Rebuilding in Baltimore

Without coming out and saying it, Andy McPhail basically said he is going to begin a rebuilding process in Baltimore. To that I have 2 things to say: THANK YOU and IT'S ABOUT TIME!

Along with the Pirates, the Orioles have been the worst franchise in baseball over the past decade. When the defending AL East champion O's fell from 98 wins in '97 to 79 wins in '98 and lost a ton of free agents, they should have rebuilt. Instead Angelos signed Albert Belle, Will Clark, and Delino DeShields and a decade of disaster and despair ensued.

I have a lot of faith in McPhail. The man won 2 World Series in his 30's with the Twins and laid the groundwork for the outstanding organization they have been for the last 20 years. Cubs fans will say he was a disappointment in Chicago. I have a hard time judging him because he wasn't directly responsible for baseball decisions there. I always thought that was a waste of his talent.

Of course, the X factor in all of this is Angelos. If he steps in and vetos any trade, then the O's will continue to wallow in the bottom division.

It's looking more and more that Baltimore's other team, the Ravens, may need to rebuild after this season. The team has gone from a "veteran" team last season to an "old" team this year. McNair looks terrible and the defense, while still very good (when healthy), is no longer dominant enough to carry them.

With McAlister, Rolle, and possibly Reed out this week against the Bengals, Cincy may score 50. And this is one of the Ravens 2 most winnable games the rest of the way.

The way the game is evolving even more toward QBs (especially after Poster Boy Manning whined a few years ago) and the fact that each of the other AFC North teams has at least 1 young very good QB, the Ravens need to draft a high-quality QB. In order to develop him, unfortunately, the Ravens are going to have to hire a new coaching staff. Billick is not willing to bring in an independent offensive coordinator with his own system. And after 9 years of the same crap, it's obvious that Billick is not going to get his system to work in Baltimore.

As a fan I don't mind if a team rebuilds, as long as they have a solid plan. Two of my favorite seasons as fans were the 89 Orioles and the 02 Ravens. Both were extremely young teams that played hard and overachieved. The 89 Orioles laid the foundation for the outstanding mid-90's O's teams while the 02 Ravens laid the foundation for the AFC North champions of '03 and '06. With Andy McPhail and Ozzie Newsome overseeing the rebuilding, I think it will be fun to watch.

The beginning of the end?

The Ravens return from their bye with a chance to move into a first-place tie at Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football. It is the beginning of a brutal closing stretch for the Ravens, with 6 of their last 9 games against teams currently in first place.

Samari Rolle is out tomorrow night and Chris McAlister appears doubtful. With Pittsburgh at home, on national television, seeking revenge after last season's 58-7 sweep by the Ravens, I think it will get ugly. My prediction - Pittsburgh 34, Ravens 12.

With the Ravens only 4-3 with a soft schedule early and this brutal closing stretch, the 2nd half of the season could get ugly. This may be the beginning of the end for Brian Billick.

The more I read, the worse I feel...

IU released its report to the NCAA regarding its investigation of the basketball program's violations. NCAA Report I was hoping I would feel a little better about the situation. Instead I feel worse. In no particular order, here are my thoughts:

• I was wrong about Rob Senderoff being made a scapegoat. He should have been fired immediately, along with Sampson and fellow assistant Jeff Meyer. Both Senderoff and Meyer made calls from their home phones without logging them. They say it indicates “sloppiness.” I say it indicates either an intentional effort to evade the NCAA sanctions or an attitude that following NCAA rules and the sanctions are NOT a top priority. Either one is unacceptable.

• Someone is lying – either 2 recruits or Sampson & Senderoff. On the 3-way calls in which Sampson claims he did not know that Senderoff was on the line, 2 different recruits said that Sampson & Senderoff both spoke. Perhaps both recruits want to hurt IU but I somehow doubt that they would think through it in that much detail.

• The sanctions IU is proposing are more stringent than initially reported but I still don’t think they’ll work. It’s like after grounding a kid for a week, he or she doing the same thing, and then grounding them for a month. I don’t think “more of the same” punishment is the right way to correct the problem. I think you have to take away what is most precious to that person. In this case it is their job. Since the NCAA can't fire Sampson I think they will either suspend him for the NCAA tournament or ban IU from the tournament altogether. If that happens, I couldn't disagree with it.

Apparently many alums and donors have complained to IU about the situation and want Sampson out. Hopefully the pressure will continue to build and we can get this program cleaned up.

Sampson and Greenspan's Fall Guy

Fox Sports is reporting that IU assistant basketball coach Rob Senderoff is expected to resign from his position. Senderoff was the assistant coach implicated in the most recent NCAA phone rule allegations. It looks like Sampson and Greenspan are trying to offer the NCAA and an angry alumni base a sacrificial lamb. I can't speak for anyone else, but this just makes me more angry.

Why wasn't this done 2 weeks ago when the original "sanctions" were announced? At that point at least a few people may have believed that these problems were caused by a renegade assistant coach. Now it just looks like Sampson and Greenspan realize that they're both in much hotter water than they thought and they're doing anything they can to protect their own hide. PATHETIC!!!!

Do IU Nation a favor, Mr. Sampson and Mr. Greenspan, and RESIGN NOW!

Kelvin Sampson MUST GO!

Two weeks ago IU announced that an internal investigation found that Kelvin Sampson and his staff had again made impermissible phone calls this past year. IU announced that it was "punishing" Sampson and his staff by taking away one scholarship, withholding a $500,000 raise for Sampson and assistant Rob Senderoff, and banning Senderoff from doing any off-campus recruiting for a year.

This is an absolute disgrace. Athletic Director Rick Greenspan should have fired Sampson immediately. Since he didn't, IU President Michael McRobbie should fire Sampson and then Greenspan for giving this CHEATER a THIRD CHANCE. I used to think IU was special because it always played by the rules and graduated its student-athletes. Now it's no better than Kentucky or UNLV.

What is almost laughable is that Greenspan seems to think that the NCAA will consider this "punishment" sufficient. Who is he kidding? The NCAA was not happy at all the first time Sampson cheated. Now, less than a year later at a different school, he breaks the SAME rule AND VIOLATES THE NCAA SANCTIONS AGAINST HIM! The NCAA is going to come down hard on Sampson and IU. I wouldn't be surprised if he and/or IU is banned from postseason play. Although it will be way too late, perhaps then IU will do the right thing and FIRE SAMPSON.

I've been debating asking for a refund for my season tickets. I just feel dirty rooting for this team. I've decided to give it a chance. Hopefully IU will see the error of their ways and eventually fire this clown. If not, then I'll have a major decision to make when my renewal form comes in next year.

More Sunday night musings

• The Ravens again lucked out today. The play-calling remains a joke (43 passes?!), clock management is terrible, and they show no discipline (more stupid penalties). Yet Trent Dilfer continues to show he has no arm and Joe Nedney missed a GW field goal late in the 4th. If the Ravens don't win their next 2 they'll be lucky to finish .500. Even if they win the next 2 they may not get to .500 with 5 of their last 9 games against Pittsburgh, San Diego, Indianapolis, and New England.
• If I'm Tony Dungy, I'm loving how this season is playing out. Despite being the defending Super Bowl champions, having a 5-0 record, having a 3-game winning streak against New England, and playing them at home in a few weeks, everyone wants to talk about New England going undefeated. I'll maintain my earlier contention - Indianapolis is more likely to go undefeated than New England.
• Another thought - Tony Dungy is one hell of a coach. Consider this - Peyton Manning had a 32-32 record before Dungy. With Dungy, he's 60-20. Without Manning, Dungy is 54-42 with QB's like Trent Dilfer, Shaun King, and Brad Johnson.
• IU football is fun to watch. They've got a tough schedule remaining but they've got a chance in most games. They don't always play well but they play smart, disciplined football. And Kellen Lewis is worth the price of admission.
  
• 6 of the 8 2007 playoff teams have direct or indirect connections to the old Oriole Way:
• Cleveland: GM Mark Shapiro - Baltimore native, worked under John Hart who was a longtime manager in the O's minor league system.
• Boston: GM Theo Epstein - Intern under then O's president Larry Lucchino (now Bosox prez) in early 90's
• Colorado: GM Dan O'Dowd - various roles in O's front office from '84-'87.
• Arizona: GM Josh Byrnes - former assistant to Theo Epstein (see above)
• Philadelphia: GM Pat Gillick - former O's GM, led O's to only 2 playoff appearances of last 24 seasons; according to Peter Angelos "he had to go." O's haven't had winning season since he "had to go."
• Chicago: Manager Lou Piniella came up through O's farm system, playing for Earl Weaver in minors in the 60's.

Hey Maryland - Take the banner down!

The NCAA recently released graduation rates for student-athletes entering college from 1997-2000. Amazingly, the University of Maryland men's basketball program had a 0% GRADUATION RATE. Not 12%, not 2%, but ZERO! They couldn't even get a benchwarmer to graduate.

