in the area, the Sports Boosters at the Mount Washington Tavern (don’t ask, it’s sold out unfortunately).

These late-inning cardiac wins have been fun. All of them! It’s only mid May, but there have been so many of these 7th, 8th & 9th inning rallies that I’m thinking it’ll only be days before Millar (a fine replacement in the marketing department for Greg Bader, I think, and maybe Trembley would agree) comes up with something to trump “Cowboy Up” and the rally monkey of Anaheim.

How long can it be before we see a rain delay tarp dive outta of Millar?

Who cares what his average is at this point? He’s got a sense of humor, which is what I’ve developed when dealing with the Orioles ownership.

You have to laugh or you’d cry…

Sure, they’re only two games over .500. Sure, if you were a reasonable betting man you still wouldn’t touch the Orioles and this everyday offensive lineup as a candidate to be playing fall baseball.

Not in Vegas with real money.

But you can’t watch these games and tell me that you’re not having fun if you’re an Orioles fan, which by its very nature is synonymous with “long suffering” at this point.

Now the argument could be made that when Payton was jacking that grand slam yesterday it still qualifies as the proverbial tree falling in the woods. The Orioles, despite the exciting brand of baseball we’re seeing, still aren’t being watched by very many people on TV or at the ballpark.

Honestly after attending many of the “friends and family” nights in April with crowds of less than 8,000, it was kind of strange just to see so many people in the bowl of the ballpark yesterday, perhaps half of whom were Red Sox fans. They might’ve had 30,000 there yesterday on a glorious weather day in May. It was a day BUILT to play hooky from work.

So if this team IS for real (and again that’s up for debate but 21-19 is good enough to at least make a legitimate debate), when will the city of Baltimore stand up and notice? When will people spend their hard-earned money to come to the ballpark again?

There were THOUSANDS of empty seats in the upper deck, all priced at $8. I’ve been saying since the turn of the century that it’s not about the pricing as much as it is the will of the people to come downtown and support this ownership group as well as identify with the players, which has been a massive problem since Cal Ripken opened up shop in Aberdeen.

Oh, and there's that little part about the word "Baltimore" being absent from the entire franchise's portfolio...

The Washington Nationals come to town tomorrow. On the face of it (and on the crest of their caps sits a giant “W”) we should hate them just BECAUSE they’re from Washington. I know I will not have any soft spot for Jim Zorn’s boys in burgundy and gold when they roll up from the District in December.

It will not be hard to hate Washington that day, for sure.

But the Nationals don’t inspire such ire, despite taking half of the Orioles fan base, half of their Wayne's World TV network and having “WASHINGTON” written on their chests. Oh, and they also swept the Birds the last time they made the trek up I-95.

The party tomorrow night will be at the Camden Pub. I will be bellied up to the bar with my son around 5 p.m. Feel free to join me! The whole point is to support the nice local folks who own these establishments and to have fun.

I have no idea when or if the city’s enthusiasm will catch up to Millar’s (or even mine) but I’m having fun with the Orioles again.

Kevin Millar has become my favorite Oriole of the new era. He’s a BIGGER clown than Rick Dempsey and I love it!

But based on the way the fans have been treated here for more than a decade, you can’t blame them for leaving the stadium empty while the "magic" happens.

And as much fun as I had yesterday with my friends and the fans sitting around me (a shout out to my man Carter, who celebrated his 5th birthday with me yesterday at OPACY…he went for the Edy's chocolate ice cream in the 6th inning), I still won’t be giving any appreciable money to the Angelos family, which has repeatedly attempted to take away my ability to feed my family, wreck my business and my enjoyment of a sport that I’ve spent my lifetime following and one that I truly believe is my birthright.

It just comes down to this: I love baseball and the Orioles more than I have any energy left to fight or “hate on” this pathetic ownership.

And I’ve certainly seen firsthand the devastation downtown summer nights have felt since the Orioles demise. If you were actually downtown, you'd see how empty it is. You can see the REAL truth that Mark Viviano, Amber Theoharis, Jim Hunter, Tom Davis, Anita Marks, Roch Kubatko and all of the others AREN'T showing you.

