Training Camp Reports with Tony Lombardi from Ravens24x7.com

• Home
• Hooters 11-16-09 (photos)
• Blogs
  • Rob Long
  • Ken Zalis
  • Phil Backert
  • Anne Boone
  • John Dame
  • Stephie's Corner
  • Eric Smith

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

It was a cool Saturday (thankfully) in Westminster, Maryland and the Baltimore Ravens are looking very much in shape and excited for the start of the season. CB Domonique Foxworth, dealing with just being diagnosed with a torn ACL, watched practice just outside the locker room while wearing a large brace on his knee with crutches. Meanwhile, news emerged that T Jared Gaither only had cramps when he was carted off the field on Friday, but he did not practice on Saturday.

The Action: WR Demetrius Williams caught two TD passes; WR Justin Harper also had a TD grab; WR Donte' Stallworth caught two touchdown passes from QB Marc Bulger and also had a nice catch on the sideline after CB Cary Williams tipped the football into his arms; WRs Eron Riley and Donte' Stallworth caught long bombs from QB Marc Bulger; WR Derrick Mason caught a TD pass from QB Joe Flacco; DT Art Jones and OG Bryan Mattison were involved in a minor scuffle; CB KJ Gerard blocked a kick from K Billy Cundiff; LB Jason Phillips picked off a pass in the PM session.

The Position Battles: OTs Ramon Harewood and Tony Moll took turns replacing injured OTs Jared Gaither and Oniel Cousins. Harewood is going to be a player, as he is extremely mobile for someone as big as he is, but he has a few things to learn on the pro level. Regardless, he is a nice pick-up in the late rounds. CBs Chris Carr and Travis Fisher took most of the reps with the first team defense on Saturday, but CB Walt Harris also saw some time with that team. As of now, it appears the depth chart at corner (not including Washington and Webb) is 1. Carr, 2. Fisher, 3. Harris, 4. Gerard, 5. Williams.

Kicking: Graham Hits: 30, 39, 44, 51. Graham Misses: 50. Cundiff Hits: 30, 39, 44, 51, 46, 1 blocked.

Notes: RB Willis McGahee showed up to camp heavy (240 lbs), but appears ready to play; CB Fabian Washington did not practice in the AM session and wore the red, non-contact jersey in the PM practice; DT Jones and OG Mattison said they worked out their differences after practice.

Sources: Aaron Wilson (The Carroll County Times), Mike Duffy (BaltimoreRavens.com), and Jamison Hensley (The Baltimore Sun)

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Ravens took the field on Friday for the first time as a full squad and practiced in front of the biggest crowd ever (non-scrimmage) in Westminster, Maryland. However, the headlines were marred by some terrible news. It was announced CB Domonique Foxworth has been lost for the year with a torn ACL. It was a non-contact injury; he planted wrong. This puts the team in an interesting position--do they go after another cornerback (i.e. Frank Walker) or do they try to improve the pass rush and take the pressure off the secondary? With LB Sergio Kindle's fractured skull, the team loses a valuable weapon at the line of scrimmage in addition to Foxworth; they may want to re-sign CB Frank Walker and add a DE or a LB.

Speaking of rushing linebackers, Terrell Suggs said he lost twenty pounds in the offseason and was observed to be quick on his feet, resembling himself in his rookie year. This is good news considering the fact that he missed all of the voluntary organized team activities. He will hopefully bolster the pass rush to support the secondary.

CB Fabian Washington was removed from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list but did not practice in the AM portion. In the afternoon, he practiced and had a no contact, red jersey on.

The Action: QB Troy Smith made the highlight reel on his pass to WR Eron Riley for a touchdown. The "coaches points" on this one go to Riley, who probably has a better shot of making the team than Smith. NT Terrence Cody is done with his struggles on the conditioning test and is making his way towards his weight goal, set by the team. He pushed G Ben Grubbs back five yards with barely any effort. Rookie TE Edward Dickson showed off some moves on a big spin to catch a pass from QB Joe Flacco that came in behind him. CB KJ Gerard continues to step-up, as he snagged an interception from QB Marc Bulger. S Dawan Landry laid a big hit on RB Willis McGahee, causing the loss of a tooth. CB Chris Carr also picked off QB Marc Bulger for a pick-six. However, the backup QB did have one highlight: a TD pass to WR Mark Clayton. Rookie TE Dennis Pitta got hit hard by ILB Ray Lewis after catching a pass over the middle.

The Position Battles: At first string cornerback: Travis Fisher and Chris Carr. At inside linebacker (next to 52): Jameel McClain, Tavares Gooden and Dannell Ellerbe rotate. At RT/LT: Jared Gaither and Michael Oher rotate.

The Injuries: T Jared Gaither was carted off the field in the afternoon portion with an injury to his lower back; it did not appear to be a long-term detriment to Gaither. CB Walt Harris passed his conditioning test and practiced; he will likely be in the rotation as a major contributor for the team at the position once he gets familiar with the defense. TE Todd Heap will miss a week of camp with swollen tonsils. S Tom Zbikowski did most of the work on Friday for S Ed Reed (hip).

Kicking: Shayne Graham hit from 20, 20, 30, 36, 41, and 46 yards. Missed from 38. Billy Cundiff hit from 20, 28, 30, 36, 40 and 46. Missed from 41.

Player to Watch: With Dominque Foxworth now out, CB KJ Gerard is someone you should keep your eyes on. He is working his way to the top of the depth chart and could soon see time with the first team. He wears #40.

Sources: Mike Duffy (BaltimoreRavens.com), Jamison Hensley (The Sun), Photo via "The Baltimore Sun"

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Baltimore Ravens' second day of practice started with news exactly the opposite of Tuesday morning's--NT Terrence Cody passed his conditioning test.

Cody has weighed in at 350 pounds, with a low body fat percentage. He has been told he will be a three-down player. "Obviously it [Wednesday's conditioning test] shows you that he was in shape," Harbaugh said. "He's a little heavy right now. He's got to lose little weight, but that will happen in training camp. But the fact that he's in shape is important. That shows you that he's done the work."

The coach was asked to explain the conditioning test further and stated that each athlete is required to run 25 yards up and back three times. After each interval of fifty yards, they get a seventy second break. The player must meet the time specified for his position during these intervals.

CB Prince Miller also practiced after failing his conditioning test Tuesday. CB Walt Harris has yet to retake it.

In the action part of practice on Wednesday, KJ Gerard camp up with two breakups in the back corner of the end zone. S Haruki Nakamura picked one of them off. Rookie WR David Reed had a good day, making two nice catches, one of which was caught in between two defensive backs. WR Mark Clayton also made an appearance, catching a long touchdown pass from QB Joe Flacco. Rookie TE Dennis Pitta was called for offensive pass interference in a red zone drill.

In injury news, C Matt Birk has a wrap on his arm after elbow surgery (described as minor). He should be back on the field soon--and spent most of his offseason strengthening his neck. CB Fabian Washington is on the back end of his recovery from a torn ACL--and could be back on the field by Friday.

The Rising: Could Rookie DE Albert McClellan be this year's Dannell Ellerbe? For the second straight day, he has caught the eye of spectators, picking off a pass and breaking up one as well.

Notes: Harbaugh said "Marvin (Lewis) doesn't need our sympathy" when asked whether or not the Ravens should feel sorry for the Bengals head coach, who is now dealing with loud-mouthed WRs Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens; with WR Donte' Stallworth's license still suspended after his DUI manslaughter condition, he caught a ride to camp from RB Ray Rice; meanwhile, Aaron Wilson points out that DE Paul Kruger reported to camp at 273 pounds, looking much bigger than '09. He weighed in at 263 pounds prior to the 2009 draft; NFL commish Roger Goodell will visit Westminster on August 4.

Sources: Jamison Hensley (The Sun), Aaron Wilson (The Carroll County Times), and Mike Duffy (BaltimoreRavens.com)

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Baltimore Ravens (or their QBs, rookies, and selected veterans) concluded their first day of training camp on Tuesday evening, but the biggest story to emerge from the day was not positive.

NT Terrence Cody and CB Walt Harris failed the team's conditioning test. The Ravens (under Harbaugh) have been known for administering an extremely tough test, so there is no big reason to worry yet in regards to Cody being overweight. It is not the best headline for the 360 pound defenseman, however. He did some extra running after the morning session.

"We expect all our guys to be in world-class shape. He'll be in world-class shape soon enough," said Ravens Coach John Harbaugh.

Meanwhile, CB Walt Harris is still the top candidate for the fourth cornerback position (behind Washington, Webb, and Foxworth) despite his failed test. Remember, this is also Harris' first season under Harbaugh and he is coming off a major injury at the end of the third decade of his life.

"I wasn't as close (to making conditioning time) as I wanted to be, but we'll see this afternoon and hopefully I'll be out there," said Harris.

Both players were placed on the active PUP list to start training camp, along with: S Ed Reed (hip), CBs Fabian Washington (knee), Lardarius Webb (knee), and Prince Miller (unknown), LB Brendon Ayanbadejo (leg), OT Oniel Cousins (throat), RB Matt Lawrence (knee), and WR Rodelin Anthony (knee).

Some notable stats and events: 985 people attended the morning practice; LB Jason Phillips grabbed an interception off of QB Troy Smith; NT Kelly Gregg (shoulder) was not placed on the PUP list; CB KJ Gerard picked off a deep pass in the afternoon portion; Gregg, Matt Birk, Jarret Johnson, Haloti Ngata, Brandon McKinney, Lamar Divens, and Mark Clayton were among the vets that reported early; OT Oniel Cousins could return next week after having a cyst removed from his throat.

Sources: Jamison Hensley (The Sun), Aaron Wilson (Carroll County Times), Mike Duffy (BaltimoreRavens.com)

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Baltimore Ravens and one of their top draft picks, nose tackle Terrence Cody, have agreed to terms on a three-year contract. The deal has yet to be signed, but the rookie is on his way to Westminster, Maryland to make it official.

According to "The Carroll County Times", the deal is worth $3.385 million with $1.595 million guaranteed.

This news leaves LB Sergio Kindle as the last player needing to sign his deal with the team.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Ravens rookie LB Sergio Kindle sustained a head injury Thursday after falling down two flights of stairs. The 22-year old was "visiting" a house in Austin, Texas.

Kindle, who is in stable condition, will not report to training camp when the Ravens rookies and selected veterans convene at McDaniel College Monday. However, this new accident causes one to take a look at the bigger picture surrounding the 'backer.

Before the draft, Kindle's stock fell due to a knee injury and some of his past issues. Specifically, he was involved in two incidents with a motor vehicle. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in 2007 at the age of nineteen (two years under the legal limit for drinking). Then, he was in a one-car accident, driving into a building while texting, and subsequently leaving the scene.

Therefore, the Baltimore Ravens have drafted a high-risk player who just had his first incident in his new uniform. The wording in a lot of the articles saying the linebacker was "visiting" a house is interesting--was it a party? How do you possibly fall manage to fall down to flights of stairs--wouldn't you be extra careful if you were going to sign your first contract the next week?

The team may have gotten a steal at number 43--only time will tell--but for now, the franchise needs to get Kindle ingrained in the Harbaugh approach to the game of football so he leaves his past behind and this pattern does not continue.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The National Football League has suspended Baltimore Ravens CB Cary Williams for violating the league's personal conduct policy. It will be a two game suspension. Williams was going to go into training camp as a viable contender for the nickel back slot in 2010, but his chances have now been significantly lessened.

"We've been aware of this since before we signed Cary," Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. The incident occurred during the cornerback's time with the Tennessee Titans.

With over eighty men on the Ravens' current roster, the competition will be tough at Williams' position. Due to the open slot (due to injuries to Washington and Webb) next to CB Domonique Foxworth, Williams will be competing with the newly acquired Walt Harris, veteran Chris Carr, and the aggressive KJ Gerard.

If Washington and Webb make their way back from injury, his chances of playing cornerback are ancient history and he will be in the running for nickel back.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Ed Reed + Personal Situation + Surgery Needed = Reed's Unpredictability

Reed has been increasingly private since Ravens Coach John Harbaugh took over in 2008. That offseason, he was dealing with a pinched nerve in his neck that came to the forefront during training camp. The speculation at the time was that the Pro Bowler would not play that season, however, he went on to have one of the best years of his career in 2008.

In 2009, he endured a hip injury that caused him to miss several games; in addition, his impact on games was significantly less apparent then in 2008. Reed was seen coaching up the defense on the sidelines when he was injured and he was criticized for "showing up" the Ravens coaching staff.

The safety's underlying issues with the organization continued to surface immediately following the team's playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts in early 2010. He mentioned retirement and left the team as well as Baltimore wondering what his future was going to hold.

As the months moved along, it became clearer that Reed was coming back. However, after spending a lot of time under the radar, he resurfaced in June and stated he was "35 percent" back from hip surgery that he underwent in April 2010.

Therefore, Ed Reed is entirely unpredictable. He's been this way for most of the John Harbaugh era--which could certainly be a reflection of his opinions of the coach. The team appeared to be ill-informed of his condition at the time of his comments in June and were stuck with a PR nightmare.

In July, news surfaced that the safety wanted a new contract. Talk about more strange actions that are reminiscent of LB Ray Lewis' short stint as a free agent in 2009.

It is far too early to tell exactly if or when Ed Reed will play in 2010. He is that unpredictable. The Baltimore Ravens are probably handling the situation as they have handled Reed in the past (at least in public): wait and see.

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

In Monday's "The Baltimore Sun", Baltimore Ravens fans were greeted with a headline that marked a change in the tone of QB Joe Flacco.

Flacco, now 25, rocked the boat. Fans were happy in 2008 when the quarterback did not actively campaign for a place in Baltimore's spotlight, as he was quiet and maintained a blue collar attitude.

However, he is now entering his third-season as the franchise's "quarterback of the future" and he is not digging the newest change. The "what's-best-for-the-organization-is-best-for-me" talking points are not quite as present.

He has been known to create great relationships with his backups, as Todd Bouman became his mentor in '08 and he and Troy Smith have had three years to get comfortable with each other.

In 2010, though, he will have a former Pro-Bowler who happens to be getting paid more than him breathing down his neck for the first time. “Hopefully, we just all get along well,” Flacco told "The Baltimore Sun". “When you have a little bit of tension in the room, it doesn’t lend to playing well. Yeah, he might bring a thing here or there that helps me out. We’ll see. It’s all about going out there, preparing during the week and having a good time doing that. Hopefully, we can do that.”

In taking a closer look at this quote, a few words stand out: "tension" and "a thing here or a there that helps me out". Needless to say, these two words/phrases are veiled with an attitude that is less-than-enthusiastic about Bulger. Although Bulger may be excited about what he can bring to the table, it does not appear Flacco is not ready to learn from a backup that has more money on his paycheck.

Then, Flacco digs an even bigger hole for himself.

“I don’t want to have any bad words about Marc,” Flacco said. “I’m sure Marc is a great guy. But I had a great relationship with Troy and John. Depending on what happens, one of them might not be around and two of them might not be around. We’ll see what happens.”

“I don’t want to have any bad words about Marc.” That tells one that he does have some bad things to say about the signing and possibly Bulger.

Making headlines is new for Flacco; this was possibly a slip-up in which he accidentally allowed his true views to be blasted out into the public by the city's main newspaper.

It is clear in Flacco's final statement that he is trying to clean his mess up a bit: “Either way, it’ll be disappointing to see one of them [Beck or Smith] go. I’m sure Marc is a great guy, and he’ll be fun to work with. I enjoy our [quarterback] room with Troy and John. It’s definitely going to be broken up a little bit. So, we’ll see how it goes.”

The quarterback situation was not going to be a hot button topic in the first few weeks of training camp. Now it will be.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Although rumors are swirling about the landing spot for former Pro Bowl wide receiver Terrell Owens, it will not be in Baltimore. The Ravens have been listed as an option for him in some cases, as they may pursue him in case of an injury to their top three receivers.

However, at this moment, the Ravens are stacked at the position. They have ten wide receivers on the roster; they will probably allow five. Not only that, the back end of the receivers include such talents as Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams, Marcus Smith, and Eron Riley.

"The Ravens are not one of the teams that I would bank on at this time, nor are we having any discussions with them," Rosenhaus said. "I wouldn't bank on seeing Terrell in a Ravens uniform."

Owens' agent was forced to speak up about the situation after speculation about the Ravens heated about after an appearance by LB Terrell Suggs on ESPN's "NFL Live".

Therefore, don't expect the Ravens to make any further moves at wideout. There will be continued adjustments in the secondary, especially as the progression of the recoveries of S Ed Reed and CBs Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb becomes clear.

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Although the new autograph rule that will be enforced by the Baltimore Ravens at training camp in a few weeks has caused a big (mostly negative) reaction, it does not change too much.

The team has always had a special section set up for kids so that they get closer access to players at the end of practices. Therefore, in the past, most of the athletes headed directly towards the section with the kids rather than going to the general crowd.

There would be between 5-7 players who would sign for the kids, while only 1-2 would sign for the general crowd if they had the energy. The kids were always the number one priority.

This new rule, which makes an unwritten law official, has caused an outburst. Here are some portions of the texts I received after the news came out: "that's ridiculous", "Wow....that is messed up, it stinks", "it's horrible", "I think it's a terrible, terrible rule change", and "thank God I got my Flacco signature last year".

Despite the outrage, the main question going into training camp in regards to this policy will be its effect on attendance. It is doubtful that the team will ever change their policy back, especially because the new rule is for safety reasons.

Here's my only problem with the news: the upper age limit for autographs is too low. It should be extended to 17--at the most. This age group could cause a safety issue for those under 10, but they are still considered kids. If the age limit were to be extended, the intelligent idea would be to cordon off a section for the 14-17's and to do the same for those 13 and under.

However, the new policy will be tested simply be attendance. If large crowds continue to grace the sidelines of the fields at McDaniel College, the Baltimore Ravens made the right choice. If they don't, it will be interesting to see what they do to respond in 2011.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Pittsburgh Steelers continued their ways of consistency when they inked their head coach, Mike Tomlin, to a three-year contract extension this week.

Tomlin had been under some pressure after his team's disappointing third place finish in 2009. Following the season, the Steelers were embarrassed by ugly headlines surrounding QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Santonio Holmes.

Holmes was traded away to the Jets for a low value while Roethlisberger faces a six-game suspension heading into the 2010 season. Tomlin's old contract had just one year and an option left.

However, instead of placing their Super Bowl winning head coach in a pressurized situation, the Steelers decided to extend his contract. The franchise is known for their ability to retain coaches in Tomlin's position for long periods of time and it is evident they have no interest in changing that.

For some coaches, extensions can be a bad thing. Brian Billick was fired just one year after receiving his new contract and he was accused of being increasingly lackluster in his work ethic throughout his final season as the head coach of the Ravens. This was attributed to his extension.

Tomlin, though, seems to be one of those hardcore football coaches that lives and breathes the game. Working hard will not be the issue with him--it will be the talent and drama that currently exists on his team.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Although news arose this week that Ravens S Ed Reed may believe that he is in the market for a new contract, the likelihood of that happening is very small. Reed, 31, who has been playing with a nerve impingement in his neck and is recovering from hip surgery this offseason, made the comments in a radio interview.

Many found this new demand astounding--especially since the Pro Bowler is recovering from some serious injuries. However, the headline has become far too overblown because of the fact this is the dead part of the offseason in the National Football League.

Reed is owed $20 million over the next three years by the Baltimore Ravens, so unless he has really mismanaged his financial assets, he should be set in that arena. If Reed were to retire (which he has repeatedly threatened), he would owe the Ravens some of his $5.2 million signing bonus.

Therefore, the chances of Reed getting a new contract is extremely slim. This is probably why he continually toned down his calls for this new contract as he moved through these interviews in promotion for his summer camp. "I'm not making it a big deal," Reed said.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

On Wednesday, buzz out of the Philadelphia area suggested that the Eagles may be interested in Baltimore Ravens QB Troy Smith.

Smith has fallen out of favor in Baltimore, as seen through the team's decision to sign former Pro Bowler Marc Bulger to back-up Joe Flacco. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, QB Michael Vick is on the cusp of being cut by the Eagles due to his public relations difficulties.

The newest Vick saga is truly great news for Baltimore, as they may be able to get a draft pick in letting Troy Smith go--rather than nothing, which is what might have happened if he had to be cut during training camp.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Former Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell was arrested in Alabama on Monday for possession of a controlled substance: codeine syrup.

He was detained in the early afternoon, but posted $2,500 bail. This arrest furthers the decline of the career of the quarterback, who was released by the Oakland Raiders in the Spring after going 7-18 as their starting quarterback.

His desire to play the game was questioned after he displayed a lack of work ethic and was continuously out of shape. This new story, unfortunately, depicts Russell as someone who appears to be stuck in a certain way of thinking.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Baltimore Ravens have been locking up most of their draft picks over the past few weeks and will continue to do so in the month that remains until the players report to Westminster.

WR David Reed inked a three-year contract with $134,000 signing bonus.
TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta agreed to three-year contracts.
OT Ramon Harewood also signed a three-year contract
DT Arthur Jones reached a three-year deal.

This leaves DT Terrence Cody and LB Sergio Kindle, both second-round draft picks, as the final players remaining that are unsigned. Due to the fact they are the team's top draft picks, it usually takes a bit longer to get them signed due to the increased demands of higher draft picks.

It would be very surprising, however, if the team is not able finish deals with both of the players by the start of camp.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

This is the last post in our "State of the Ravens" series on RobLongShow.com. It will cover special teams coverage and the punter, Sam Koch.

Koch is one of the most reliable punters in the league and is also the keeper of one of the most powerful legs in the sport. On occasion, he can punt balls sixty plus yards in game and practice situations.

He is great in getting the ball within the ten-yard line in key situations and promises to continue being an important piece of the Ravens' field position advantage.

Meanwhile, on special teams coverage, the team is in good shape. They currently have a roster of over eighty players, so they will be able to pick and choose. Some players to watch: WR Marcus Smith, LB Brendon Ayanbadejo, RB Jalen Parmele, CB Lardarius Webb, CB Chris Carr, WR Donte' Stallworth, WR David Reed, LB Prescott Burgess, LB Jameel McClain, CB Cary Williams, and CB KJ Gerard.

All of these players will be key if the Ravens want to be successful on special teams this season.

Chris Carr will likely continue to field punt returns and Lardarius Webb and Jalen Parmele will be the kick returners. However, newly acquired WR Donte' Stallworth has been catching punts in practice this Spring. He could be thrown into the mix to put extra pressure on Carr, who was not exactly spectacular doing that job in 2009.

Due to their depth, the Ravens should be fine on special teams in 2010. Of course, Coach John Harbaugh will receive flack on and off due to his experience as a special teams coordinator, but that comes with the territory. Harbaugh's coordinator and assistant head coach, Jerry Rosburg, has done quite a good job in his two seasons in Baltimore, earning his second title. He uses the young players the team drafts to his advantage and will continue doing so this coming season.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Here lies what could be the roadblock between the Baltimore Ravens and their Super Bowl hopes. The team starts training camp depleted by injuries and lacking talent especially at the cornerback position. Not only that, this was the team's weakspot last season, as they were repeatedly assaulted by the passing attacks of the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and they were even a little damaged by the Oakland Raiders in the last week of the season.

Therefore, the Ravens needed to make this position a top priority going in their offseason. They did not choose to make a splash in free agency and did not draft anyone at this position. Needless to say, they gambled that CBs Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington would recovery quickly from ACL tears and that S Ed Reed would be back from hip surgery.

However, news broke on Friday afternoon that Reed had said he was "35 percent" on a national radio program. He also stated that it was a 4-6 month recovery process (he had surgery in late April) and that he questions whether or not he will even be able to play in the first games of the season.

This news obviously creates quite a quandary for the Ravens, as Reed is a championship quality safety. The team has drafted well at safety (Zbikowski and Nakamura) and "Zibs" filled in for several games for Reed last season, doing quite a serviceable job as more of a "centerfielder". Nakamura is the more aggressive safety on the roster, but he is also recovering from an injury (broken ankle sustained against the Cleveland Browns in 2009). In recent minicamps, he looked nearly back to full speed, but can he compete at a high level in a regular season NFL game as yet? Probably not.

Therefore, the team made a choice: they signed former Cowboy Ken Hamlin. He made a little over 50 tackles in 2009 and his big salary was cut by Dallas in April. Hamlin is no Reed, but he is certainly good insurance. A combination of Zbikowski, Nakamura, and Hamlin would keep the defense stable in the event of a Reed absence.

In recent weeks, the Ravens have also made two additions at the cornerback position, considering the injuries to Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb. Here is a summary from an earlier article on the signing of Travis Fisher:

"Fisher, 30, is 5-10 and 189 pounds. He was drafted in the second round (64th overall) in the 2002 NFL Draft out of Central Florida by the St. Louis Rams.

St. Louis got quite a bit out of Fisher, as he spent 2002-2006 there, averaging about 44 tackles per season. However, his numbers just went down from his second year, as he only played 10 games in his third year, 8 in his fourth, and 9 in his fifth. All of these missed games were due to injuries (broke his arm twice, groin injury).

After the Rams, he spent two seasons with the Lions and one with the Seahawks. 2007 was his last true productive year, as he got 78 tackles and picked off 2 passes.

Overall, Fisher has had 9 interceptions and has broken up 32 passes during his career."

...and for Walt Harris:

"Harris was the thirteenth overall selection in the 1996 NFL Draft and has since been quite a serviceable player in the league, earning numerous accolades, including NFC Defensive Player of the Month, and most recently, a Pro Bowl selection in 2007.

The 35-year old has spent time on the rosters of the Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis Colts, the Washington Redskins, and the San Francisco 49ers. He did not play in 2009 due to a torn ACL sustained last May.

In 2008, he recorded 54 tackles, complete with 1 sack and 3 interceptions."

Harris and Fisher will help add sufficient depth to the Ravens' secondary; they will likely be needed at least through training camp and the start of the season. However, both of them could be knocked off the team's roster by two rising stars, Cary Williams and KJ Gerard.

Williams officially gained notoriety on Sunday with Ken Murray's article in "The Baltimore Sun", but the corner had been one of the highlights of the minicamps for the Ravens. The team routinely moved him into the vacant cornerback slot opposite Domonique Foxworth. They also used KJ Gerard in that slot, who they signed a year ago. Gerard is extremely aggressive and reminds one of Haruki Nakamura, except at cornerback.