0% Graduation Rate

Another interesting stat came out of the article: NONE of Maryland's starters or top reserves from the 2002 NCAA championship team have earned a degree. In fact, there are more members of that team IN JAIL (1) than there are college graduates (0).

If the University of Maryland had any self-respect they would take their banner down. As much as I hate Duke, Coach K wouldn't put their '92 banner up until Christian Laettner graduated.

The one thing that is never brought up is the competitive advantage a team like Maryland gets. While players on other teams are working toward a degree in addition to playing basketball, Maryland players can concentrate on playing ball and do the minimum work to stay eligible. Pathetic.

A new IU football hero!

His name is Tom Nowatzke. He played at IU from 1962-64. He's in the IU Athletics Hall of Fame. He's the only IU player to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl, when he scored the tying TD in BALTIMORE'S Super Bowl V win over the Cowboys. He considered Johnny U one of his best friends. But this quote in today's Bloomington Herald-Times is why he's now one of my "heroes":

"To me, the Indianapolis Colts are not a team."

Preach on! Preach on!

Random Musings on a Sunday night

• For the 4th time this season the Ravens were out-coached and out-disciplined. After hinting that he was an offensive genius prior to coming to Baltimore, Brian Billick continues to lead a crap offense. Why did he continue to play an obviously-hurting Steve McNair when Kyle Boller (who basically won the past 2 games) and his strong arm are sitting on the bench? Why does Willis McGahee only get 14 carries despite averaging over 7 yards per carry? Why does the team CONSISTENTLY have more penalties than the opposition, including an offsides on a missed FG, which led to a Cleveland touchdown. Even without AD, this team is better than last year simply by replacing Jamal Lewis with Willis McGahee. Billick just hasn't had this team ready.
• Next Week: San Francisco 17 Baltimore 16
• The Ravens were 100% right on Jamal Lewis. In 3 of his 4 games he's averaging less than 4 yards per carry. I like Willis McGahee a lot. I wish we had a coach who had a freakin' clue on how to use him!
  
• Why do these NFL executives get paid so much? I could have told any of these idiots not to hire Norv Turner or Cam Cameron (combined 1-7).
• It's readily apparent that the NFL consists of Indianapolis and New England and everyone else. It's like Dallas and San Francisco in the 90's. BORING!
• Don't be surprised if Cincy knocks off New England tomorrow night. Doesn't make sense but it's just a feeling I have.
• Today was a great day for baseball. Days like today are why I love baseball so much and why I strongly support FREE THE BIRDS. The Rockies won to force a playoff for the wild card with San Diego. The Phillies won to clinch the NL East. It is the 3rd playoff appearance for Pat Gillick since he "had to go" according to the baseball genius Peter Angelos. Since he "had to go" the Orioles have not had a winning season. My dream headline this winter: "Angelos sells to Ripken Baseball." Do the right thing Pete!
• Baseball Prediction Assessment:
• The Good: Picked Phillies to start slow but win division, AL East 100% correct, picked Angels to win AL West.
• The Bad: Picked Cards & Tigers to win Centrals; Reds to finish 2nd, A's to win wild card
• The Ugly: Didn't understand hype about Cleveland & picked them behind the White Sox (although no one would have predicted Carmona to be that good & they don't win that division without him.)

The blueprint to beating the Ravens

For the third straight week, the Ravens opponent went with a no-huddle offense. And for the second straight week, the Ravens defense collapsed in the 4th quarter.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't feel Billick had the Ravens ready for the start of the season. I thought training camp was too soft. With teams running no-huddle on a consistent basis, the Ravens' defense is tiring badly in the 4th quarter. How badly? Look at these stats through 3 games:

Points allowed in Quarters 1-3: 21 (the offense gave up another 7)
Points allowed in 4th: 35

The Ravens are not a Super Bowl contender right now. They're not even the team to beat in their division right now. Pittsburgh is making an argument to be included in the same breath with Indy and New England.

My prediction for next week: Cleveland 23 Baltimore 14

Free the Birds!

Nestor Aparicio, the owner of Baltimore radio station WNST, is organizing the 2nd Orioles fan protest in the last 2 years. The protest will take place during Monday's game against Kansas City.

Free the Birds!

I told Marc last night that it's like the Orioles are in a vegetative state. They have the same name and play in the same city, but the team and organization I grew up with and loved is gone.

I truly believe that FTB I last year contributed heavily to Andy McPhail's hiring, which I think is going to be a good move. But I support FTB II because the Orioles still treat their fans like crap with everything from refusing to put "Baltimore" on their road jersey to only allowing team personnel on the team's flagship stations to being one of only 3 teams not offering their games in HD.

I'll be watching tomorrow night's game. Free the Birds!

The O's & Ravens finally have something in common!

Thanks to the O's "only" surrendering 8 runs last night, they have now gone 25 games without giving up 30. That matches the Ravens' current streak of 25 games without giving up 30. (Of course, if you count the playoffs, the Ravens are at 26.)

Congratulations O's!

Unfocused & Undisciplined

The Ravens lucked out today, thanks to 2 dropped TD's by the Jets in the last 2 minutes. The Ravens got a big lead and then got sloppy and were again victimized by lousy playcalling by Billick. In addition, they suffered 2 more major injuries - Trevor Price & Demetrius Williams. Williams' injury can be blamed on some horrible playcalling by Billick, trying a bomb with a 7 point lead and 3 minutes left.

The Ravens had 8 penalties, compared to 2 by the Jets. The Jets had no business even being in the game, falling behind 20-3 with a QB making his first start. But the Ravens got sloppy on defense and Billick refused to commit to the run. It's a good thing they didn't spend $40 million on a running back or anything.

If the Ravens finish with less than 10 wins, Billick needs to go. Newsome gets this team so much talent but unless little is expected, Billick underachieves with it.

So freakin' predictable!

To the surprise of no one at this blog, the Ravens weren't ready for tonight's opener. By the time they finally woke up, the Ravens had lost 3 fumbles, Jonathan Ogden, and BJ Sams. And I'm afraid by the time I wake up tomorrow morning, the Ravens will have lost Ray Lewis (possibly for the season) and Steve McNair (at least a couple of weeks) for significant stretches.

Here are my questions for Mr. Billick, a GREAT coach when he's the underdog and a LOUSY coach when he's the favorite.

• Why did McNair and McGahee look so out of synch in the first quarter on basic handoffs? Why wasn't more time spent getting the running game ready in training camp given the new running back and new offensive linemen? One fumble leading to a TD was a result of this lack of preparation.
• Why has the team prepared as if Ogden would magically heal just before the opener when 6 months of rest couldn't heal his toe? Marshall Yanda didn't start playing right tackle until 2 weeks ago. He got beat in the 3rd quarter, leading to a McNair fumble taken back for a TD. Again, lack of preparation.
• Why wasn't the team ready for the intensity of this game, leading to a ridiculous number of injuries, including Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, and Steve McNair? Could it be the Club Med "training camp"?
• Why did the team throw 2 passes with a new QB after getting 2nd and goal at the 2 with 2:00 left in the game?
• Why are you 3-6 in season openers, including losses of 27-10, 34-15, and 24-7, not to mention the '04 embarrassment to the horrible Cleveland Browns?

Anyone who has followed this team over the years could see this happening from a mile away. It's not the loss, it's the way they lost. Cincinnati did not beat the Ravens tonight, Brian Billick's unprepared Ravens beat themselves. On top of that, this unprepared team has now lost 3 key players for a significant stretch because they weren't ready.

Hey Kirk Ferentz, would you like to move back to Baltimore? Charm City would love to have you back!

P.S. Mr. Goodell, you should be ashamed of your officials tonight. They didn't cost the Ravens the game by any stretch, but that lack of reversal on the interception challenge and the offensive pass interference were just awful.

NFL Predictions

My baseball picks were lousy, so take these with a grain of salt:

AFC East

1. New England
2. NY Jets
3. Buffalo
4. Miami

One of the reasons New England & Indy are always in the playoffs is that they both play in pathetic divisions. I like Cam Cameron, but he's a lousy head coach, which is the only reason I'm picking them behind Buffalo.

AFC North

1. Cincinnati
2. Pittsburgh
3. Baltimore
4. Cleveland

The Ravens have the most talent but Billick has done a crappy job of getting them ready. The offensive line is out-of-synch and I don't see Ogden staying healthy. McGahee may be overrated. I think the defense will miss AD more than anyone thought. And why did they give Boller an extension when Leftwich was available? Cincy's defense still sucks but they match up well with both Baltimore & Pittsburgh. As much as I hate the Steelers and their arrogant fans, I think Big Ben will bounce back and Tomlin will be a good coach. I'm sure by the end of the year Brady Quinn will be a media darling. Ugh!