The city I love needs real people in it on a Friday night when Washington is playing at Baltimore.

And, really, if FREE THE BIRDS did nothing else, it created an environment where these fools have finally started "recruiting" the community again. Jeremy Guthrie is doing "bike day." Daniel Cabrera is signing autographs at Chick-Fil-A this weekend. Millar is making home movies..

When was the last time you saw them doing this stuff?

1989?

(Some idiot wrote on a message board that WNST is actually covertly getting money from Angelos to "promote" the team. THAT might be the funniest and most stupid thing I've ever read, and there are some bizarre "theories" out there! Those radio ads we played in February were a JOKE...like a Saturday Night Live ad...and an unpaid for one at that!)

I've been "promoting" the Orioles since 1972, even back in kindergarten when I read the scores to my class every morning. That's the most incongruent part of the whole equation: my whole EXISTENCE as a media member is to PROMOTE them.

What's good for the Orioles is good for WNST and Baltimore in general.

Despite their ownership's lack of common decency (and civil courtesy), I want to be a catalyst to have people come back downtown and support the local businesses, like we did yesterday at Regi’s on Light Street (wow, is their food amazing!).

Maybe we can all be using some of the "unused" tickets.

And I want to have fun. And when the team plays baseball like this, the whole city should be riding high and having fun with them.

Remember who "makes the magic happen?"

Yeah, YOU!

Like I wrote back in March when I decided to have daily “amnesia” in regard to the ownership’s continuing mean-spiritedness and vindictiveness: I’m going to squeeze as much fun out of the Orioles as I can this year.

I called it the “Summer of Amnesty.”

I’m sure Millar will come up with a better name for it.

Yesterday, a few free tickets and going to the game with some of my favorite baseball friends made for a VERY memorable afternoon, even if the team still loses 90 games and finishes in fourth place (still a real possibility given their every day lineup).

And don’t let Bob Haynie BS you. He LEFT THE GAME before the Payton grand slam! AND he owes Drew Forrester FIVE coffees after having the chance to get outta the bet with three coffees of his own. It was an EIGHT-COFFEE swing at the Royal Farms on Providence Road!

(Honestly, I couldn't find two better old-school people to go to the games with than Haynie and Forrester...just hearing them talk about Orioles memories was a blast! Next time, I'm dragging Rob Long, the Ungers -- the whole radio station -- out there!)

At this point with all of the strife and misery they’ve dealt me over the last decade, I’m not going to complain or apologize for having a little fun in my 40th summer with the game I grew up loving every day of my childhood.

Hope to see you at the Camden Pub Friday night...

“Orioles Magic feel it happen…”

The new Orioles magic video

Thu, 15 May 2008 04:20:47 GMT

So here is the Orioles Magic video that is the talk of the town. I have to say that you can not help but laugh when you see this. Like them or not, you have to give credit to Kevin Millar and the guys for doing this video.

They played it today on the Jumbotron before the game, and David Ortiz was holding his stomach laughing at Kevin Millar. Several of the Red Sox players were watching it and smiling and laughing at it.

It is refreshing to see these guys have such a good time.

Pimlico: Preakness Draw & Selections for Thursday (Day17)

Thu, 15 May 2008 01:41:24 GMT

The Preakness field is set. Post Positions were drawn earlier this evening at the ESPN Zone. Kentucky Derby winner, Big Brown has been listed as the 1-2 Morning Line (M/L) favorite and will break from the #7 post. He will be challenged by 12 other colts in the quest to capture the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown, which covers the distance of 1 3/16 mile; 1/16^th of a mile shorter than the Derby. Here’s how they’ll break from the gate…

PP Horse Name Jockey (M/L)

1 Macho Again J. Leparoux 30-1

2 Tres Borrachos T. Baze 30-1

3 Icabad Crane J. Rose 30-1

4 Yankee Bravo A. Solis 15-1

5 Behindatthebar D. Flores 10-1

6 Racecar Rhapsody R. Albarado 30-1

7 Big Brown K.Desormeaux 1-2

8 Kentucky Bear J. Theriot 15-1

9 Stevil J. Velazquez 30-1

10 Riley Tucker E. Prado 30-1

11 Giant Moon R. Dominguez 30-1

12 Gayego M. Smith 8-1

13 Hey Byrn C.C. Lopez 20-1

Recapping Day 15 (May 11^th)…

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I was unable to post a blog for the Sunday (Day 16) card. The public outcry was underwhelming. I’ll try not to let my damaged ego get in the way of doing a thorough job of handicapping this week, especially for Preakness Day. Belwo in the recap from Saturday’s picks.