Meanwhile, two other mainstays, Chris Carr and Dawan Landry, will continue in their positions from last season. Carr improved throughout 2009 in the defensive backfield and was a key player in the team's playoff run. The same goes for Dawan Landry, who was recovering from a severe neck injury at the start of 2009 and slowly adjusted back to being a key player on the Ravens' squad.

Overall, the Ravens are in a dangerous position with the secondary. As with every team, things could really go their way here this season (with breakouts from Gerard and Williams and injury recoveries from Reed, Nakamura, Washington, and Webb) or there could be a disaster.

With the improvements to the pass rush at defensive end and at linebacker in the offseason, the hope is that some of the pressure will be taken off of the secondary. This will need to happen in order for the Ravens to make a deep run into the playoffs because they will not be able to compete against the elite quarterbacks with the secondary as thin as it stands on Monday, June 28.

The Fringe: Prince Miller and Marcus Paschal (Unlikely to make roster)

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Ravens have signed CB Walt Harris to a one-year contract.

Harris was the thirteenth overall selection in the 1996 NFL Draft and has since been quite a serviceable player in the league, earning numerous accolades, including NFC Defensive Player of the Month, and most recently, a Pro Bowl selection in 2007.

The 35-year old has spent time on the rosters of the Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis Colts, the Washington Redskins, and the San Francisco 49ers. He did not play in 2009 due to a torn ACL sustained last May.

In 2008, he recorded 54 tackles, complete with 1 sack and 3 interceptions. The Ravens were impressed when he tried out alongside other veterans Ken Lucas and Ken Hamlin a few weeks back. He turned down the team's offer at the veteran minimum last week, but it appears the two sides have worked out terms.

FS Hamlin signed a one-year contract last week and now Harris' signing means increased depth in the Ravens' secondary. The team wants to add as many good players as they can to shore up what many believe is the weakest part of this 2010 team.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

Talk about stacked. This offseason, the Ravens bolstered their roster with a few new defensive tackles: Arthur Jones, Terrence Cody, and Cory Redding. The team is officially a 3-4 defense, but how long will they stay that way, especially with the kind of the depth they now have at defensive tackle?

Terrence Cody will join Kelly Gregg and Haloti Ngata at the nose this season, which means competition. Gregg, 33, is aging, and the young talent on the Ravens is multiplying. He continued to be a major figure in stopping the run at 315 pounds in 2009, but if Terrence Cody comes into camp on fire and Kelly Talavou impresses the coaches for a second straight summer, there is a good possibility Gregg could be on his way out.

As far as Terrence Cody goes, Rob has said that I have a bit of a "mancrush" on him--I would not go that far, but to say that this guy is a beast is an understatement. If he keeps his weight where is needs to be, he will become to pancake-tackling expert on the roster.

Kelly Talavou is going to be a huge plus for this team in 2010. He has been a prospect in development for the last two seasons, and if he continues to get better, look out. He could be moving to another team quickly if he has a successful season, as the Ravens have him at a very low price at the moment.

Although Arthur Jones struggled with pectoral and knee injuries his senior season at Syracuse, the Ravens got a real steal late in the 2010 draft. Jones is smaller than  the Cody's and the Ngata's, so he will probably be a threat on the corner of the defensive line. At a recent minicamp, he appeared to have a burst at the line of scrimmage, which will come in handy when rushing the passer.

Cory Redding is another guy that can easily play defensive end in a 3-4. Previously with Seattle, he will also be a nice addition to a position that no longer needs any more depth.

Injury News: Haloti Ngata has been struggling with a chest injury throughout the offseason. He said he believes he will be 100% by training camp time.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Although the Baltimore Ravens spent a good amount of money on Wednesday afternoon to improve the quality of their second quarterback, the signing of Marc Bulger continues to show the team's desire to win a Super Bowl in 2010.

Bulger, 33, who signed a one-year, $3.8 million deal, has thrown for over 22,000 yards and 122 touchdowns over his ten year NFL career. He replaced Kurt Warner when his days with the St. Louis Rams began to wind down seven years ago.

Regardless, this signing could signify one big piece of news: Troy Smith could now be history. After an off-season of complaints in which he repeatedly asked to be traded, he could be getting his wish. Despite what people believe, Troy Smith will probably never be a starter on a winning team in the National Football League. Unfortunately, he simply does not have the height or the talent.

The Ravens showed their lack of love for Smith in their move on Wednesday. They must have had very little confidence in his ability to succeed if Joe Flacco were to go down because this is some seriously expensive insurance. Bulger is an extremely serviceable veteran back-up who could step-in in lieu of Flacco at any time. Not only that, he could certainly serve as a mentor to the Ravens' starter, considering his wide range of experiences in his ten years in the league.

Overall, the verdict on this signing is clear: the Ravens are not playing around in 2010. They are going for it big time.

---

View Comments (2) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

ESPN reports that former Mets manager Bobby Valentine has withdrawn his name from consideration to be the next manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

"I am honored and flattered that the Orioles reached out with this potential opportunity, but at this time in my career, I feel I should direct my energies in another direction," Valentine said.

Reports from the same network state that Valentine is interested in the Florida Marlins position that opened after the team fired Fredi Gonzalez this week.

The Orioles will interview former Rangers and Yankees manager Buck Showalter on Wednesday.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

Meanwhile, Paul Kruger is entering his second season out of Utah. Last summer, he upset the coaches with his inability/lack of effort on special teams. Therefore, the Ravens opted to make him inactive in several games in 2009---and in the games he did play in, he was not much of a factor.

Obviously, the team could experience some depth issues at this position in 2010. Sergio Kindle, Antwan Barnes, and the "new and improved" Terrell Suggs are supposed to fill the holes left by Dwan Edwards and the younger Trevor Pryce. In addition, a large amount of weight is being put on the shoulders of Paul Kruger--who was highly touted out of college, but was a disappointment in his first season. Kruger has been working hard to increase his size this offseason with the hope that it bolsters his effectiveness.

Here's what is interesting, though: Greg Mattison was not exactly a pass rushing play-caller last season, which marked a departure from previous coordinator Rex Ryan. However, after his first year learning the ways of being a defensive coordinator in the NFL, will he come out with a more aggressive strategy in 2010?

The Ravens have what many consider a very thin secondary (in terms of talent). The team chose to bring in Kindle and place pressure on Kruger to bolster their pass rush, which would cause less danger in the area of Domonique Foxworth, Lardarius Webb, Fabian Washington, Chris Carr, and Ed Reed.  Therefore, in all likelihood, Mattison will not have a choice if he wants to succeed this season: he has to rush the passer more.

The Series

This post is part of our "State of the Ravens" series on RobLongShow.com in preparation for training camp. Evaluations of each position will include notes in regard to each player's minicamp performance. A new position will be covered each and every weekday. Click on "John Dame" on the left column of the website for other evaluations of other positions.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

Despite his reputation, he has played two straight seasons in their entirety, experiences nagging issues here and there.

In 2009, Heap had an 18 catch improvement over his initial season working with Flacco. At the end of the year, he really had a resurgence, exceeding 35 yards receiving in the six of the team's last seven games.

If Heap is anything, he is tough. He went over the middle of the field catching irresponsible passes from former Ravens QB Kyle Boller, which has led him to age so quickly. However, he remains the prime target at the tight end position for Flacco in 2010.

The Backups

Oregon's Ed Dickson and Brigham Young's Dennis Pitta are the two new additions to the Ravens tight end core and have truly impressed the coaches at this year's minicamps.

Pitta is not a great blocker--it was considered his main weakness coming out of college. However, he is an elite pass-catching tight end (holds BYU record for most TE reception yards of all-time: 2,856). He can catch on the run and make some great catches that require athleticism. He ran a 4.63 40-yard dash, but does not make people miss when running routes.

Dickson is also not one of the best blockers--he was described as "solid" in that area, though, by several scouts going into the NFL Draft. However, like Pitta, he is an outstanding pass catcher who ran a 4.62 40-yard dash and can easily adjust while running a route. His quickness creates an advantage.

Bringing Up the Rear

Davon Drew, a second-year man from East Carolina, is the biggest tight end (weight wise) on the Ravens' roster, at 260. Last season, he was out of shape for the majority of the offseason and disappointed the coaches with his initial lack of work ethic. However, the fifth-round draft pick showed improvement as he worked with the practice squad throughout the 2009 season. The team probably would not have kept him on the roster out of training camp, though, if he had not been a draft pick. There is virtually no chance he makes the 53 man in 2010 and does not appear to be apart of the future.

The Series

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

Last season, Boldin caught 84 passes for over a 1,000 yards as the No. 2 wideout in an offense that threw 61.9% of the time. Mark Clayton, who was the Ravens equivalent to Boldin, caught only 34 passes for 480 receiving yards.

His first offseason in Baltimore was a good one; he participated in the workout program as well as several of the voluntary minicamps.

The thirty-year old has been clocked as low as 4.3 in a 40-yard dash three consecutive times, according to "Sports Illustrated". Generally, he has great jump off the line of scrimmage and an ability to reverse directions easily on the field. He may be a journeyman and have a troubled past, but this is a season that Stallworth really wants to cash-in on the field.

Number Four, Five, and Special Teams

Let the debate begin. The Ravens have ten wideouts on the roster. Boldin, Mason, and Stallworth are three, so here are the chances remaining seven for these spots:

Clayton may be more talented than all the wide receivers in this group--but he has a consistency problem. During his time with the Ravens, he has never been able to put together a group of games in a row in which he absolutely dominated. He's had his moments, such as against Cincinnati and Jacksonville in 2008, but he has never been consistent. He battled his way back from a shoulder injury this offseason only to find himself nearly out of the picture as a wide receiver on this team. As stated above, Reed will probably get the No. 4 receiving slot, so Clayton may become a casualty during training camp.

Smith, coming off an ACL tear, has not yet caught a pass in his NFL career. However, he is considered an asset on special teams and the Ravens will likely try to hold onto him, especially if veteran special team guys such as Brendon Ayanbedejo continue to struggle with injuries.

Eron Riley (Second Year with Ravens): Medium-High

Riley is liked by the coaches. He is 6-3 and 200 pounds, and last season, it was rather obvious he needed to bulk up a bit before he could play legitimately on the NFL level. It would not be surprising if he were to make the active roster as a No. 5 receiver, if the team were to take that many. If not, they will definitely want him to stay on the practice squad.

Justin Harper (Ravens Veteran)-Low

The Ravens may be done with Justin Harper. There is not a lot of buzz surrounding him this offseason, especially with the large amount of wideouts on the roster and his poor performance in preseason games in 2009.

Rodelin Anthony (Rookie-UNLV)-Low

Although Anthony's chances of making the roster are small, he could be a great athlete to have on the practice squad. He is 6-5 and 230 pounds and his draft status went down dramatically after he experienced an injury plagued senior season. Anthony could also transition into a tight end.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Pitcher Kevin Milwood is winless. He has an 0-7 record along with a 4.64 ERA. If he were on a competitive team, he probably would have won five or six games in his thirteen starts thus far this season.

Instead, he is on a team that has scored three runs or less in 39 games. The Baltimore Orioles are 2-37 in those games.

The team as a whole is batting .247 and is towards the bottom of the league in almost every other batting category--except for strikeouts.

The Orioles' young hitters, like Adam Jones, are not producing nearly enough for their starting staff. Many are worried about the team as a whole, including the pitching staff that Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail has assembled; however, one just has to glance at the numbers to find out that their struggles on offense are the main factor causing them to lose so many games.

The O's Starting Pitching Staff on Opening Day:

Kevin Millwood: 0-7 (85.1 innings), 97 hits, 49 runs, 44 earned runs, 69 strikeouts, 4.64 ERA
Brad Bergesen (until pulled from rotation): 3-4 (50.2 innings), 71 hits, 45 runs, 38 earned runs, 14 strikeouts, 6.75 ERA
Brian Matusz: 2-7 (85.1 innings), 84 hits, 45 runs, 41 earned runs, 61 strikeouts, 4.92 ERA
Jeremy Guthrie: 3-7 (84.2 innings), 78 hits, 38 runs, 36 earned runs, 46 strikeouts, 3.83 ERA
David Hernandez (until pulled from rotation): 1-5 (42.1 innings), 39 hits, 27 runs, 25 earned runs, 27 strikeouts, 5.31 ERA

Each starter has a losing record, even Jeremy Guthrie, the lone pitcher with an ERA under 4. The team cannot win without any production on offense. The Mets are 34-28 on the season (as of 6.13), and they have two pitchers with an ERA over six.

Kevin Millwood won sixteen games with the Rangers in 2006 with an ERA at 4.52 as that team hit thirty points higher than the 2010 Orioles.

There is no real reason to panic in regard to Mr. MacPhail's rebuilding plan: "grow the arms and buy the bats". However, it is becoming clear that the Birds need to start buying those bats before they are anywhere near beign a winning ball club. For now, however, it would be great to see the Orioles bring up a few of their prospects from Norfolk, such as Josh Bell. In that case, the team would be playing for the future and making an unproductive season a productive year.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

According to Dan Connolly of "The Baltimore Sun", the Orioles will interview former Mets manager Bobby Valentine on Friday.

Citing an "industry source", Connolly says this will be the second interview that Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail will conduct.

A former player in the majors, he has not managed in the league since 2002. In fifteen seasons as a skipper, though, he compiled a 1,117-1072 record (.510 winning percentage). Valentine is currently in the first of a four year deal with ESPN to work as an analyst.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

According to Jeff Zrebiec of "The Baltimore Sun", the Baltimore Orioles are set to promote RHP Jake Arrieta to make his major league debut on Thursday versus the New York Yankees.

Arrieta will start in place of Jeremy Guthrie, who will be moved back a spot in the rotation to start on Friday. Brian Matusz will then start on Saturday. Brad Bergesen will move to the bullpen.

The Orioles prospect has been wowing in Norfolk this season, putting up some great numbers. He is 6-2 with 1.85 ERA, and many believe that the lights have really turned on for Arrieta.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Baltimore Ravens returned to the practice field on Tuesday, just one day after learning that their final week of organized team activities had been cut by the National Football League due to violations.

When he spoke to the media, Coach John Harbaugh had some more answers in regards to the specifics of the violations. "They [Ravens Player Reps Todd Heap and Chris Carr] came to me shortly after the first OTA week and said they felt like we had an issue," he said. "They told me about it, we stopped it immediately; the league came back and called us about it, we sent everything we had to the league, all our tapes, all of our schedules, everything we did, and they came back with taking away the last two OTA practices, which I agree with.

"I'm accountable for that. As an organization we want to do things the right way, we want to be within the rules at all times, we want our players to communicate with us when they have an issue, and they did. We deserve to lose those last two days. So, that's the way it goes."

Several players were missing from camp, as it was voluntary. RT Oniel Cousins missed practice again with his continuous struggle with strep throat. Cousins had a surgical scope on his throat, but he is expected to be ready for training camp.

Missing Ravens: LBs Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, and Jarret Johnson (shoulder), S Ed Reed (hip), RB Willis McGahee, FB Le'Ron McClain, OTs Jared Gaither and Oniel Cousins (throat), Center Matt Birk, and DE Trevor Pryce.

Suggs has been frequently absent in OTA's this year despite his pledge that he will never have another season like he had in 2009, meanwhile, McGahee has also not been a fixture at the camps, which could be excused since he is no longer a starter.

Jared Gaither is an entirely different monster; he has been suffering from foot issues, had a cortisone shot, but still missed camp for an unknown reason on Tuesday. “I have not seem him today. He is not an injury,” Harbaugh said. “I have not talked to him today and I don’t know what his reason for not being here is.” Gaither practiced on Monday, however.

Notes: The team released OLB William VanDeSteeg, who was on the practice squad last season; Shayne Graham and Billy Cundiff were both 4-4 on field goals, from 20, 35, 43 and 51 yards; Haloti Ngata, who is recovering from a chest injury, says he is 75-80 percent recovered, and is on target for training camp; the full team will report to training camp in Westminster, Maryland on July 30.

Sources: Jamison Hensley (The Sun), Aaron Wilson (The Carroll County Times), and Dan Kolko (MASN).

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The NFL has cancelled the final week of the Baltimore Ravens' organized team activities due to policy violations by the team.

"The NFL Management Council and the NFL Players Association have resolved a complaint by the Players Association against the Baltimore Ravens concerning violations of the Collective Bargaining Agreement's off-season workout rules.

"It was determined that the Ravens violated the rules concerning the intensity and tempo of drills conducted on the Club's organized team activity days ('OTA days') and the length of time spent by players at the Club's facility on such days.

"As a result, the Ravens will forfeit the final week of their off-season program (June 14-18, 2010). Ravens' players are not permitted to be at the facility on those days, but will be paid for the sessions. The Club cannot reschedule the canceled days."

“The NFL informed us of the situation, and the action they’ve taken is appropriate," said Ozzie Newsome. "We made a mistake, and it won’t happen again. We’ll complete our organized team activity days this week and then turn our focus to the start of training camp.”

“When you make a mistake, you step up. We’re accountable. As Ozzie said, it won’t happen again," said Coach Harbaugh.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Orioles have fired Dave Trembley. The news comes one day after the team extended its losing streak to eight games: Juan Samuel will be the new manager.

Jeff Zrebiec of "The Baltimore Sun" was first with the story this morning. The skipper completes his tenure as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles with 187-283 record.

The words that doomed Trembley came after his option was picked up in the fall. "Where we are now, in my estimation, is we're going to move back to the more traditional criteria of evaluating managers: wins and losses," President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail said.

According to Dan Connolly of "The Baltimore Sun", Gary Allenson, the manager of the Norfolk Tides, is the new third base coach and says the interim tag on Samuel "could last a few weeks".

From Dave Trembley:

“I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to Peter Angelos and Andy MacPhail for the opportunity to serve as manager for the Baltimore Orioles for the past three years. The results on the field were not what any of us would have hoped for, and I understand that the organization felt the time was right to move in a different direction. While I am disappointed at the outcome, I feel it was a privilege to wear the Orioles uniform each day and I thank all the fans for their tremendous support. I hope the team will soon return to the winning tradition they enjoyed for so many years.”

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

After a terrible start to the 2010 season, the time seems to have arrived for the termination of Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley.

Trembley has compiled a 187-283 record as the team's skipper. The Orioles have not won a game for over a week. "The Baltimore Sun" speculates that he will be removed by President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail on Thursday night or Friday morning. The newspaper also states that current third base coach Juan Samuel or bench coach Jeff Datz could be promoted to the job as MacPhail spends the remainder of 2010 searching for a permanent replacement.

Knowing his style, Andy MacPhail will take his time making a decision. There probably will not be a final answer on Trembley's replacement for months.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Seattle Mariners have announced that Ken Griffey, Jr. is retiring after twenty one seasons in the game.

Seattle's manager Don Wakamatsu made the announcement shortly before Wednesday's game against Minnesota. Griffey, 40, has not had a productive season, hitting only .184. Earlier in the year, he was accused of falling asleep in the clubhouse when he was needed as a pinch-hitter during a game.

He will retire ranking fifth on the career home run list with 630.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

According to multiple reports, the Ravens will sign veteran kicker Shayne Graham, 32, to a one-year contract.

Graham, who is the fourth most accurate kicker in NFL history, was driven out of Cincinnati earlier this offseason after missing two crucial field goals in the Bengals' wild card playoff loss against the Jets in 2009. (28 yards and 38 yards, respectively).

He will compete with Billy Cundiff, who joined the Ravens at midseason last year. Since the departure of Matt Stover at the end of the 2008 season, Baltimore has had its fair share of kickers on its roster, including former FSU standout Graham Gano as well as Steve Hauschka, who was run out of town after missing what could have been a game winning field goal against the Minnesota Vikings.

2009 STAT COMPARISON:
CUNDIFF: 12-17, 70.6% (FGM-FGA, % FGM), 46 (Long)
GRAHAM: 23-28, 82.1% (FGM-FGA, % FGM), 53 (Long)

Ravens Notes: The team has rehired former Director of Player Personnel George Kokinis, who departed for Cleveland's GM position after the 2008 season. Kokinis joins the Ravens as their Senior Personnel Assistant. "It’s good to have George back,” General Manager Ozzie Newsome stated. “He will help evaluate college and pro players, plus work with Pat [Moriarty], the Ravens’ vice president of football administration]." Kokinis was involved in a legal dispute with the Browns after they fired him when the team started 1-7 during his first season as general manager.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Right now, he's 1/12 wideouts on the Ravens' roster.

The next few weeks will be a crucial time in the career of wide receiver Demetrius Williams. Will the team even keep him on the roster as they head into training camp? Do they even think he is worth one last shot?

After watching Williams struggle in 2007, 2008, and 2009 with various injuries as well as an inability to put out an extraordinary amount of effort to become a downfield wide receiver, most believed that the Ravens would release him outright early this offseason.

In the "State of the Ravens" post-season press conference, Coach John Harbaugh made it seems so as well. "He is not able yet to do enough," Harbaugh said. "You’ve got to be able to run the kind of routes, catch the ball in pressure situations, break the thing off at the right depth, make the right adjustments in pressure situations and do the kinds of things that are going to help us move the football and win games. And those other three guys [Mason, Clayton, and K. Washington] did that better – offseason, training camp and throughout the year. We tried to put Demetrius in situations to be successful as much as we could, and we need more. And let me tell you, he wants to do more. And you need to be a better player to give us what we were looking for.”

The bad signs, as the head coach stated, began in the offseason and throughout training camp in 2009. Although many believed Williams was going to finally "step up" either through his workout routine (bulking up, working on being less injury prone) or by becoming more of a leader in the locker room through a great performance in training camp, neither of those things truly happened.

Williams came off as lazy last August; he was constantly dropping balls and walking back to the line of scrimmage. The Ravens took note and barely played him in 2009, penciling in Kelley Washington as the No. 3 wideout.

However, in 2010, Williams has practically been knocked off the team's radar. With the new additions of Anquan Boldin, Donte' Stallworth, and rookie David Reed, the competition at wide receiver for the final spots on the active roster will be fierce. Mark Clayton, Eron Riley, Marcus Smith, Justin Harper, Rodelin Anthony (Rookie FA), Chris Hannon (FA), and Maurice Price (FA) will all compete for between 1-3 spots on the roster that will be left for a wide receiver.

Clayton's time with the Ravens could be coming to an end, despite the fact that they have a lot invested in him. He could drop all the way to No. 5 on the depth chart and the Ravens probably would not want to keep him on the team if that does occur.

Meanwhile, Demetrius Williams is a huge underdog. He may not even make it to training camp. However, the wideout has finally stepped it up in his preparations for 2010. He knows his back is against the wall and that the team has basically given up on him, as seen through their free agent signings and trades this offseason. In minicamps, though, he appears bigger and is putting out more effort. Despite all of the predictions saying that he is gone, Williams could end up on the team in some role that could make him a contributor in 2010.

John Harbaugh favors players who show improvement after they have hit "rock bottom" (McGahee, etc.). Maybe Demetrius Williams has reached that point and is ready to come back from the dead--or, of course, he could still be the same injury-prone and lazy D-Will.

“He’s had a good offseason,” Coach Harbaugh said earlier in May. “He’s really worked hard. He’s got some legitimate weight underneath him right now. He’s getting better. Now this is probably the first offseason he’s really been truly healthy. So, he’s made some progress.”

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

It was the 2009 NFL Combine and Texas Christian University linebacker Jason Phillips was looking to impress scouts. However, instead of using the combine as a catalyst for his draft stock to rise, he sustained a torn meniscus in his left knee.

The injury required surgery and that was terrible news for Phillips, as it came just two months before the NFL Draft.

The linebacker was drafted in the fifth round (137th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens, but he still has not played a game for the team. Not only did the knee injury cause trouble for his draft stock, but it wiped out his rookie season.

Despite missing last season, Phillips did play for the majority of training camp. However, his knee injury bothered him throughout. Regardless of the injury, he did show the burst and the jump in his step that has been characteristic of the linebacker position in Baltimore.

This July, as well as in minicamps, the Ravens are looking to see the Jason Phillips that was a star at Texas Christian, not the Jason Phillips that they placed on injured reserve last year.

Phillips, 24, is a native of Waller, Texas and attended Waller High School. He's now 6'1 and 244 pounds, but in high school, in addition to linebacker, he played quarterback. He earned MVP honors his senior year, throwing for 1,070 yards and rushing for 1,291.

Initially, when he chose Texas Christian University over several other options including Baylor and Houston, Phillips planned on being a fullback. He was a redshirt freshman, and by his first year on the playing field, he had converted to a linebacker. It took him only one season of experience before he reached the level of first-team All-Mountain West Conference.

"I think we're seeing healthy Jason Phillips for the first time," Coach Harbaugh said at minicamp a few weeks back. "Last year, he was really fighting the knee. He's quick and slippery and a good football player."

Throughout the rest of minicamps and during training camp, Phillips will be tested, as he will be bunched in with quite the pool of talented young linebackers, including Jameel McClain, Dannell Ellerbe, Tavares Gooden, Prescott Burgess, Antwan Barnes.

This will result in a tough competition this summer at that position, as each of these guys have a great amount of potential. Phillips, though, should get a shot on special teams if he continues to be a presence around the ball in practice.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

On Tuesday, the Baltimore Ravens returned to the practice fields in Owings Mills and Terrence Cody decided to make an impression.

On two successive plays, Cody nearly enveloped Ravens backup QB Troy Smith with his 360 pound frame. However, despite his success in practice, Coach Harbaugh said that Cody had been suffering from "hip soreness", but also said that he is a "bright guy" and "works hard in the weight room". Cody's athleticism is almost shocking for someone who is 360 pounds.

Another player making a strong impression was Arthur Jones, the Ravens' fifth round pick out of Syracuse. Jones has a burst at the line of scrimmage similar to Cody's, but he has less weight on him at 305.

LB Jason Phillips, one of 2009's draft picks, was placed on injured reserve last preseason. He had been struggling with a knee injury: however, at Tuesday's practice he looked fully recovered, appearing around the ball at every opportunity.