AFC South

1. Indianapolis
2. Jacksonville
3. Tennessee
4. Houston

Nobody here can compete with Indy. Given their schedule, they may go undefeated. What is going on in Jacksonville? I think Vince Young will have a bit of a sophomore slump.

AFC West

1. Denver
2. San Diego
3. Kansas City
4. Oakland

I'm picking Denver not because I think they're a true Super Bowl contender but because San Diego lost 5 coaches, including their head coach, and hired Norv Turner. A.J. Smith is a great GM but his ego is going to cost him a shot at the Super Bowl.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia
2. Dallas
3. Washington
4. NY Giants

Another example of where coaching will be the difference. On paper, I'd take Dallas but I don't like Wade Phillips as a coach and I really like Andy Reid. I think the Redskins could surprise, which would be sad. I don't think Tom Coughlin will last the season.

NFC North

1. Chicago
2. Green Bay
3. Detroit
4. Minnesota

There is nobody worth talking about in this division other than Chicago. The Bears will be the same as last year - pretty dominant in the NFC but maybe only the 6th or 7th best team in the NFL.

NFC South

1. Carolina
2. Tampa Bay
3. New Orleans
4. Atlanta

New Orleans has NO defense and I don't see their offense being as explosive as last year. There aren't any great teams in this division but I think Carolina's defense will be good enough to carry them to the division title.

NFC West

1. San Francisco
2. St. Louis
3. Seattle
4. Arizona

This is purely a hunch. I have no idea why I'm picking the Niners other than the fact that I like Mike Nolan.

Playoff Predictions

Wild Card Round
San Diego over Cincinnati
Denver over Pittsburgh
Carolina over Washington
Dallas over San Francisco

Division Round
New England over Denver
Indianapolis over San Diego
Philadelphia over Carolina
Dallas over Chicago

Championship Games
Indianapolis over New England
Philadelphia over Dallas

Super Bowl XLII
Indianapolis 55 Philadelphia 3

I'd almost insert that Super Bowl score regardless of who makes it. I do think Indy will finish undefeated. Ugh!

Ravens not ready; Orioles Tragic; Remembering Hep

August was busy and I didn't have a chance to blog much. Here are my thoughts as September begins:

Ravens Preseason: The Ravens are not ready for the start of the season. You can already chalk up an 0-1 start, with Chad Johnson dancing around like a moron. It's so freakin' predictable and there's no excuse for it. This is probably the most talented team the Ravens have ever had. But they're not ready. Billick's management of the offensive line this summer has been terrible. Ogden's toe still isn't right yet Billick didn't bother moving the experienced Adam Terry to LT until the last preseason game, keeping rookie Jared Gaither there throughout the summer. Marc made an excellent point - Billick doesn't do a good job with teams with high expectations. His best coaching jobs - 2000, 02, & 06 were with teams with medium to low expectations. Meanwhile, he did a lousy job with the '04 & '05 Ravens, who talked Super Bowl both years and ended up with a 15-17 composite record. If this season is a disappointment, I'm beginning to think about Rex Ryan...

O's annual collapse: First, I'm very happy that the O's named Dave Trembley manager for '08. I love the guy. However, since he was named manager the O's are 1-10, including a 30-3 loss, giving up 11 8th-inning runs to Tampa, and being no-hit by a freakin' rookie. Andy McPhail made a terrific trade with Chicago this week, dumping Trachsel for 2 major-league ready prospects. Given how far the O's are away from contending, the dearth of major-league ready position players in the system, the amount of bad contracts they have, and the fact that Roberts, Tejada, and Bedard are free agents after '09, I've come to the conclusion that the O's need to trade all 3 players for high-level prospects. It's finally time to do the right thing, blow this thing up, and rebuild around Nick Markakis. I'd be a lot more excited about that prospect than staying the course with this crap.

IU football: What a great night at Memorial Stadium last night. A very nice tribute to Coach Hep. Then Kellen Lewis and James Hardy put on a show against an overmatched Indiana State team. A couple of complaints: (1) the ridiculous unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Hardy and (2) the starting time & length of the game. After Hardy scored a 1st quarter TD, he went to his knees, closed his eyes, & pointed the football into the air as a tribute to Hep. That is the ultimate display of SPORTSMANSHIP! And thanks to the Big 10 Network, the game started at about 8:10 and lasted until after 11:30. Do we need a commercial break after every 5 plays?

Dave Trembley

It seems every few days Dave Trembley does something that raises my eyebrows. Tonight, coming off an ugly 3-game sweep at home to Seattle, a day after giving up 2 veterans, and then seeing a 1-0 8th inning lead become a 5-1 8th inning deficit against Boston, the O's came back & won 6-5.

The O's lack talent. The bullpen is worn out. And even though their every day lineup is anything but young, under Trembley they never stop battling. I can't tell you how many times over the past 10 years they've been in a similar situation and they just quit. Somehow, Trembley has stopped that.

Even though it is now Ravens season in Baltimore, Trembley has made the O's interesting. Perhaps they finally have a manager. Now if they could just get some talent. And a new owner!

Random Thoughts

Some thoughts on sports happenings:

• So the NBA has a ref betting on games? Why am I not surprised? David Stern ruined the game of basketball with his "market the stars & major markets" approach in the 80's & 90's. It created a lot of doubt in the credibility of his garbage product among a lot of legitimate, passionate sports fans. Especially those of us who followed teams from smaller markets. Have fun spinning your way out of this mess, commissioner.
• Dave Trembley is making the Orioles interesting again. He's 18-13 and he's only had Miguel Tejada for 2 of those games. There are 2 big differences I see - (1) he's doing a very nice job of managing the bullpen & it's pitching much better and (2) there have been far fewer mental errors. The rest of the season is the real test. The O's have 29 of their last 62 games against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Angels, and they're already down 8-6 in the 8th in one of those games (suspended game in June). If they can continue to play smart baseball and hold their own these last 2 months the O's may have found their man.
  
• Speaking of the O's, I'll be interested in seeing how Jeremy Guthrie pitches these last 2 months. He's been a real steal so far but I keep getting the feeling that his bubble is about to burst.
• Sunday will be a great day - Cal goes into the Hall and the Ravens open training camp. I can't wait!
  

Favorite & Least Favorite Sports Announcers

This is in no particular order except for my least favorite.

Favorites

Play by play

• Al Michaels: just calls the game & is so smooth. When you hear his voice you know it's a big game. I still get chills from "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!!!"
  
• Greg Gumbel: CBS never should have taken him off the #1 NFL team. Solid, funny, and rarely makes a mistake.
  
• Brad Nessler: With Keith Jackson finally retired, he's the best college football announcer in a landslide.
• Marv Albert: "Yes! And it counts!" He almost makes an NBA game watchable. Almost.
  
• Ian Eagle, Dan Schulman, Dave O'Brien: all are understated & let the analysts do their job. They all realize I want to watch the game, not them.
• Kevin Harlan: He used to annoy me but he's kind of grown on my through the years.
  
• Gary Thorne: In the early days of ESPN baseball he got on my nerves. But I really enjoyed he & Bill Clement on ESPN hockey. Now that I listen to him on a regular basis doing O's games, I've become a big fan. He's really good and really honest.
• Jon Miller (on the radio): no one does a better job of painting a picture of what's happening. And he never goes more than 3 minutes without giving the score (he has an hourglass to remind him.) Letting him leave is in the top 3 of Peter Angelos many (& I mean many!) gaffes.
  

Analysts

• Phil Simms: He's insightful, funny, and doesn't take himself too seriously. He's by far the best NFL analyst.
• Troy Aikman: He's incredibly insightful as well. Too bad he has to work with Joe Buck.
• Darryl Johnston: When he teamed up with Aikman and a slightly younger Dick Stockton, they were the second-best NFL team behind Gumbel & Simms.
• Solomon Wilcots: He might be the most underrated analyst out there. I'm usually pleased when he & Ian Eagle have the Ravens.
  
• Jim Palmer: Yes, he has diarrhea of the mouth & a huge ego but he's brutally honest, which is something we don't get a lot out of the Orioles. When he and Thorne do the games together it is a treat.
  
• Jay Bilas: He's about the only college basketball analyst I can take.
• Rick Manning: He's the Cleveland Indians analyst. He's very knowledgeable and objective.
• Chris Welsh: Outstanding Reds analyst. Too bad he works with such extremes in George Grande ("everything is great!") and Marty Brennaman ("I've got to give my (usually negative) opinion on anything & everything!")

Least Favorite

Play by Play

• #1 Chris Berman: All this guy talks about is himself or teams/players that he likes. His baseball nicknames are old and stupid and his Swami act is tired and bad. Please go away. You are the worst thing to happen to TV sports, ever!
• Brent Musberger: The biggest hype-master in a field full of them.
• Bryant Gumbel: Maybe the worst play-by-play announcer ever. Just terrible.
• Joe Buck: It's too bad he's an IU guy - he gives us a bad name. He practically rooted for the Indians in the '97 ALCS, for which I'll never forgive him. He thinks he's so cool, and he's not. He couldn't hold his father's microphone.
• Jim Nantz: Another guy who thinks he's incredibly important and plays favorites.
  