Best Bet, Fareena (# 3; 8^th race; 8-5) was scratched.

Longshot, Plane Image (# 1; 9^th race; 6-1) did enter the Starting Gate for his first career race. Obviously, I was not the only one who liked his chances as he went off as the lukewarm 5-2 favorite. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell Plane Image that he had a shot in this one. He was slow out of the gate, but made a nice move in the stretch, passing a number of horses, but could only manage a 5^th place finish.

Here’s who I like for the Day 17 (May 15^th) of the Pimlico Spring Meet…

Best Bet: Doots (# 7; 7^th race on the turf; 3-1)

At this (Alw 7500) level he has performed well with a win and second. Starting for the first time since November, Doots will be in the capable hands of jockey Malcolm Franklin, who handles himself quite well on the sod. Franklin has 3 wins in 8 mounts for trainer Hamilton Smith at the current Meet. So I expect this duo to visit it for the fourth time after this race.

Longshot: Speedy Freddie (# 6; 5^th race on turf; 8-1)

Philly Park Shipper gets services of regular rider (Harry Vega) who comes to Old Hilltop just to ride him. Add the fact “Freddie” has won, placed and showed in four (4) lifetime grass efforts, where the win and place came at today’s distance, he’s a Player here.

Good Luck with your selections today!

Heckler's Delight...

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:06:34 GMT

Alex Cora is a good sport, let me say that right off the bat.

Aided by seats that were, literally, in the front row and 15 feet from the Red Sox dugout, I had a VERY memorable afternoon today at Fenway Park at Camden Yards.

First off, I won a week's worth of Royal Farms coffee from Bob Haynie. If you missed it, I bet Bob - on the air - that Daniel Cabrera would give up at least two home runs in today's game. Cabrera was outstanding again - going 7 innings and walking no one - but much to my delight he's now "2-Dinger Danny" instead of 5-walk Danny...and Haynie owes me five, count 'em, five coffees from Royal Farms. Funny thing - right before Varitek's home run, I offered Bob a 3-coffee "buy-out" and he turned it down.

Anyway, with the park jammed with Red Sox faithful, I figured it was appropriate to break out my 1970's Orioles gray away jersey that has "BALTIMORE" stitched across the front - it was, after all, a semi-away-game for the Birds today, so the away jersey was acceptable.

Not long after we settled into our seats did the heckling begin.

I barked at Cora - "Hey Alex, you're not gonna let these scrubs beat you guys two days in a row are you?" and he waved me off and shook his head from side to side and mouthed "No Way".

We berated ManRam every single time he trotted in after the end of an inning, but he must have given his rabbit ears to Cora because The Dreaded One never even acknowledged us.

By the way, that was one helluva catch he made in left field. Spectacular. Gotta give a man credit when credit is due. And, also, he was safe in the 8th inning, but who cares? And why wasn't Manny tossed when he fired his helmet at the ump after that bad call?

Anyway, back to the heckling. There were plenty of Red Sox fans in and around our immediate area of the stands. Makes you wonder, huh? How did these Red Sox folks get seats in Row C, D, E, F and G of Section 54? I wonder...

At one point, two kids, maybe 12 years old each, sat down behind us and one of them immediately said: "The Orioles suck..." I turned around and said, "Yeah, really? They're beating your sorry team 6-3 right now." Imagine that. These two Bah-stun young'uns sneak down into the good seats and start harrassing adults right in front of them. I had to remind them that their team was about to get swept by the team that "sucks". Consider it a lesson in fan-interaction-education, right?

Cora remained a playful target throughout the game and we gave him an earful every time he went on and off the field. He would occasionally smirk or smile and while they were ahead, it probably WAS funny to him.