Last week, I wrote an article in regards to Cary Williams' increased presence at the cornerback position. However, at Tuesday's practice, KJ Gerard looked greatly improved from last offseason: he was quick and responded fast when a pass was thrown towards him. The Ravens probably have increasing confidence in both Williams and Gerard, two young cornerbacks that will battle it out at training camp.

Coach Harbaugh said that S Haruki Nakamura appears to be "way ahead of schedule" after breaking his ankle in a game last November. He was running around, having fun, and would have nailed an offensive player in one play if practice had involved contact.

OT Oniel Cousins and CB Fabian Washington did not practice due to strep throat. According to Coach Harbaugh, the Ravens had some good reports from Dr. James Andrews in regards to the recoveries of the ACL tears of both Washington and Lardarius Webb. OT Jared Gaither is still recovering from his foot problems after a cortisone shots.

OT Jared Gaither is still recovering from his foot problems after a cortisone shots.

Those who did not show for the voluntary minicamp: Ray Lewis, Anquan Boldin, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed, and Cory Redding.

That's another notch on the "disappointing belt" that I've started for Suggs. He really needs to show some real effort in regards to getting back to his old form.

Meanwhile, there was some impressive stuff happening the receiving core, despite the fact that there was no Boldin. Donte' Stallworth was a welcome fresh face, as he was quick and hard working. He made a re-adjustment on a pattern that was worth a replay. In addition, Demetrius Williams looked like a new man. During the 2009 training camp, he was dropping balls and walking (more like moping) around. However, realizing that his roster spot is at stake, Williams appears to have bulked up and is putting out an additional effort on the practice field. Regardless, he was involved in a collision in the end zone with Dominique Foxworth. He landed on his face and did not return.

QB Joe Flacco appears increasingly mobile after ankle and hip injuries in 2009. On one particular play, he completed a pass after reversing directions (similar to the play in Pittsburgh on MNF in 2008). There were also several plays in which he was scrambling without any struggle. WR Derrick Mason said that Flacco is becoming the "face of the organization". Flacco's position coach, Jim Zorn, was even throwing passes to second string receivers, as if he was still in his prime. "Petition for Zorn to get a ten day contract," said Mason.

Other Notes:

Troy Smith (tonsils) and Mark Clayton (shoulder) returned to practice.

Harbaugh on Super Bowl in New York: "You put one in New York, then come on down here to Baltimore and we’ll have a Super Bowl, too. That’s what I’d be for," he said. "Baltimore built a stadium, put a lot of money into a brand new stadium. So you start bringing it up here, I think we want one. But the main thing we’re concerned with is getting into the Super Bowl. We try to take care of that first as a football team.”

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

twitter.com/roblongshow

 

There was some great lacrosse played under the lights at Johnny Unitas Stadium on Saturday. Unfortunately for Boys' Latin, that excellent play came from their opponent, the St. Paul's Crusaders.

 

In what many thought would be the grudge match of the century, in one of the most storied rivalries in high school sports (dating back to 1929), St. Paul's took control in the second half of the game and never looked back.

 

In the first quarter, Boys' Latin, however, got off to a quick start, going up 3-1. They took advantage of two of the biggest weaknesses of the St. Paul's Crusaders: the quick pass right in front of the goalie and the face-off. This is how they jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the May 7th matchup. RG Keenan of Boys' Latin, arguably the best high school face-off man in the country, outmatched Johns Hopkins commit Mike Faby of St. Paul's earlier this month. Therefore, St. Paul's went to sophomore Ben Brehne for the duties.

 

Brehne took a little while to settle in, but when he did, some real fireworks began.

 

After Boys' Latin took the aforementioned 3-1 lead, St. Paul's banged them up at the end of the first half neared, hitting four unanswered goals. However, as the last minute of the first half ticked down, Boys' Latin hit two goals, largely because of the face-off skills of RG Keenan. Keenan was a controversial figure going into the game because of a DUI arrest about a month ago, according to Maryland Court Records. Many thought he should not have been allowed to play on Saturday.    

 

It was 5-5 at the end of the first half--however, the third and fourth quarters would soon go down in history as two of the greatest periods of play in St. Paul's School's history.

 

In the first half, St. Paul's was 3-12 on the face-off, while Boys' Latin was 9-12. In the second half, with Ben Brehne finally settling down, St. Paul's won 6-15. Believe it or not, just three more face-off wins for St. Paul's caused a major stir at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

 

In front of a crowd of about 6,000, Brehne, known as an extremely scrappy player, was able to fight after the face-offs, even following a few that were won by Keenan. This was a huge factor in the  9-0 run St. Paul's went on to start the third and fourth quarters. It has been described as “blitzkrieg” on the Boys’ Latin defenders. That may be an understatement.

 

In the end, it was quite the assault, and it completely demoralized the Boys' Latin defense to a point where they were allowing goals that should have never even gotten near the goalie, nonetheless inside the goal.

 

They failed miserably on offense in the fourth quarter; especially in one "2 Man Up" situation, in which they held the ball on offense for a short period of time, only to have it taken back by St. Paul's---and they subsequently scored their fourteenth goal.

 

The game, which many thought would head to overtime as did the May 7th matchup, unfolded in bizarre fashion. The second half was a disaster for Boys' Latin--it was essentially a "pile on" situation.

 

Meanwhile, though, St. Paul's head coach Rick Brocato got his first championship with the Crusaders since returning to coach the varsity squad in 2006---and the school was presented with their 25th title by Oriole legend Cal Ripken, Jr.

 

Final Statistics:

 

SPS Scorers: Jay Carlson (4), Jeff Fountain (3), Patrick Powderly (3), Andrew Barton (2), Spencer Parks (2), Taylor Michel (1), Dan Gutberlet (1), Alex Chay (1).

 

SPS Assists: Andrew Barton (2), Jay Carlson (1), Draper Donley (1), Mike Faby (1), Jeff Fountain (1), Gordy Long (1)

 

BL Scorers: Patrick Foster (2), Wells Stanwick (2), Jeff Chase (2), Taylor Stothoff (1)

 

BL Assists: RG Keenan (1), Kevin O'Neil (1), Taylor Stothoff (1)

 

Attached: A few words from St. Paul’s defenseman George Fries… 

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

On Saturday evening, two titans of the high school lacrosse world will clash. Boys' Latin and St. Paul's will take each other on in a battle that will probably live for the ages.

Crusader Coach Rick Brocato (above) is a former Boys' Latin teacher who took over for the great Mitch Whiteley about four years ago---and this is his first championship appearance.

The most important matchup between the Lakers and the Crusaders will come at face-off. Boys' Latin's RG Keenan will take on Mike Faby or Ben Brehne from St. Paul's. Faby, a St. Paul's senior and Hopkins commit, struggled mightily in his first matchup against Keenan, leading the Crusaders to sub-in Ben Brehne, a true scrapper.

Brehne will likely be who the Crusies go to in case of early falters by Faby in this game....

Before BL-SP, there are two other games, from the "B" and "C" conferences in the MIAA. Baltimore Lutheran won the MIAA "C" Conference Championship early Saturday afternoon and John Carroll won the "B" Conference a little later.

LIVE
_____

8:01: Game will get started at 8:15 PM EST. Teams are out on the field warming up. Boys' Latin is wearing white uniforms, St. Paul's is in blue.

8:19: Game underway. Ben Brehne takes the face-off, not Faby.

8:21: Jeff Chase gets first goal for Boys' Latin. BL 1, SP 0.

8:26: Second goal from Patrick Foster. Poor defense by St. Paul's--Boys' Latin has some strong defenders around the goal. Could be a long night for SP.

8:29: Alex Chay gets a quick score for St. Paul's--it's a beautiful quick shot (he has been clocked at over 100 mph in the past). 2-1 BL.

8:33: 3-1 Boys' Latin after another goal score for the Lakers. They are controlling the tempo, even though the Crusies tried to come out fast.

8:34: Dan Gutberlet on the goal score for St. Paul's--Gutberlet rarely scores for the Crusaders, so it is clear they are having some issues early. Taylor Michel, especially, is having some stick issues. 3-2 Boys' Latin.

8:38: Jeff Fountain scores for St. Paul's. 3-3.

8:39: End of the first quarter. First Quarter Recap: SP Goal Scorers (Chay-1, Fountain-1, Gutberlet-1). SP Assists (Barton-1). BL Goal Scorers (Foster-2, Chase-1). No BL assists.

8:54: Andrew Barton puts it in for St. Paul's. Momentum truly shifting. 4-3 SP.

8:56: Spencer Parks puts it in for the Crusaders. Parks is a sophomore and has already committed to the University of North Carolina. 5-3 SP.

8:58: Jeff Chase with his second goal on the evening. SP 5-4.

9:00 Wells Stanwick scores again for St. Paul's--we've reached halftime. BL is getting back momentum at halftime. 5-5.

9:22: Andrew Barton starts the second half off with a 1-on-5 goal. Incredible play. 6-5 SP.

9:30: Jay Carlson, Maryland commit, scores on a quick pass. 7-5 SP. St. Paul's clearly went into the locker room at half with their mind set on winning back the momentum.

9:34: Another Jay Carlson goal. St. Paul's appears to be pulling away. 8-5 SP.

9:35: SP's Pat Powderly (Syracuse Commit), scores on assist from Draper Donley. 9-5 SP.

9:41: Jay Carlson get his third goal of the evenings--SP 10-5.

9:42: Jeff Fountain scores again for St. Paul's. 11-5 SP, but there eleven minutes are still left.

9:43: Pat Powderly with another score for ST. PAUL'S! 12-5 SP.

9:45: Taylor Michel AGAIN for St. Paul's. 13-5 SP. This is one of the greatest runs I've ever seen in lacrosse. 8-0 SP in the second half.

9:48: SP on the score with Jay Carlson. 14-5. Running away with it.

9:52: BL scores for the first time in the second half. 14-6.

9:54: Absolutely incredible performance from St. Paul's in the second half. It's now 15-6 after another goal from Jeff Fountain.

9:55: Taylor Stotoff's second goal of the evening for Boys' Latin. 15-7. Got to take the opportunity to comment on how fabulous Ben Brehne has been at face-off for St. Paul's. He was a huge factor in the big run for St. Paul's.

9:57: Patrick Powderly scores for SP. 16-7.

10:00: Cal Ripken, Jr. on field for presentation of trophy.

10:10: Spencer Parks on the last goal for St. Paul's. 17-7.

Full Recap coming later....

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Last summer, Terrell Suggs, 27, was given a six-year, $62.5 million contract, complete with $38.1 million guaranteed. Since then, he has had a mediocre football season, topped off by a restraining order and a lawsuit filed by his girlfriend alleging that he poured bleach on both her and their son.

His legal problems may be over, but there may be an uproar on the way in regards to his on-the-field play.

During training camp in 2009, Suggs injured his heel, which caused him to miss the majority of August practices. In addition, according to reports from Aaron Wilson of "The Carroll County Times", he weighed somewhere between 275 and 280 at the start of camp. His playing weight should be between 250-260.

Therefore, Suggs missed practically all of training camp; this development came after he did not participate in any of the team's OTA's because he was the franchise player waiting for a new contract.

Needless to say, this resulted in one of the most mediocre seasons in Suggs' entire career. It was the first time in his seven years in the NFL that he missed three games (due to his sprained medial collateral ligament from Brady Quinn's illegal block). He also recorded the lowest amount of sacks in his entire career (4.5).

The sack statistic is really the only fair one to pin on him, not his injury. Likely due to his three missed games, he also had his smallest number of tackles since his rookie year (59).

In the midst of all of this, his girlfriend, Candace Williams, first filed a restraining order, then a $70 million lawsuit against Suggs. ESPN"s Adam Schefter explains, "...Williams accused Suggs of hitting her in the chest, pushing her to the floor and sitting on her while holding her neck with one hand and a bottle of bleach with the other, according to court documents.

Williams alleged in the documents that Suggs threatened to drown her with the bleach and that some of it splashed on her and their toddler son. The alleged scuffle began with an argument over tickets to the Ravens' Nov. 29 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers."

All allegations are now off of Suggs' plate. However, at the first minicamp, he said that "it's May", so he is not yet in playing shape. However, he claims that he will be ready in July.

Does not showing up for the voluntary OTA demonstrate his motivation to get back in shape? Not exactly--Coach John Harbaugh certainly made a mental note when he realized that Suggs was not planning on showing up for practice. There are plenty of reasons why Suggs cannot take this year's voluntary OTA's off like he did last year--he may be a veteran, and he may be successful, but does that warrant one to skip OTA's after a mediocre season in which you were overweight?

All of the reviews that came in regarding that first OTA were positive: he looked faster, stronger, and lighter. The question, though, remains: will he get down to 255 by July?

"Hey, it's not expected for me to have a season like that," said Suggs. "Rest assured, it will never happen again."  

Let us hope that it never does.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Orioles recalled 1B/3B Scott Moore on Thursday after sending down P Alberto Castillo to the Norfolk Tides.

INF Justin Turner was then designated for assignment.

Castillo is 1-0 with a 12.79 ERA (6.1 IP, 9ER) in nine innings for Baltimore in 2010. May 16 was the second time Castillo had been recalled this season; he returned to the ball club after first baseman Rhyne Hughes was been sent back to Norfolk.

Castillo went up and down at lightning speed because he allowed six earned runs in only 1.1 innings over the last week.

Moore, meanwhile, was hitting .276 with 5 homers and 23 RBI in 34 games with the Tides.

Many believed 1B Michael Aubrey, who has been on a bit of a hot streak at Norfolk, would be the next player brought up to the big league club. However, the team chose Moore instead.

Source: Baltimore Orioles

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

On Thursday, Baltimore Ravens restricted free agents Mark Clayton, Sam Koch, and Fabian Washington signed their tenders. This leaves Dawan Landry, Le'Ron McClain, and Jared Gaither as the only players who have yet to sign their tender.

Le'Ron McClain, according to a report by Aaron Wilson, has not signed the deal yet because he is looking for a long term deal. However, no talks are taking place.

Jared Gaither is most likely being held back by his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, as trade rumors continue to swirl around the tackle. At this point, it almost seems like the Ravens quietly have their heart set on removing Gaither from their team by the start of the season, but it will all depend on whether or not they can get true value for him.

Dawan Landry, who is one year removed from a nearly catastrophic neck injury, has also yet to sign his tender. He was assigned a second-round tender at the start of free agency. However, this is the second year a row he has been a restricted free agent and is probably looking for more security, especially considering the injuries he has sustained in the past.

Meanwhile, Mark Clayton will compete with Demetrius Williams for a spot on the roster when camp opens up. Clayton is the favorite in this battle, but he has endured quite a drop since 2009. He went from second receiver to a point where he is battling for the number four job behind Boldin, Mason, and Stallworth.

Fabian Washington is in the process of recovering from an ACL tear he sustained in the home game against the Indianapolis Colts last season. He is ahead of schedule, according to Coach Harbaugh.

Sam Koch is someone the Ravens value quite a bit, as many believe he is the best punter in the league--so it is good to hear that he will be back in purple for sure in 2010.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Ravens CB Cary Williams has been generating buzz over the last couple weeks. The injuries to the starting corners, Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington, have allowed him to get plenty of reps at the position throughout the Ravens' organized team activities.

Williams, 25, signed his qualifying offer this week, which allows the team to retain their rights to him. He was signed by the Ravens in November 2009 and had limited play in ten games last season.

Some think Williams will contend for nickel back, however, depending on injuries, Chris Carr will likely be put in that slot, as that is where he excelled last season. Carr has been inserted there several times during minicamps, with Williams getting work in at corner.

Williams was selected in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. The corner originally attended Fordham but decided to transfer to Washburn College due to lack of playing time. At Washburn, he excelled, becoming the only Division II athlete to be in the top ten in the nation in interceptions in 2007.

He is 6'1, which certainly helps his prospects at corner (Webb is 5'10, Washington is 5'11, Carr is 5'10, and Foxworth is 5'11). The Ravens had trouble matching up with taller receivers last season, struggling specifically against San Diego's Vincent Jackson, who is 6'5.

At the OTA that took place more than a week ago, Coach John Harbaugh said, "Cary Williams had a nice camp."

"He's learning the defense and he's got some physical ability.

It will be interesting to see how the team continues to utilize Williams as they move through their offseason activities.

Sources: BaltimoreRavens.com, "The Carroll County Times", ESPN

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

After two hard fought semi final lacrosse games in the MIAA A Conference on Tuesday evening, two arch rivals emerged as opponents for Saturday night's championship matchup.

The Boys' Latin Lakers and the St. Paul's Crusaders, who have engaged in one of the most historic rivalries in all of high school sports, will take each other on. Earlier this season, the Lakers beat the Crusaders in three overtimes, with Boys' Latin senior Kevin O'Neil netting the winning goal.

This match between two of the area's lacrosse super powers has "game of the century" written all over it. The Crusaders will be looking for redemption from the May 7, 11-10 loss they endured to Boys' Latin, while the Lakers will look to sweep St. Paul's for the season.

St. Paul's, a school that has quite a history, with 24 championships under their belt, will try to get their first crown since 2004. Boys' Latin looks for its first victory since 2006.

On Tuesday, Boys' Latin played an extremely inconsistent game against third-ranked McDonogh, falling behind for much of the first half. However, the team was able to recover and advance. St. Paul's went 1-1 against McDonogh in 2010, with their one loss considered somewhat of a "blip" on the radar.

St. Paul's, meanwhile, played rather well for the first half against St. Mary's. In their last couple games, they have had poor performances in the early quarters, falling behind by seven goals against Boys' Latin on May 7, only to recover in the fourth period.

However, the game fell apart slightly for the Crusaders in the second half, as they were having trouble closing out St. Mary's until Junior and University of Virginia commit Taylor Michel hit the game winning goal with 2:48 on the clock.

Both of these teams will come out swinging Saturday night--all of the players on each team will be playing above their level of talent, and it will be quite a show.

Photo: "The Baltimore Sun"

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

On Tuesday night, the MIAA A Conference Lacrosse semifinals got underway at Towson University. Boys' Latin, who received a first-round bye, was due to face off against McDonogh, while St. Paul's, who also received a first round bye, was to play St. Mary's.

Boys' Latin came into the season as the favorites, led by long-tenured Coach Bob Shriver and seniors Patrick Foster, RG Keenan (faceoff), and Kevin O'Neil. They finished the season at 15-3, 11-2 in the conference, winning some major games, including one against arch rival St. Paul's in three overtimes.

However, they struggled at times, with losses to Loyola and Spalding.

McDonogh also had their ups and downs, finishing at 16-5, 9-4 in the conference. Their regular season included losses to Boys' Latin and St. Paul's.

Meanwhile, St. Paul's comes off a win against Loyola that catapulted them into the semifinals last week. This victory came after a disastrous, three overtime loss against the Boys' Latin Lakers at J. Duncan Smith Field on the Lakers' campus.

St. Mary's lost to St. Paul's during the season, but they also have a lot of momentum, as they won their quarterfinal game against Loyola Blakefield 14-6.

-----

LIVE

McDonogh 7, Boys' Latin 10, FINAL

The Lakers advanced to the finals at 7:45 PM EST, after fighting their way back against the McDonogh Eagles. The faced several deficits throughout the game, especially during the first half. Boys' Latin fell behind 2-1 at the end of the first quarter and was down 5-3 at the end of the first half. They outscored the Eagles 7-2 in the second half to win the game.

Goal Scorers for McDonogh: Brenny Daly (2), Tyler Frederick (1), Ben Love (1), Kyle DeVinney (1), Evan Glaser (1), Kyle Rice (1)

Goal Scorers for Boys' Latin: Jeff Chase (3), Kevin O'Neil (2), Patrick Foster (1), Andrew Dempsey (1), RG Keenan (1), Conor Finch (1), Chris Rubino (1)

St. Paul's versus St. Mary's starts at 8:45 PM EST.

8:24 PM: St. Paul's is on the field completing their warmup; St. Mary's is in the locker room.

8:32 PM: Teams meeting at the field. Readying for the face-off.

8:34: St. Mary's player down on the field; ankle brace removed. #11, Warren Pumphrey

8:40: 1-0 St. Mary's, first goal by #6 John Ogen, a senior.

8:41: Taylor Michel (UVA commit) takes a shot an really airs it out. 1-0 St. Mary's.

8:44: St. Mary's goal waived, as the player was in the crease.

8:45: Andrew Barton gets the first score for St. Paul's, it's 1-1. It's his signature bounce into-the-goal shot.

8:47: Senior Ryland DePol gets the goal for St. Mary's. 2-1.

8:52: St. Paul's goal from Alex Chay; an extremely sharp shot from an experienced starter on the St. Paul's varsity squad. 2-2.

8:54: St. Mary's midfielder John Morgan was down and was removed from the game with an injury.

8:55: End of the first quarter.

9:00: Zach Linkous scores the third Crusader goal; a "ripper" as another in the press box described it. 3-2 St. Paul's.

9:09: Timeout on the field. 3-2 St. Paul's

9:11: Jeff Fountain with the goal for St. Paul's, assist to Patrick Powderly. 4-2 St. Paul's.

9:13: Spencer Parks with the goal for St. Paul's. 5-2 SP.

9:22: End of the first half. St. Mary's goal scorers: John Hogan (1), KC Beard (1). St. Paul's goal scorers: Andrew Barton (1), Alex Chay (1).

9:34: 5-3 SP.

9:51: 6-4 SP

I had to assist another member of media for the second half, so I was unable to do frequent updates. However, the final score was St. Paul's 7, St. Mary's 6. St. Paul's will face Boys' Latin in the championship on Saturday evening at 8 PM at Johnny Unitas Stadium at Towson University.

Goal Scorers for St. Mary's: John Hogan 2, Logan Connolly 1, K.C. Beard 1, Mark McNeill 1, Ryland De Pol; A - Logan Connolly 1, John Hogan 1, Pat Manley 1

Goal Scorers for St. Paul's- Taylor Michel 2, Zach Linkous 1, Alex Chay 1, Jeff Fountain 1, Andrew Barton 1, Spencer Parks 1 A - Jay Carlson 1, Dan Gutberlet 1, Pat Powderly 1

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

On Tuesday morning, the Baltimore Ravens held a voluntary passing camp outdoors, despite the wet weather.

There was a long list of injured players and players who chose not to participate. Veterans often elect to sit some of these camps out.

Ravens Not Present (as minicamp was voluntary): LBs Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, WR Derrick Mason, RB Willis McGahee, DEs Trevor Pryce and Paul Kruger, who had an excused absence.

Since Kruger had an excused absence, the biggest surprise no show was LB Terrell Suggs. Suggs had a mediocre year last season, and was expected to make his best possible effort in attending all offseason activities. At the last minicamp, he raised eyebrows by stating he was not yet in playing shape, but plans to get there by training camp, since that's when the real season begins.

Injured Ravens: QB Troy Smith (tonsils), S Ed Reed (hip), CBs Lardarius Webb (knee) and Fabian Washington (knee), LB Brendon Ayanbadejo (quadriceps), OTs Jared Gaither (foot) and Ramon Harewood (knee), WR Mark Clayton (shoulder), DTs Haloti Ngata (chest) and Terrence Cody (undisclosed injury) and NTs Kelly Gregg (shoulder) and Brandon McKinney (disc).

Limited Ravens: Jarret Johnson, WR Marcus Smith (attempting a comeback from an ACL injury suffered in preseason 2009), RB Matt Lawrence (knee)

Injured During Practice: WR Maurice Price (ankle), CB KJ Gerard (groin)

In other news, QB Joe Flacco said that he had lost some weight, getting down to about 240. This is probably disappointing to the Ravens, as many feel he will be far more effective at Ben Roethlisberger's body type (heavy, strong, extremely mobile).

Rookie TEs Ed Dickson (Oregon) and Dennis Pitta (Brigham Young) have pleased the team in their early practices. If both of them have good seasons this year, the Ravens will have three able tight ends (Dickson, Pitta, and Heap). Offensive weaponry for Flacco will have greatly increased (not to mention the addition of Anquan Boldin)

Meanwhile, CB Travis Fisher has the honor of receiving Frank Walker's No. 41. The team has not ruled out a Walker return, however, it now seems unlikely, as the competition for backup defensive backs is becoming more and more crowded.

Fisher is expected to have a rather good shot at making the team, especially if he stays healthy and Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington continue to have trouble with their knees.

Sources: Jamison Hensley (The Baltimore Sun), Aaron Wilson (Carroll County Times)

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

On Monday, the Ravens announced that they have two new additions, cornerback Travis Fisher and safety Brad Jones. Both players tried out for the team in the first minicamp about two weeks ago.

The Ravens are in need of help in the secondary, with ACL injuries to both Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb.

Fisher, 30, is 5-10 and 189 pounds. He was drafted in the second round (64th overall) in the 2002 NFL Draft out of Central Florida by the St. Louis Rams.

St. Louis got quite a bit out of Fisher, as he spent 2002-2006 there, averaging about 44 tackles per season. However, his numbers just went down from his second year, as he only played 10 games in his third year, 8 in his fourth, and 9 in his fifth. All of these missed games were due to injuries (broke his arm twice, groin injury).

After the Rams, he spent two seasons with the Lions and one with the Seahawks. 2007 was his last true productive year, as he got 78 tackles and picked off 2 passes.

Overall, Fisher has had 9 interceptions and has broken up 32 passes during his career. He is a good pickup to add depth to the secondary if he stays healthy.

Meanwhile, the safety, Brad Jones, was not invited to the combine and was an undrafted rookie free agent. A one-year starter at Cincinnati, he had 52 tackles on the season, 3.5 sacks, and one pass deflection in 2009.

Jones will join a crowd at the safety position that includes Pro-Bowler Ed Reed, Tom Zbikowski, and one of his predecessors with the Bearcats, Haruki Nakamura. However, for now, Jones will get some playing time in practices due injuries to both Reed and Nakamura.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

"Get Your Preak On", the ever so tasteful slogan that marketing executives came up with for this year's Preakness, seems to have been a success. The infield had an attendance of more than 33,000 people on Saturday.

The slogan is a play on Missy Elliot's 2001 single, "Get Ur Freak On", one of her most provocative songs ever. Therefore, when the Maryland Jockey Club adapted a version of the title to plaster all over billboards in Baltimore, some people were outraged. Last week, Kevin Cowherd of "The Baltimore Sun" wrote a column on the topic, starting it with the phrase, "Baltimore, you must be proud."

