Nestor Aparicio's Blog

Ogden vs. McNally in KOBS

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:41:46 GMT

I was actually shocked at how quietly Jon Ogden walked away from the Ravens a few weeks ago. I thought that it'd be a more emotional deal for the fans and that there would be more "appreciation" for what an amazing talent Ogden was in Baltimore.

Well, today I'm sure he'll get his just due in the voting of the Toyota Live Web King of Baltimore Sports contest taking on Dave McNally.

But I'm really wondering how he's going to fare moving forward. You could make a case that no one had a more effective career, especially being the first pick of the franchise.

What more could Jon Ogden have done as a Raven?

Vote away today as we get to the end of the first round of the competition.

*****

By the way, I'm not giving up on the Orioles just yet. They EASILY could be on a three-game winning streak.

We'll see how they adjust to life without Matt Albers and Jamie Walker in the bullpen. And we'll also see how Adam Loewen fares now that he's been rushed back.

The one "little" detail that's been lost on the local baseball audience as the O's have had great success and comeback fortune over the first half of the season is the fact that the team has been almost 100% healthy in most respects.

Now the injuries have come calling and the depth will be exploited or applauded.

Either way, it the absolute middle odf the season for the O's and they're still fun to watch.

That's all we could ask for...

KOBS: Eddie vs. Jamal, O's bus and kicks with David Beckham

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:13:28 GMT

Today is a matchup between two men who, like the soccer players of Brazil, only need one name: Eddie vs. Jamal. Sure, Murray should run away with it today, but I think Lewis was a tad bit underappreciated here as a football player.

It’ll be a long time before we see another running back in purple who was that good. Funny, how they both wound up playing in Cleveland of all places, right? And weird how Jamal Lewis actually went to jail and Ray Lewis didn't and Ray gets all of the heat from the fans in other cities. I've never heard a fan yell anything at Jamal about jail even in the worst cities on the road.

******

The WNST bustrip yesterday was fabulous, despite the crappy ending. It was the first Orioles bus trip we’ve done in a long, long time and it was very rewarding. Lots of nice people wearing orange, great fans who drank some Miller Lite Collectors’ brew (they killed off the wheat, my favorite, pretty quickly) and we managed to avoid a rain delay.

In the end, we were on our feet in the 12th inning waiting for strike three and an Orioles victory when Ronnie Belliard jerked that ball into the left field seats.

So our first roadie of distinction in this century for the Orioles and they lose in Washington, D.C. on a walkoff homer in the 12th inning. It sucked having to look at their faces on the bus because we were all in a state of shock and disbelief. There’s NO WAY to lose in any worse fashion than that, and George Sherrill might’ve had Belliard struck out on the previous pitch. Well, aa least the D.C. fans weren’t taunting anyone on the way outta the stadium. It wasn’t like a Redskins game, where their burgundy and gold types can get a little chippy.

I’d say well over 90% of our crowd hadn’t been to the Nationals’ new stadium yet. I went about two months ago (even shot a video if you check in my video vault on wnsTV) and while it’s not the most impressive building I’ve ever been in, it’s a very nice crib for the D.C. crowd. Easy to get to from the Metro, nice spacious upper deck with plenty of good views of the field -- everyone in Baltimore should see it and visit once a year. It’s a good time and a nice ballpark but certainly different from the Camden Yards experience.

The most glaring issue from yesterday is how incredible empty all of the seats behind home plate are for most of the game. Those seats are 85% empty for most of the game and are the priciest seats in the stadium. Of course, the Nats don’t have many “hardcore” fans yet. And every time someone would come up to bat, we’d all be saying the same thing: “Who the hell is THAT guy? I’ve never heard of him?” They’ve assembled a pretty anonymous bunch down there.

Our bus arrived quite early, around 11:15 and I have a friend who works for the D.C. United, who were playing the biggest game of their year just three miles away at R.F.K. Stadium at 12:15. So I hopped on the Metro and snuck over to the old stadium to watch David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy battle the United.

The video is coming soon (there’s already a pretty cool piece on wnsTV of Beckham’s “bending it” on a corner kick that was about 15 feet from where I happened to be.

Lots of pretty girls, lots of kids who love soccer, lots of Beckham jerseys – just what you’d expect when one of the most famous men in the world comes to play soccer in an international city. But, also, a myriad of passionate support for the United from Barra Brava and the Screaming Eagles fan club/supporter groups.

Like I said, I’ll show you what I saw on wnsTV soon. I stayed for the first half and got back to the Nats-O’s game by the top of the 2nd inning. That D.C. subway rocks! It was a seamless, easy thing to do, attending both events. It was also impressive to see around 75,000 people turn up for sports within a few miles of each other.

One last thing: speaking of soccer, I’m really going to miss the Euro Cup now that Spain has run off with the trophy.

I watched about 90% of that tournament, most of it in the late afternoons on delay because I didn’t have anyone calling me or texting me the results to wreck it for me.

Soccer on the international stage in absolutely fabulous – the passion, the fans, the noise, the excitement and the want and will of the players is unrivaled here in America.

Now, I have to wait two more years for another World Cup to have that much fun.

But we don’t have to wait for another Orioles bus trip. We’re heading to Yankee Stadium in four weeks on July 30th. Hope you can join us!