• Gus Johnson: He wasn't bad at ESPN but now he's awful doing NFL games at CBS. He insults my intelligence by overhyping bad players & teams. Last year he made Andrew Walter the 2nd coming of Joe Montana and the Cleveland Browns a Super Bowl contender. Please go away.

Analysts

• Dick Vitale: "Dukie V" is loud, obnoxious, uninformed, and cheerleader of whoever is winning (or Duke). And like Berman, he's created a generation of terrible analysts. Last year I finally turned the sound down on him & listened to the IU-MSU game on XM with the MSU announcers. Not surprisingly, they were far more pleasant to listen to.
  
• Billy Packer: A right-wing kook who shouldn't be on TV.
• Clark Kellogg: His analysis is actually good but he tries to be way too cute and he hates IU.
• Tim McCarver: He was OK about 20 years ago. But he's too full of himself and beats a dead horse forever. He and Joe Buck together are awful. I think I'll watch the World Series with the sound down and listen to Jon Miller call it on the radio.
• Joe Morgan: He's usually insightful but 18 years of hearing how great National League baseball is and how important it is to steal bases & hit and run gets VERY old.
• Any Fox NFL analyst other than Aikman, Johnston, & Siragusa: Why do they all try to sound like John Madden?
  

Some things I need to get off my chest

So here goes:

• The more I see of Dave Trembley, the more I like. I'm not ready to endorse him as the "permanent" manager, but the O's look like a completely different team. In his 11 games as skipper, they've gone 6-5 against the Padres, D-backs, Yankees, and Angels. They've played 9 of those games without their best player. They're playing with energy and purpose. And I've been very impressed with Trembley in his press conferences. While you can't put too much stock in press conferences, I always enjoy listening to really good coaches/managers talk. Earl Weaver, Brian Billick, Bob Knight, and Kelvin Sampson were or are very interesting and insightful. Mike Davis ("we just couldn't hit our shots") and Ted Marchibroda ("we didn't forget to fight!") come across as the idiot coaches they are.
• I know Camden Yards is lauded for starting the trend of these great ballparks that have been built over the past 15 years but as an Orioles fan I have some big issues with it. First, who was the moron who decided that the seats down the left-field line should point directly at the centerfielder? Second, who decided to make it a freakin' bandbox? Jeremy Guthrie gave up 2 HR's that landed in the front row today. How can you be a franchise built on pitching and build a joke of a hitters' park? Third, replace the stupid rubberized warning track. Yes, it looks nice, but it takes a lot of excitement out of the game with too many ground rule doubles and too many fielders afraid to dive on it.
  
• Vin Scully is incredibly annoying! He never shuts up and his stories are worthless. (He spent 10 minutes today telling some story about Bud Black hiring a former catcher as his bench coach. Who cares!) And enough of the flowery language already. Just tell me what's happening and why. I want to watch a baseball game, not listen to a poetry recital!
• The idiotic "experts" in the media never cease to amaze me. Everyone wants to talk about how the 3 top teams in football will be the same as last year - Indy, New England, and San Diego. Hello, you morons! The Ravens had a better record than 2 of them and beat the other in their only meeting. They lost one key player and addressed their main weakness - the running game - in the draft and through a trade. And Steve McNair will have more than 6 weeks in the offense come Opening Night. One idiot had Denver ahead of the Ravens. The same Denver team that hasn't won a playoff game since El-whine was the QB. I'm not saying that they should be picking the Ravens to win the Super Bowl this year - just mention them as a serious contender. They deserve at least that after last season and the moves they made.
  
• Golf is no longer a sport. Any event where the "champion" can win while smoking a pack of cigs DURING the event is NOT a sport.
• I got my new Prius this weekend. I love it! On my drive home from the dealership I got 54 miles/gallon. Last night driving back from cat-sitting I got 61 MPG! I was a little disappointed today to "only" get 49 MPG on a couple of short trips. I've attached a few pictures.

Yankees-Orioles Predictions

Andy McPhail reports for full-time duty Tuesday. At about 6:45 he will begin to see just how much damage Peter Angelos has done to baseball in Baltimore. That's about the time he will notice that Camden Yards becomes Yankee Stadium South 9 times a year.

Here are my predictions for the Series:

Game 1: Yankees 8 Orioles 2 - Jeremy Guthrie has his first bad outing as a starter, overthrowing while trying to show the Yankees and McPhail that he's for real.

Game 2: Yankees 6 Orioles 3 - The game is close for 6 innings with Bedard and Clemens battling it out. Bedard leaves in the 7th with more hamstring tightness and the Yankees pound the O's bullpen, allowing Clemens to get victory 350. (BTW, not bad for a guy who appeared to be on a downward spiral in the mid-90's, then "bulked up" and became unhittable right in the middle of the steroids era. Funny how few people "suspect" him despite his Bonds-like performance spike in his mid to late 30's.)

Game 3: Yankees 4 Orioles 0 - The O's can't touch Wang while Cabrera makes just enough mistakes to lose.

Am I the only one to notice that Dusty Baker wasn't in the booth for his normal ESPN Monday Night Baseball? Maybe I'm reading too much into it but it does seem interesting...

This week in "As the Orioles Turn"

Just think, a week ago tonight Sam Perlozzo was still the Orioles' manager, Andy McPhail worked in the commissioner's office, Dave Trembley was a faceless bullpen coach, Miguel Tejada was approaching 4th place on the consecutive games played list, and Joe Girardi was an ex-manager turned TV analyst. At least one thing hasn't changed.

Here are my thoughts on a very memorable week in Baltimore:

• Orioles fire Sam Perlozzo as manager and replace him with Dave Trembley on an interim basis: As I mentioned earlier, firing Perlozzo isn't going to fix the O's problems, but it had to be done. Perlozzo really had no clue when it came to handling the bullpen and the overpaid players had lost confidence in him. Trembly was the right choice to replace him on an interim basis. He has a terrific minor league record. I'm not sold that he's the long-term solution though. One question for my man Pete Angelos: WHY WASN'T TREMBLEY AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING HIS HIRING???? As a fan, I'd like to know what the man has to say.
• Orioles hire Andy McPhail as President of Baseball Operations: IF, and this is a HUGE IF, Pete fulfills his promise to allow McPhail to have full and complete autonomy over baseball decisions, then this is the best move the Orioles have made since they hired Davey Johnson and Pat Gillick in November 1995. McPhail won 2 World Series as Twins' GM and led the Cubs to 2 post-season appearances in 13 years (which equals the # of Cubs' post-season appearances in the previous 50 seasons). If Wood and Prior had stayed healthy the Cubs would have been a perennial post-season team this decade. He really had that team set up for long-term success with a rotation of 3 20-somethings in Wood, Prior, and Zambrano. Of course those incredibly baseball-savvy Cubs fans (see Steve Bartman) couldn't see that and chased him out of town. No wonder they haven't won the World Series in 99 years!
  
• Joe Girardi turns down the O's managerial job: This really hurt. When I heard the news it felt like someone had just kicked me in the stomach. I know that Girardi has only managed 1 year and didn't even have a winning record. And I know the Marlins basically have the same record without him this year. But he was NL Manager of the Year. And, to me, the bigger blow is the fact that the best available candidate out there turned down what was once one of the best jobs in baseball. Compared to Girardi, the rest of the candidates pale. I love Davey Johnson, but he's 64 and hasn't managed in 7 years. Dusty Baker scares me because of the way he overused Wood and Prior (and the fact that the O's do have some good young pitchers). Jerry Manuel lost the White Sox clubhouse. Joey Cora actually interests me. He's young and was an overachieving, hustling 2nd baseman. He could very well be the next Joe Girardi or Manny Acta, which is what I think the O's need. Why do I want a younger guy when I just said a few weeks ago to hire Davey Johnson? Because with McPhail on board I think the O's need to commit to a rebuilding effort with younger players. More on that later.
• Miguel Tejada's streak of 1152 consecutive games ends...and not without some controversy: On Wednesday night Tejada's wrist was broken when he was hit by a pitch. On Thursday Tejada tried to keep his streak alive by batting 2nd, bunting into a force play, and leaving for a pinch-runner. On Friday the O's officially determined that his wrist was broken and put him on the DL. A lot of people made a big deal about Thursday's charade. I didn't like it but I didn't think it was that big a deal. First, it was obvious it wasn't a day-to-day type of injury so you knew the streak was going to end anyway. Second, Lou Gehrig pulled a similar stunt at least once to keep his streak alive by batting leadoff and then leaving the game. That is what makes Cal's streak even more amazing - he started every game, in the field, with the intention of finishing it. (He was ejected a couple of times early in a game.) The bigger issue for the Orioles is that their incredibly anemic (and WAY overpaid) lineup is now missing its most dynamic threat for at least a month. I think last place is looking more and more likely.
• Peter Angelos again takes the cowardly approach: Pete was a no-show for both press conferences this week, despite the fact he OWNS a team worth $600 million with millions of hard-working fans that give their time and money to HIS team and despite the fact that both decisions were HIS. On top of that, his "baseball people" heard about McPhail's hiring when it was reported on ESPN. You're such a class act Pete. Why don't you just SELL MY TEAM?
  