I agreed with Mr. Cowherd initially--why would you want your city to be represented in that way? When visitors drove around prior to the race, "Get Your Preak On", was what they saw and the reputation of Baltimore was not rising in their minds. It probably just fed into the persona of the race turning into a drunken romp.

However, on Saturday morning, I awoke to updates all over Facebook, the social networking site, about how people were going to "get their preak on". Obviously, the slogan had become rather well-known after its repeated appearances on radio ads as well as on billboards. When I chatted with others throughout race day, asking them randomly if they'd heard about the controversial slogan, they repeated it back right away.

Someone knew what they were doing.

Despite the negative feelings surrounding the slogan, it was certainly effective. Baltimore does not want to be known as the "rowdy capital of the world", but the infield is rowdy, and the infield is what the Preakness is all about. The Maryland Jockey Club did not want to lose revenue again in 2010, so, along with the change in the alcohol policy, they came up with a creative slogan to draw the young crowd back.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Orioles have called up reliver Alberto Castillo to take Rhyne Hughes' spot on the roster after the first baseman was sent back to the Norfolk Tides on Saturday night.

Castillo's return to the major leagues comes following a terrible one-inning stretch in which two Oriole relievers destroyed Brian Matusz's seven inning shutout, giving up eight runs in the ninth.

Alfredo Simon has been inserted into the role of the closer, but after Satuday's performance, his time there may be coming to a close, no pun intended.

Meanwhile, P David Hernandez has been scratched from Sunday's start, as he is experiencing discomfort in his right shoulder. Long reliever Mark Hendrickson will pitch for him.

Hernandez has lost his last eleven starts, but, at this time, the prescription for him is simply rest.

Sources: MLB.com

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

After Saturday night's loss to Cleveland, the Orioles optioned 1B Rhyne Hughes to Norfolk. A corresponding move will be announced on Sunday, the club said.

Hughes, 26, joined the Orioles on April 26 during their series with the Red Sox. He provided the team with a jolt that was badly needed, hitting .313 through his first four games. However, Hughes just struggled after that, as he now goes back to the minors with a .213 average.

He hit .353 (18-51) with three home runs and 11 RBI for the Tides before being recalled by the Birds.

The Orioles may be looking to bring up a pitcher after the disastrous performances by Alfredo Simon and Cla Meredith in relief of Brian Matusz on Saturday night.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

Luke Scott, 31, a five-year veteran hailing from Oklahoma State University, is one of the strangest hitters in the Orioles organization.

Scott, who was part of the package acquired from the Houston Astros in exchange for Miguel Tejada in 2007, was drafted in the 9th round (277th overall) in the 2001 MLB Draft.

Notoriously a streaky hitter, Scott reached huge lows in his average this season, hitting as poorly as .177 before being benched three straight games by Dave Trembley.

However, since May 4, when he reached that low, he has lifted his average to .232, hitting .313 with 6 homers and 16 RBI's in May. These numbers include his grand slam to put the Orioles ahead 6-5 in Thursday's victory against the Mariners, as well as his 3-5 performance on Friday in their 8-1 win over the Indians.

Scott could be entering one of his "legendary" streaks, such as the one from May 25-31, 2009, in which he hit .444 with 6 HR and 14 RBI. He also had a similar week in July of 2008, when he batted .538 with 3 HR and 6 RBi.

Despite Scott's rising numbers, his streaky tendencies can be considered either a negative or a positive. He was a major factor the Orioles' 2-16 start, barely hitting throughout the month of April, with a .194 average. In the 2009 season, he hit .432 in May, .259 in June, and .213 in July. In 2008, he hit .212 in May, .333 in June, and .185 in July.

At 31, it's unlikely that LUUUKE will ever figure out the reason for his incredibly inconsistent hitting. However, as a career .262 hitter, it would be much more helpful for the organization if he figured out how to stay more consistent, dropping the months of the year when he hits .100, and adding more .200 months to go along with his .400 streaks.

---

View Comments (2) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

It was November 2007 when we all thought we had seen the last of Corey Patterson wearing a Baltimore Orioles uniform.

Unfortunately, we were all wrong.

Nearly three years later, Patterson has rejoined the ballclub. He played in 2008 and 2009 with the Reds, Brewers, and Nationals, never hitting above .205.

LF Nolan Reimold's demotion spurred the new appearance of Patterson. In other Oriole news, Brian Roberts has been sent to the 60-day DL, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.

The news coming out of the Warehouse these days just seems to get worse and worse. The season started with fair starting pitching, terrible closing, and terrible hitting. It seems that the club has worked out the closing situation, but it just cannot score any runs.

Baltimore is a desperate team right now, sitting at 9-24. On Wednesday, Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail released a video for the fans, commenting on the poor start by his team.

Unfortunately, he did not give too many answers as to how the team plans to move forward as they go through 2010. It was basically a recap of the disastrous start, which you can see by going to the Orioles' website.

I'd like to see Mr. MacPhail take some more time to interact with the fans on a "Q & A" basis, as I think it would be helpful for the fans as well as Mr. MacPhail.

Although many upper-level executives feel that they need to stay out of the public eye, one only earns that right when one's organization is performing to its greatest potential. For example, Ozzie Newsome rarely speaks to the media, but he puts a team on the field that is going to be competitive year in and year out.

Mr. MacPhail has certainly improved the baseball picture in Baltimore since June 2007, when he was hired. However, this is his third full year at the helm, and results need to start happening.

Dave Trembley is not the man to get those results to happen: he is essentially asleep at the wheel. The team and the city need a new manager that is going to provide at least a "jolt" to the fanbase and to the players who are just failing apart.

The losing culture in this city seems to have seeped into the younger generation of players, including Adam Jones and Nick Markakis. This culture needs to be halted by a new face in the clubhouse before it gets any worse.

Again, November 2007. It feels like we've arrived back to where we started.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

As the Ravens' first minicamp draws to a close this weekend in Baltimore, the rumors regarding a Jared Gaither trade have heated up to an all-time high.

Gaither was moved from left tackle to right tackle on Friday in a move that Ravens Coach John Harbaugh described as "…permanent as long as it's the best thing for us."

Michael Oher, entering his second year in the league, took over at left tackle.

However, immediately after the move was made, trade speculation began anew. In what appeared to be posturing, Gaither sat out practice on Saturday and Sunday with a "foot injury".

The tackle has one of the toughest agents in the business, Drew Rosenhaus. He advised Gaither not to participate in the first few weeks of the offseason workout program as trade rumors were swirling in mid-March.

Oniel Cousins, who is entering his third year with the team, has taken over for Gaither at right tackle for the last two practices. Cousins, 25, made significant progress last season while being a key backup for the Ravens when Gaither was injured. Back in December, the team's offensive line coach, John Matsko, praised Cousins, saying, "Oniel has a chance to be a regular and effective starter. He's tough, physical, and works hard year round. We can win with him as we showed the last three weeks. He has a bright future." The Ravens appear to have confidence in Gaither's likely heir, and could also be having him prepare in the right tackle slot instead of making Gaither practice with a team he is going to be leaving shortly, according to reports.

On Sunday morning, ProFootballTalk.com reported that a trade with the Buffalo Bills for Gaither is "very likely"--and that the Ravens are trying to get another team in on the talks to drive up the asking price.

He is 6-9 and 340 pounds, a size that is still hard to come by at left tackle on the NFL level. He is also 24, which is a huge plus for any team. However, the Ravens reportedly have trouble with his work ethic.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

I just finished reading the piece on Ben Roethlisberger in this week's "Sports Illustrated". The article certainly does not hold back its criticism of the two-time world champion quarterback. Roethlisberger, 28, is of course not the most popular person in the sport of football right now.

In the article, Steelers super fans such as Ron Vergerio are even criticizing him. "From a football point of view I'm sure losing [Roethlisberger] would've hurt," he said. "But it's to the point where he's embarrassing the franchise."

One of the questions in the Roethlisberger case is in regards to whether or not he is embarrassing the franchise. The Steelers are family-run, and pride themselves on being practically drama-free. Unfortunately, it seems that the team has become marred by what most would describe as their overwhelmingly narcissistic star quarterback.

However, here is the question: why is the Roethlisberger acting as if he owns everything in Pittsburgh and beyond?

It's a problem with athletes today--some of them have trouble adjusting to their fame, but once they do, they use it to their advantage. Sometimes restaurants pay for the meals and waitresses fawn all over them. They get used to it.

"What you're going to see is a guy who's been humbled by the process and ready to reemerge as a better person," Roethlisberger's agent told SI. "He admitted to me that maybe he got too caught up in the Big Ben persona. Maybe he kind of ran with that too much. But at heart he's a good person who doesn't want to be remembered as the kind of guy who's being presented to the public right now."

"The Big Ben Persona". Hmm.

Is that another way of phrasing that he feels that he is entitled to go anywhere in the United States and say, "Do you know who I am?"

Sometimes, these athletes become disconnected from reality--this happens especially during the season. They are locked up in team facilities watching film and practicing, and when the go out, they become objects of some people's happiness. Some fans look at football as their source of happiness in the Fall and Winter, specifically those who are unhappy in their jobs.

Roethlisberger obviously became too used to this "persona" or this idea of "being fawned over", as he has made repeated mistakes that make him appear as if he is a jerk. In fact, he probably is not. He is probably just a guy from a town in Ohio that got caught up in his fame.

The NFL should make a greater effort with programs in regard to recognizing the people around you as equals who deserve your respect. They may feel that the athlete is their hero, and the athlete should learn how to act in a way that supports that theory, rather than letting their ego be pumped up by the admiration from their fans.

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

After looking at Wednesday's poll question, regarding whether or not 2010 was going to be a "make or break" season for Joe Flacco, I realized that there was a fundamental problem with even asking that.

The question is broad, but in the fans' eyes, the expectations are for a Super Bowl victory. The additions of Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth to an offense on the rise will certainly increase the amount of pressure that Flacco will feel this upcoming year. The team can no longer make excuses for Flacco not being able to find an "open receiver", since his top three targets (being Boldin, Mason, and Stallworth) are all much more capable of evading defenders than the wideouts of 2008 and 2009. He will have Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le'Ron McClain in the backfield to top it all off.

The 2009 season was certainly an improvement upon his rookie campaign, as he increased his passing yards (2,971 to 3,613), his completions (257 to 315), his touchdowns (14 to 21), and his completion percentage (60.0 to 63.1). Not only that, but Flacco maintained the same amount of interceptions: 12.

The only problem was that the team finished 9-7 after what was termed a "wildly inconsistent" season by some media members. Therefore, the fans were not pleased with Flacco for the majority of the season, particularly after the game against Minnesota, in which he injured his ankle. Many believed he was hampered by that for the remainder of the season.

As seen through the criticism from last season, quarterbacks are under a great amount of pressure throughout their careers. There is no question Flacco will endure some hardships next year. He will have to transition into being the main target for the fans if they are not getting what they expect on the offensive side next season. He will not have many excuses if he plays poorly.

However, as of now, the stats speak for themselves: Joe Flacco is on his way to being an elite quarterback in the league. He needs time to develop, as did Peyton Manning. Remember when #18 threw all those interceptions at M & T Bank Stadium in 2001 during one of his early and "wildly inconsistent" seasons?

The criticisms of fans of the National Football League can be brutal. The question about 2010 being a "make or break" season for Flacco is a prime example of that fact. Chances are, if the Ravens do not make it very far next year, it will turn into a "make or break" situation for Flacco, Harbaugh, and Cam Cameron. However, that is just probably in the eyes of the fans. It is not in the eyes of the Ravens' personnel department.

How could it be a "make or break" season if that statement has not come from Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti?

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

NOTE: Be sure to check out Anne Boone's blog for detailed information about the murder.

As the MIAA Lacrosse season winds down in Baltimore, a terrible tragedy with Maryland connections has occurred at the University of Virginia.

Yeardley Love, 22, a Notre Dame Prep grad and women's lacrosse player at UVA was murdered. Her reported boyfriend, George Huguely, has been charged with first degree murder.

This crime is going to reverberate all throughout the Maryland lacrosse community, with Love being from Cockeysville and Huguely from Chevy Chase. Back when the Duke Lacrosse scandal broke, Huguely was quoted in "The Washington Post. "I sympathize for the team," Huguely said. "They've been scrutinized so hard and no one knows what has happened yet. In this country, you're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. I think that's the way it should be."

His quote seems terribly ironic now, and it will be interesting to see how this scandal unfolds over the next few weeks. My prayers go out to Yeardley Love's family, the community at Notre Dame Prep, and to the students and faculty at the University of Virginia.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

It appears that the General Manager of Miami Dolphins, Jeff Ireland, may have made an ethical mistake.

He chose to ask Dez Bryant whether his mother was a prostitute.

"My job is to find out as much information as possible about a player that I'm consider drafting," Ireland said in a statement. "Sometimes that leads to asking in-depth questions.  Having said that, I talked to Dez Bryant and told him I used poor judgment in one of the questions I asked him. I certainly meant no disrespect and apologized to him.

"I appreciate his acceptance of that apology and I told him I wished him well as he embarks on his NFL career."

People are having a hard time understanding why exactly Ireland would ask that question, because they think it is inappropriate. However, one has got to remember that this is not some regular job interview.

The Dolphins, if they were to draft Bryant, were going to guarantee him millions of dollars. A background review is certainly warranted in that situation. However, Bryant should have been warned before being asked such a personal question.

Rumors about the wideout's background had been floating around for months. It may have served Ireland well to ask a question like this: "How do you think your childhood has affected your life off the field--and how do you plan on dealing with your family members once you receive your contract?"

Instead, he went with the more point blank question, which led to this controversy. It might end up costing Ireland his job, as his seat has been getting warmer and warmer over the last week.

Ireland should not be fired for this; in fact, this question probably should never have left that meeting room. There is a reason this story did not break until after Bryant was selected with the 24th pick by the Dallas Cowboys.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

JaMarcus Russell, born August 9th, 1985 in Mobile, Alabama, has become one of the most debated football players in all of the National Football League. Russell, of the Oakland Raiders, was the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, and has thus far failed in his quest to become an elite quarterback on the professional level.

The statement "his quest to become an elite quarterback" could be questioned, but that will come later.

Russell attended Lillie B. Williamson High School and never missed a game as their starting quarterback. He was 6'3 and 185 pounds by his sophomore year and was throwing for over 3,000 years in his senior year.

Needless to say, Russell was a natural athlete. In February 2003, he signed with Louisiana State University, after being recruited by both the Tigers and Florida State. In Baton Rouge, he started for two seasons (sophomore and junior), earning multiple accolades, including being named first-team All-SEC by the AP. He also won the Manning Award, an award for the best college quarterback in the United States.

On January 10th, 2007, his unfortunate journey in the NFL began. He skipped his final season at LSU.

He scored a 24 on the wonderlic and ran a 4.83 40-yard dash. However, his other measurables were more interesting: he was 6'5 and a half and weighed in at 265. Joe Flacco is roughly the same height and weighs thirty pounds less than that. This would mark the beginning of a weight struggle that would mar the beginning of his NFL career.

His time with the Raiders did not start peacefully: he held out through training camp and the start of the 2007 season before getting a contract that included $31.5 million guaranteed. Was this all part of a master plan by Russell? Was he really just satisfied with becoming the number one pick in the draft, making his money, and not caring about what he was going to do in the league? His "effort" had been questioned before the draft by multiple "experts".

Russell had a rather average rookie season: it was enough for him to be named by Coach Lane Kiffin as the starter in 2008.

2008 was not a good year, as the Raiders finished 5-11. Russell had a 53.8 completion percentage, but threw thirteen touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He was highly inconsistent, throwing 6 completions in 19 attempts for 31 yards against Atlanta in week 9, and throwing 18 completions in 25 attempts for 236 yards against the Texans in week 16.

He was then benched in 2009 after another below average start to the season.

This brings us to present day, and the Raiders have signed Kyle Boller and traded for Jason Campbell. They still have last year's starter, Bruce Gradkowski, and his backup, Charlie Frye, on their roster.

Russell could be coming to his last days in Oakland, and reports are arising that he weighs above 300 pounds, which would put him at almost fifty pounds over his playing weight.

Will he ever play another game in the NFL? This will come down to whether "his quest to to become an elite quarterback" is reality or not. If he is up to 300 pounds, who will really want to sign the guy?

It is just unfortunate to see someone who was drafted number one go down in flames. However, what makes it worse is that he probably chose to go down in flames.

So: Will Russell get dropped before minicamps?

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

It's a new day in the AFC North; a shift in power is occurring, and the power is moving towards Baltimore and Cincinnati.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason has not been pretty. Ever since their Super Bowl victory in February 2009, not much has gone right for them. They finished an unproductive 2009 season with a 9-7 record, as their team was marred by injuries to Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith. The defending champions had a disastrous run throughout November, and head coach Mike Tomlin pledged, "We will unleash hell here in December because we have to. We won't go in a shell. We'll go into attack mode, because that's what's required."

The team then lost to two of the league's worst teams, the Browns and the Raiders. Pittsburgh, however, managed to rally to a 9-7 record on the season, but did not manage to get into the playoffs. The season ended with Coach Tomlin in a much less secure position than he was in a year before--and his seat only became warmer in the offseason.

QB Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a young college student Milledgeville, Georgia. This would be the second time within a year that Roethlisberger had been accused of sexual assault: bodyguards and bathrooms were involved, which is never a great combination. He was suspended six games by the commissioner. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's star wideout, Santonio Holmes, was being accused by a woman of throwing a glass at her in an Orlando nightclub. She claims she received a cut above her eye. In response to a negative comment from a Twitter follower in regards to the incident, Holmes told the commenter to "kill urself". Then, he used his Twitter account as a place to talk about his illegal marijuana use, saying it was time to "wake n bake".

Despite the fact that Holmes says his account was hacked, it was enough bad publicity for the Steelers to trade their No. 1, Super Bowl MVP wideout to the New York Jets, a rival AFC team.

The Steelers are not in a good place. Mike Tomlin has been presiding over a team that is full of players with publicity problems, to say the least. It is the head coach's job to control his players' behavior, and it just does not seem like Tomlin is doing that. He is described by many of his players as a friend, as he is 38 years old. However, how long will the storied franchise tolerate repeated incidents by the players on their roster?

They traded their number one wide receiver for a fifth round pick. I do not think they would hesitate to remove Tomlin if the players continue to embarrass the franchise and the city of Pittsburgh.

Therefore, there's been a change in the AFC North. The Steelers may be out of the competition next year---unless the great Dennis Dixon lights it up. The Browns are a team in transition, and they won't be competitive again until 2011, at the earliest. The Baltimore Ravens have become a high character team, with staunch Catholic John Harbaugh at their helm, while Marvin Lewis' Bengals are keeping their players, despite their character issues.

So, is the Ravens/Steelers rivalry taking a year off?

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The New England Patriots have released linebacker Adalius Thomas, according to several reports from ESPN.

Thomas, 32, joined New England in 2007 to huge expectations. Unfortunately, he never quite lived up to the hype that he carried from Baltimore to Foxborough, feuding with Coach Bill Belichick on several occasions.

He posted 14.5 sacks in his three seasons, but had multiple injuries and did not live up to his 5-year, $35 million contract with $20 million guaranteed.

It was expected that Thomas may land with former Coach Rex Ryan, but the Jets just acquired DE Jason Taylor from the Dolphins.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

The Baltimore Ravens selected TE Dennis Pitta with the 114th pick in the 75th NFL Draft on Saturday. As ESPN's Chris Mortensen put it, Todd Heap's days may be numbered.

Pitta, 25, had a prolific year at Brigham Young University in 2009: 221 receptions for 2,901 yards and 21 touchdowns.

He is the second tight end the Ravens have brought in for this draft; Oregon's Ed Dickson was selected in the third-round. Baltimore has added two pass catchers who are very similar in size to Heap, who is entering his tenth NFL season.

The Ravens selected WR David Reed, a wideout from at Utah at 156, and DT Arthur Jones from Syracuse at 157. Reed is a little undersized, but has speed and is productive. Jones is definitely a "best on the board" pick, as he was rated a second or third rounder by some.

At pick No. 194, the Ravens selected OT Ramone Harewood of Morehouse.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
twitter.com/roblongshow

6:52: Bills select Torell Troup, a defensive tackle from Central Florida, passing on McCoy and Clausen. They have now been passed over by three teams with quarterback needs this round: Chiefs, Browns, and the Bills.

7:00: Gronkowski to Pats. Kindle or Cody to Ravens. Hearing Kindle from Schefter...

7:03: Ravens select Sergio Kindle, the LB from Texas. Knee is an injury risk: "because of his knee and one team believes Kindle may require microfracture surgery, reports the Boston Herald’s Ian Rapoport citing an article by UTRivals.com’s Chip Brown." -FantasySportsDish.com

According to Jamison Hensley of "The Baltimore Sun", he has had four operations on the same knee and had a DUI in 2007. In 2009, he fled the scene of an accident (he drove his car into a building). However, ProFootballTalk.com's Mike Florio says the pick is a "bargain".

Still on board: Cody, Tate

7:19: Clausen to the Panthers, according to Chris Mortensen.

7:24: Taylor Mays to 49ers.

7:27: Kindle's first quote as a Raven, from MASN: “Are ya’ll gonna bleep out explicit language? Because man, it feels F’ing good!"

7:34: RB Toby Gerhart is selected by the Minnesota Vikings. He will replace Chester Taylor, who departed for the Broncos.

7:40: Jason Worilds, DE, Virginia Tech, to the Steelers.

7:42: Mortensen reports that the Bengals will select DE Carlos Dunlap

7:54: Ravens select DT Terrence Cody with the 57th pick in the 75th Draft. Peter King of "Sports Illustrated": "Imagine Terrence Cody and Haloti Ngata in the game at same time. That's 699 pounds (354, 345 respectively) of defensive tackle."

8:05: Browns trade-up, Colt McCoy is the buzz. However, they select Montario Hardesty, an RB for Tennessee.

8:15: Golden Tate, WR from Notre Dame, goes to SEA.

8:27: Ravens will pick at No. 70....so far, they have had a good night and are greatly improving their prospects on an aging defense. Cody will replace Kelly Gregg at DT in the near future, while Kindle will play across from Suggs at DE/LB.

8:49: Ravens select Ed Dickson, TE from Oregon...from NFL.com: "Dickson is an excellent receiving tight end that will give effort as a blocker but lacks the top size and bulk to be a dominating blocker at this level. He is quick on his release and shows a burst coming out of his breaks to separate from defenders. He has the downfield speed to stretch the middle of the field when running seam routes. He can show a tendency to short-arm some passes when going over the middle and in traffic. He has the speed and open field running skills to get a lot of yards after the catch."

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

People don't like change. In fact, I don't like change. I did not think moving the NFL Draft to primetime was a good idea.

However, there is no question that moving the Draft was an excellent decision; the selection process seemed to move faster and the drama was perfectly timed, unintentionally, of course. I watched the NFL Network all evening, due to their superior access to the team's specific "war rooms".

Although it seemed shorter, the process of the first round was a little longer than in 2009.

The Ravens were due to select at No. 25, but chose to trade out of the pick due to this offer: 43rd overall pick (2nd round), 70th (3rd round), and 114th (4th round)...

Even if Oklahoma State wideout Dez Bryant had fallen to the Ravens, they were given an offer that was nearly impossible to refuse. They upgraded from five picks to seven. Almost all the other teams in their division have ten picks. It was a necessary move.

The Broncos gave up three picks for a major risk in Tim Tebow.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

As the MIAA "A" Conference's lacrosse season heads into its homestretch, there appears to be a three team race between Archbishop Spalding, Boys' Latin, and St. Paul's School.

Boys' Latin, the preseason favorite, has not disappointed, compiling a 6-0 conference record (10-1 overall). Meanwhile, Spalding and St. Paul's are both 5-1 in the conference (Spalding: 8-4 overall, St. Paul's: 8-2 overall).

As the end of the season gets closer, St. Paul's will face two major challenges, as they will play both Spalding and Boys' Latin for the first time. The Boys' Latin/St. Paul's matchup has been billed as this season's potential classic since February.

The MIAA "A" Conference is divided into two leagues, black and red. Boys' Latin and Spalding reside in the red league, while St. Paul's is first place in the black league.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Orioles announced that they have optioned Camden Yards Opening Day starting pitcher Brad Bergesen to Triple-A Norfolk after a difficult start to the season.

Bergesen is 0-2 with a 12.19 ERA (10.1IP, 14ER). He has been injured twice since July, first being hit with a line drive on his left chin, and then straining his throwing shoulder in December. The team has voiced some concerns in regard to Bergesen's sinker--it just does not seem that he is the same pitcher he was a year ago.

It is rather clear that the former starter is experiencing difficulties with the injuries he has endured. This was a good move by the Orioles, who are becoming what one should call a "make-shift team", with the injuries to Bergesen, Tejada, Roberts, Pie, and Gonzalez.

Bergesen will now get some time to figure out his problems without being thrown to the wolves every five days on the Major League level.

A call-up will be announced later in the day (although other reports suggest P Alberto Castillo will be his replacement).

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Since the Orioles are 1-11, here's an update on what has been happening in the club's minor league system since the start of the season.

In Bowie, P Steve Johnson has started two games, gone ten innings, given up zero earned runs, walked 5, and struck out twelve. Those are pretty good numbers for the young native of Maryland, who was selected in the Rule 5 Draft by the San Francisco Giants earlier in the year, but was returned to the Orioles in March.

Also with the Baysox, P Zachary Britton has started two games, gone ten and a third innings, given up two runs, walked two, and struck out nine.

In Norfolk, there are more than a few notables. Here are there key stats:

3B Josh Bell: .200, 0 HR, 3 RBI

1B Rhyne Hughes: .394, 1 HR, 9 RBI

1B Brandon Snyder: .211, 0 HR, 5 RBI

1B Michael Aubrey: .227, 0 HR, 1 RBI

P Chris Tillman: 0-2, 5.19 ERA, 8.2 IP, 2 BB, 9 K

P Jake Arrieta: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 12.0 IP, 6 BB, 7 K

P Brandon Erbe: 0-2, 7.45 ERA, 9.2 IP, 4 BB, 7 K

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Earlier this week, a reality check finally came in for Ravens backup quarterback Troy Smith, as he signed his one year, $1.01 million restricted free agent tender, putting him under contract with Baltimore for another year.