Scott Garceau will leave WMAR as a full-time sports anchor

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:08:01 GMT

Long-time sports anchor and sports director Scott Garceau will leave his full-time gig at WMAR Channel 2 for a part-time role as a special project coordinator in the next two weeks.

My sources tell me that he’ll remain on as Sports Director Emeritus and will continue to do special events like Ravens coverage, lacrosse and the annual Turkey Bowl coverage of Loyola-Calvert Hall.

One web outlet has inaccurately been reporting that he’s “leaving WMAR.” That’s not totally true, although he will not be doing the daily news show, perhaps as soon as next week.

Although Garceau may bristle at the notion, this could be considered "semi-retirement" from the daily grind of sports on TV after 26 years in Baltimore, where he came from Albequerque and his home area of the upper Penisula of Michigan.

Garceau, of course, was the first “voice of the Ravens” and called Super Bowl XXXV’s victory.

An official announcement is expected by station manager Bill Hooper sometime later today.

WNST will have all of the details.

Garceau has earned legendary status for his quarter century of integrity in sportscasting in Baltimore. I'd say "he'll be missed" but I don't think we've heard the last of Scott Garceau.

KOBS: Down goes Reed, down goes Reed!

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:39:48 GMT

I must admit that I didn’t vote yesterday in the Toyota Live Web King of Baltimore Sports contest. Quite frankly, I didn’t want to be the “deciding” vote. Like Al Davis, I abstained.

It was a close vote: Mike Cuellar won 56% to 44% over Ed Reed.

I think Cuellar deserved to win but maybe it says more about how the folks who are voting feel about Ed Reed. Honestly, we really thought more people who read the site and call in and interact would be voting. The turnout at the polls has been disappointing in the first round, but today's matchup is Brooks Robinson vs. Bert Jones. Brooks should win, but I think Bert will get some love.

We’ve routinely had more than 3,000 people in some contests we’ve held in the past. Our text service alone has this many people. Some weeks we’ve done in excess of 5,000 on block pools, so we know how many people listen, click on the website, etc. We've had as many as 12,000 unique users to the site in one 24-hour period.

I guess a lot of folks wanted to talk about King of Baltimore but not follow the early round voting or to abstain from the voting. I have a feeling the voting will pick up as the matchups become more “even” in the upcoming rounds.

We hope so. We’d really love to find a legitimate winner.

We've educated some folks, annoyed some folks but many people have walked up to me on the street and tell me how much they love the idea. It's like anything else I've encounted in my 16 years of doing radio: some people are gonna love it and some are gonna hate it.

Whatever...we did the KOBS for the right reason and with the best of intention and certainly during one of the slower times of the sports calendar year.

So spread the word for us come the next round. It’s still has plenty of time. All of the guys who “should” win kinda have (as expected). So the tournament is still on track and focused.

But the Ed Reed thing is interesting because he really couldn’t have been much better in his first few seasons. He was a Player of the Year in the NFL as a safety. That might never happen again. It’s unprecedented. He was THAT good. He's done all that a future Hall of Famer could do at his position.

But he’s a moody guy, a strange bird amidst a room full of different kinds of personalities. Reed doesn’t want attention for the most part, yet on the field he’s all energy. And he doesn't curry favor with the fans here for the most part. He's not the "man about town."

Cuellar had tried to get back in the with Orioles organization for years but most people in town under 40 probably can't pronounce his name. But his stats were just astounding after coming over from Houston. He was a legitimate difference maker during the three-year run of World Series appearance’s for Earl Weaver’s Birds from 1969-1971.

The fact that Mike Cuellar has gotten some run and some respect means that the Toyota Live Web King of Baltimore Sports has worked better than we thought.

Like I said, it'll get a lot more interesting for those who are claiming "walkover" in this round.

There's a lot more contest left. Feel free to vote. It's easy and free and fun to participate.

And don't forget to save Friday, Aug. 8th on your calendar. We'll be inviting you to WNST's 10th Anniversary party at Sports Legends Museum.

Why I love Jim Palmer, Part 1

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:20:36 GMT

I’m sitting home watching the Orioles game in glorious Comcast HD on Channel 226 tonight and I wasn’t going to blog. I wasn’t going to write about Wrigley Field, or my many memories there or anything about the Orioles. I wasn’t even going to post my video of my trip to Comiskey Park last year (but I still might do that!)

Somehow, Orioles pitcher Chris Ray wound up on WNST today (I honestly don’t even have an explanation about how it happened…stay tuned for that!) so I am ever-so-grateful that they’ve finally, mostly ended their VERY one-sided “feud” with WNST. People somehow think I’m at war with THEM? Not true. They’ve been at war with virtually EVERYONE in the community. Clearly, they’ve come to their senses about one more of the many stupid things they’ve been doing to wreck their franchise over the past decade.

I love the Orioles. I've always loved the Orioles.

For the gifts of the summer of 2008, I’m grateful. I’m happy they’re marketing the team, selling a few tickets the past few weeks, getting people downtown to stimulate the city (even in the midst of a few murders three blocks from my home this week), winning some games and making their hardcore fans happy. I’m grateful that they’ve made it an interesting season for all of us.

But even more so, I’m grateful for Jim Palmer.

On a night when I’ve watched Jerry Remy being honored (yes, my wife had NESN on tonight for the Red Sox-Diamondbacks game and I SWEAR TO GOD, It’s “Jerry Remy Night” celebrating his 20 years with the Red Sox. It’s an “homage” to all things Jerry Remy. For three hours! It’s insane!).