It didn't seem so funny when Jay Payton hit that grand slam to put the O's up to stay in the 7th inning.

We still heckled him after that but it was all business from that point forward. Cora's probably a good guy, actually. It was fun "giving him stick", as they say over in England.

There were some sullen faces in that ballpark as we exited FPACY. I'm telling you, the place was jam packed with Boston fans and they didn't know what the hell to do.

Swept by the Orioles.

OK, it was only two games, but who cares, right?

Swept by the Orioles.

Right before the final out, I yelled out to Kevin Youkilis, "Hey Youkilis, how do you say 'we just got swept' in Greek?"

He looked over at me and scowled. He wasn't happy. Neither was some guy in a Red Sox jacket who was standing next to Youkilis - a trainer, most likely. He frowned at me as if to say, "Dude, when we come back here in a few weeks your team will be 10 games under .500 and we'll have a 6-game lead in the division." It was a snotty look that he shot me, that's for sure.

It was a lot of fun at FPACY today. A 6-3 win over, say, the Twins, wouldn't have been nearly as much fun, I'm sure.

Red Sox Nation took over for a day and left with their tail between their legs.

Oh, if you see Haynie, remind him I like cream and sugar in my coffee.

My Caleb Campbell soapbox

Wed, 14 May 2008 14:01:41 GMT

So the Caleb Campbell story has taken on a life of its own.

His story is well documented as a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, who because of a clause that was created by the Army, had a chance to go play professional sports and was drafted by the Detroit Lions.

Campbell will have to serve his obligations as a recruiter in the Detroit area while he is with the Lions. Don’t think that recruiting is some cupcake job that Caleb is getting either. Try convincing some kid that it is in their best interest to join the military when all they see on TV is how soldiers are treated and the thousands of them that have lost their lives serving overseas.

Plus with recruiting, Caleb and his recruiting station will be required to meet a certain quota that is set for them as far as potential recruits for the Army.

Recruiting is a position in the Army that they are always trying to get soldiers to go to school for, and it is not an easy thing to do. You would be amazed at the number of soldiers who turn down a chance to go to recruiting school, because of all of the headaches that are involved with it.

I am by no means saying that it is more trying then serving overseas, so please don’t take it that way.

I served six and a half years in the U.S. Army as a combat medic, and just for the record, being a medic does not equal working in a hospital your whole career in the Army.

I served with the 1st Battalion 9th Infantry in Camp Hovey, South Korea…Manchu’s got the belt buckle for the 25 mile, 40-pound rucksack march to prove it.

I also served with the Big Red One armored battalion in Ft. Riley, Kansas, where one summer I was selected as a medic to spend the summer at West Point. West Point is one of the most breath taking places I have ever been, and trust me no one is going to West Point thinking they are headed to a life of pro sports.

Then due to an illness that my oldest son suffers from, I was reassigned for his medical needs to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., where I served for over four years. I never served overseas or in a combat zone, the only thing that came close to it was working in the WRAMC emergency room on 911 and responding to the attacks on the Pentagon.

I say all that to say that if I was Caleb Campbell, I would have done the same thing. Campbell is getting treated by some as if he is some horrible person because he had a chance to go play professional sports. Caleb has done nothing wrong in this situation.

If SFC Watson had come to me when I was in Ft. Riley, Kansas sleeping out in the field and said “Casey, I’ve seen you play basketball and I think you should have a chance to go play NBA basketball,” I would have asked, “Where do I sign up?”

Does that make me not support my country as much as the next guy?

I don’t see anyone all up in arms about the other 1,000 ways people can get out of the military, and trust me if you really want to get out, you can find a way out.

I came down on orders to go to Ft. Lewis Washington right after 911. I had to have 24 months of service left and I had something like 22 left, so I had the option of getting out of the Army or re-enlisting. I chose to get out, partly because I was recently married and did not want to move my family across the United States and partly because I was having serious knee issues after a incident in Korea, and partly because I had been offered a civilian job doing the same thing I was doing in the Army in the same part of the hospital for way more money.

Does that make me not loyal or a bad person?

I don’t think so; I have an honorable discharge from the military. There was a chance for me to get out and so I did.