This simple and quiet news comes after weeks of speculation of Smith's future in Baltimore. His (now) former agent, Ralph Cindrich, supposedly called Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome to request a trade all the way back in December, when the team was in the middle of a playoff run. It is needless to say that Cindrich is no longer advising Smith in his business ventures.

Although the Ravens quarterback may have wanted to play in Cleveland, his hometown, the National Football League does not work that way. Even before the NFL Draft, Smith pleaded for the Browns to draft him. Yes, Smith did win the Heisman Trophy. Eric Crouch also won the Heisman. Oh yeah, so did a certain Jason White.

Who are they? Well....that was the point

Regardless of what happens with Smith now, Joe Flacco is the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. Troy Smith may have gotten sick two years ago--but if things get rough this season, there is no reason to bring out the "Troy won the job in 2008, but he just got sick" excuse. Flacco is the best quarterback that Baltimore has seen in a decade. Talents at that position do not come along all that often.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

In recent days, Dave Trembley's seat in the Orioles' dugout has been getting hotter and hotter.

Back in October, Andy MacPhail had a warning for Trembley: "Where we are now in my estimation is we're going to move back to the more traditional criteria of evaluating managers. Wins and losses. It may not always be fair, things happen. But I'd like to think we're out of that first phase of what we hoped to do and did accomplish.

Now that the Birds have begun their season with a 1-7 mark, Baltimore radio shows have been fielding increased amounts of calls in regards to Trembley's future.

"I'm not a ‘get in your face' guy. I'm not a yeller or screamer. I don't swear at people," Trembley told the "Carroll County Times" earlier this month. "I can be more demanding. I can set higher expectations. I can be less tolerant of mental mistakes, of lack of effort or lack of focus.

"I think the players are very intuitive. I think they know what's going on. I might have been reluctant of addressing some things. I'm not afraid of hurting anybody's feelings. [But] I'm not going to yell at anybody."

This is the problem with Mr. Trembley. The players do have minds of their own; they know what is going on, but are they playing to the best of their ability?

They are making more money than Trembley and they have many more years on their contract than he does.

Although he does not "yell" at anybody, he does not appear to know how to manage his players or even a game. Matusz was not done after seven, but wouldn't one get the bullpen started just in case?

Not only that, this team just seems plain lazy. They walk and talk like losers. If they are going to drop Trembley like he's hot, they need a quality manager from OUTSIDE THE ORGANIZATION to come in and make changes.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Although many in Baltimore are lauding the Santonio Holmes to the Jets deal, they should also be a bit scared of the new look J-E-T-S.

Rex Ryan's club, who will be starring in HBO's "Hard Knocks" this summer, have quietly become one of the best teams in the AFC this offseason. In addition to Holmes, they have made two very solid acquisitions: LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie.

In the typical "Rex Style", he has chosen players with rough pasts--Homes and Cromartie--with the hope that they will leave their problems off the field away from the team.

Holmes will join an already talented wide receiving core, including Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery. If Mark Sanchez can't win with this core, he does not have much talent.

Meanwhile, there is a desperate team in Pittsburgh. They just traded their number one receiver and the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII for a fifth-round draft pick. Not only that, their quarterback has been accused twice of sexual assault in recent years.

As Rob said in his blog this morning, they do not tolerate bad behavior in Pittsburgh. Holmes became the fall guy in an organization that is enduring all of Ben Roethlisberger's continuos problems. When the news of the wideout's possible four game suspension came last week, it was only a matter of time until he was dealt. This is the reason he was traded for such a low value.

In the end, the trade puts the New York Jets in a great position to win, while the Steelers are left in a quandary.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Quite a rough start.

After losing two in Tampa Bay and nearly blowing a third game, the Orioles came home on Friday for Opening Day. The festivities certainly did not aid the Birds in their quest to survive a close game in the late innings.

Closer and new acquisition Mike Gonzalez blew the game for the team without even putting up a fight. Needless to say, he walked off the field to the boos of the Birds' largest Opening Day crowd ever.

Then, the team followed that up with a 3-0 loss on Saturday night. This first week of the season has been marred by late inning losses and 5-inning starting pitchers. The Birds open the season without a day off for over two weeks. Not only that, they have plenty of games against the AL East.

Therefore, if the Orioles don't fix some of these problems in a hurry, they could be in for a VERY long season. Hopefully, the first four games have just been troubled by their adjustment to the regular season, rather than their lack of talent.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

At the NFL Owners Meetings, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said, "the whole fan base, everybody's going to be like, 'Don't do it.'"

It appears that the Ravens may "do it", as in re-signing embattled cornerback Frank Walker. About a month ago, Walker, 28, tweeted to the world that he may be headed elsewhere. "The Baltimore Sun" then reported that he was close to a deal with an undisclosed NFC team.

It appears that the deal may have fallen apart, as earlier this month, Walker tweeted to Ravens CB Fabian Washington, " i hollered at coach harbs today my boi and he had a lot of good stufff to tell me my boi... seems like i may be bak up dere boi."

If the Ravens feel solid at the cornerback position after the draft, one doubts that they would re-sign Walker. However, ANYTHING is possible.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Baltimore Orioles franchise is possibly entering their thirteenth losing season in a row. This time, though, there's hope in the air.

Despite all the struggles of the likes of Geronimo Gil, Sammy Sosa, Jorge Julio, Karim Garcia, and Bruce Chen, the Birds finally have a roster with some ability to win.

On the pitching staff, Brian Matusz leads the way, with most projections putting him at 15 wins this season. In addition, the Orioles acquired Kevin Millwood, a quality veteran starter who can work with all of the young talent. David Hernandez earned the last spot in the rotation, after a fairly good rookie season a year ago. Lastly, although Brad Bergesen was hit hard by a line drive in the left shin in July, he is reared a ready to go for his sophomore season.

Let's just forget about Guthrie. He won't last.

Baltimore has an outfield that is arguably the best in baseball: Adam Jones, Nolan Reimold, and Nick Markakis. If they are not the best outfield in baseball as of now, they certainly have greatest young talent.

The offseason addition of Miguel Tejada to fill the void that Melvin Mora left a third base was a good one. Despite the fact he is viewed by many as a steroid user and a liar who exemplifies everything that was wrong with the Orioles before Andy MacPhail, he is the perfect placeholder for Josh Bell.

I spoke to Steve Johnson a few weeks back, the pitcher who came over from the Dodgers with Bell last summer. Johnson told me he thought Bell would be hitting balls off the warehouse as soon as this year.

Let's not forget the key: Matt Wieters. To put it simply, if Wieters has a bad year, a lot of people will be very unhappy. The "Sports Illustrated" curse will have struck again.

The old favorite: Brian Roberts. He may have back troubles, but after many excruciating years with this team, he may be headed towards his first winning season.

Some of the remaining pitchers in AAA: Troy Patton, Jake Arrieta, Chris Tillman....to name a few....

There are plenty of others in the AA level, including Steve Johnson. Baltimore has stockpiled their arms and has continued to follow their plan towards being a winning team at the MLB level.

The Orioles have finally put themselves in a position to be competitive. It is unfortunate that this team is not in the AL Central, because they may have had a chance at the Wild Card in that case. However, this season marks the last year of the Andy MacPhail rebuilding process and the beginning of a new era in Baltimore baseball. This is the FINAL YEAR of under .500 finishes. A brighter day will come as the Orioles will enter the 2010 offseason as a team that is ready to spend and as a team that players are willing to come to.

Prediction: 78-84, 4th place in the AL EAST.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Former Ravens RB Jamal Lewis visited the New Orleans Saints yesterday, just months after the 30-year old said, "It is very hard," he said. "Very. I think this is my last year. I think this is it. Honestly, the way it looks, you know, I had a good run."

However, it has become clear that he has no true intention to retire, as he failed to file his retirement papers after the season. That's why the Browns chose to cut him loose.

Some fans feel surprised that Lewis did not live up to his word. Truth is, the running back has $25 million reasons HE MUST play. In a December 2008 civil lawsuit filed against Lewis and two other defendants by Stillwater Asset Backed Fund, L.P, it appears that the plaintiffs received a judgement. An action was later filed in Ohio attempting to obtain any local assets of Lewis.

The case reportedly cost Lewis, with attorneys fees and interest, up to $25 million.

Source: ProFootballTalk.com

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

It was reported earlier in the week by the NFL Network's Jason La Canfora that the Washington Redskins may be interested in Baltimore Ravens LT Jared Gaither.

It appeared that the speculation over Gaither's future was over when he reported to the Ravens facility on Monday for the offseason conditioning program. He had missed the previous few weeks after taking the advice of his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

However, now the Redskins are in the picture.

They have the No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft, so it is highly unlikely they will give the Ravens their asking price. The more likely option in a trade for Gaither would be a second-round pick.

The chances of Gaither to the Redskins: probably about a 4/10, especially if they draft Russell Okung.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

This week, Joe Mauer became one of baseball's $100 million men, scoring an 8-year, $184 million extension with the Minnesota Twins. In signing the deal, he joins Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez, Miguel Cabrera, Todd Helton, Johan Santana, Alfonso Soriano, Vernon Wells, Barry Zito, Mike Hampton, Jason Giambi, Matt Holliday, Carlos Beltran, Ken Griffey, Jr., Albert Pujols, and Kevin Brown in the exclusive $100 million club.

Ron Shapiro, one of baseball’s most famous agents and the author of The New York Times bestseller "DARE TO PREPARE: How to Win Before You Begin!", negotiated the deal. Shapiro said he is "very satisfied that Joe feels that he has accomplished his goals. "

However, although Mauer resigned with the Twins, Shapiro said "he also gave thought to other options."

It is good for baseball that Mauer signed back with his hometown team. Despite the fact the Twins were willing to dish out the money, it is likely the Yankees would have given more. Many people in the league were desperately afraid of the idea of Mauer moving into the AL East to replace Jorge Posada, but they no longer have to worry.

However, just look at the names on $100 million list: Kevin Brown, Barry Zito, Mike Hampton....

Baseball needs a salary cap to prevent these horrifying guaranteed contracts for players who underachieve once they receive them.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

"The Baltimore Sun" reports that the Baltimore Ravens have contacted former Bengals K Shayne Graham. In the Bengals' playoff loss to the Jets, Graham missed two field goals, including a 28 yarder that would have trimmed the score to 24-17 in the fourth quarter. Despite his recent struggles, he has made 85.2% of his career field goals. In comparison, Ravens K Billy Cundiff has made 73.6%, while former Ravens K Matt Stover has made 83.7%.

"We like Shayne Graham a lot," Harbaugh said at the NFL owners meetings. "Shayne is a highly sought after guy, too. He’s a guy who’s had a lot of success. Obviously, they had some operation problems that hurt them a little bit. But he’s a hard worker and I think he’s determined to prove himself again. I know he’s knows what kind of kicker he is. It would be an interesting possibility. We'll see how it shakes out."

"Billy is a very good kicker, but there are some other good kickers out there, too," Harbaugh said. "We’re not adverse to bringing in competition and letting guys battle it out. So, if we’re able to do that, we’re able to do that."

It sounds like the Ravens are not quite as high on Cundiff as it may have appeared; they are certainly open to adjusting their current situation and Graham would be an excellent addition to the team. If they do sign Graham, I would be surprised if he did not beat out Cundiff, as before his unfortunate effort in the 2009 playoffs, he was one of the most sought after kickers in the league.

Source: "The Baltimore Sun"

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Welcome to the first installment of our new series here at RobLongShow.com, “4 Questions With…” In addition to talking to our subjects about the current events they are involved in, we will also be asking them to reminisce about their pasts, including their favorite moments in the respective sports they are involved in.

The first interview is with Cameron Goldberg, a graduate of McDonogh School in Owings Mills. He played offensive line at Duke, was four-year letterwinner, and started the last 24 games of his college career. Goldberg signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent last offseason, but failed to make the team after injuring his groin.

1) What were you doing to prepare for the NFL this time last year?
Around this time last year, all of the prodays were going on at universities across the nation. So basically all the training had been completed, and it was time to show off for the scouts. But before proday I spent time training at CES (Competitive Edge Sports) in Atlanta, Georgia. CES is easily the best training facility in the country, and the trainers who work there get guys more then ready for the combine and pro days, they develop athletes. I trained for a brief time out in Arizona before going to Atlanta, and that place only developed combine skills. CES made a better football player out of me while I trained for the scouts. At CES our schedule was pretty straight forward. Arrive with the O and D line group at 7:00am do conditioning and combine skills for about an hour and a half. Then we moved on to lifting which was always a beast of a workout, and did that for however long it took you to complete your lift. The only day that differed from this was Weds. On those days we went and did a pool workout. There is literally nothing like that workout out there, and when you are 300 pounds, swimming with resistance bands becomes as tough as any workout you've ever done. After training we did our prodays and that is when scouts and teams make decisions on future picks.

2) What was the most memorable moment during your training camp with the Chiefs?
I think a memorable time in River Falls (besides having to ride bikes a mile or so to practice twice a day at camp) was the rookie talent show. It was so much fun because after all the time working, and our camp was a rough camp, we had a chance to wind down and make fun of one another and the staff. Can't really go too much into it beyond that because what happens at those things usually stays there.

3) There was some turmoil within the Chiefs organization in 2009: did you notice any tension between the new head coach and his players last summer?
To be honest I noticed some tension, but it was within the coaching staff itself, and not with the players. Sure, some of the vets were mad that we did not come out of pads really at all during camp, but no one really had a problem with that. Camp sucks because you are working harder then ever and you are staying away from home and all the creature comforts we take for granted every day. These things become the same things that are missed the absolute most during training camp.

4) How is the injury recuperation coming along? Are you expecting any offers going into Spring minicamps?
The groin is healing up very nice thank you! I actually had an offer to go play for another NFL organization after I left Kansas City, but being injured I decided to turn it down to heal up. Then, after I went to Africa and climbed Kilimanjaro and had a chance to see more of the world, I've decided not to return to football. At least as a player that is, but I am ready to move on and try new things out there, but football will always be missed and always be a huge part of my life. Who knows, I may even decide to coach this stuff at some point, but for now I'm going to take a look around at some things I have not had a chance to do because of the tough schedule football players have to keep throughout college and in the NFL.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Okay--I'm not an avid college basketball watcher, but I have viewed countless competitive high school games, including a championship in February.

I have a question: Why did Greives Vasquez shoot the ball on Maryland's last possession with such a large amount of time left?

UMD was out of timeouts; Gary Williams was close to helpless, aside from shouting directions onto the court. However, one would think one the directions he'd be shouting would be: PATIENCE.

The smart option for MD would have been to hold the ball to get the last shot. In the championship game I saw in February, the high school coach opted to have his team run the clock down to avoid anything resembling Korie Lucious.

If they hadn't shot the ball: they could have won or lost. Regardless, the devastation would have been less than dealing with a three-pointer at the buzzer. In addition, they were too busy celebrating Vasquez's shot with 6 seconds to go than to play defense.

Either way, Maryland's tournament run ended Sunday, in a loss, 85-83 to Michigan State.

---

View Comments (2) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

On Tuesday night, CB Frank Walker tweeted: "sup twitter word seems as if imma be taking the ravens pics down bc i may be a ___________ its a secret i will let u all know when it inked"...

Walker, 28, was acquired by the Ravens in March 2008. He is an unrestricted free agent.

If he does choose to leave Baltimore, he did not have the easiest time in Charm City. Fans consistently called him out on his poor play, he spit in Mitch Berger's mouth during a heated Steelers-Ravens game in 2008, and was inactive in several games this year for reasons not released by the team. At the end of both of his seasons in Baltimore, he was called upon to take on an expanded role due to injuries to other cornerbacks, and was almost always blamed for losses due to pass interference calls.

Walker was nearly cut by the team in August of last year due to his lackluster performance in Training Camp.

However, Rob Long wrote a blog about him when he was set to replace Lardarius Webb at CB: "Frank Walker has earned the right to make up for past "transgressions." He has the talent and certainly the swagger. Maybe, with the trials of a cornerback that he's experienced, he can be the player the Ravens always thought he could be."

Unfortunately, after two years of turbulence, it appears Walker is headed out of Baltimore. He is in the final stages of negotiation with an NFC Team, according to "The Baltimore Sun".

Will he ever live up to his potential?

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
Follow @RobLongShow on Twitter for BREAKING NEWS...

Former Ravens DE Dwan Edwards has agreed to a deal with the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

It was reported earlier in the day that Edwards had left the Bills facility without agreeing to a contract.

Buffalo also signed former Broncos LB Andra Davis earlier in the day.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)
Follow @RobLongShow on Twitter for all the latest sports news...

DE Dwan Edwards, a Ravens draft-pick in 2004, has been making the rounds in free agency this offseason. Edwards, who is unrestricted, has visited the Seahawks, the Broncos, and the Bills.

After his visit in Buffalo on Tuesday, he spoke with the media. “We have so many leaders in Baltimore in Ray Lewis and Ed Reed amongst others so you get lost in terms of having a voice in front of those guys it’s tough,” said Edwards. “I’ve learned a lot from those guys and wherever I end up I’d like to bring a certain leadership quality in the way I work and practice and hopefully it’ll rub off on young guys.”

“I’ve gotten better every year I’ve been with the Ravens,” he said. “Unfortunately I had the injury in ‘08, but came back strong and probably had the most productive year of my career. I look forward to continue to grow and improve and be a great addition.

It is surprising that the Ravens have not made a more conscious effort to pursue the defensive end, after already losing stalwart defensive tackle Justin Bannan to the Broncos. Baltimore is usually more committed to their draft picks, especially those like Edwards, who they have spent years developing.

Reportedly, Edwards left the Bills Tuesday afternoon without a deal. It is possible that the Ravens have been closely watching the d-end's activities in free agency, especially regarding how teams reacted to his neck injury from 2008. Regardless, it is still a likely that the Ravens will lose him, making their void in pass rush even greater.

Source: BaltimoreRavens.com

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

RHP Steve Johnson has been returned to the Orioles from the San Francisco Giants after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft earlier this year. He was attempting to make the big league roster, but he had never played on a level higher than Double-A prior to this Spring.

Johnson, who is from Baltimore and graduated from St. Paul's School in Brooklandville, played in Double-A Bowie last year. He has been assigned to the Baysox and will soon be back in the Orioles' minor league camp.

SPRING TRAINING STATS: 4.2 IP, 6 BB, 2 K, 5 H, 3 ER

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

It's Sunday--the perfect day for me to collect my thoughts on a controversial topic: Steroids.

The circus regarding the drug continues to grow and more athletes have chosen to take variations of it. For many, it is to improve their performance on the field to receive big contracts.

However, athletes’ steroid transformations do not only take place in their own minds. Their bodies increase in size and their home-run numbers go up on paper. Former Giants OF Barry Bonds gained many pounds of muscle after leaving Pittsburgh to play in San Francisco. After leaving the Pirates, his home-run numbers went up exponentially to the point where he was hitting 73 in a single year, an all-time record in 2001. Immediately following that season, steroid allegations began to pop up all around Bonds. Major League Baseball began facing questions regarding the use of the drug among their athletes. Various books were published, but none had first-hand accounts until 2005’s "Juiced" by Jose Canseco. Did Canseco just want to sell books or was he telling the truth? Despite all of their research, how accurate are all of the other accounts? Why are Steroids such a bad thing for baseball, as attendance numbers are only going up? Bonds’ quest for the single season home-run record increased attendance in San Francisco.

Fans depict steroid users and accused users as “evil”, booing them at every chance they get. Regardless of their “transgressions” through drugs, these athletes are just trying to feed their families. Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez referred to the word “pressure” as a reason why he used steroids. Baseball and professional sports are cut-throat in regards to competition for roster spots. The players likely believe that the fans have a lack of respect for the stress they are under to produce.

Therefore, who determines what is fair? The fans? The league? The players? What authority do any of those entities have in determining laws, rules, etc.? A good public relations firm would tell the players not to use steroids and they would tell the league to stop their players’ use of the drug immediately. The MLB commissioned former Senator George Mitchell to investigate steroids in baseball, likely as a result of some PR honcho telling them to do so.

In addition, drug tests are becoming increasingly ineffective, with more and more companies putting out products that hide a drug in one’s system. In the world of professional cycling, they consistently test their athletes, even showing up at their houses unannounced. Cyclists are aware of this, though, and some take precautions with “creams” and the like. Steroids are an entity that is extremely hard to combat, so why even make the effort?

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

After reading Rob Long's article regarding Jared Gaither's future with the Ravens, I'm inclined to disagree with his opinion. Regardless of Gaither's talent, he is not worth a first round pick as high as either the 49ers or the Seahawks. I doubt the Ravens would be willing to pass up a chance of making a trade for one of those picks, considering the depth of this year's draft.

Although Gaither has humongous positives, especially his size and experience, he has plenty of negatives. The issues started at the University of Maryland when he was declared ineligible for the 2007 football season; instead of staying at the University, he chose to declare for the NFL's Supplemental Draft. He then enjoyed a year under Jonathan Ogden's tutelage.

Despite his excellent 2008 season, Gaither missed five games in 2009. The games he did not play were not full of flaws, as Marshal Yanda was moved to right tackle. However, Michael Oher was moved back to the position he was born to play, where he excelled. I wouldn't be surprised if the Ravens keep Gaither, but at Training Camp, I tend to think he'll spend some time learning the right tackle position...

Just a thought.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Troy Smith's agent, Ralph Cindrich, said the quarterback would be willing to "crawl" to Cleveland to play for the Browns.

The Browns aren't willing to "crawl" to Baltimore to pick up Troy Smith, as they have acquired Seneca Wallace from the Seattle Seahawks.

Wallace will be the No. 2 starter in Cleveland at the least, guaranteeing the release of either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson. He will also be an excellent option in the wildcat offense with Josh Cribbs.

Unfortunately, Troy Smith's dreams have been thwarted. Despite the fact his "heart" is in Cleveland, the NFL is not based around the idea of "homecomings". Very few players in the league play even a year in their hometown.

Troy: grow a couple inches, start a few more games. Then, maybe you'll be worth your tender.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Denver Post reports that the Denver Broncos have acquired former Ravens DT Justin Bannan. He went to the University of Colorado, and is a good locker room guy...

It is a five-year contract.

Developing...

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Shortly after acquiring WR Anquan Boldin, the Ravens have locked him up with a new contract.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Ravens have signed the wideout to a 4-year, $28 million deal. It's a three-year $25 million extension from his original contract. He a 6'1, 217 pounds.

From Aaron Wilson:

Ozzie:

"Anquan is a player who makes the tough catches and he is outstanding getting yards after catches"

"He will also help the running game with his blocking skills."

Harbaugh:

"He fits the personality of our team with the hard-nosed, physical way he plays. We love the way he competes.”

Check KZ's post for his career stats.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

ESPN'S Adam Schefter reports that the Ravens have acquired WR Anquan Boldin and a 2010 fifth round pick for their 2010 third and fourth round picks....

The wideout is in the final season of his contract. The deal is pending a physical...

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has been accused of sexual assault by a woman in Georgia, according to TMZ.

Here's the story from their site:

"The alleged incident occurred early this morning at Capital City -- a club in Milledgeville, Georgia. The alleged victim, who has already been interviewed by police, has been treated and released. We're told in addition to the alleged victim, witnesses are being interviewed -- and one law enforcement source says they will attempt to interview Roethlisberger. In addition to the Milledgeville Police Dept, we've learned the Georgia Bureau of Investigations is also investigating."

The Steelers: "We are gathering information on this incident - until then we have no further comment."

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

-Justin Bannan and Dwan Edwards are visiting the Broncos. It would be surprising if the Ravens let go of Edwards, with whom they have invested many years of development.

-SI's Peter King reported that the Ravens will not be involved in the race for Brandon Marshall.

-Reportedly, the team's "Plan A" for wideout is Kevin Walter or Anquan Boldin. "Plan B" is Terrell Owens.

-Kelley Washington is reportedly drawing interest from the Bills and the Seahawks.

-The best CB available, Dunta Robinson, appears ready to agree to a deal with the Atlanta Falcons....

-Jason La Canfora reports: Pats and Eagles have offers on table for Julius Peppers as well as Bears. However, ESPN's Adam Schefter says the Peppers/Bears deal will be done by this afternoon.

-Dwan Edwards will also visit the Seahawks...

-CB Leigh Bodden will announce the order of his visits this afternoon, according to his agent. The Patriots corner is from Maryland...

-Justin Bannan is also scheduled to meet with the Browns, but the Denver Broncos are the front runners, per Aaron Wilson.

Developing...

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

It's 4:35 PM on Thursday, March 4, 2010, and we're just hours away from NFL free agency. Christmas Eve has arrived.

Who will land where? Who will the Ravens lose?

The names: Brandon Marshall, Vincent Jackson, Julius Peppers, Dunta Robinson

All of the talk about them up to today has been nonsense; tomorrow the NFL offseason becomes a reality.

Who will tamper enough to get this year's midnight Albert Haynesworth deal?

It will be an un-capped year. Who will go insane with the spending (despite the regulations)?

Tomorrow, it will all unfold. Stay tuned.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Terrell Owens is 36 years old, a card-carrying "team chemistry killer", and has already had one unfortunate run with the Ravens.

Owens wrote in his autobiography, "Catch This!", that Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome told his former agent that "sometimes a black man's got to be slapped." The GM's statement was allegedly regarding how Owens could be controlled in the locker room. This supposedly caused the wideout not to want to play in Baltimore.

Yet, there are many in Baltimore that still think he'd be a great addition to the team.

I am not one of those people.

Owens would be the equivalent of bringing a freak show into town for moderate production. He's not the old pom-pom waving "T.O" from the early 21st Century.

The only way an Owens signing would be justified is if the Ravens draft a Golden Tate or an Arrelious Benn that needs time to develop.

This would be an exciting receiving core:
1) Terrell Owens
2) Derrick Mason
3) Golden Tate (or draft pick)
4) Donte' Stallworth
5) Clayton/Smith/Washington

However, the chances of that happening are slim, as the Ravens will probably bring back Mark Clayton to be more involved than a fifth receiver.