So where do the O's go from here? Since McPhail was unable to get Girardi, I think he should stick with Trembley for the rest of the season. In the meantime, he can evaluate the O's talent (or lack thereof) and determine what he needs to do. Personally, I would trade Steve Trachsel, every veteran reliever he can, except Chris Ray, and every regular player he can, except Nick Markakis. The two-headed GM catastrophe of Flanagan and Duquette (with Pete's input) have assembled an overpaid group of mediocre veterans everywhere except the starting rotation. It's going to be hard to get rid of bums like Aubrey Huff, Jay Gibbons, Melvin Mora, Ramon Hernandez, and Danys Baez because they have contracts through 2009. No sane team is going to want to give up much to take on those contracts (each makes at least $5M/season). So McPhail may not be able to really do much until next July, when these players have one less year left on their contracts (and maybe they're performing better).

During the offseason McPhail should seriously consider trading Brian Roberts. Don't get me wrong - I love Brian Roberts. He's everything that the old Orioles were about. But he's a free agent after '09. With the contracts the O's have on their books, they won't be a contender until at least '10 or '11, by which time Roberts will be in his 30's, making a ton more money, and have declining stats. With the great year he's having and 2 more years on his contract he will probably be at his highest trade value this offseason.

I would also consider trading Erik Bedard. Like Roberts, he's a free agent after '09 and he's having an good year. Unlike Roberts, he's a jerk and I have a feeling he won't play nice in negotiations. I would get the maximum value while I can.

If McPhail follows this line, then he would probably want to hire a guy like Cora. If he thinks he can win with the current crap roster then he would be better off hiring Dusty Baker or Davey Johnson. Either way, IF Angelos leaves him alone, I'm confident he will get the O's back on track. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, that's a HUGE IF.

Coach Hep

IU Football Coach Terry Hoeppner lost his battle with brain cancer on Tuesday at the age of 59. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Hoeppner family.

Coach Hep brought such energy and passion to IU football. Last season, despite having brain surgery on September 13, he coached IU to within 1 win of a bowl game. I'll never forget the 2 Saturdays in October when IU beat Iowa and destroyed Michigan State on Homecoming. There was an electricity inside Memorial Stadium. Even in the bowl years of undergrad I don't remember that much excitement.

Rest in peace Coach Hep. You'll be missed.

True Hope or Mirage in the Desert?

The O's fired Sam Perlozzo today. As I told Marc today, this is like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Do I think Perlozzo could lead the Orioles to the promised land? No. At best he's a mediocre manager; more likely he's a good coach and a lousy manager. But firing him is not going to change the Orioles' fortunes.

The potentially much more significant move is the reported hiring of Andy McPhail as COO. McPhail replaces Joe Foss, a former banker with no baseball experience. McPhail, on the other hand, has been in the game his entire life. His father, Lee, was GM of the Orioles from '58-'65 and helped build the O's into one of the premiere organizations in baseball. Andy won 2 World Series as Twins' GM and as President of the Cubs, Chicago made 2 post-season appearances. As a point of comparison, they made one postseason appearance in the previous 50 years.

I see 2 possible scenarios - the O's/Pat Gillick scenario or the Indy Colts/Bill Polian scenario. In the first scenario, Pat Gillick ran into the Peter Angelos Ego buzz-saw and quit after 3 seasons, despite 2 playoff appearances. In the second scenario, Jim Irsay ceded all football operations to the previously successful Polian (something his father could never do). We all know what happened there.

As I've said previously, the one thing Peter Angelos has taken away more than anything is HOPE. According to the reports, Angelos has agreed to give McPhail full authority. If this is true, then HOPE has returned. However, given his track record, I'm not holding my breath.

Thanks Pete!

You continue to save me money. Your childish, Napoleanic decision saved me the $120 I would have spent to buy a Brian Roberts new "Baltimore" road jersey next year.

"Baltimore" on road jerseys

I have to admit, as painful as it has been to watch my team held hostage by this jackass, Pete has saved me a lot of money. I no longer make road-trips to see them on the road, I don't plan a long weekend in Maryland to see them play (although I will make a trip to see Ravens training camp this summer), and I no longer update my O's gear. I do spend money on the DIRECTV baseball package to watch them but I also get to watch other great games (Tigers-Indians last night was amazing!).

Pete, I'm glad your power-play makes you feel good. I hope it's worth it when you spend eternity with Bob Irsay! You deserve each other!

BRING DAVEY JOHNSON BACK, NOW!

Yesterday there was an article in the Baltimore Sun stating that the Orioles would consider bringing back Davey Johnson if they fire Sam Perlozzo.

Davey Johnson back in Baltimore?

BRING HIM BACK, NOW!

I know the history of bringing back coaches/managers to the same organization after great runs is not good. Just look at Earl Weaver and Joe Gibbs. My response to that?

BRING HIM BACK, NOW!

As I've stated here many times, the real problem with the Orioles is not the manager, or the co-GM's, or the players. The real problem with the Orioles is Peter G. Angelos. That said,

BRING HIM BACK, NOW!

Davey Johnson won't solve the O's bullpen woes, their erratic starting pitching, and their DH/1B, no-power threat lineup. My thoughts?

BRING HIM BACK, NOW!

All of that said, Davey Johnson will bring one thing that has been missing since his ugly departure nearly 10 years ago: HOPE!

Davey Johnson is one of the best managers of the last 25 years. In New York, Cincinnati, and Baltimore he took proud franchises back to their winning ways. Very simply, he is a WINNER.

Davey Johnson is one of the best handlers of bullpens I've ever seen. The O's have a lot of talent in the 'pen.

Other than Boston, the AL East is down. Give Johnson 100 games with this ragtag bunch and allow his input in the offseason and the O's could be winners next year. They have a nice core: Roberts, Bedard, Tejada, Markakis, Ray. They have some other terrific young pitching talent: Cabrera, Loewen, Guthrie. These guys need a proven winner to command their respect.

Before last season, the Tigers had had 12 consective losing seasons. They had a nice mix of veterans and young pitching. They hired a proven winner as a manager, even though he had not managed in 6 years. The result? A World Series berth.

Peter Angelos, BRING HIM BACK, NOW!

Money Ball vs. Moron Ball; the O's Philosophical Vacuum

As another Orioles season disintegrates into uninteresting mediocrity, I saw a number that blew my mind. The Orioles have the 10th highest payroll in baseball at $95.11 million, just behind the defending AL champion Tigers at $95.18. I couldn't believe it when I saw it. What kind of idiot pays this much money for the crap the O's put out on the field every night? Peter Angelos, of course!

The number one problem with the Orioles is they have no organizational philosophy. When the Oriole Way finally died in the early 80's, culminating in the 0-21, 107-loss disaster of 1988, the O's decided to rebuild. At that time the O's had a plan in place driven by a philosophy. They were going to build the team around pitching and defense. They were going to trade old for young. And they decided to build the team around 28 year old Cal Ripken. While it seems crazy now, there were discussions about trading him because he was their most valuable commodity. Luckily, Ripken was young enough (and obviously talented enough) to build around.

That summer the O's traded Mike Boddicker to the Red Sox for a couple of minor league prospects - Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling. They released Scott McGregor. They traded Fred Lynn for a prospect - Chris Hoiles. They started Jeff Ballard and eventually Bob Milacki, Pete Harnisch, and Curt Schilling every 5th day. After the season they traded Eddie Murray for a top prospect, SS Juan Bell, and 2 young major league pitchers - Brian Holton and Ken Howell. They then traded Howell for 28 year old Phil Bradley. They traded Mike Morgan for 22 year old Mike Devereaux. They drafted Gregg Olson in '88, Ben McDonald in '89, and Mike Mussina in '90, all young pitchers. While not all of the moves worked out (e.g. the Eddie Murray trade), they had a philosophy and stuck with it. The result? Surprisingly, in 1989 the O's went into the final weekend of the season just 1 game back of the division lead. While they fell short, they had a nice core on which to build.

Of course, the Orioles made a major misjudgment in 1991. Thinking they were just a big bat away from contending, they traded Schilling, Harnisch, and young Steve Finley for slugger Glenn Davis. Davis got hurt while Schilling and Finley went on to very long, successful, and in Schilling's case, Hall of Fame, careers. Harnisch didn't last as long but had a nice 10 year career.