I’m thankful that there’s still one thing about MASN that’s not all screwed up and corporate.

And that’s ‘Cakes!

I will openly politic for him to be the Toyota Live Web “King of Baltimore Sports” over the next few weeks because, quite frankly, he should win. Just go look at the numbers!

And some FORTY THREE YEARS after arriving here in Baltimore as a 19-year old kid from far away, Jim Palmer still lives, works, breathes and bleeds Baltimore. And even though he’s always been a little too educated, erudite and “cute” for the blue-collar public here, he’s always been here trying to make the Orioles better. And educate the fans about the game. And he's been as honest as he can be without selling out to the whims of "Mr. Angelos."

(And even on the backside of “Free The Birds,” he was the one guy with the stones to speak the truth and defend the fans’ backlash. Jim Palmer defended the walkout! I heard it! He KNOWS I was right and all 2,500 of us were right!)

And I want to make it clear: I have virtually ZERO relationship with Jim Palmer even though I've always enjoyed the time I've spent with him. He's one guy I've always left alone and he doesn't know me at all. We had one long chat in a Toronto hotel in 1994, but that's about it. He didn't want to be bothered and I didn't want to bother him. But I respect him immensely. I've never interviewed or spoken with Jim Palmer publicly. I've been doing radio for 16 1/2 years and I've NEVER had Jim Palmer on my show that I can remember.

So, I have no "dog in the hunt" with him the contest. The more "shallow" readers and listeners would say I have every reason to hate Jim Palmer (because he's never come on my show) but that's far from the reality of the situation or who I am as a person.

Having him in my living room for three hours whenever Angelos feels like paying him is good enough for me.

He makes watching Orioles baseball SO MUCH better. And even more so when he’s paired with Gary Thorne, who is as good as they’re going to get now that it's been 12 years since Jon Miller was wrongfully shown the gate in a cloud of lies by the ownership.

I was driving through Upper Fells Point (like Pratt and Broadway) last Thursday en route to Santoni’s new super market opening in Highlandtown, and there was Palmer standing in an Under Armour golf shirt crossing the street on a summer day.

And I honestly thought to myself: “There goes the greatest Baltimore athlete of them all who will never get the credit he probably deserves.”

And probably because his vocabulary is too big and his knowledge is too deep for most of us to even understand his greatness or mastery of baseball.

But, I digress…

Jim Hunter was telling a story on MASN tonight (right after he had a big "love in" with Andy McPhail...only Andy's employees get to interview Andy, ala Fidel) about being in Gibsons Restaurant on Rush Street in Chicago last night with his family and was doing the usual “kiss Jim Palmer’s ass” routine.

Hunter told as humorous story as he could tell and in the best delivery he could find, saying that he saw the Pope’s picture on the wall and Palmer’s photo was actually ABOVE IT autographed to the folks at Gibsons. He said that THAT'S how big of a deal Palmer is!

And Palmer’s punchline was actually SO FREAKING GOOD, it was LOST on Hunter.

Too funny!

Palmer’s response:

“REALLY?,” he said, clearly being taken by surprise by the story for his picture on the wall.

“Was I dressed?”

Hunter just moved on and kissed Palmer’s butt some more. No drumroll, no mention, no guffaw or "awkward" moment.

So, I thought I’d provide the punchline that Hunter missed above in the photo that caught your attention and got you reading.

But then, again, I’m a real Orioles fan.

Jim Hunter is a Yankees fan who gets paid to be an Orioles fan.

Kinda like all of those dorky actors in those lame “This is Birdland” commercials.

I swear I'd almost FORGOTTEN about those crazy Jockey ads from my youth. I even remember the Dundalk neighborhood joke and punchline: "Jim Palmer used to be famous for his strikes, now he's famous for his balls!"

Tell me you HAVEN'T HEARD that one?!

I wonder if Hunter has?

Palmer was the greatest athlete in Baltimore's rich history and he stripped damned-near bare naked in his prime in the 1970's and got away with it! He looks like Sam Malone!

Literally, it took some MAJOR "balls" to do that ad, right?

If Nick Markakis or Brian Roberts did that now, I think people would flip out, right?

Maybe we'll put together a WNST swimsuit calender with our hosts and bloggers?

I wonder who would be on the cover?

For more laughter, click here! Just trust me! It's worth your click!

KOBS voting: Ray Lewis vs. Ken Singleton today!

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:30:16 GMT

What appears to be a mismatch on the field might be a bit closer if folks vote in a popularity poll today.

Ken Singleton, as shown in our vote-in round, is a VERY popular old Oriole. From the mid-1970s through the early 1990's, Singy was either playing the outfield or doing TV sports at Channel 13.

He now does YES Network broadcasts for Yankees games and appears on WNST from time to time.

Ray Lewis, it could be argued, is the greatest athlete in the history of the city. He's a very legitimate No. 1 seed.

Over the years, opinions about the "off the field" Ray have varied. We'll see how it goes with the vote, but just think about a purple world without Ray Lewis.

Let the voting begin...

KOBS voting: Brady Anderson vs. Jim Parker today

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:05:34 GMT

Given the firestorm we felt when Brady Anderson was in the inital 28 contestants for the Toyota King of Baltimore Sports contest, today's voting will be interesting.