The team knows what they would be getting into with Terrell Owens, but the question remains: Who wins the battle in front office, the men that go for character, or the men that go for production?

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Houston Texans elected not to place the franchise tag on cornerback Dunta Robinson earlier this week; it will result in the CB hitting the open market.

Although this is a cornerback heavy draft, adding Robinson would immediately upgrade the Ravens' defensive backfield. If he were to join the defense, he would likely start alongside Domonique Foxworth. Fabian Washington would also be a presence, if the Ravens choose to retain him.

However, the big question mark going into the 2010 season will be Lardarius Webb. He is recovering from an ACL tear that occurred extremely late in the season. The chances of him making it back by the start of the season are slim.

Therefore, the Ravens will need an upgrade, and adding Robinson would allow them to have a shutdown corner immediately. There are a lot of "catches" that will go into a signing of this caliber, the collective bargaining agreement in particular. The "Final 8 Plan" will likely hinder the Ravens' attempt to sign the corner.

There's no reason his name should not be mentioned by the team in their discussions, though.

THE CAREER NUMBERS: 394 TOTAL TACKLES, 4 SACKS, 17 STF, 37 STFY, 6 FF, 13 INTERCEPTIONS, 1 TOUCHDOWN

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

There may be snow on the ground. It may be February.

However, lacrosse season is getting underway. For most private high schools in the area, practice started on Monday.

At St. Paul's School in Brooklandville, they are preparing for a championship season; most starters are returning and are seniors. Alex Chay (Georgetown), Jeff Fountain (Georgetown), Patrick Powderly (Syracuse), and Zach Linkous (UMBC) make up the team's senior leadership.

Boys' Latin School in Baltimore is also getting a lot of attention, as they are packed with young talent. Jeff Chase, Wells Stanwick, and Patrick Foster will lead that team. Stanwick is the younger brother of current University of Virgina laxer Steele Stanwick.

Calvert Hall and Gilman lost a lot of seniors after finishing as the winner and runner-up of the conference at the end of the 2009 season, respectively.

This season, there has been a change in the MIAA "A" Conference, as there will be two divisions. In the black division will be Calvert Hall, Loyola, McDonogh, Severn, and St. Paul's. While the red division will contain Spalding, Boys' Latin, Mt. St. Joe, Gilman, and St. Mary's.

Each team in the red division will play each other twice; the same will go for the black division. This new set-up allows for extra conference games to be played, causing a decrease in out of conference, meaningless games.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Ravens signed WR Donte' Stallworth on Wednesday in what might be a "cop-out" regarding the wideout position. Stallworth joins the Ravens after spending time with the Saints, Patriots, Eagles, and Browns.

The wideout, who was sentenced to 24 days in jail after killing a man while driving drunk, was released by the Browns earlier in the offseason. Stallworth was reinstated to the NFL after serving a season-long suspension in 2009.

I smell something fishy.

Unfortunately, after looking closely at Stallworth's numbers, one will realize he is no better than Mark Clayton. Therefore, if he is inserted into the Ravens' offensive system, his production should be little or none.

Here's what I'm afraid of: Stallworth as a "Cop-Out"

Last offseason, the Ravens harped on the fact that Demetrius Williams was going to develop to be a huge downfield weapon for Joe Flacco. That was "Cop-Out 2009".

Let's hope Stallworth is not "Cop-Out 2010".

If the Ravens do not draft or sign a wideout to compliment Stallworth and Derrick Mason (if Mason is re-signed), this team will be in serious trouble.

The NFL Network's Jason La Canfora agreed in an article earlier this week on NFL.com: "The Ravens have to address the receiver situation and general manager Ozzie Newsome will. If quarterback Joe Flacco can improve decision-making in the red zone and fourth quarter just a bit, this could be Super Bowl team."

Stallworth is certainly not a move to "address" the receiver situation. This move will only look good if the Ravens choose to actually sign/trade for a big-play wideout. Then, Stallworth will be a worthy third receiver.

In addition, who else finds it puzzling that the Ravens are willing to sign someone who killed a person rather than trading for Brandon Marshall, who has had just about all the charges against him dropped? Don't get me wrong--Marshall's not a good guy. However, Stallworth? Really?

General Manager Ozzie Newsome on Stallworth:

“We’ve given a lot of thought to this and we’ve done extensive research into Donte’ beyond football. He made a huge mistake. There’s no doubt about that. He has paid a significant price for that and, as he has said, he carries a heavy weight. As Steve (Bisciotti) has said, we believe in second chances, and Donte’ does deserve that.

“But, we’ve signed him because we want to get better, and we think he has a chance to help us. We worked him out and it’s obvious he is working hard to be effective. We thought it was important to sign him now, because other teams were pursuing him and we want him in our offseason program, which starts next month.”

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

After listening to Rob Long's interview with the Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy on Tuesday morning, I think we all got a reality check. Reedy, along with more than forty other journalists, is a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter.

The voting for the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, has become almost all about politics. Reedy chatted about how certain players fall on different years and about how getting inducted in your first year of eligibility has some type of clout.

He said that Bills Owner Ralph Wilson was only inducted in 2009 because it was the 50th Anniversary of the AFL, also stating that he did not think former Ravens Owner Art Modell would be inducted unless there is some type of exception.

Therein lies the problem: folks are being inducted solely because of special occasions, not because of accomplishments.

If the current members of the HOF were the voters, would there really be that much consideration for special occasions? Or Favors? Or hometown allegiances?

I doubt it.

Politics should be left in DC. It should not be part of the discussion on a sports talk show when deserving athletes like Shannon Sharpe, Tim Brown, Cris Carter, and Andre Reed are denied entrance to Canton in favor of Floyd Little, whose numbers have not changed in the 29 years since he was first eligible. Let it be noted: no disrespect to Mr. Little, the seventh leading rusher in NFL history.

When one is inducted in his first year of eligibility, it should not be equated to some "God-Like" status. If Little was inducted at the right time, instead of being held back for 29 years, maybe I would feel a little better about him getting in.

That's why the National Football League needs to take action to change the politicking that goes into voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Baltimore Ravens have always prided themselves on drafting the "best player on the board". Therefore, will they take former University of Florida QB Tim Tebow with the No. 25 pick?

Wide receiver is obviously the Ravens' top need, but the NFL will be more than a month into free agency by the time of the draft. There's certainly a possibility they will have already filled that need by draft day.

Tebow would not be drafted by the Ravens as a quarterback; it is more likely he would be an "H-Back" for the team. In effect, that would make him a combination of a tight end and a fullback.

Here's why Tebow is a possibility: Cam Cameron.

Cameron is one of the most inventive offensive minds in the National Football League: he can really put together a creative way to use Tim Tebow. The Ravens often use Chris Chester as an additional tight end, and it is likely that Tebow would take Chester's place in that set-up. He would also be effective in various wildcat set-ups due to his size and his experience as a top-flight college quarterback.

Regardless of your opinion of Tebow, he's an athlete and a weapon. If you're an NFL team, any additional weaponry is welcome.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

SI.com's Peter King started the offseason off with a theory: "If I'm the Ravens, I pounce on Donte' Stallworth with a totally incentive-laden contract. It's just what they need (a veteran receiver who still has a chance to be good) at low guaranteed money. And it's just what he needs -- a blank canvas. A chance."

The wideout, who was sentenced to 24 days in jail after killing a man while driving drunk, was released by the Cleveland Browns on Monday. The Browns wasted no time, as Stallworth was reinstated to the NFL on Monday after serving a season-long suspension.

King's comments will start a much-needed debate: Is Stallworth a "Harbaugh Guy"? Was that jail sentence not long enough? Should he have been allowed back into the league?

Personally, it would make more sense for the Ravens to "pounce" on Brandon Marshall than to make a move for Donte' Stallworth. He may have potential, but he's got a seedy past and he's no Plaxico Burress.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, former Browns and Ravens executive Phil Savage has been hired by the Philadelphia Eagles as a consultant for April's NFL Draft.

His title will be "Player Personnel Consultant". Savage was fired by the Browns at the end of the 2008 season.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Ravens Defensive Backs Coach Mark Carrier is leaving Baltimore to become the new defensive line coach for the New York Jets. Carrier was retained from Brian Billick's coaching staff.

He now heads to New York to work with his old boss in Baltimore, Rex Ryan. According to "The Baltimore Sun", Carrier believes this position allows him to take a step towards becoming a defensive coordinator in the league.

The former Bear, Lion, and Redskin spent eleven years in the National Football League as a safety, making three Pro Bowls.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that Former Oriole Melvin Mora has reached a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Colorado Rockies.

Mora, 38, spent about 9.5 seasons with the Orioles. He will fill what Rosenthal refers to as a "super-utility role". The last time he was in the National League was in 2000, when he played with the New York Mets before being traded at the deadline.

A career .278 hitter, he is coming off one of his worst seasons, which included poor base-running and a feud with the manager.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Aaron Wilson of "The Carroll County Times", who spoke to Derrick Mason's agent at the Senior Bowl, says "the two-time Pro Bowl selection is expected to try to work something out to remain in Baltimore."

Lamont Smith, Mason's representative, told Wilson that he expects to meet with Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome in the near future.

This meeting likely puts to rest the idea that Derrick Mason will retire; however, as everyone saw last summer, the wide receiver has a tendency to second-guess his decisions. In addition, his wavering on retirement showed just days after the Ravens' postseason loss to the Colts. He said "I'm done," in a press conference, then reversed that statement later in the same presser, saying he was "60-40" to retire.

Mason, who just turned 36, will likely be a number two or three receiver if he returns to Baltimore for the 2010 season.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Baltimore Ravens have hired former Washington Redskins head coach, Jim Zorn, 56, as their new quarterbacks coach.

Zorn replaces Hue Jackson, who announced earlier this week that he was leaving the Ravens to become the offensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders.

"Jim played successfully in the league for a long time," said Ravens coach John Harbaugh. "He knows what quarterbacks go through in this league. He has been a quarterbacks coach, a head coach and he is familiar with our offense. That's a great resume.

"I've gotten to know Jim for the last couple of years, and have been impressed with him as a person. He's a good, decent man and will be an excellent addition to the Ravens. This is an exciting addition to our staff."

He played in the league from 1976-1987 and has served in the role of QB coach with both the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks. Despite his failure with the Redskins, Zorn was instrumental in the development of QBs Charlie Batch and Matt Hasselbeck. Under his tutelage, Batch earned the fourth-highest rookie passer rating in NFL history.

Hasselbeck set a Seahawks record with 3,841 passing yards in 2003 and joined Zorn as the only Seattle quarterback to pass for 3,000-plus yards in three straight seasons. He also obtained the franchise record for most yards in a single season (3,966) in 2007.

Since Zorn's departure from Seattle after the 2007 season, Hasselbeck's success has been limited--to say the least.

Sources: BaltimoreRavens.com, Wikipedia.org

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

It’s the battle of the titans. Drew Brees, the best quarterback of the NFC, will face off against Peyton Mannning, the cream of the AFC.

What could make for a better Super Bowl?

Let’s take a look at the statistics.

Brees: 363/514, 70.6%, 4388 yards, 34 TD, 11 INT, 12.1 yards/completion, 55-51 career record

Manning: 393/571, 68.8%, 4500 yards, 33 TD, 16 INT, 11.5 yards/completion, 117-59 career record

The numbers from 2009 favor Mr. Brees, however, Manning’s career record stands out. He is 117-59 since he started in the National Football League, likely the best record among active quarterbacks.

Brees, meanwhile, is over .500 for his career, but has had his struggles. He does not consistently win.

The difference between the two quarterbacks is that Manning single handedly powers his team to a winning season every year, while Brees does not have that capability. This makes the Super Bowl match-up very intriguing.

Will Manning put his extremely talented team on his back and propel them to victory? Or will Brees, relying on his teammates, win his first championship?

The Saints have a serious problem. Their poor defense was exposed in the match-up against the Vikings last week, and Peyton Manning has already been established as “all-powerful”.

Unfortunately for New Orleans, regardless of how well their defense plays, Manning will pick them apart. Therefore, Drew Brees will have to play a perfect game for them to be successful.

That won't be easy.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

New Raiders Offensive Coordinator Hue Jackson, 44, did wonders for Joe Flacco and the Ravens. However, he is not putting himself in a position to succeed.

Jackson was offered the opportunity to interview with the Chicago Bears, where he would have worked with Jay Cutler. Cutler, however, has gotten a bad rap recently in the National Football League.

It is obvious that Jackson wants a challenge (Jamarcus Russell), but if he had stayed with the Ravens, he would have been one of the leading candidates for Cam Cameron’s position if he were to leave.

He is entering a situation in which the owner tries to control every aspect of the organization, including the coaching staff. However, Jackson has plenty of experience with bad circumstances.

He called the plays for Steve Spurrier with the Redskins in 2003, worked with Chad Ochocinco and the Bengals’ wide receiving corps from 2004-2006, and was the offensive coordinator for Bobby Petrino’s Falcons in 2007.

“It’s going to be hard to leave here,” Jackson told BaltimoreRavens.com. “I have nothing but great memories. Two playoff appearances, playing in the AFC Championship game and developing a young quarterback. Knowing what Joe [Flacco] is going to become is one of the hard parts about it."

“But the challenge with going to the Oakland Raiders and helping them become what they want to become is exciting. That’s what you look for. I want to run to the challenge.”

The problem for Jackson is he has not really ever succeeded in a challenging situation before. The Redskins failed. The Bengals lost. Petrino resigned in the middle of the season.

Why would you “run” from a good situation to the disastrous “Black Hole”?

Will he really be able to make Russell better? Can he utilize the Raiders’ young weapons (Darrius Heyward-Bey, Darren McFadden, and Louis Murphy)?

Those will be among the questions as Jackson heads into his first year with Oakland’s organization. He will be under a lot of pressure, from both Tom Cable and Al Davis, to rejuvenate the Raiders’ offense. Cable’s job will be on the line, and Davis does not want to lose any longer.

Have fun in Oakland, Hue!

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that only hours after losing QB Coach Hue Jackson to the Oakland Raiders, the Baltimore Ravens have candidates for his position.

Al Saunders and Jim Zorn will be interviewed for QB Coach. Saunders has been an offensive coordinator for the Chiefs and the Rams in the past. He was also a head coach for the San Diego Chargers. Zorn was just fired from his head coaching position by the Washington Redskins, but had previous success as a QB Coach with the Seattle Seahawks.

Saunders worked for the Ravens last year with the title "Offensive Consultant". Many believed that either he or Jackson would be the logical successor to Cam Cameron if he were to leave for a head coaching position. However, if Zorn enters the mix, he would also be a top candidate for Cameron's job in the future.

Meanwhile, the Ravens made their hiring of former Patriots Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees official. "I've know Dean for 27 years, and he's our type of coach -- energetic, hard-working and innovative," Harbaugh said in a release. "He has worked with all three levels of defense -- defensive line, linebackers and secondary. His experience and wealth of knowledge speak for themselves. Dean has also earned respect from his players and fellow coaches because he has been a coordinator. He'll help our linebackers complement the guys up front and in the back end. He'll fit in with us well, and we're excited to get him."

The linebackers coach in 2009, Vic Fangio, "is no longer with the team." The organization said, "He should have an announcement about his future in football soon."

"It's a privilege and an honor to be a part of an organization like the Ravens," Pees said. "I'm very anxious and excited for the opportunity to work with Coach Harbaugh and also [defensive coordinator] Greg Mattison, with whom I have coached. I think this is a tremendous opportunity and something that my family and I are very excited about. I can't wait to get to work."

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

ESPN's Michael Smith reports that Ravens QB Coach Hue Jackson will become the offensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders.

Before this report, there was speculation that Jackson would interview for the OC job with the Chicago Bears, but that will not happen now. He has decided to head out west to attempt to rebuild the career of former number one draft pick, Jamarcus Russell.

In addition to working with Joe Flacco, Jackson oversaw the development of Carson Palmer at the University of Southern California.

Jackson's Statement from Ravens24x7.com:

"After much consideration I have decided to accept a position as Offensive Coordinator with the Oakland Raiders. I will miss the fans here and I thank them for all the encouragement and support they have shown me while I called Baltimore my home. I'd like to extend my deepest gratitude to Steve Bisciotti, Ozzie Newsome, Dick Cass and especially Coach John Harbaugh who brought me to Baltimore. Baltimore will always hold a special place in my heart and I'm especially thankful for the opportunities I've had to work with a world class organization, a top notch coaching staff and some of the best talent in the league."

Oakland Head Coach Tom Cable remains in limbo, but it appears the Raiders are building a staff for him.

Developing...

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Baltimore Ravens have hired former New England Patriots Defensive Coordinator, Dean Pees, to be the team's new linebackers coach.

Pees, 60, served the as defensive coordinator for the Pats during their one loss season in 2007. He departed New England earlier this offseason, seemingly on his own accord:

"My contract with the New England Patriots will expire in a couple of weeks and I have informed Mr. Kraft and Coach Belichick that I will not seek to renew it. I enjoyed my time in New England, but feel this is the right time to pursue other opportunities. I had the privilege of working with some great coaches and great players over the past six seasons and leave the Patriots with some wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. In addition to the players and coaching staff, I want to thank the Kraft family, the media and the fans for all of their support."

The current linebackers coach for the Ravens, Vic Fangio, is in limbo. His status is "unknown".

Source: ProFootballTalk.com

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

[AKON]
Im steady tryna find a motive,
Why do what i do?,
Freedom aint gettin no closer,
No matter how far i go,
My car is stolen, no registration,
Cops patrolin, and now they done stop me,
And i get locked up,

[Chorus]
They won't let me out, they won't let me out, (im locked up)
They won't let me out no, they wont let me out, (im locked up)
They won't let me out, they won't let me out, (im locked up)
They won't let me out no, they won't let me out

As the Ravens search for a new wide receiver this offseason, they will have to weed through some bad seeds.

Chargers Restricted Free Agent, Vincent Jackson, 27, has a DUI arrest and was cited just prior to his team’s divisional round game last week for driving with a suspended license.

However, the receiver that will get the most press will be the Broncos’ Restricted Free Agent, Brandon Marshall, 25. This is the guy many fans want to see in Baltimore. However, will the Ravens really take a chance on someone who has a list of legal troubles longer than most in the National Football League?

That is not what John Harbaugh is about. General Manager Ozzie Newsome will stay consistent with his head coach’s program, so Marshall will not be coming to Baltimore unless the team gets desperate.

In case anyone forgot, here’s a list of Marshall’s troubles (via Wikipedia.org)

According to Orlando-Orange County public records (case 48-2004-MM-012392-O), on Halloween 2004, while a student at UCF, Marshall was arrested in Orlando on charges of assault on a law enforcement officer, refusal to obey, disorderly conduct and resisting an officer.

On January 1, 2007, Marshall was present at "The Shelter," a nightclub in Denver, Colorado, along with teammates Javon Walker and Darrent Williams. The trio was attending a birthday party held for and by Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin. As the players were leaving the club in a limousine, Williams was fatally shot in the neck after an unknown assailant opened fire on the vehicle. Willie Clark was later charged with the murder. Walker has stated in interviews that the shooter was likely a nightclub patron whose motive was retaliation after being involved in an altercation with Marshall's cousin earlier that night.

On March 26, 2007, Marshall was arrested in the Highlands Ranch suburb of Denver on suspicion of domestic violence after his girlfriend reported that following a domestic dispute, Marshall prevented a taxi she was in from leaving his house. Charges from the incident were later dismissed on May 25, 2007, after Marshall completed anger management counseling.

In the early morning of October 22, 2007, Marshall was arrested in the Denver-Aurora metropolitan area at the intersection of 14th and Blake St. for driving under the influence of alcohol. A trial was scheduled for September 16, but Marshall instead agreed to a plea bargain four days earlier; he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of driving while ability impaired. He was sentenced to one-year probation and 24 hours of community service.

On June 12, 2008, Marshall was ticketed for an illegal lane change, then found to be without his license and proof of insurance. The case was eventually dropped as part of a plea bargain for the October 22, 2007 driving incident involving alcohol.

According to an article published in the Rocky Mountain News on July 28, 2008, Douglas County deputies fielded "about 11" calls to Marshall's home since January 2006. The article stated that one call resulted in Marshall being arrested (the March 26, 2007 domestic dispute), and some did not involve him at all.

A September 17, 2008 article on CompleteColorado.com stated that the solicitor's office in Fulton County, Georgia filed misdemeanor battery charges on September 10 for an alleged incident on March 4, 2008, in Atlanta, Georgia. Marshall was booked on March 6, then released the next day after posting a $1,000 cash bond. The case was assigned to Judge John Mather in Georgia state court. On August 14, 2009, a jury in Atlanta found Marshall not guilty.

On March 1, 2009, Marshall was arrested in Atlanta for disorderly conduct after allegedly being involved in a fight with his fiancee, Michi Nogami-Campbell. Marshall was released on a $300 bond. The charges were dropped the following day.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The $70 million lawsuit against Ravens LB Terrell Suggs has been dismissed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Candace Williams, the woman who filed the suit, is the mother of both of Suggs' two children.

The lawsuit cannot be filed again.

Here's the summary of events from Mr. Schefter: "Last month, Williams accused Suggs of hitting her in the chest, pushing her to the floor and sitting on her while holding her neck with one hand and a bottle of bleach with the other, according to court documents.

Williams alleged in the documents that Suggs threatened to drown her with the bleach and that some of it splashed on her and their toddler son. The alleged scuffle began with an argument over tickets to the Ravens' Nov. 29 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers."

Source: ESPN.com
Photo: BaltimoreSun.com

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Get out of Dallas.

Being hired in that city automatically guarantees a lot of exposure—too much exposure, in fact. Not only that, the most controlling owner in the league is breathing down your neck.

Wade Phillips never won a playoff game in his entire head coaching career before this season. This statistic was one of the best known in the NFL due to the Cowboys' status as one of the most prominent franchises in sports.

His poor luck in the playoffs would have had very little coverage if it were with any other team. However, in Dallas, Phillips is constantly under the microscope. When one coaches the Cowboys, the pressure is sky high.

Every single year, he is on the hot seat, regardless of the team’s record. If Tony Romo had played poorly and the Cowboys had lost against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wildcard Round, Phillips would have been out.

In January 2008, Jason Garrett was essentially named Phillips’ successor. The only problem was Phillips was still the head coach and had no plans to retire.

He has had a successful career as a defensive coordinator in the past. Many would be willing to hire him in that position or even as a head coach if he left Dallas. Baltimore’s Keion Carpenter even refers to him as the greatest coach he had in the National Football League.

Despite receiving another year with the ‘Boys, he remains a lame duck.

Would you want a job in which you’re constantly looking over your shoulder?

Not me.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Everyday I walk through the halls of my high school and overhear conversations about the Orioles. However, none of them are positive.

First of all, Major League Baseball has done a poor job of retaining the young fan base. Their marketing is not nearly as good as the National Football League, which is regularly followed by people of all ages.

Baseball is not. It has become known as one of the world’s “slowest”, more “boring” sports, and it is not valued for its true greatness.

This is just my opinion, being around the 90’s generation in Baltimore. I feel like the Orioles have fueled the demise of baseball in this area through their horrific efforts year after year.

This has caused them to lose an entire generation of fans.

Most baseball fans I know actually play the sport. Those that don’t are more focused on other things.

During football season, kids are always yapping about whom to start for their fantasy football teams, while Opening Day has become an afterthought. I probably should not even go as far as saying kids even know when Opening Day is.

It’s unfortunate that baseball in this area has gotten to that point.

It’s even more unfortunate that the Orioles are likely heading into their thirteenth straight losing season.

Andy MacPhail seems to pride himself on being conservative in the offseason process. There’s no reason not to trust the direction he is taking the Baltimore Orioles, given his track record.

However, here’s my message to the GM: It’s time to re-energize the fan base. There’s no more time to wait. Mr. MacPhail: PLEASE MAKE A MOVE.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Baltimore Ravens fired Brian Billick, 55, on December 31, 2007. Since then, he has not been seen on any NFL sideline.

Just in the broadcast booth.

On Wednesday, he was quoted essentially “self-promoting”. He seemed to have been shocked that the Buffalo Bills never spoke to him about their head coaching vacancy.

The Bills franchise hired former Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Chan Gailey earlier this week.

"They've made a good choice in Chan Gailey," Billick told WGRZ of Buffalo. "I really don't want to comment on what was, or what was not discussed, or who I talked to, or if I talked to it. They went about their process. They came up with Chan Gailey. It'll be interesting to see how it goes."

"Chan Gailey is a good coach. I think he's done a nice job. I don't think I need to get drawn into that."

Then the interview was over.

However, Billick, seemingly frustrated, called the television station back.

"I just wanted to make sure I was clear that he (Nix) had not called," Billick said. "Why he had not called a coach with a Super Bowl ring, 10 wins a year for nine years, having orchestrated the highest-scoring offense and defense in the history of the league, is a question worth asking. But I never spoke with Mr. Nix."

To me, this seems like desperation. Despite his success on television, working with both FOX and NFL Network, it is clear that the former Ravens coach wants back on the sideline.

As they say: “Once a coach, always a coach!”

He may have wanted to play around as an analyst, but the appeal of it seems to have worn off.

It is hard to believe that Billick will ever coach again following the debacle in Buffalo. If they chose to hire Chan Gailey, a coach who has continually failed in both college and in the NFL, it is clear that Brian Billick does not have a good reputation in the league.

It is not good news that Billick was grouped with Marty Schottenheimer in the pool of coaches that were not even contacted by Buffalo (even though they both wanted the job).

They may be a disastrous franchise, but it is puzzling that the Bills would choose against contacting a Super Bowl winning coach that is on the market.

Why?

There are definitely rumors that float between different organizations in the league. Did Billick stop working after his extension? Is he too self-absorbed to guide a team?

Until he is hired again, all one can do is speculate.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Oakland Raiders have requested and received permission to interview Ravens Quarterbacks Coach Hue Jackson. Jackson, 44, was previously an offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007.

The Raiders are interviewing Jackson for an "unspecified position".

ProFootballTalk.com speculates that the position could be either head coach or offensive coordinator: "If the "unspecified position" is head coach, the Ravens had no ability to block the request. If the "unspecified position" is anything less than that, the Ravens could have said "no." It's also possible that the Raiders are ostensibly interviewing Jackson for head coach while as a practical matter eyeballing him for offensive coordinator. (It's believed that the Raiders did that at least once before, with former Bucs defensive line coach Rod Marinelli.)"