I think that more people need to go serve in the military, even if it is just for two years. I always tell people that it was some of the best times of my entire life and would recommend it to anyone.

I am who I am today – or at least 90% of it -- because of the time I spent in the Army. I still get emotional at times when I hear the Star Spangled Banner, because I know what that represents.

I feel for the families who get that knock on their door telling them their son, daughter, mother, father, brother, whomever has lost his or her life in combat. I know what it is like to watch as a fellow soldier is laid in the ground for paying the ultimate sacrifice for his country.

I think Caleb Campbell will help the Army with getting people to join.

Let’s be honest, the Army might lose 5 people over the next 10 years to a pro sport, but if they get 100 more to join, that is all that matters. Is it the smartest thing ever? Maybe not the smartest recruiting tool ever, but let’s be honest, the doors at the recruiting stations are probably not getting knocked down with people coming in to sign up.

I also do not doubt for one second that if things don’t work out for Caleb in the NFL, he will be all for continuing his service to the military.

Good luck Caleb, I am pulling for you.

Buy Low, Sell High ..... Trade Daniel Cabrera !!!!

Wed, 14 May 2008 12:36:01 GMT

Just ask yourself this question ….. what would Billy Beane do? Yep, that’s right, he would trade Daniel Cabrera while his stock is at it’s highest. Trust me, there’s a contender out there that’s willing to deal blue-chip prospects for the tall righthander. And, this is what the Orioles need to do, as the revitalization and renovation project progresses.

I know you’re starving for a competitive ballclub, and the Orioles are closer to that point, than they were six months ago. With some prudent, yet, difficult decision-making they’ll be even closer, six months from now. Such gains would mean parting with the likes of a Daniel Cabrera for a couple legitimate infield prospects.

Say what you want ….. the Orioles have pitching depth in their minor league system and can afford to deal another arm at the major league level. Especially, if such a trade yields young, but desirous infielders. This organization is barren, when it comes to future infielders. Take a look ….. there aren’t any true prospects in the system. Billy Rowell isn’t the answer and Nolan Reimold is languishing at Bowie, while his 25th birthday approaches.

Following the 2009 season, the Orioles will be “free and clear” of the current starting infield. If they can get a deal done with Brian Roberts, great ….. but the other holes need to be filled by young talent. And, don’t start with the “Mark Teixeira blah, blah, blah.” Your heart’s involved ….. and he’s regressing. I don’t care how old he is ….. his numbers are dropping and have done so for three straight seasons. Buy low, sell HIGH !!!!!

Bet on this, if he maintains ….. Daniel Cabrera will command a “5 year/$65 million” deal. And, he’s approaching his 27th birthday (so we think). This means he’ll be approaching his 29th birthday (so we think) when he enters free agency. Name the last free agent pitcher, who was a good deal in his late 20’s?

Hmmm ….. how about Mike Hampton, Barry Zito, Kevin Millwood, Kevin Brown, Kerry Wood and Carl Pavano for starters? You wanna build a contending club for future success? Stay away from free agent pitchers !!!! Why do you think Billy Beane dealt Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Dan Haren? By the way, he got the better end of every deal.

Everyone rolled their eyes when Beane dealt Haren, last December. Look at the deal now ….. he robbed the Diamondbacks. The same fate should await Daniel Cabrera, as a member of the Orioles. Why? It’s simply in the best interest of the team. They just laid the foundation ….. this project has a long way to go.

Wednesday Morning's Crabs and Beer

Wed, 14 May 2008 10:24:02 GMT

Birds post emotional win over Sox thanks to Guthrie's guts, Scott's big stick, and Johnson's ice in veins. Mora hurt before game, Trachsel's spot in rotation to be skipped. Suggs, Ravens agree to common ground. Big Brown arrives tonight after posts drawn; Gayego IN, Jockey Club chief Dragone OUT after Preakness. Magna will support slots in Maryland. Terps end baseball season with no-hitter.

How about a quick version of 22 questions?

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:55:53 GMT

It's a Wednesday. That's a good thing.