When Brady was hitting homers and stealing bases (and hearts), he was immensely popular in Baltimore. There were even "Keep Brady In Baltimore" pins and T-shirts all over Camden Yards. One steroid scandal -- and Anderson has never admitted to using steroids and never tested positively -- and a decade later there's a definite "anti-Brady" bent we've heard from WNST listeners.

I never saw Jim Parker play. To me, he was the guy who owned the liquor store. But I know enough to know his legend.

Enjoy the voting today...

A very sad morning when the first piece of news I got was that George Carlin died. Who among us can say that Carlin didn't make us laugh at some point? He was a smart, funny man!

Go Dutch...the "other" orange team

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 12:57:26 GMT

If you're bored on a Saturday afternoon, do yourself a favor and throw on the Euro Cup game today between the Netherlands and Russia.

After seeing the Dutch passion for their soccer team and all things "orange," you'll know why we love "football" on the international stage.

At a local supermarket in Amsterdam they've given out orange "welpies" or "wups." They're silly little orange fuzzy lion creatures and they have become ubiquitous in the Dutch culture.

We attended the World Cup two years ago this week and stayed in Amsterdam and commuted into Germany, and seeing the national passion and support the team dwarfed even Baltimore's purple passion the last week of Jan. 2001.

The entire country goes nuts.

Even Bruce Springsteen got in on the act Wednesday night (read review here), when he donned an orange lei in support of the Ruud von Niestelroy and the boys in the orange. (Hey, I've been pulling for an orange baseball team since 1972, so it's not hard to wear orange!).

There's also a phenomenal video here on youtube showing you exactly what a "welpie" looks like.

It's in Dutch, but you don't need to interpret the language to appreciate the sense of humor.

We'll be watching and rooting for Holland, The Netherlands, The Dutch, The Wolpie and anything orange today at 2:45.

Check it out, and enjoy!

KOBS voting: Frank Robinson vs. Matt Stover today!

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:25:21 GMT

OK, so this is a mismatch. But that's really not the point.

Maybe today we should take a moment to consider what an accomplishment it's been for Matt Stover to STILL be a part of the 2008 Baltimore Ravens.

He survived the move from Cleveland (he's TRULY the last man standing from that fiasco and picket signs and wearing the Reeses Pieces helmets) and he's STILL kicking in the NFL. And he'll forever be a Raven.

He's the franchise's all-time leader in points scored (and it ain't even close, really) and he's been a great citizen for Baltimore and an all-around decent dude.

As far as Frank Robinson goes, well his credentials here in six seasons are good enough for him to win the whole enchillada in the Toyota Live Web King of Baltimore Sports. Brooks Robinson put baseball on the Baltimore map. Frank Robinson made winning and championships a standard here, even 40 years later.

Stover stopped me after a Ravens practice two weeks ago and made this prediction: "Frank Robinson is gonna CRUSH me!"

I'm not sure that he's wrong, but it'd be nice if Matt got at least a couple of votes...

Voting for the first round of 16 matchups will continue on Monday...

Good luck Matt! (At least you're a nicer guy than Frank!)

Happy Anniversary Andy McPhail!

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:17:57 GMT

One year ago today, Orioles owner Peter Angelos hired longtime baseball man Andy McPhail to run the team as the President of Baseball Operations. The changes over the last 52 weeks have been evident, both on and off the field.

Sure, it’s easy to get excited by the fact that the summer solstice is upon us and the club is still actually above .500 if not directly in the AL East race, but the signs that the franchise might finally be pointed in the right direction are self-evident.

1. The players are having fun again. Gone are the days of the brooding Sidney Ponsons and cranky Miguel Tejadas. In are the bleach blonde hair and retro “Orioles Magic” videos of Kevin Millar. Fun on the field equals fun in the stands, even on the nights when they lose.

2. Youth has been served. By dealing malcontents like Tejada and pitcher Erik Bedard, McPhail served notice that being a good person and teammate might be as valuable in the clubhouse as a good ERA or OBP. Enter Luke Scott and Adam Jones, who have quickly become fan favorites. One look at the brims of the squad’s caps when George Sherrill enters a game in the ninth inning would tell you that it’s still a boys’ game. Even Aubrey Huff has relented and apologized after calling Baltimore a “horses**t” town on a national radio show last November. He’s even gotten a couple of big hits.

3. Giving the fans a better experience. From 1979 nostalgia nights to 25th Anniversary swag from the 1983 championship team to sending players out into the community to sign autographs, the team has used its “Orioles Reach” program to make some positive vibes throughout the area.

4. The manager appears as though he is in charge. As silly as it sounds, even Dave Trembley acknowledged this clear problem during a pre-game press conference on Tuesday when he said: “I figured, they've got nothing to lose because the way they've been doing it around here for 10 years didn't work. It was going nowhere. They say timing in life is everything. I think the timing was right to come in here and say: 'Enough is enough. It ain't working, the way you guys have been doing it. The inmates are no longer running the asylum.”

5. They have a chance to win every night. Aside from all of the “cosmetic” differences to the team, when you go to an Orioles game or turn on the television in the 7th inning on any random night, you feel like they’re not out of it. And night after night they have found miraculous ways to win close games. Of their 36 wins entering last night’s game with Houston, an unprecedented 21 of them have been “comeback” wins, nothing short of astonishing.