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Is John Harbaugh winning with Brian Billick’s leftovers?

No way.

Did Billick win with Marvin Lewis’ defense?

Harbaugh is a great coach and he is not given enough credit for his role in taking the Ravens to the playoffs two years in a row. Not only did he go to the postseason in each his first two years, but, in addition, his team advanced at least one round both times.

When the season ended on Saturday, exactly 51% of the Ravens roster played for Billick. Exactly 32% of the roster played for him for more than one season.

The 49% that did not play for Billick includes Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Michael Oher, Matt Birk, Dannell Ellerbe, Domonique Foxworth, Lardarius Webb, Tom Zbikowski, and Fabian Washington.

It is absolutely ludicrous to say that John Harbaugh is playing with Billick’s team. In case you forgot, Billick spent his last six years as head coach without winning a playoff game. Just three players remain from the team in which he got his last playoff victory.

He may have won Super Bowl 35. However, he only won one playoff game after that.

Meanwhile, Harbaugh puts his team in a position to get into the postseason and win games. The man has his flaws, but any criticism towards him is rather unfounded at this point.

If the team goes 5-11 next year and continues their ways with terrible mistakes, then he will deserve what he gets.

Right now, fans should focus on the off-season and what is realistic regarding acquisitions and departures from the Purple and Black.

Here are two things that will not be happening:

1) The Firing of John Harbaugh
2) The Departure of Joe Flacco

Here's how the off-season will probably go down:

1) Departure of Mark Clayton (UFA), Demetrius Williams (UFA), Fabian Washington (UFA), and Trevor Pryce (retirement)
2) The Avoidance of the Departure of Willis McGahee
3) The re-signing of Dawan Landry, Sam Koch, and other key UFA’s
4) Signing/Trading for a Wide Receiver (Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd, Anquan Boldin, Miles Austin)
5) Signing/Drafting a Cornerback
6) Improvement of the Pass Rush

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The receivers. The receivers. The receivers.

Was it the Ravens’ downfall in 2009?

Not really. However, it seriously impacted their ability to compete in the playoffs. Last night, Joe Flacco’s offense could not put together a decent drive after their first one. It was an unfortunate performance, especially in such a big game.

However, when Ray Rice is covered, the quarterback simply has no one to throw to. Players may be “open” down field, but are the plays even designed to go the receivers? Or are they mostly designed to avoid mistakes?

In order for Joe Flacco to throw thirty touchdown passes next season, the Ravens need some wide receivers.

It’s likely that Derrick Mason will retire. "I got some months to think about it," Mason said. "I’m not in a rush. If I decide to play, obviously this would be a place that I’ll come back to. All the pieces are in place. But I have to think about my two little ones [children]."

Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams, and Kelley Washington are all free agents, so I say: “Drop ‘Em All!”

Why not get a fresh start?

Meanwhile, Jared Gaither is a restricted free agent. He was constantly injured throughout the season and Michael Oher has proved that he is this franchise’s left tackle of the future. I say: “Cut ‘Em!”

Tight End Todd Heap has become a very effective blocking tight end for the Ravens. However, he is constantly beat up. Despite the amount of games he has played this season, he just is not the old Heap, so I say: “Cut ‘Em!”

Trade Troy Smith. He’s an unnecessary distraction. Get a nice draft pick for him.

Ravens Free Agents: Chris Chester, G; Mark Clayton, WR; Billy Cundiff, K; Sam Koch, P; Dawan Landry, S; Tony Moll, T; Quinn Sypniewski, TE; Adam Terry, T; Fabian Washington, CB; Demetrius Williams, WR.

ARIZONA CARDINALS: Hamza Abdullah, S; Justin Green, FB; Deuce Lutui, G; Mike Nugent, K; Jerheme Urban, WR; Gabe Watson, DT.

ATLANTA FALCONS: Tyson Clabo, T; Harvey Dahl, G; Jamaal Fudge, S; Michael Koenen, P; Jerious Norwood, RB; Quinn Ojinnaka, G; Charlie Peprah, S.

BUFFALO BILLS: Keith Ellison, LB; Gibran Hamdan, QB; Richie Incognito, G; Joe Klopfenstein, TE; George Wilson, S; Ashton Youboty, CB.

CAROLINA PANTHERS: James Anderson, LB; Thomas Davis, LB; Jeff King, TE; Richard Marshall, CB; Rob Petitti, T.

CHICAGO BEARS: Mark Anderson, DE; Josh Bullocks, S; Dusty Dvoracek, DT; Danieal Manning, S; Jamar Williams, LB.

CINCINNATI BENGALS: Abdul Hodge, LB; Rashad Jeanty, LB; Brandon Johnson, LB; Evan Mathis, G; Frostee Rucker, DE.

CLEVELAND BROWNS: Abram Elam, S; Arnold Harrison, LB; Jerome Harrison, RB; D'Qwell Jackson, LB; Brodney Pool, S; Matt Roth, LB; Lawrence Vickers, FB.

DALLAS COWBOYS: Miles Austin, WR; Stephen Bowen, DE; Cletis Gordon, CB; Jason Hatcher, DE; Sam Hurd, WR; Pat McQuistan, T; Duke Preston, C; Cory Procter, G; Gerald Sensabaugh, S; Marcus Spears, DE; Pat Watkins, S; Shaun Suisham, K.

DENVER BRONCOS: Elvis Dumervil, LB; Chris Kuper, G; Brandon Marshall, WR; Kyle Orton, QB; Tony Scheffler, TE; Le Kevin Smith, DE.

DETROIT LIONS: Daniel Bullocks, S; Dylan Gandy, c; Jason Hunter, DE; Adam Jennings, WR; Daniel Loper, G; Ko Simpson, S; Cody Spencer, LB.

GREEN BAY PACKERS: Atari Bigby, S; Will Blackmon, CB; Daryn Colledge, G; Nick Collins, S; Johnny Jolly, DE; John Kuhn, FB; Derrick Martin, S; Jason Spitz, C.

HOUSTON TEXANS: John Busing, S; Rashad Butler, T; Owen Daniels, TE; Ryan Moats, RB; Bernard Pollard, S; DeMeco Ryans, LB; Chris White, C.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Hank Baskett, WR; Antoine Bethea, S; Aaron Francisco, S; Tyjuan Hagler, LB; Marlin Jackson, CB; Tim Jennings, CB; Charlie Johnson, T; Freddy Keiaho, LB; T.J. Rushing, CB.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: Clint Ingram, LB; Montavious Stanley, DT; Troy Williamson, WR.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Brodie Croyle, QB; Derrick Johnson, LB; Corey Mays, LB; Rudy Niswanger, C; Ryan O'Callaghan, T; Jarrad Page, S.

MIAMI DOLPHINS: Ronnie Brown, RB; Anthony Fasano, TE.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Ryan Cook, T; Ray Edwards, DE; Fred Evans, DT; Tarvaris Jackson, QB; Karl Paymah, CB; Naufahu Tahi, FB.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Stephen Gostkowski, K; Logan Mankins, G; Pierre Woods, LB.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Mike Bell, RB; Jammal Brown, T; Jahri Evans, G; Tony Hargrove, DT; Roman Harper, S; Herana-Daze Jones, S; Lance Moore, WR; Courtney Roby, WR; Zach Strief, T; David Thomas, TE; Leigh Torrence, CB.

NEW YORK GIANTS: Chase Blackburn, LB; Kevin Boothe, G; C.C. Brown, S; Barry Cofield, DT; Kevin Dockery, CB; Derek Hagan, WR; Sinorice Moss, WR; Guy Whimper, T; Gerris Wilkinson, LB.

NEW YORK JETS: Kellen Clemens, QB; Drew Coleman, CB; Braylon Edwards, WR; Howard Green, DT; Wayne Hunter, T; Brad Smith, WR; Eric Smith, S; Leon Washington, RB.

OAKLAND RAIDERS: Jon Alston, LB; Khalif Barnes, T; Ricky Brown, LB; Charlie Frye, QB; Thomas Howard, LB; Kirk Morrison, LB; Stanford Routt, CB.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Jason Avant, WR; Nick Cole, C; Omar Gaither, LB; Chris Gocong, LB; Ellis Hobbs, CB; Max Jean-Gilles, G; Alex Smith, TE; Leonard Weaver, FB.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS: Willie Colon, T.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: Tim Dobbins, LB; Malcom Floyd, WR; Antonio Garay, DT; Eric Ghiaciuc, C; Marques Harris, LB; Vincent Jackson, WR; Travis Johnson, DE; Marcus McNeill, T; Shawne Merriman, LB; Darren Sproles, RB; Charlie Whitehurst, QB.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: David Baas, G; Ahmad Brooks, LB; Marcus Hudson, CB.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: Lance Laury, LB; Jon Ryan, P; Rob Sims, G; Chris Spencer, C; Darryl Tapp, DE.

ST. LOUIS RAMS: Victor Adeyanju, DE; Oshiomogho Atogwe, S; Alex Barron, T; Sam Gado, RB; Gary Gibson, DT; Ruvell Martin, WR; Mark Setterstrom, G.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Mark Bradley, WR; Brian Clark, WR; Matt McCoy, LB; Donald Penn, T; Barrett Ruud, LB; Maurice Stovall, WR; Jeremy Trueblood, T; Carnell Williams, RB; Rod Wilson, LB.

TENNESSEE TITANS: Dave Ball, DE; Tony Brown, DT; Bo Scaife, TE; Stephen Tulloch, LB; Kevin Vickerson, DT; LenDale White, RB.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS: Jason Campbell, QB; Reed Doughty, S; Kedric Golston, DT; Rocky McIntosh, LB; Anthony Montgomery, DT; Will Montgomery, C; Carlos Rogers, CB.

Source: NFL.com

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Oakland Raiders should retain head coach Tom Cable. The team has not enjoyed a winning season since 2002 under Bill Callahan. If owner Al Davis wants to get his team back on track, there is a need for stability.

It is my belief that the players in Oakland want to play for Tom Cable. They certainly put forth their best effort in 2009, beating the Bengals, Steelers, Broncos, and Eagles.

Al Davis still has not supplied his head coach with the talent needed to win. Coaches can’t coach teams with minimal talent. There’s only so far they can go.

Cable went 5-11 in 2009 with the Raiders, and is 9-18 career. However, he seems to have an important gift: getting his players “up” for games that are more or less meaningless.

If he is given another year and some more talent (not including Jamarcus Russell and Darrius Heyward-Bey), there is a strong likelihood Oakland could win eight or nine games.

If he is fired and Davis goes for someone like Steve Mariucci, the Raiders will continue down the same path of destruction.

It's the difference between winning and losing. KEEP TOM CABLE.

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

As a head coach in the National Football League, John Harbaugh will always have his haters. However, after this season, which was full of emotionally crushing losses and disappointments, he was STILL able to get his team ready to be menacing in the postseason.

This speaks quite a lot to his talent in the motivation department. It should be extremely hard for a team to come back from multiple regular season losses that resulted from stupid mistakes. In spite of their adversity, Harbaugh’s Ravens kept plugging away in their journey toward the playoffs.

In the CBS broadcast on Sunday, Jim Nantz continued to refer to Harbaugh’s message to the team throughout last week: that they are much better than their regular season record. The NFL is all about confidence and toughness. In each of Harbaugh’s two seasons with the Ravens franchise, his teams have shown each of those characteristics.

To say he has had his miscues this season would be a major understatement. Regardless, the purple and black are now in the divisional round of the playoffs. Harbaugh and the Ravens’ coaching staff way out-coached the greatest coach of the last decade.

He has won more playoff games in his first two years than Brian Billick did in his final seven years as Ravens head coach.

Harbaugh's a great playoff coach.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Is Mike Holmgren out of his mind?

Several times this week, Browns WR Josh Cribbs has said that he believes his time in Cleveland is over. "I said good-bye to some people on the medical staff, some of the equipment guys and the coaches,'' Cribbs told the "Cleveland Plain Dealer" Thursday. "I wished the coaches luck and told them I hoped they kept their job. But it absolutely felt like the last time I'd be setting foot inside the building. I feel like it's over for me in Cleveland.''

"There's no way I'll play another down for the Browns without the new contract,'' he said. "They won't let me sit, because I have value. They'd be forced to trade me.'' New Exec Mike Holmgren reportedly offered Cribbs $1.4 million a year for his new contract.

If the Browns already forgot, Cribbs did not just return kicks and punts this season. In addition to catching 20 passes, he was a key part of the team's wildcat, running the ball 55 times for 381 yards.

He'll be heading to Miami for the Pro Bowl...possibly for the last time as a Brown.

"I'm not just insulted by the number, but by the fact they consider me just a kick returner," Cribbs said. "I'm so much more than that...I'm shocked they make me an offer like that after all I've done for this team."

If you're the Browns, you have to lock this guy up. He's a huge weapon, especially as the team begins to improve. However, Holmgren has clearly decided to go in a different direction. It seems that he believes Cribbs is just a perimeter player.

If anyone watches the playoffs, they would know how important special teams players are....but Cribbs is EVEN MORE than a special teams guy. He is a major threat on offense, and very few players in the NFL are better in the open field.

This is why Cleveland's hiring of Mike Holmgren, a COACH, is still puzzling to me.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Mike Shanahan, 57, was officially hired Wednesday as the new Head Coach and Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Washington Redskins. Previously, Shanahan spent thirteen years with the Denver Broncos organization.

Is this a good hire for Dan Snyder and the Redskins organization?

No way.

If they were to bring in Shanahan JUST as a coach, he'd be a decent hire, as he Is a Super Bowl winner. Any coach that is a Super Bowl winner should be considered at least a "decent" head coach. However, it was a poor decision by the Redskins to lure him in through the title of Executive Vice President of Football Operations. They are undermining new General Manager Bruce Allen. The hiring of Shanahan makes it seem as if Allen was a "temporary figurehead" until the guy Dan Snyder wanted was brought in.

This shows no real shift in the meddling of the Redskins owner.

The move looks like it was an impulse buy. It almost feels as if Snyder said, "He's the biggest name! Let's go get him. Do anything you can to sign him up!"

Unfortunately for the Redskins, Shanahan may have won two Super Bowls with the Broncos, but he has only won one playoff game in the 21st Century. That's a problem.

It reminds one of the Mike Holmgren hiring in Cleveland. He's a big name, but what has he done to warrant all the "hoopla"?

What has he done for anyone lately?

His last Super Bowl victory was in 1998. Both of his championships were won with John Elway at quarterback.

No John Elway=No Super Bowls for Shanahan

In 2008, he led his Broncos to an 8-8 record with a great offense but a completely disastrous defense. A good personnel man would do everything possible to avoid starting a season with that defense.

In the end, it seems the Redskins may be headed down the wrong path again.

Coaches belong on the field. They should not be heading personnel meetings (unless they're a certain someone in New England).

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Baltimore Ravens beat the Oakland Raiders 21-13 on Sunday to head to the playoffs.

They will face the New England Patriots next week in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

RB Willis McGahee rushed for 167 yards, including a huge 77-yard touchdown run, one of his three on the day.

QB Joe Flacco had a light day; throwing for only 102 yards, 40 of which were to the Ravens' resurgent TE Todd Heap.

On defense, the Ravens' secondary seemed to revert back to the beginning of the season, giving up long pass plays to the Raiders. QB Charlie Frye lit up Baltimore's defensive backfield before being injured and pulled from the game.

Despite the recent success of the Ravens' defense, the secondary and the pass rush are still significant concerns. They struggled with throws up the middle and failed to pressure the quarterback on numerous occasions on Sunday.

On special teams, K Billy Cundiff missed two field goals, one of which was from 51 yards. LS Matt Katula is still struggling and is apparently having a continuous issue with tendinitis in his snapping elbow.

Regardless, the game was sealed on a McGahee draw play, a great play call and momentum booster as the Ravens head to New England next week.

The Pats will be hurting: WR Wes Welker is out for the season after reportedly tearing his ACL and MCL, meanwhile, QB Tom Brady is nursing injured ribs and a broken right ring finger.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

ESPN and ProFootballTalk.com report that Ravens safety Ed Reed is expected to play on Sunday vs. the Oakland Raiders.

Neither outlet has any word on other "questionable" Ravens, such as Derrick Mason.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

1B-ALBERT PUJOLS

2B-CHASE UTLEY

SS-DEREK JETER

3B-ALEX RODRIGUEZ

LF-BARRY BONDS

CF-TORII HUNTER

RF-ICHIRO SUZUKI

C-IVAN RODRIGUEZ

STARTERS-ROY HALLADAY, RANDY JOHNSON, JAMIE MOYER, CC SABATHIA, ANDY PETTITE

CLOSER-MARIANO RIVERA

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

Gs-TY LAWSON, JUAN DIXON

C-GREG ODEN

Fs-CARMELO ANTHONY, TYLER HANSBOROUGH

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

QB-TIM TEBOW

RBs-ADRIAN PETERSON, REGGIE BUSH

WRs-LARRY FITZGERALD, CALVIN JOHNSON

TE-KELLEN WINSLOW

Ts-BRYAN MCKINNIE, JAKE LONG

Gs-STEVE HUTCHINSON, ANDRE GURODE

C-GREG ESlLINGER

DEs-JULIUS PEPPERS, DWIGHT FREENEY

DTs-NDAMUKONG SUH, GLEN DORSEY

OLBs-A.J HAWK, E.J. HENDERSON, PATRICK WILLIS, REY MAUALUGA

CBs-TERRENCE NEWMAN, CARLOS ROGERS

S-ERIC BERRY

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

Gs-ALLEN IVERSON, KOBE BRYANT

C-SHAQUILLE O'NEAL

Fs-TIM DUNCAN, KEVIN GARNETT

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

QB-PEYTON MANNING

RBs-LADAINIAN TOMLINSON, PRIEST HOLMES

WRs-TERRELL OWENS, RANDY MOSS

TE-TONY GONZALEZ

Ts-JONATHAN OGDEN, WALTER JONES

Gs-STEVE HUTCHINSON, LARRY ALLEN

C-JEFF SATURDAY

DEs-JASON TAYLOR, MICHAEL STRAHAN

DTs-RICHARD SEYMOUR, WARREN SAPP

OLBs-DERRICK BROOKS, DEMARCUS WARE

MLB-RAY LEWIS

CBs-CHARLES WOODSON, CHAMP BAILEY

Safeties-ED REED, BRIAN DAWKINS

P-SHANE LECHLER

K-ADAM VINATIERI

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Oniel Cousins, 25, is a native Jamaican, a graduate of UTEP, and a second year offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens. He has had to step in recent weeks in light of injuries to tackles Adam Terry and Jared Gaither. The young lineman has been forced under the microscope with his new starting role, so RobLongShow.com decided to take a look at his life and his career in football, starting with his beginnings at Eastside Christian High School in Fullerton, California.

He was a defensive lineman for most of high school; garnering honors such as "team defensive MVP" in his senior year and "All-CIF (California Interscholastic Federation)" in his senior and junior years. He recorded 22 tackles in a single game and finished his senior year with 10 sacks. In addition to playing on the defensive line, he also competed as an offensive lineman and middle linebacker.

In addition, he was an "All CIF" basketball player.

He entered the University of Texas at El Paso as a defensive tackle and red shirted in 2003. He switched to offensive tackle by his second season.

He played in all 12 games his senior year at offensive tackle: the school averaged 422.9 total yards, 33.6 points per game (26th nationally), and had 40 or more points in five games. With Cousins on the O-Line, UTEP's freshman quarterback, Trevor Vittatoe, set school records in passing yards (3,101) and touchdowns thrown (25). Running back Marcus Thomas had seven games with 100-yards rushing.

After being drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft, he got his first chance on the professional level this season. For two weeks, granted against the Lions and Bears, Cousins dominated on the offensive line, gaining more exposure than ever before on the national level. However, on Sunday, he learned a few hard lessons against LaMarr Woodley of the Steelers, as he struggled to protect Ravens QB Joe Flacco.

Cousins even showed his temper, getting flagged for shoving Woodley.

Peter King of "Sports Illustrated" named Cousins his "Goat of the Week" for Week 16:

"He had one of the worst quarters a tackle could have, and it could go a long way toward knocking the Ravens out of the playoffs. Early in the fourth quarter of a 20-20 game in Pittsburgh, the Ravens' right tackle -- playing because left tackle Jared Gaither was out with an injury, forcing normal right tackle Michael Oher to play the blind side -- took the Ravens out of field-goal range with a shove in the back to LaMarr Woodley long after the whistle. Instead of trying a 43-yard field goal for the lead, the Ravens had to punt. On Baltimore's last possession, trailing 23-20, Cousins was beaten for successive sacks by Woodley, again taking Baltimore out of field-goal range. The second sack forced a fumble that was recovered by Ziggy Hood, ending the game."

Obviously, Cousins had a rough day on Sunday. However, the Ravens are still very high on him. "Oniel has a chance to be a regular and effective starter. He's tough, physical, and works hard year round. We can win with him as we showed the last three weeks. He has a bright future," said Ravens offensive line coach John Matsko, a 36-year coaching veteran.

The team has consistently lauded the hard work of Cousins, who spent most of his first year in the league on the bench. Despite his struggles against the Steelers' defenders, Cousins has been showing great promise, and may be living up to his "diamond in the rough" potential coming out of college.

Only time will tell.

Sources: The Baltimore Ravens, UTEP, NFL.com

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

On Loss: “…it was irritating and I think all of us felt that.”

“We played so well. We played too well in so many ways for the outcome to be what it was.”

On why they lost: “It was penalties, and basically, as you put it, missed opportunities.”

On “Choice” Penalties (personal fouls, etc.): “That decision-making has got to be better.”

“I’d be surprised if our team wasn’t ready to play. It’s just going to be a matter of how well we play.”

On the Raiders: they’re “dangerous”.

On team's "motivation" going into Sunday: “We’ve got more at stake. We’ve got an opportunity to make the playoffs. We’ve got an opportunity to get in the tournament. To me, that’s motivation enough.”

On Troy Smith's trade request: “I know from a coach’s perspective, I want Troy Smith here.”

On Frank Walker Penalty: “I’d say it was the right call.”

On offsides penalty at end of the first half half: “We’re better than that.”

On Heap: “He’s become a playmaker in the red zone.”

On Playoffs: "We take care of business against Oakland, we can win the world championship. We're capable of doing it."

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Forget Pittsburgh. That's over.

If they win, they're in. That's all that should matter to the fans at this point.

This is a good football team. They did everything they needed to get the W on Sunday (establish Ray Rice, expose the Steelers' secondary through 2 TD passes, and defend the pass relatively well). However, they lacked the "breaks" necessary to win the game.

This happens in the National Football League, but all that matters is that you get the breaks IN THE PLAYOFFS. Last season, the Arizona Cardinals entered the postseason as a 9-7, inconsistent team.

They went on to nearly win the Super Bowl.

If the Ravens make the playoffs, they will likely face: the Patriots, the Colts, the Bengals, the Chargers, or the Jets. They have played each of those teams during already in 2009. They have either beaten or been extremely competitive with all of them in 2009.

Once they get into the playoffs, anything can happen. Get ready for a ride if some things fall into place.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Joe Flacco has been on the big stage several times before, including last year's playoff race.

However, in the postseason, he's compiled a 50.8 quarterback rating. On Sunday, he'll need to step that up in a big way.

On defense, the Ravens are going to have a difficult time against the Steelers. Roethlisberger will likely throw for 300 yards or more against the depleted Ravens secondary. There is no doubt the Steelers will put up the points.

The looming question, though, for Sunday, is whether or not Joe Flacco can keep up with Big Ben.

If one glances at Flacco's statistics in big games, they probably won't not be too enamored with the Ravens' quarterback. Despite those poor statistics, he certainly has the capability to throw for 300 yards or more on Sunday against the Steelers' poor pass defense.

It's the only way the Ravens can win this week...and it's the only way they can win in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, with many purple receivers banged up, Demetrius Williams will have to continue his hot streak, which began against Detroit.

That goes for Todd Heap as well...

Flacco will need all the help he can get. If he stays upright and makes the throws that are necessary, the Ravens will win.

If the Ravens put up an effort similar to their games against the Bengals or the game against the Steelers earlier in the season, they will lose.

Steelers 24
Ravens 17

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Here we go again.

Brett Favre and the word melodrama are in the same headline again.

The Vikings lost 26-7 to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. "Brad wanted to go in a different direction. And I wanted to stay in the game," Favre told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "It's not 70-6, but we were up 7-6. I said I'm staying in the game. I'm playing."

Ever since Favre made those comments, a lot has been made about the "heated discussion" that he and Vikings Coach Brad Childress had regarding Favre's possible removal from the game.

Childress described their discussion as a "stream of consciousness", a classic academic remark from the Vikings' head coach.

Is this the end of the Vikings' "magical season"?

Spare me the drama! Brett Favre is the only reason this discussion even makes headlines...

Favre's numbers have dropped in the last three games, as he has thrown 3 TDs and 4 INTs. Before this stretch, Favre had thrown 24 TDs and 3 INTs.

Thus begins the deterioration of the 40-year old QB.

In the offseason, he underwent arthroscopic surgery to "complete a tear in his proximal biceps tendon. Because the biceps muscle has two attachments, the muscle remains functional and is often less painful when an injured tendon is cut."

The surgery would be classified as a temporary repair, and it is probably going to start bothering him shortly.

Will he make it through the playoffs physically and emotionally?

Probably not.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

After a day of speculation, which included wild rumors of a return of Chris McAlister, the Ravens appear to be ready to sign Corey Ivy. He is returning to Owings Mills on Tuesday for a physical, according to Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times.

Ivy, 32, will likely come back to the Ravens after shorts stints with the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers this season.

In his press conference Monday afternoon, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh emphasized the team's need to have somebody ready to go on Sunday. This implies that the person they are going to sign would need to have familiarity with the Steelers' and the Ravens' systems.

After playing for and against the Steelers, Ivy is a good option for the Ravens. He spent three years in the Ravens' defensive system, which has changed slightly under Greg Mattison, but not enough to radically change the impact Ivy may have in the secondary.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Ravens CB Lardarius Webb could be out for the season. Coach John Harbaugh said he is "not optimistic" about the leg injury.