There's day baseball in Baltimore, as the O's host the Red Sox at Fenway Park at Camden Yards. That's a good thing too. Well, the day baseball part is a good thing. Boston fans in Baltimore isn't such a good thing, but that's the team's fault, not Baltimore's.

But, I'll be out there at FPACY today, so this edition of 22 questions needs to be a little more speedy than normal.

Ready? Fire away.

Just don't ask me whether or not the soon-to-be-retiring Annika Sorenstam is the best female golfer ever. Of course she is.

For the love of baseball, hockey and Bobby Valentine...

Wed, 14 May 2008 02:56:05 GMT

I had a chance to go to the Orioles game tonight. I WANTED to go to the Orioles game tonight. But these are the toughest nights of the year.

Hockey vs. baseball...

As many of you know, I have some hockey friends and they wanted to watch the Flyers-Penguins game. (OK, truth be told, Hockey Meg and Kenny Ballgame talked me out of the Orioles game and saved me from donating $8 to Peter Angelos!)

I am going to make a donation on Wednesday with Bob Haynie, Drew Forrester and Phil Stern (UMBC Women’s Hoops coach). I’m calling a 12:30 cocktail summit at Regi’s. All are welcome to adjourn at the main bar on Light Street. We will hit the upper left field reserves right around game time.

So, instead of hitting The Yard tonight, I watched two periods of what must be a frustrating time for anyone wearing an orange Filthy jersey. I’ve hated the Flyers most of my adult life. But I’m kinda pulling for them to win because Terry Murray (a really good guy) would get his name on the Stanley Cup and I love Terry Murray!

The Flyers stunk late in the game, apparently.

But I digress…

After two periods, I tuned to MASN and found the Orioles up 5-3 in the 7th and saw that spectacular shootout between Jim Johnson and the heart of the Red Sox order. WOW! That was some serious Orioles Magic right there. Bases loaded, nobody out. Walker walks Ortiz. Ramirez and Lowell staring down that two-run deficit.

That was just a great moment for the Orioles season, no matter how it finishes. It’s times like these that if you didn’t know any better you might even get a little hopeful.

Jim Johnson? Who knew?

It was a great win, slaying the giants from Boston.

And while it sounded very pro-Boston early in the game, it surely looked like there were plenty of Orioles fans in the 7th when Johnson started dealing the heat.

I’m looking forward to the game later today and hope we have some fun at an Orioles game for a change. And I hope someone offers to pay for Drew’s ticket.

*******

Right now, I’m watching one of the most fascinating shows I’ve seen on TV in a long time.

I’m watching “The Zen of Bobby V.”

I don’t know where to begin.

I’m fascinated by Japan and by Japanese baseball, ESPECIALLY after spending three days there on my Cal Ripken Asia tour last November. I missed the end of the Japan World Series by 24 hours when I landed. It was a bummer!

Bobby Valentine was my first favorite baseball player in the 1974 and 1975 when he played for the California Angels. Over the years, I’ve met him many times and had him on my show many times. I'm still a big Bobby V fan (despite the fact that I got a bad meal in his restaurant in Arlington, Tex. one night!).

When you walk down the streets of Tokyo or ride the inevitable mobbed subways, you see his image almost everywhere. He’s a ROCK STAR in Japan.

And this HD film on his season is spectacular.

It shows the “reality” part of baseball on the island.

It shows the amazing enthusiasm for the sport. The chants from the stands. The flag waving. The singing and songs. The players actually SING the team fight songs with the fans!

And the best part? If you’re a Ravens fan, his team does the Ray Lewis “WHAT TIME IS IT” chant in a circle like they’ve seen it on NFL Films. They do it WORD FOR WORD in Japanese and touch the ground just like Rex Ryan’s defense.

(I wonder if Ray Lewis or Rex Ryan know this??)

How bizarre, right?

Before the Beijing Olympics, I’ll bust out my movies from Tokyo (I never completed editing them). But it was one of the coolest places I’ve ever been and watching this film is amazing. My videos will point out all of the cool "differences" of life in Tokyo. I shot a LOT of film.

"The Zen of Bobby V" makes me think good thoughts about my trip there.

I hit pause to write this.

I gotta get back to watching it.

See you at The Yard…or at Regi’s first!