While that poor decision and some bad luck with injuries (McDonald & Olson) took away what could have been a dominant team, the plan and philosophy led to a nice core of players who were the leaders of the '96 & '97 playoff teams - Ripken, Anderson, Mussina, and Hoiles. When Angelos bought the team in '93 he loosened the purse strings enough to allow the team to get Rafael Palmeiro and BJ Surhoff while the team made a smart trade to pick up Scott Erickson from the Twins.

Since chasing away Pat Gillick in 1998, for some unknown reason Angelos won't hire competent baseball people and allow them to develop and execute a plan guided by an organizational philosophy. Since the big-name free agents want nothing to do with Angelos, the O's end up filling their "holes" every year with overpriced second-tier free agents like Ramon Hernandez, Aubrey Huff, Kevin Millar, and Javy Lopez. And since they don't have an organizational philosophy, they end up with 3 DH-1B who can't field and shouldn't bat any higher than 6th and overpriced, crappy middle relievers ($6M Danys Baez, $4M Jamie Walker, and $2M Chad Bradford). Yet they wouldn't spend $3M on BJ Ryan 3 years ago and lost him to the Blue Jays. Instead of tearing down a shack to build a mansion, they try to patch the holes in the roof, put a few nails in it, and call it improved. When it starts falling apart again in the fall, they do the same thing the next winter.

Angelos, if you're not going to adopt a philosophy and allow baseball people to execute it, then sell the team!

Make or Break Already for the O's

The Orioles have been one of the worst organizations in sports the last 10 years. But what I witnessed yesterday was one of the most inexplicable collapses I have ever seen any team suffer in any sport.

With one out in the 9th inning, Jeremy Guthrie, a former first-round pick of the Indians smartly grabbed off of waivers this winter, was working on a 3-hit, 5-0 shutout of the Red Sox. The O's were looking at an improbable series win in Fenway, despite not having their top 2 starters pitch and going against Schilling and Beckett. The O's were about to even their record at 19-19. It looked like a chance for the O's to build some real confidence in their Quest for 82.

On an 0-2 pitch and nobody on base, Guthrie got a weak pop-up in front of the plate. Just when it looked like Guthrie might complete the shutout, Ramon Hernandez dropped the pop-up, allowing the runner to reach first. Then, for some unknown reason, Sam Perlozzo went to the bullpen, despite the fact that Guthrie had only thrown 91 pitches. Three hits, three walks, and an error later the $42 million bullpen had given up 6 runs, leading to a 6-5 loss.

In my 30 years of being a baseball fan the only 2 bigger collapses I've seen were the '86 Red Sox in Game 6 of the World Series and the '03 Cubs in Game 6 of the NLCS. Obviously those were much more important games but for a fan base looking for some hope, any kind of hope, this was devastating.

A loss like yesterday either completely makes or breaks a team. There's rarely an in-between. Either the Orioles will be unified after yesterday's game and get hot, or they will be completely demoralized and go into a deep funk. Given the losing atmosphere that surrounds Camden Yards under the Angelos regime, I expect the latter.

Same old O's

Five weeks into the season and I'm quickly realizing that nothing has changed with the O's. They're still mediocre with little hope for improvement.

Right now the O's are 14-17. What is more telling is the breakdown of their record. Against the best teams they've played (Minnesota, Detroit, Oakland, Boston, and Cleveland) they're 4-15, with 3 of those wins coming against Cleveland. (If Cleveland ends up falling just short of the playoffs, they're going to kick themselves for screwing around playing the O's). Against the weakest (or most injured) teams they've played (Yankees, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Toronto) they're 10-2.

On top of that, an organization with little depth due to years of poor drafts and lousy development has now lost 2/5 of its starting rotation. Jaret Wright was no surprise (and no big loss) but losing Adam Loewen for most of the year hurts. Not so much because he was expected to win 15 games, but because he needs experience to harness his great potential.

At this point it looks like the O's are going to have to play over their heads to win even 78 games. I could handle that if I understood that it was part of a plan. But as long as Angelos is owner, there will never be a plan. Nor hope.

Ravens Draft

The 2007 NFL Draft is over and the Ravens selected the following players:

Round 1 (29th Pick): Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn
Round 3 (74th): Yamon Figurs, WR, Kansas State
Round 3 (86th): Marshall Yanda, G-T, Iowa
Round 4 (134th): Antwan Barnes, LB, Florida International
Round 4 (137th): Le'Ron McClain, FB, Alabama
Round 5 (174th): Troy Smith, QB, Ohio State
Round 6 (207th): Prescott Burgess, LB, Michigan

I'm not sure how the "experts" will grade the Ravens' draft, but I'm ecstatic. According to a lot of the analysts, Grubbs was one of the 15-18 best players in the draft. Finally, after years of neglect, the Ravens have addressed the offensive line the past 3 years, selecting Grubbs, Yanda, Chris Chester, Jason Brown, and Adam Terry in the first 4 rounds. Those 5 may be the Ravens' starting offensive line in 2008. Even next year I could see Grubbs, Chester, Brown, and Terry joining Ogden in the starting lineup by the end of the year.

I would argue that much of the Ravens' offensive problems over the last 8-9 years has been because of the o-line (except Ogden). Mike Flynn, Edwin Mulitalo, Bennie Anderson, Keydrick Vincent, Harry Swayne, and Tony Pashos had 0 Pro Bowls combined as Ravens. They were good run blockers at one time but pass protection has been an issue for years, making it hard to sustain drives. On top of that they lack athleticism (other than Ogden), making it difficult for the Ravens to run plays like sweeps, traps, and screens. This new group of linemen will give the Ravens' offense much more flexibility. It will also help them match up better against teams like the Colts, who have used their d-line's athleticism to shut down the Ravens running game.

The pick of Figurs is more for the return game than as a receiver. BJ Sams is coming off of a broken leg, may be suspended for his 2 DUI's, and is an unrestricted free agent after next season. His injury late last season really hurt the Ravens because his replacement, Cory Ross, could not generate anything in the return game.

Antwan Barnes is a 'tweener from a smaller school, similar to a 2000 6th Round Ravens' draft pick named Adalius Thomas. It took AD a couple of years before he cracked the Ravens' starting lineup so I wouldn't expect him to be a contributor right away.

Le'Ron McClain was one of the top FB's available. With the loss of Ovie Mughelli this is a good pickup. The Ravens will rely less on the FB with Willis McGahee but I like the pick if for nothing else than to provide depth.

Troy Smith is a very intriguing pick. As the last pick of the 5th round it's a worthwhile gamble. He has very strong leadership skills to go with a strong arm. The knock on him is that he's only 6'0'' so he may not be tall enough to play in the NFL. With the Ravens he'll likely be the #3 QB next season, learning the game from Steve McNair. In '08 Kyle Boller will likely be gone (whew-hew!!!) so he'll become the back-up. By that time we should have an idea as to whether he can become the QB of the future. I think the Ravens have finally figured out that Kyle Boller isn't.

Prescott Burgess is a guy that Ozzie Newsome noticed was in just about every play for Michigan. He will get the chance to make the team on special teams (like Bart Scott and Adalius Thomas before him).

Now I'll be interested to see who the Ravens sign as undrafted free agents. They have had success here with Pro Bowlers Bart Scott and Priest Holmes and other major contributors like Mike Flynn and BJ Sams.

Only 3 months until training camp starts! (I need it, the way the O's are playing. Please sell the team Angelos!)

What defines a "sport"?

When I was in business school, I had an assistantship in the MBA Program Office. (For the most part, the job consisted of stuffing envelopes and entering data.) One day several co-workers and I debated whether certain "events" truly were "sports." After hours of discussion, we came up with 5 simple criteria for an event to qualify as a sport, which have passed the test of time (7 years!):

1. The winner cannot be determined by a judge. (Sorry boxing, gymnastics, & figure skating)
   
2. It must have a ball, puck, or similar object.
3. It cannot be a subset of another sport. (e.g. running in a race cannot be a sport as running is part of many sports; the long jump isn't a sport on its own because there is jumping in many sports)
4. Time cannot be part of the scoring. (This eliminates any and all racing)
5. Heart rate must increase by at least 20 beats per minute for the vast majority of participants (in average physical condition) at some point during the normal course of the game.
   

Let me be clear, just because something is not a sport doesn't mean it isn't competitive or that there isn't athleticism involved. Selling toothpaste is competitive but it's not a sport. Ballet requires a lot of athleticism but it's not a sport.

Number 5 causes some controversy. Does it eliminate golf? On the PGA Tour you have to walk the course so I would say golf is a sport. However, bowling is not (sorry Dad). Neither is curling.