6. Brian Roberts is still an Oriole. The Cubs wanted him badly. They didn’t get him. Yet…

7. Embracing the Ravens. So far, John Harbaugh, Steve McNair, Jon Ogden and Willis McGahee have thrown out first pitches. That’s four more than appeared in the first decade of the Ravens’ existence in Baltimore.

8. So monumental has the shift in the team’s “fan friendly” philosophy that it even appears that they’re going to put the word “Baltimore” back on their road jerseys next year.

So, in the spirit of my fandom and passion for the Orioles, here are a few more “requests” for making the club better over the next 365 days.

1. End the silly war with the local media and stop attempting to ban free speech. When my press pass appears at the front door – and I had one from 1986 until 2006, when they banned me for telling the truth-- is when I’ll finally believe that the franchise has “changed its ways.” (I'm not holding my breath!)

2. Stop fudging the attendance numbers. We’re not stupid. If there are only 12,000 people in the stadium don’t announce the crowd at 21,000. It’s insulting.

3. Attempt to market the team in the offseason. Make some players come to Baltimore for a week and sign some autographs, do some media and show up at some Ravens games to return the favor.

4. Get more starting pitching. (At least Steve Tranchsel is gone!)

5. Find a true cleanup hitter. This might be predicated on McPhail spending some of the millions of dollars Angelos is raking in via MASN’s quiet money machine.

There are plenty of litle "nit picky" things that I still kinda hate about my Orioles experience:

* That goofy Gwen Stefani song being played when they score runs at home.

* Buck Martinez doing color commentary (just a personal preference)

* The radio broadcasts are just horrible, unlistenable for three hours by anyone who wants to be entertained

* Those Disneyland commercials with obvious paid actors "acting" like they're Orioles fans (a total embarrassment)

* "This is Birdland" is the worst promotion they've ever done (but giving out orange shirts like they're water is a VERY good idea for their marketing efforts)

And then there are the "little" things that they're doing right:

* I can go to games every night and bring my entire kitchen with me and not pay them for the right to eat or drink in the ballpark (one of the vendors told me last night that because it's a "publicly financed" building there's nothing Angelos can do about people bring food in). I don't know what to believe, but I do know that I can bring food and unopened drinks into the park and that's a very nice thing.

* At least with me, the ushers haven't been as big of a pain in the ass as in the past. No one has hassled me this year, and I've been to about 10 home games.

* Anytime Jim Palmer and Gary Thorne call a game I literally PLAN to stay home to watch the game. It's that good!

* The music at the games has gotten markedly better in general. People love the shell game and the kiss cam. Especially this week, people appear to be really enjoying their Orioles experience more than in the past.

* In closing, I looked around the upper deck last night in the sixth inning and it was full, vibrant and people were having a good time. They're into the games, cheering at the right time, doing impromptu "O-R-I-O-L-E-S" cheers for no good reason -- basically, all of the stuff you'd want to do at an Orioles game.

Happy Anniversary, Andy McPhail.

It looks like you're well on your way to fixing the Orioles.

Random Thursday thoughts and "free" Orioles tickets

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:07:55 GMT

1. The Orioles can’t stop winning! It’s absolutely astonishing to see them win these games night after night in the fashion that they win them. I haven’t seen anything like it since 1989, and I don’t even remember it being this dramatic on a nightly basis. My son and my wife have talked me into going to the game tonight. I hope I can have some fun.

(Special note: If anyone has any extra tickets for tonight, I need four. And I could care less about the bobblehead but I would like a "Hagy 34" shirt. I figure if the team keeps announcing the crowds at 5-7,000 more than are actually there (like last night), SOMEONE must be stuck with a LOT of unused tickets. I'd actually like to USE four "freebies" tonight and not give Mr. Angelos eight of my hard-earned dollars per ducat. I'd rather give the money to you or a charity than him. Or I'll buy you beer at the Wharf Rat before the game. Email me: nasty@wnst.net)

2. Sam Cassell won yet another championship, this time with the Celtics. Watching him sass Pete Pompey in the Dunbar gym 20 years ago in a game against Lake Clifton, I never would’ve thought it. He was a magical player as a high school kid, but he’s really had a helluva career. Pat Kennedy is probably enjoying watching Sam win, too.

3. The Euro Cup has brightened my sports life over the past two weeks. This weekend’s games (Netherlands-Russia & Spain-Italy) will have me glued to the set. And soccer in HD rules!

4. I went to the AST Dew Tour last year. I have some tickets for this weekend and I’m not sure I’m headed over. It’s fascinating as a marketing endeavor but I’m really old and I don’t get the skateboarding thing but chances are that your kids do. If they do, take them! It's kinda neat if it's your thing.

5. The Lakers were an embarrassment in Game 6. I’ve never seen a team just quit like that in a championship game. I’m a big Phil Jackson fan and I have to think that he’s going to be thinking about watching all of those backdoor, showboating plays from the fourth quarter a lot over the next few months. The Lakers played and acted like losers. Shame on Kobe Bryant.

6. I even watched a LOT of golf on Sunday and Monday, mainly because I love rooting against Tiger Woods. How could anyone be rooting FOR him on Monday? I don’t get it. It’s like rooting for the Yankees to me. Now that he's out for the year, maybe someone else can win a tournament or two.

7. It’s Andy McPhail and Dave Trembley’s one-year anniversary. If it were a vote amongst the fans, they could use the old Presidential slogan: “Are you better off now than you were 365 days ago?” The answer would clearly be a resounding “YES!” My favorite quote and one that backs up every true word I’ve ever written about the franchise: “The inmates are no longer running the asylum!” (FOR THE RECORD: When I said the inmates WERE running the asylum, they took away my press pass and banned me from the ballpark.)

8. I never thought I’d live to see the day when the Tampa Bay Rays were the ESPN featured HD game on a Tuesday night in June. If the Rays actually had any fans, I’d feel good for them. But it’s a good year to be Joe Maddon, one of the really good guys in baseball.

9. So, Sidney Ponson is a New York Yankee. Clearly, the times have changed. I can’t imagine Joe Torre endorsing such an act. Talk about "lowering the bar" for what the Yankees will accept.

10. So incredibly popular are the Orioles these days that I’ve had to add a second bus for next Sunday’s “Baltimore Pride” Day in Washington, D.C. The first bus sold out in four days!

(Did I just give 10 random thoughts without even a mention of the purple birds? WOW...I didn't think that was even possible?)

KOBS voting: Mike Stankovic vs. Art Donovan

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:10:15 GMT

OK, so I posted a soccer blog yesterday and I watched soccer most of the day yesterday between pitches of what was another "Orioles Magic" kinda evening.

And, sure, I like soccer but necessarily because I loved the Blast as a kid. But Mike Stankovic is the soccer player who has made the greatest "on the field" contribution to professional soccer in Baltimore during our lifetime. So, today, is a chance to vote for or against him and the legendary Art Donovan.

Most of us only know Artie as "Fatso," the funny old guy who eats hot dogs and drinks Schlitz (not a sponsor of the KOBS contest by the way, but I think Donovan would drink a Bud if I gave him one).

But Artie was a Hall of Famer, and apparently a beast back in the day. I've seen the black and white film and the flat top.

I saw Stankovic play -- and play quite well very late in his career when he was coaching and playing for the Baltimore Spirit.

So, vote your conscience today and continue to have fun with the debates and the merits of the best pro athletes to ever represent Baltimore.

Argentina at Brazil (yes, that's soccer!)

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:07:22 GMT

An entire continent will stop at 8:45 tonight. I know that sounds trite, but it’s true. A couple of hundred million people will be tuning into a soccer match between the two prides of the South American continent – Brazil and Argentina.

I don’t need to get into the players – inarguably the best in the world and some of the most famous names in the sport – but suffice to say that it’ll be some of the best soccer that the planet can afford, and a World Cup qualifier no less. The atmosphere will be worth the money to order it on Comcast!

Brazil has drilled the Argentines a few times recently, so it’s a grudge match as well.

I have to be honest: I’ve been caught up in soccer mania ever since the Euro Cup began two weeks ago. Every day there have been amazing games and watching France get eliminated against Italy was fun yesterday. And the more I get around town the more I find that more people are watching and supporting soccer on the world stage.

The games this weekend at 2:45 will be crazy good: Netherlands will take on the Russia-Sweden winner on Saturday and Italy will play Spain on Sunday. Both classic!

I’m not an expert – just the opposite, actually. A casual guy who loves sports and thinks it’s amazing to watch these stadiums and these countries come to life on the pitch. It’s fanatical, loud and now in HD most days!

Is anyone else out there awaiting this weekend’s games in Europe or watching the South American qualifiers?

Soccer is one of those things that I think a lot of people watch but don’t talk about.

Well…

I gotta get back to Russia-Sweden!

KOBS: Wes Unseld vs. Chris McAlister voting today...

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:46:46 GMT

So, we've had two blowouts in the first two days of the competition. It's not a surprise to us, especially when you're pitting Hall of Famers against non-HOFers.

At least, the best and most popular stars are winning. We'll see how easy it gets in a few weeks when it's HOFer vs. HOFer and legend vs. legend.

Today, is one of our more interesting first round matchups: Wes Unseld vs. Chris McAlister.

Unseld was a major force in his early years as a Baltimore Bullets, while McAlister might be the best cornerback we ever see in Baltimore. While CMac's many immature tendencies have come to the forefront over the years since the 1999 draft, he continues to play at a high level and is better than many think. Any team in the NFL would've loved to have had McAlister on the edge over the last decade.

But McAlister is not going to Canton.

Unseld went to Landover, won a championship and is firmly enshrined in Springfield, Mass.

Voting ends at midnight tonight.

I think this one will be close!

KOBS: Lydell Mitchell vs. Jim Palmer voting today!

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:27:38 GMT

While yesterday's Mike Flanagan vs. Raymond Berry was a walkover for the Hall of Fame wide receiver, I have a feeling baseball will make a comeback today.

Jim Palmer is a favorite of many at WNST, while Lydell Mitchell cannot be overlooked for his contributions to the 1970's Colts of Sack Pack fame and the Big Wheel.

Voting has begun. Every day, we'll offer you another matchup and a chance to win an annual membership to the Sports Legends Museum.

Don't forget to vote!

Happy Birthday to "Wild" Bill Hagy

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:13:27 GMT

The Orioles will be celebrating the life of “Wild” Bill Hagy tonight by distributing free orange T-shirts bearing his name.

I could go on and on about Hagy, his fandom, the team’s on-again, off-again treatment of him, etc. But it’s his birthday and I’m going to take the highest road possible out of respect to Bill and his friends and family. He was a good man and he loved the Orioles as much as any of us.