My thoughts on the NBA & NHL Playoffs

Early season thoughts on the O's

The O's are about 10% through their schedule. There are still 147 games to go but some strengths and weaknesses are starting to show:

Early Strengths

1. The bullpen: Not only have the big free agent signees performed well, the O's have gotten strong performances from 2 unlikely sources: Jeremy Guthrie and John Parrish. This is the best O's 'pen since the '97 wire-to-wire team under Davey Johnson. It feels like if the O's have the lead after 5, they've got the game. The big concern right now is whether they'll wear down due to overuse.
2. The lineup (against right-handers): The O's are 6-1 in their last 7 games against a RH starter. The only loss - Justin Verlander's dominating performance last week at Camden Yards. With Markakis, Huff, Gibbons, Patterson, and Roberts from the left side and Tejada from the right side, mediocre right-handers (of which there are plenty) are going to get hit.
   

Early Weaknesses

1. Team defense: It's downright brutal. The O's have given up a ton of EARNED runs that even an average defensive team doesn't give up. This will improve some with the return of Jay Payton and Ramon Hernandez, but they'll still be below-average. Tejada looks terrible at shortstop - no range and poor footwork.
2. The lineup (against left-handers): The O's are 2-4 against lefties, including today's win against Scott Kazmir. Again, they'll be helped by the return of Payton and Hernandez. But even with those two in the lineup the O's will be starting 3 left-handed hitters against most lefties. And Brian Roberts, a switch-hitter, is weaker from the right side.

Jury is still out

1. Starting Pitching: A week ago I would have said that this looks like a strength, with a string of strong performances. But Bedard has looked shaky (over 5.00 ERA in 4 starts), Loewen is throwing way too many pitches, Jaret Wright is on the DL after one good and one bad outing, and Steve Trachsel saw his ERA balloon from 2.63 to over 5.00 over the course of 10 batters last night. Cabrera didn't look great last time out but he is throwing strikes and is finding a way to win when he doesn't have his (very) dominating stuff.
2. Bench: A week ago I would have said this looks like a weakness, but Chris Gomez, Freddy Bynum, and Jon Knott (who the hell is he?) played well this week. Paul Bako and Alberto Castillo have done a nice job filling in for Hernandez although there have been way too many passed balls.
3. "The Quest for 82": It's going to be close. The starting pitching, particularly Bedard, has to get better so that the bullpen doesn't burn out in July. Everyone in the AL looks better. Even though the O's just went 5-1 against the Royals and Devil Rays, those 2 teams look improved. I'm very impressed with the core of young position players the Devil Rays have. If they get ANY pitching, they're going to be very good in a couple of years.

Outstanding Blog on Angelos & the Media

This is a great blog from baltimoresun.com. Make sure you read the 2nd comment from Douglas. To me this hits the nail on the head.

Maese Space Blog

This is so frustrating! Sell my team Angelos!!!

2007 Ravens Schedule

The Ravens' 2007 schedule was released today. (Schedule) The opponents were already known based on Ravens' record last year and the divisions the AFC North is scheduled to play this year. What wasn't known was the dates and how many games would be on national television.

Based on my initial look at the schedule, I like it. There were a few things that jumped out at me:

• Starting on the road - again. It's such a freakin' coincidence that the Orioles are home just about EVERY year the weekend the NFL opens up (OK, it's only 7 of the last 9. And of course Angelos would never do a petty thing like trying to stick it to the team and the owner that Baltimore loves.)
  
• Playing consecutive games at San Diego, home on Monday night against the Patriots, and home on Sunday night against the Colts in late November and early December.
• Playing 5 of their first 8 games on the road.
• Playing Cincinnati at home 6 days after playing at Pittsburgh on Monday night.

First, I love playing those 3 straight games against the other 3 2006 AFC division winners. Under Billick, the Ravens usually play their best football from late November on. I'd rather see the Ravens playing those teams at a time when they're playing their best.

While the Ravens play a lot of road games early on, their schedule is softer early on. This will give them a chance to get some wins while they get adjusted to a new running back and learn how to play defense without Adalius Thomas.

Now that Monday Night Football has moved to ESPN, I hate it. It's no longer the showcase game of the week (that's Sunday night) and you get a short rest. I hate having to play Cincy and Indy on short rest because they're really good and the Ravens don't match up well with them. But that's the price you pay for having a really good season the year before.

Angelos at it Again

The improved Orioles come home for the Home Opener, off a near sweep of the Yankees in New York. So what does Angelos do? He decides it's a perfect time for a little revenge against the man who organized the fan protest last year:

O's Deny Press Credentials

I love the garbage that the Orioles spew out as to why they denied Drew Forrester and Nestor Aparicio credentials:

Angelos BS

Of course, it isn't true. Just like the lies that spew from Angelos and his henchman after other vengeful, disgraceful acts. Check out the blogs on this site that provide the truth:

WNST responds

Mr. Angelos, your ownership of a once-proud franchise is an absolute disgrace. Sell my team!

To all Colts fans (Baltimore & Indy)

I highly recommend this site: Colts Heritage

This site is asking the NFL Hall of Fame to do the right thing: take the former Baltimore Colts out of the Indianapolis Colts section. If you visit the HOF now, you will see Johnny U, Gino Marchetti, Raymond Berry, Lenny Moore, et al in the Indianapolis Colts section, despite the fact that they never played one down in Indy! Here is the quote from the site:

"The Baltimore Colts will never play another NFL game but at least their memory should remain alive. Our primary purpose is to start and present this petition including your signature to the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the hope that it can influence the Hall to properly recognize the careers of those distinguished Baltimore Colts. They earned your respect and adulation as players and they deserve your support in preserving their legacies.

1. Bring the Colts back to Baltimore
2. Restore the Colts logos and colors
3. Affect Indianapolis' history in any way
4. Direct any lingering frustration towards Colts’ ownership (past or present)

Let's be clear... Charm City is Ravenstown. Baltimore no longer dons the blue and white. It now bleeds purple. The city has its own home team just as the Colts have a home in Indianapolis. Yet the players who left parts of their broken bodies on 33rd Street at Memorial Stadium no longer have a home. They are aging and unfortunately some have passed.

The time has come to distinguish these men in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as Baltimore Colts. Besides, does Indianapolis really want Baltimore's players in its exhibit? Would you want theirs?

Restoring the Baltimore Colts’ tradition is a simple yet grossly overdue change that will enable future generations of fans to understand the relevance of Baltimore in the NFL’s remarkable history and to enable the accomplishments of these men to echo in eternity.

It’s the right thing to do.

Together, let's stand up and be counted. Together with this petition we can make a difference."

So far the site has over 27,000 signatures, including Johnny U's son, Joe, several other former Baltimore Colts, and mine. :)

Baseball 2007

Alright, here are my predictions for 2007:

AL East

1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Blue Jays
   
4. Orioles
5. Devil Rays

I take the Red Sox because they have superior starting pitching. I could see the Yankees slipping out of even second. They're so old. I really could see the O's having a breakthrough season and getting 85-90 wins. It will depend on whether Loewen & Cabrera can live up to their potential. Of course, I could also see them losing 90. But at least I finally have some hope.

AL Central

1. Tigers
2. White Sox
3. Twins
4. Indians
5. Royals

I don't understand all the hype about Cleveland. Their bullpen is still an issue. Their starting pitching needs to prove it can stay healthy. Their lineup is potent though. I really like Hafner. Even without Rogers, the Tigers have too much pitching and an improved lineup with Sheffield. The White Sox pitching will bounce back and they have a terrific manager.

AL West

1. Angels
2. A's
3. Rangers
4. Mariners

I was tempted to take Texas to win the World Series because of the post-Buck Showalter trend. I wouldn't be surprised to see Oakland take this division. I don't think they'll miss Zito as much as everyone thinks.

NL East

1. Phillies
2. Braves
3. Mets
4. Marlins
5. Nationals

I like the Phillies starting pitching. I also think they'll get off to a slow start, fire Charlie Manuel, get a decent manager to manage the bullpen (Davey Johnson?) and win the division. If Smoltz and Hudson stay healthy, the Braves will hang around all year. The Mets' pitching is a mess. The Nats may be one of the worst teams in recent history. What is up with that pitching staff?

NL Central

1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Cubs
4. Astros
5. Brewers
6. Pirates

To be honest, nobody in this division impresses me. Even the Cards have some big issues - rebuilding their rotation behind Carpenter. Because they got hot in October, everyone forgets they were a mediocre 83-78 in the regular season. The Cubs have a lot of talent and a great manager, but I think it's going to take some time for them to jell. (Just think, next year will be 100 years since their last World Series title.)

NL West

1. Dodgers
2. Padres
3. Diamondbacks
4. Rockies
5. Giants

I have to admit the Giants may not be a last place team but I hope nothing but losing on them as long as they employ Barry Bonds. He's an absolute disgrace. If he breaks the record, I hope he does it on the road and really hears it from fans. (Philly would be a perfect place.) The Dodgers look really good. The Padres and D-backs rely too much on old pitchers for me to pick them.