Every time I hear the “O” at an away Ravens game, I think of him and what began in 1979 as a place to escape up in Section 34 on 33rd Street. Every “O” is a nod of respect toward what it means to be a Baltimore sports fan. And we can thank Bill for that.

We celebrate the life and fandom of “Wild” Bill Hagy every day when we walk into the WNST offices, where Bill’s image and the giant “O” is the first thing that greets you when you walk through our company’s door.

I was approached by Hagy’s roommate two weeks ago when we had our Toyota Live Web King of Baltimore Sports bracket show at the Angle Inn in Dundalk. He gave me a card celebrating Bill’s life. He said that he asked the Orioles to do a night and they went along with the idea. (I sincerely hope that they aren’t “cashing in” on it and are making a donation to charity from all of the tickets they'll sell tonight because of people wanting those orange shirts, but that’s another story, like I said.)

Bill Hagy was a regular visitor to the WNST studios and a true fan of the radio station. And he was a super guy. We miss him!

The photo above is a treasure to me, that Bill would wear OUR shirt! I only had two autographs on my baseball glove when I was a kid, and one was "Wild" Bill Hagy! He signed it in Sect. 34 in 1980.

So, if you make it to the game, grab me a medium No. 34 orange T-shirt tonight. I really want one, but I’ll be over at Dellaroses drinking some Miller Lite Wheats and interviewing the newest Ravens, as the rookie class comes to The Avenue at White Marsh for a purple welcoming committee.

If you can’t make it to the game, I hope you can join us in White Marsh.

I found some old pictures of Bill and thought I’d post them in his honor.

Happy Birthday Bill. Don't worry, pal. We remember!

KOBS: Mike Flanagan vs. Raymond Berry... VOTE NOW!!!

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:56:58 GMT

Every morning during the contest, I'll be posting a little "reminder" about today's voting in the Toyota Live Web King of Baltimore Sports.

Obviously, we'd love to have as many votes as possible and to entice folks to vote, we'll be presenting a daily prize at random for anyone who does vote in each 1-on-1 matchup. Today and every day this week, one lucky winner will receive an annual membership to the Sports Legends Museum, where we'll be having our gala 10th Anniversary celebration and the crowning of the KOBS on Friday, Aug. 8th. Mark your calendar!

Today's matchup is Mike Flanagan vs. Raymond Berry. You can vote here!

Needless to say, I didn't see Berry play but I did see him coach for the Patriots in the Super Bowl and I did hear my Pop tell me story after story about his greatness.

Flanagan was a guy I saw take the mound year after year as an Oriole and pulled for throughout his Cy Young campaign in 1979. I also wrote a chapter about him in my book here.

As much as I love Flanny and respect his ongoing contributions to the Orioles and the city (whatever they are these days because he's almost in the witness protection program), I'm voting Raymond Berry in this contest.

I hope you vote YOUR conscience every day throughout the tournament.

Back tomorrow with another matchup...

Father's Day and My Pop's Disdain for the Pirates

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:19:54 GMT

So, it's another Father's Day without my father.

I wrote an entire book about my Pop, his love of sports and baseball and what it's meant to my life. So, believe me, I don't have much more to write other than what he might've thought about how I turned out, how my life turned out in regard to his love of sports and what he might think of the last two nights of baseball at Camden Yards.

The Orioles of 2008 getting some sort of sick, twisted 29-year old revenge against the ugly Pittsburgh Pirates that only a kid who was 10 years old in 1979 could appreciate.

My Pop would’ve been digging the games over the last 48 hours, no doubt!

The only thing that could’ve made last night’s win with guys named Markakis, Salazar and Hernandez more sweet would’ve been if the Pirates were wearing those yellow pajamas that they wore at Memorial Stadium during that magical week in my favorite summer of childhood.

And, of course, if the stars last night were Benny Ayala, Kiko Garcia and Gary Roenicke.

I told some of these stories of my youth on the air with Kevin Eck, one of my oldest friends who I met that summer at Games in Eastpoint Mall getting Billy Smith’s autograph, last Tuesday on the Comcast Morning Show when I filled in for Drew, who will be returning to the airwaves at AM 1570 in the morning.

It's what makes the Toyota Live Web King of Baltimore Sports contest so much fun. Most of us only know about Raymond Berry and Jim Parker based on what our fathers (or mothers) told us.

All three of us will be missing our fathers bitching about the Orioles from the couch on Father’s Day today, too, no doubt. Maybe I should invite my son over to be subjected to it, as some sort of sick Baltimore tradition -- cranky fathers! (I'm quickly becoming one!)

But seeing the Pirates in Baltimore reminds me of my Pop and especially on Father’s Day weekend. My favorite memories with my Pop are from that summer of 1979. There’s a chapter in my book on that summer here.

(Quick note: Whoever ordered those hideous helmets on Friday night should be fired. That was disgraceful and embarassing!)

Anyway, I spent my pre-Father’s Day celebration with my son Barry at Nacho Mama’s in Canton last night drinking margaritas and eating fish tacos watching the Orioles-Pirates game on TV. He gave me an album of all of the fun sports stuff we’ve done over the years – stuff I honestly forgot that we did.

There were ticket stubs from Bullets games, Spirit games, CFL Stallion games, Memorial Stadium games with the Orioles and Ravens, WWF matches, Caps games at the Capital Centre, the Bandits – it was the full monty in snippets. Plus there were some fun, goofy pictures from radio shows and Free The Birds and bad haircuts.

I kinda forgot that he’s been to so many of those places we “old guys” all loved too – what are now the “old” arenas and stadiums.

He also gave me a “Senior Week” T-shirt with a fake Miller Lite logo from Ocean City and a small tin of Fisher’s Popcorn (a Father’s Day staple…it’s a gift you always appreciate).

We were all set to the do the Charm City Roller Girls last night, but he was late getting back from the beach.

I’ll have the videos from last night’s packed house at Du Burns Arena up on the site. The crowd was better than anything the Skipjacks ever got. Who knew? Roller derby in Baltimore? How could that possibly suck?

But I just wanted to share my Father’s Day stories with you if you happen to be hitting the website today.

I miss my Pop today. But I’m glad I have my son and my memories and my health.

If you still have yours, hang out with him and give him a hard time, just like he used to give you. But just appreciate him. Because I wish I had one!

Happy Father’s Day out there to all of the sappy “old-school” fans of the Orioles who are heartened that this thing called sports struck us all and once a year – every year – we get to think of our Dads and sports.

And beer. And girls. And baseball. And whatever else you ever talked with your dad about.

At least that’s what Father’s Day is for me.

A sweep over the Pirates in Baltimore in his honor would be in order!

We need some more Oriole Magic!

A fond farewell to Jon Ogden

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:59:37 GMT

It feels like it was just days ago that I was on the floor of the Paramount Theatre in New York City at the NFL Draft of 1996. The team colors were black and white and it was a miracle that the Arizona Cardinals ever passed on Jonathan Ogden.

I’m glad they did.

From that first day, when our company was actually the “flagship” for the first-ever Ravens radio broadcast from the Sheraton when Ogden was drafted, it was an almost perfect marriage – Baltimore and Jon Ogden.

J.O.’s family made short trips to the games from Washington, D.C. He loved Baltimore despite his “other life” in Las Vegas on the golf course. He was one helluva Raven and his contributions will certainly be most remembered once he’s gone and someone finally blindsides the quarterback (whoever it happens to be) from left side.

Ask yourself this question: “Other than that one night against Dwight Freeney (which we all remember for a few plays), name a game when you ever remember Ogden having an off game?”

I can save you the work. He didn’t have any.

Starting as a weird, oversized guard in 1996 in deference to Tony Jones, Ogden’s career has been almost flawless.

He went to Pro Bowls every year. He matched up against the best players and rush ends in the history of the league – from Reggie White to Michael Strahan to Freeney, who was the best he ever saw, Ogden saw them all and conquered them all. Name the defensive end or linebacker of your choice and I can show you tape of Ogden slapping him around.

I treasure that first black and white hat from the stage at the Paramount. I was going through old photos last night and remembering all of the laughs. Ogden has always been our coolest guest because we really appreciated that a player who could be that rich, that great and yet that quiet and unassuming would actually come out with the fans, loosen up and have some fun.

Ogden really “grew into” his large stature as a player, a person and a World Champion and soon-to-be Hall of Famer.

Ogden came to my Monday Night Live shows every year, just like clockwork. He always kept his word and he was almost painfully honest over the years. He pulled up rookie lineman and told them that WNST was a “real” place and encouraged them to meet the fans at our shows. Several offensive linemen have approached me over the years and said: “J.O. said I need to do your show.”

We’ve built a relationship that’s a little more personal than “media” and “friendly giant.”

I’ve seen Ogden around town on many occasions over the year, mostly inadvertently. My favorite was the night two years ago when I was a row behind him at a Lionel Richie concert at the Lyric Theatre. I didn’t see much of Lionel, but I did see a 6-foot-9 giant doing full 360’s during “Dancing On The Ceiling.”

He wasn’t much of a dancer.

And he probably won’t be much of a whiner or an emotional wreck today. My guess is that he won’t choke up today because he’s known for a long time this day was coming. And I don’t really sense that’s he’s tremendously “sad” about this.

It’s almost a relief and it’s certainly on his terms.

And, the Ravens current front office and staff will tell you that this is absolutely a “choice” on his part because they believe he’s still one of the three best left tackles in the game even on nine toes.

Alas, as much as I treasure my first hello with Jon Ogden from that day in April 1996, I will miss his final act today. I have a flight to Chicago for a work conference and his press conference is at 11:30. I will watch the video but I have plenty of memories and it might be a little more sad for me today, honestly, than it will be for him.

I will miss Jonathan Ogden. The first act of the Ravens history has closed its doors a little more fully now, with the parting of Ogden, Mike Flynn and Brian Billick. When Matt Stover and Ray Lewis go, the curtain will fall for good on this era of Baltimore’s re-emergence into the mainstream of pro football and the NFL.

So long, Jon!

Baltimore loves you and is surely going to vote you quite far into the King of Baltimore Sports contest.

And don’t be a stranger!

And by all means, make some room for us in Canton in July 2013.

The purple army is coming…

WNST and Jon Ogden through the years...a photo journey!

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:31:13 GMT

It was a pleasure getting to know Jon Ogden through the years.

I busted out the photo album from over the years and this is what I came up with:

Man, we had some good times, didn't we?