Wild Cards:
AL: A's
NL: Braves

World Series:
Red Sox over Dodgers

Making playoff predictions is worthless, because it truly is a crapshoot in this day and age. Consider these World Series champions of the 2000's:

2000: Yankees (less than 90 wins)
2002: Angels (Wild Card)
2003: Marlins (Wild Card)
2004: Red Sox (Wild Card)
2006: Cardinals (less than 85 wins)

Looking Ahead

After a VERY relaxing week in Florida (other than the traffic), I'm back in Bloomington and ready for Spring. I'm looking forward to longer days, warmer weather, and summer in Bloomington. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't have an eye on next basketball season.

Assuming DJ White stays (and he'd be foolish to leave), IU may have their most talented team in 15 years. I see IU having 3 big questions next year:

1. Who will be the point guard? Armon Bassett was clearly more comfortable at shooting guard. Was that because he was a freshman or is that his natural position? Can Jamarcus Ellis or Jordan Crawford step in and run the point? Of the two, I would think that Ellis would be a better option since he is a JUCO transfer.
2. How good is Eric Gordon and how will he fit in? I've never seen the guy play but people who have watched Indiana HS basketball for years say he is the best guard to come out of the state since Oscar Robertson. If that's true, he will be the most talented player Kelvin Sampson has ever coached. How will Sampson fit him into a team style of play? Will the other players stand around watching?
   
3. How far can IU go with such a young team? I see IU starting 2 freshmen (Gordon & Eli Holman), a sophomore (Bassett), and a senior (DJ). The other spot will be open to competition with AJ Ratliff (senior), Joey Shaw (soph), Jamarcus Ellis (soph), and Jordan Crawford (fresh) battling it out. If Sampson wants to go bigger then Brandon McGee(fresh) and Xavier Keeling (soph) could be in the mix.
   

It will be exciting to see the combination of outstanding talent and coaching together again in Bloomington. It has been a long time (early 90's) since we've seen that!

Greetings from Florida!!!

It has been a while since I have blogged. Things had been pretty busy at work and I had been trying to get things done at home in preparation for my vacation to Florida. I've been down here 3 days and the weather has been fantastic! Basically, it's been in the 80's and sunny every day. Huge improvement over the 19 degrees it was in Indiana Thursday morning when I left!

Here are some random thoughts:

• Universal Studios Orlando is just outstanding. Marc, Michelle, and I stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel. They have a huge pool with a 200-foot slide and it is within easy walking distance of the 2 amusement parks and City Walk, the restaraunt and entertainment district. The pool has a 200 foot slide. Marc went down 40 times over 3 days; I only made it down about 25. At the Islands of Adventure amusement park, we rode the Incredible Hulk roller coaster 5 times and the Dueling Dragons 3 times. By staying at the Hard Rock Hotel we got "front of the line" privileges for the rides. Other than technical difficulties on Dueling Dragons, our longest wait was 15 minutes with a normal wait of about 2-3 minutes. It was like P&G day at King's Island!
• I'll be interested to see where IU ends up seeded. I really have no idea. I thought if IU could have ended up 11-5 in the Big 10 with 1 B10 tourney win that they'd be a 4 or 5 seed. Now I'm guessing a 7?
  
• The Ravens have received very mixed reviews for their free agency moves. Given their cap situation I think they've done well except for 1 thing - they gave up too much for Willis McGahee. I think he will be an upgrade in an area that desperately needed upgrading. But I hate to give up 2 third round picks, especially after we've already given up this year's fourth round pick in the McNair deal.
• I'm not optimistic that Jonathan Ogden will be back. He seems to have lost his drive. The key to success in the NFL is preparation. From a physical standpoint, that comes from the off-season workouts, which can be drudgery. Ogden is a really smart person who has many other interests outside of football. He doesn't need the game. The Ravens really need to find a tackle in the draft. Even if he comes back, next season will be it for him.
• When it comes to the O's, I know I'm bipolar. I'll now revert to my optimistic side. The key to the O's "Quest for 82" are Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera, and Adam Loewen. So far in 6 combined starts the 3 of them have given up 1 run (set up by a botched pick-off by Chris Gomez). Marc and I are going to Ft. Myers on Thursday to see them play the Twins. If they keep their current rotation we should see Loewen pitch.
  

Another O's Embarrassment

Reason #762 it's hard to get passionate about the Orioles:

O's curb callers' access to club

I don't like the policy period. But even worse than the policy is the lie: "the club has always had the policy." Please. Just be honest with us, or at least come up with a believable lie. If they had said "we want to give our new broadcast partner some exclusive privileges" I could live with it. As a business person, I can understand the argument. (Although I still wouldn't do it - it's insulting to your customers.)

You would think after 14 years the team would become better liars. The excuses they use for the ridiculous moves they make are downright pathetic. I don't have enough time to list ALL of the asinine reasons they've given to us after unpopular moves, but here are a few:

• After forcing Davey Johnson out as manager, they tried to blame it on Johnson directing a fine to his wife's charity.
• After firing Frank Wren as GM, they said it was because he didn't hold a plane for a LATE Cal Ripken.
• After not offering Jon Miller a contract, they blamed the move on his wife wanting to move to San Francisco. (The Millers, including Mrs. Miller, maintained their off-season home in Baltimore for at least a couple of years after leaving the Orioles.)

Mr. Angelos, please sell the team!

2000 Ravens' Place in History

With the Ravens today announcing that they will not franchise Adalius Thomas, another member of the Super Bowl XXXV Champions is leaving Baltimore. In the salary cap era, it's inevitable. As much as I love AD as a player and as a member of the community, I honestly believe the Ravens are doing the right thing.

As more time has passed, it becomes more appropriate to judge the 2000 Ravens' place in history. And as more time has passed, I am more amazed by how talented that team was.

That team started 4 sure-fire Hall-of-Famers - Jonathan Ogden, Shannon Sharpe, Ray Lewis, and Rod Woodson. Adalius Thomas and Priest Holmes (multiple Pro Bowls each) were back-ups. Kelly Gregg, who is now considered one of the best nose tackles in football, was on the practice squad. Their rookie tailback - Jamal Lewis - owns the NFL record for most rushing yards in a game and has the second-highest single-season rushing total in history.

Despite all that talent, they don't get mentioned with the great Super Bowl champions. The reason - quarterback play. As much as I love what Trent Dilfer did for that team, he was a mediocre QB at best. And he was a big improvement over Tony Banks, who was downright terrible. Dilfer, though, understood how good the team around him was and played his role perfectly. My favorite stat about that team - they were 14-0 when they scored a touchdown. And they won two games in which they didn't score a single touchdown.

I understand that the NFL is a quarterback's league. And because of that the 2000 Ravens will never be mentioned as one of the great teams of all time. Maybe that's fair. But it is a shame.

Other overlooked 2000 Ravens' stats:

• Closest margin of victory in playoffs: 13 (16-3 over Raiders, AFC Championship Game)
• Cumulative Playoffs Score: Ravens 95 Opponents 23 (4 games)
• TD's allowed by defense in playoffs: 1
• TD's scored by defense in playoffs: 2
• TD's scored by special teams in playoffs: 2
• Shutouts (Reg Season): 4
• Games holding opposition to 10 or less points: 15 (incl all 4 playoff games)

Thank you San Diego!

The Chargers hired Norv Turner to be their new head coach today. This is excellent news on two fronts - (1) the team with possibly the most talent in football just hired a coach with a 58-82 lifetime record and (2) Rex Ryan will return as the Ravens' defensive coordinator.

Norv Turner has proven over and over again that he's a great offensive coordinator but a lousy head coach. Everywhere he's gone as an offensive coordinator he's had success. But everywhere he's gone as a head coach he's had trouble controlling an entire team. At best, the Chargers will have a pretty major adjustment period (4 other coaches from their staff left), which could hurt their seeding for the playoffs. At worst (or best in the Ravens' case), Turner will work his magic and bring the team down significantly.

Losing Rex Ryan to the Chargers would have been more damaging to the Ravens next season than the likely loss of Adalius Thomas. Last year's Ravens "D" was one of the most dominant in recent NFL history despite starting 4 players drafted in the 5th round or later (including AD) and starting 2 rookies. By comparison, the dominant Ravens defense in 2000 had only 2 players drafted in the 5th round or later (both of whom were on the D-line, coached by Ryan) and no rookies. Ryan has an incredible ability to get the most out of players, both from a scheme and motivational standpoint. It's just amazing that retreads like Norv Turner and Wade Phillips got jobs this year while Ryan didn't. Reminds me a little of 2001, when Buffalo (Gregg Williams) and Cleveland (Butch Davis) both passed on Marvin Lewis. (Both of those teams are on their 3rd coaches since then.)