Ray Lewis, according to Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times, said that Webb is probably out for the season.

Frank Walker would become the starter at cornerback for the Ravens.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

UPDATE: The Bears landed in Baltimore around 11 PM Saturday.

The Chicago Bears are STILL in Illinois after their flight last night was cancelled. They were planning on leaving one day early to beat the storm, but their plan was thwarted by the early arrival of the winter weather.

It is unlikely they will be able to fly out until Sunday morning, as the storm is going to be at its worst this afternoon, with winds increasing to 30 mph.

--
From the Bears' official site:

The Bears tried to beat the snow in Baltimore, but they got sacked by Mother Nature.

With 10-20 inches of snow expected to fall this weekend, the team moved its flight from Saturday afternoon to Friday night. But the Bears never made it to Baltimore.

They boarded their charter at O'Hare at 10:30 p.m., and then sat on the plane before the flight was canceled at 12:30 a.m. because the snowstorm had arrived earlier than expected. The Bears bused back to Halas Hall, arriving at 1:15 a.m., and will attempt to fly to Baltimore late Saturday.
---

"We won't know until later [Saturday] when we will get out," Bears spokesperson Scott Hagel told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. "They have plans and meetings later this morning to see what the Maryland situation looks like. We're trying to find whatever window we can to get out."

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Injuries of Interest:
Ravens: Mark Clayton (hamstring) and Kelley Washington (ankle)
Bears: Devin Hester (calf) and Charles TIllman (back)

The Ravens are banged up; 10 players did not practice today:
-Matt Birk
-Jarret Johnson
-Ed Reed
-Jared Gaither
-Mark Clayton
-Haloti Ngata
-LJ Smith
-KJ Gerard
-Kelley Washington
-Brandon McKinney.

Note: The Ravens will wear black jerseys for the first time this year on Sunday (white pants).

Source: The Baltimore Sun (Jamison Hensley)

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Terrell Suggs is being sued for $70 million in the aftermath of the restraining order filed against him.

Candace Williams, who claims he struck her on November 3rd and poured bleach on her on November 29th, filed the lawsuit. In addition, she wishes for custody of their two children.

The newest allegations from Williams state that Suggs broke her nose on November 3rd and threatened to kill her.

"I can't talk about all that right now," Suggs said today. "You know I've always been fair. When I can address it, I will. I really have nothing to hide. As bad as I want to talk about it right now, I can't. When I'm able to do it, you guys can ask a million and one questions about it, and I would be glad to answer them for you. Right now, to be safe, I really can't answer any questions about it right now."

Williams is seeking $20 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages.

Developing...

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

After the Ravens' 27-14 loss on Monday night, I was so infuriated that I had trouble falling asleep at 12 AM.

The most horrible portion of the game came in the final three minutes. Nearly every flaw with the Ravens' coaching staff became apparent.

Harbaugh's trouble with managing the clock, along with his inability to control his own sideline (Ed Reed and Jim Harbaugh's sudden "appearance") was displayed for the national television audience

I think John Harbaugh is a great football teacher. However, his honeymoon is going to end sooner than anyone thought. People are becoming fed up with his uninformative, "politically correct" press conferences, in which he takes no accountability for what occurs on the field.

The bottomline: This team is mediocre and its coaching staff (at least for now) is on the same level.

Joe Flacco is clearly injured. Regardless, one cannot make the throw that he made that was intercepted in the end zone. We all thought he learned about "throwing it away" last year...

Domonique Foxworth. Frank Walker. The O-Line.

Awful. Awful. Awful.

The Ravens have to win out to get in the playoffs. I don't even know if they'll be able to beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

The Allegations

-Suggs and his alleged girlfriend had an altercation over game tickets...

-His alleged girlfriend says Suggs threw soap at her, knocked her to the ground, sat on top of her, and grabbed her neck...

-She then alleges that he held a bottle of bleach over her and their son...

-He said, according to the girlfriend, "[expletive], I'ma [sic] drown you with this bleach."

-The bleach allegedly spilled onto both of them (the girlfriend and the son)...

-The Injuries: "busted lips, broken nose, black eyes, bruises,"

Source: The Baltimore Sun

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

WMAR (ABC 2) reports that the girlfriend of Ravens LB Terrell Suggs has filed a restraining order against him.

"We are aware of the situation and have discussed the matter with Terrell," Ravens' vice president Kevin Byrne said. "He will have his opportunity to tell his side of the story at a later date."

No arrest records for Suggs have been found; it is likely that the girlfriend went straight to the courthouse to file for the order.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

1) Kobe's Buzzer Beater



2) LeGarette Blount's Return



3) The Frozen Lineman

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

ESPN is reporting that Charlie Weis has been relieved of his duties as the head football coach at Notre Dame.

The Notre Dame staff was informed in an afternoon meeting. No decision has been made on an interim coach; players will vote as to whether they would like to participate in a bowl game after their 6-6 season shortly.

Let the Fighting Irish Coaching Circus Commence!

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Baltimore Ravens cannot lose tonight. They will have no excuses.

Dennis Dixon, the Steelers' third quarterback who has thrown one NFL pass, will start in Ben Roethlisberger's place.

Dixon is walking into the lion's den with virtually no experience. He may have been a Heisman contender before tearing his ACL at the University of Oregon, but college is much different from the NFL.

Not only is Dixon walking into a rough atmosphere, he is going to participate in one of the most physical rivalries in football. The game tonight will be even more fast-paced than what you would face regularly in the league.

The speed in college is far slower than in the pros, especially if you're playing in a Ravens/Steelers game.

The only way the Ravens lose tonight is if Joe Flacco and the offense cannot do much of anything. If this game is based on field goals, the Steelers will win. On Sunday night, the Steelers will remind a fan of the way the Ravens played during the Billick Era (Poor Offense, Great Defense). The only difference is that the Steelers have more weaponry on offense than the Ravens ever did (Holmes, Ward, Millers, etc.)

I would expect Dennis Dixon to throw two or three interceptions tonight, which will be coupled with a few "Delay of Game" and "False Start" penalties due to crowd noise.

Come on O-Line! Come on Flacco! This is the last chance for this team to step up.

Ravens: 21
Steelers: 17

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

There is no answer to the terrible towel. However, the Ravens are making every effort to drown out the presence of the Pittsburgh Steelers fans at M & T Bank Stadium on Sunday. The team will be handing out white "rally towels" prior to the game.

It is a brilliant move on the Ravens' part. I have been in the stadium on two occasions when the white towels were used, against the Steelers in 2006, and against the Patriots in 2007.

The fans use them, and they use them well. It provides great shots of Baltimore's crowd to a national television audience. The Ravens may be trying to "copy" the "Terrible Towel", but they are doing it in the classiest way possible:

"Sponsored by Baltimore-based Under Armour, the towels prominently display the Ravens’ logo. Additionally, the Under Armour logo and slogan “Protect This House” is printed on the towel, along with an emblem for the Wounded Warrior Project.

A non-for-profit organization that has partnered with Under Armour, the Wounded Warrior Project’s mission is to honor and empower wounded soldiers. Its purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service members, to help severely injured men and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs.

During Sunday’s pre-game ceremonies, several U.S. military members who were recently wounded in battle will be honored on the field"

On Sunday, M & T Bank Stadium will be extremely loud. The unfamiliar sight of the towels will be accompanied by their fantastic cause.

This is great way to welcome the Steelers to Baltimore...

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Playoff Teams have luck on their side. Playoff Teams make plays when they are needed.

The Ravens have neither of those aspects on their side this season...

On Sunday, they had their opportunities.

They missed a 30-yard field goal.

They could not convert with a first down on the one yard line.

Coach Harbaugh called a timeout and then subsequently challenged a play that was correctly called in the first place, squandering the Ravens' timeouts.

There were plenty of plays that could be second-guessed in today's game. Regardless, winning teams are not the ones asking themselves, "What could we have done better?", at the end of a game...

The Excuses List:

The Ravens controlled the game today. They should have won.

Ray Rice should have a carried the ball when they were on the one yard line.

Ed Reed should not have tried to toss the ball to Lardarius Webb at the end of the game.

None of it matters now. They lost.

There is no more time left for excuses. It is time for this team to start showing up WHEN IT MATTERS or they will be knocked out the playoff race faster than the speed of sound.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

Via David Letterman, in the wake of the Bud Adams debacle:

10 - Married to a tackling dummy.
9 - Team plays in North Carolina, builds new stadium in North Dakota.
8 - Only reason he hired head coach was because he had his own whistle.
7 - Encourages vendors to sell beer to players during game.
6 - Asked owner of Detroit Lions for tips on building a winner.
5 - He just tested positive for steroids - can you believe that?
4 - Pregame pep talk - asks team to lose by more than seven-and-a-half.
3 - Thinks 'Things More Fun Than Reading the Sarah Palin Memoir' isn't funny.
2 - His motto: 'If we want to win as a team, we need to shower as a team"
1 - Gives players the weekend off.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Buffalo Bills have fired their head coach, Dick Jauron.

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell will become the interim coach, according to numerous reports.

Jauron finishes 24-33 with the Bills.

It seems that a "big play" wide receiver does not make all the difference. Especially if he wears No. 81....

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

Haloti Ngata
Matthew Lawrence
Jalen Parmele
Oniel Cousins
Tony Moll
Kelly Talavou
Antwan Barnes
John Beck

NOTE: Paul Kruger is ACTIVE tonight; Former Raven Dave Zastudil is OUT for the Browns...

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

College Basketball AP Top 25

1. Kansas (58) 1-0 1,616 1
2. Michigan St. (5) 1-0 1,520 2
3. Texas (1) 1-0 1,412 3
4. Kentucky (1) 1-0 1,370 4
5. Villanova 1-0 1,353 5
6. North Carolina 3-0 1,301 6
7. Purdue 1-0 1,297 7
8. West Virginia 1-0 1,139 8
9. Duke 1-0 1,078 9
10. Tennessee 1-0 938 10
11. Butler 1-0 859 11
12. Connecticut 1-0 830 12
13. California 2-0 792 13
14. Washington 3-0 783 14
15. Michigan 1-0 598 15
15. Ohio St. 2-0 598 16
17. Oklahoma 1-0 490 17
18. Dayton 1-0 372 21
19. Georgetown 1-0 358 20
20. Louisville 0-0 344 19
21. Georgia Tech 1-0 320 22
22. Clemson 1-0 265 24
23. Illinois 1-0 261 23
24. Minnesota 1-0 170 25
25. Maryland 1-0 167 --

Others receiving votes: Siena 125, Notre Dame 91, Vanderbilt 82, Florida St. 76, Syracuse 67, Wake Forest 59, Florida 58, Oklahoma St. 57, South Carolina 42, UCLA 36, Xavier 36, BYU 28, Gonzaga 22, Tulsa 21, Kansas St. 19, Mississippi St. 16, N. Iowa 16, Texas A&M 8, Missouri 7, Rider 7, Boston College 6, Mississippi 6, Pittsburgh 3, Va. Commonwealth 2, Cornell 1, Old Dominion 1, Utah St. 1, W. Kentucky 1.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

This morning I had the unfortunate experience of reading this:

"Titans owner Bud Adams was mighty happy to see his team defeat the Bills on Sunday at LP Field.

The 86-year-old owner made an appearance on the sideline in the closing minutes, and even did a little dance as the Titans capped a 41–17 victory.

Then he turned toward the Buffalo sideline and gave the Bills the middle finger. Make that two middle fingers — Adams was using both hands.

Earlier Adams, who lives in Houston, flashed a "hook em' horns" sign to fans in the West sideline seats.

It capped an eventful afternoon for Adams, who watched much of the game with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. It will be interesting to see if Goodell has any reaction to Adams' special salute to the Bills." -National Football Post

He apologized today:

“I need to apologize for my actions yesterday near the end of the game. I got caught up in the excitement of a great day, but I do realize that those types of things shouldn’t happen. I need to specifically apologize to the Bills, their fans, our fans and the NFL.

"I obviously have a great deal of respect for Ralph Wilson and the history we have shared. I also understand there will probably be league discipline for my actions and I will accept those.”

Despite his "apology", talk about a lack of class. I find it literally unbelievable that an owner in the National Football League would participate in that type of poor sportsmanship.

In middle school, one is taught not to taunt the team one is playing against. I guess Mr. Adams forgot about that.

The 3-6 Titans are now on cloud nine after winning three in a row following six straight losses out of the gate. Players probably responded well to Adams' "gesture" toward the Bills. Regardless, the 86-year old demonstrated a disrespect for the NFL. I would equate this with Joe Horn's touchdown celebration (which involved a cellphone, for those that do not remember).

To make it even worse, he chose to be crude on a day when Roger Goodell was visiting LP Field in Nashville. How would you feel if Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti did something like this when Goodell was visiting Baltimore? Wouldn't you consider that embarrassing to the franchise and the city?

If the owners aren't representing their teams well, how do they expect their players to act?

Note my quote from earlier: "Players probably responded well to Adams' "gesture" toward the Bills."

That's a problem. It's an issue with society and the NFL.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Two Orioles prospects are playing very well in the Arizona Fall League, specifically Brandon Snyder and Josh Bell.

Bell, 23, played the second-half of last season with the Bowie Baysox after being acquired in the George Sherrill trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is a contender to be the Orioles' future third baseman.

Bell in the AFL: .320 AVG, 1 HR, 15 RBI, .400 OBP

Brandon Snyder, also 23, is knocking balls everywhere in the Fall League after a rough second-half with the Norfolk Tides. Snyder was doing extremely well in Bowie (AA), but his productivity fell off by quite a lot when he moved to the AAA Tides. He is working towards being the Orioles' future first baseman.

Snyder in the AFL: .348 AVG, 2 HR, 43 RBI, .456 OBP

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Cleveland Browns are a disgrace. If the Ravens lose to them it will go down as one of the more embarrassing losses in recent team history.
Former Browns General Manager George Kokinis is about to square off with the team in a legal battle over his firing earlier this season.

He has hired NFL Super Lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, to represent him. Kessler was the main lawyer behind the establishment of free agency in the league.

The case will be fought over whether the Browns had "cause" to fire Kokinis, which they probably did not. When he was relieved of his duties on November 2, the Browns were (and still are) in the midst of a disastrous 1-7 start to the season.

The goal of the case for Kokinis is to argue that he should be paid the remainder of his salary on his four year contract, as the Browns allegedly breached that contract when they handed personnel control to Mangini.

"This is a pure power play by [Eric] Mangini," said a source close to Kokinis. "It's been that way from Day One. George was promised in his contract to have full control over all personnel decisions and reporting only to the owner. Mangini has chafed over that from Day One. I guess he thought that because of his friendship George would come in and just be a yes-man."

Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Eric Mangini is the most worthless head coach in the National Football League. Browns owner Randy Lerner should have dumped him during the bye week.

Why?

First of all, Mangini engineered the complete disaster that was the hiring of General Manager George Kokinis. Supposedly, Kokinis and Mangini were great friends, but it seems that their friendship fell apart when Mr. Kokinis arrived in Cleveland to find that he was basically a “glorified” Director of Player Personnel.

Why did Mr. Lerner hire Eric Mangini before hiring a GM? Secondly, why would the owner allow his head coach to “hand pick” a general manager?

If you worked at a restaurant as a waiter, would you have the power to hire the business’ General Manager? In essence, that’s what happened in Cleveland with Coach Mangini and Manager Kokinis.

It seems that there was a literal “power-flip” that took place with the Browns. Not only was Mangini the main factor behind Kokinis’ hiring, but it seems he was also behind his dismissal.

Why should Kokinis get the blame when Mangini has been making the moves anyway?

Mr. Lerner needs to regain control of his franchise. He should fire Mangini and replace him with someone on his coaching staff. The head-coaching situation can be re-evaluated after the season.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Orioles CF Adam Jones was awarded one of this year's American League Gold Gloves for "defensive excellence in the outfield". It is his first time receiving the award, and it follows a season in which he was named to his first All-Star team.

The award makes Jones the "13th overall Oriole and the first since Mike Mussina in 1999 to be named as a Gold Glove Award winner. He is only the second Orioles outfielder to win a Gold Glove, joining Paul Blair, who won the award eight times. Blair is tied for 8th most all-time among outfielders."

This year's other winners:
P Mark Buehrle, White Sox
C Joe Mauer, Twins
1B Mark Teixeira, Yankees
2B Placido Polanco, Tigers
3B Evan Longoria, Rays
SS Derek Jeters, Yankees
OF Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners
OF Torii Hunter, Angels

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

AMERICAN LEAGUE

BALTIMORE (4) Danys Baez, rhp; Mark Hendrickson, lhp; Chad Moeller; c; Melvin Mora, 3b.

BOSTON (4) Rocco Baldelli, of; Jason Bay, of; Alex Gonzalez, ss; Billy Wagner, lhp.

CHICAGO (4) Ramon Castro, c; Octavio Dotel, rhp; Jermaine Dye, of; Scott Podsednik of.

CLEVELAND (2) Jamey Carroll, 2b; Tomo Ohka, rhp.

DETROIT (6) Adam Everett, ss; Aubrey Huff, 1b; Brandon Lyon, rhp; Placido Polanco, 2b; Fernando Rodney, rhp; Jarrod Washburn, lhp.

KANSAS CITY (4) Bruce Chen, lhp; Coco Crisp, of; Miguel Olivo, c; Jamey Wright, rhp.

LOS ANGELES (6) Kelvim Escobar, rhp; Chone Figgins, 3b; Vladimir Guerrero, dh; John Lackey, rhp; Darren Oliver, lhp; Robb Quinlan, of.

MINNESOTA (5) Orlando Cabrera, ss; Joe Crede, 3b; Ron Mahay, lhp; Carl Pavano, rhp; Mike Redmond, c.

NEW YORK (5) Johnny Damon, of; Eric Hinske, of; Hideki Matsui, of; Jose Molina, c; Xavier Nady, of.

OAKLAND (4) Bobby Crosby, 1b; Justin Duchscherer, rhp; Nomar Garciaparra, dh; Adam Kennedy, 3b.

SEATTLE (6) Miguel Batista, rhp; Erik Bedard, lhp; Adrian Beltre, 3b; Russell Branyan, 1b; Endy Chavez, of; Mike Sweeney, dh.

TAMPA BAY (4) Chad Bradford, rhp; Jason Isringhausen, rhp; Troy Percival, rhp; Russ Springer, rhp.

TEXAS (7) Joaquin Benoit, rhp; Hank Blalock, 1b; Marlon Byrd, of; Eddie Guardado, lhp; Andruw Jones, of; Ivan Rodriguez, c; Omar Vizquel, ss.

TORONTO (4) Rod Barajas, c; John McDonald, ss; Kevin Millar, 1b; Marco Scutaro, ss.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

ARIZONA (3) Doug Davis, lhp; Scott Schoeneweis, lhp; Chad Tracy, 1b.

ATLANTA (5) Garret Anderson, of; Mike Gonzalez, lhp; Adam LaRoche, 1b; Greg Norton, 1b; Rafael Soriano, rhp.

CHICAGO (3) Kevin Gregg, rhp; Rich Harden, rhp; Reed Johnson, of.

CINCINNATI (0)

COLORADO (8) Joe Beimel, lhp; Jose Contreras, rhp; Alan Embree, lhp; Josh Fogg, rhp; Jason Giambi, 1b; Matt Herges, rhp; Jason Marquis, rhp; Yorvit Torrealba, c.

FLORIDA (4) Kiko Calero, rhp; Brendan Donnelly, rhp; Nick Johnson, 1b; Ross Gload, 1b-of.

HOUSTON (8) Aaron Boone, 1b; Doug Brocail, rhp; Darin Erstad, of; Mike Hampton, lhp; LaTroy Hawkins, rhp; Jason Michaels, of; Miguel Tejada, ss; Jose Valverde, rhp.

LOS ANGELES (14) Brad Ausmus, c; Ronnie Belliard, 2b; Juan Castro, ss; Jon Garland, rhp; Orlando Hudson, 2b; Mark Loretta, 3b; Doug Mientkiewicz, 1b; Guillermo Mota, rhp; Eric Milton, lhp; Will Ohman, lhp; Vicente Padilla, rhp; Jim Thome, 1b; Jeff Weaver, rhp; Randy Wolf, lhp.

MILWAUKEE (7) Mike Cameron, of; Frank Catalanotto, of; Craig Counsell, 2b; Jason Kendall, c; Felipe Lopez, 2b; Corey Patterson, of; David Weathers, rhp.

NEW YORK (6) Alex Cora, ss; Carlos Delgado, 1b; Ramon Martinez, ss; J.J. Putz, rhp; Brian Schneider, c; Gary Sheffield, of.

PHILADELPHIA (7) Paul Bako, c; Miguel Cairo, 2b; Pedro Feliz, 3b; Pedro Martinez, rhp; Brett Myers, rhp; Chan Ho Park, rhp; Matt Stairs, of.

ST. LOUIS (9) Rick Ankiel, of; Mark De Rosa, 3b; Troy Glaus, 3b; Khalil Greene, ss; Matt Holliday, of; Jason LaRue, c; Joel Pineiro, rhp; John Smoltz, rhp; Todd Wellemeyer, rhp.

SAN DIEGO (2) Henry Blanco, c; Brian Giles, of.

SAN FRANCISCO (5) Bobby Howry, rhp; Bengie Molina, c; Brad Penny, rhp; Juan Uribe, 2b; Randy Winn, of.

WASHINGTON (5) Josh Bard, c; Livan Hernandez, rhp; Austin Kearns, of; Ron Villone, lhp; Dmitri Young, 1b.

---

View Comments (2) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Orioles claimed right-hander Armando Gabino, 26, off waivers from the Minnesota Twins today.

His stats in AAA: 6-4, 2.94 ERA, 3 S, 38 Games (7 Starts)
Career in Minors: 22-19, 3.41 ERA, 192 games

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

When Rex Ryan calls a timeout before (or after) a third down stop against the Patriots: Don't throw a ref's flag into the stands because there's nothing else to throw...

When Mark Clayton drops a pass against the Patriots: Don't throw a family photo album at the television because there's nothing else to throw....

When Andre Caldwell catches TD pass to win it for the Bengals: Don't throw your prized Lenny Moore-autographed jersey across the room into the sink because there's nothing else to throw...

When Steve Hauschka misses a field goal against the Vikings: Don't throw your computer across the room because there's nothing else to throw...

When Steve Hauschka misses a field goal against the Bengals: Don't throw a Vitamin Water at the television because IT WILL EXPLODE....

However, when the Orioles fail to sign 3B Chone Figgins this offseason, throw your orange jersey into the trash can.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

Soft. This team is soft.

The Ravens got completely destroyed in Cincinnati today. It was inexcusable and embarrassing. The Bengals' offense looked fantastic in the first half, but flamed out in the second half. However, the purple and black just could not get a score when they got the ball.

What is it about the Bengals that makes Cam Cameron run into a closet like a small child in fear? This makes the second game this season that his offense has been destroyed by Mike Zimmer's defense. Remember, before the game, the Ravens' offense was ranked #7 in the league, while the Bengals D was ranked #21.

It's not all Cam Cameron's fault, though. Something happened to Joe Flacco in between this week and last. He had a great day throwing to the Bengals' defenders.

The lone positive today: Lardarius Webb. It was good to see him get a chance at cornerback.

The Game-Killer: Steve Hauschka. Sorry my friend, but your time in this town is over. If I were you, I'd get a hotel room in York, PA NOW!

The team needs to regain their swagger. It's been gone since a certain coach moved to New York.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame, Contributing Writer

Ravens DT Haloti Ngata is OUT today against the Bengals. Below are other players who are inactive for today's game.

Tony Moll
Antwan Barnes
Frank Walker
Jalen Parmele
Paul Kruger
John Beck
Oniel Cousins

Notable Bengals Inactive: Roy Williams

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame, Contributing Writer

In Reuben Frank and Mark Eckel's book "Game Changers: The 50 Greatest Plays in Philadelphia Eagles Football History," John Harbaugh makes a less-than flattering comment about the Dallas Cowboys.

He may be politically correct in his press conferences, but apparently he's himself in print!

In response to a question as to why the Eagles have had a better program than the Cowboys for the past decade, Harbs said:

"Why is that? Because what [Eagles coach] Andy Reid and his program stand for is the opposite of what the Cowboys stand for. The Cowboys are a star system. It's all about building around individuals first and collecting talent, collecting great players," Harbaugh said. "Andy has always been about building a team. And over the long haul, it's a team sport, and one of the greatest examples of that is what's happened with the Eagles and the Cowboys over the last 10 years. The Cowboys stand for everything that's wrong with the NFL."

---

View Comments (1) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

The Ravens take on the Bengals Sunday at 1 PM in Cincinnati. However, before kickoff, they've got some decisions to make:

Questionable:
Haloti Ngata (ankle)
Tom Zbikowski (illness)
Haruki Nakamura (chest)

Probable:
Prescott Burgess (illness)
Todd Heap (ankle)
Jarret Johnson (Shoulder)
Matt Katula (elbow)
Le'Ron McClain (shoulder)
Frank Walker (illness)

Despite the Ravens' loss to the team earlier in the year, I think that they are going to win on Sunday in a close one. Baltimore played their worst offensive and defensive game against the Bengals in Week Five. The coaches will not let that happen again...

For this matchup, it's all in the statistics:

Ravens Offense (Ranked #7)-378.7 YPG
Ravens Defense (Ranked #13)-313.7 YPG
Bengals Offense (Ranked #13)-345.9 YPG
Bengals Defense (Ranked #21) 341.3 YPG

Prediction: Ravens 24, Bengals 20

Sources: Aaron Wilson

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment

By John Dame (johnsdame@comcast.net)

What return?

The New York Yankees have been on top of the world for as long as one can remember. This is why I have lost hope in Major League Baseball. I have been a diehard Oriole fan since I was young, and I have not experienced a winning season since before my time in elementary school.

It was Opening Day 2001. Delino DeShields knocked one onto Eutaw Street.
It was Opening Day 2003. Rodrigo Lopez pitched through the snow in the bitter cold.
It was Opening Day 2004. Javy Lopez smacked a home run to left field.

As I walked into Camden Yards for the each of these games, I was a young person that possessed the feeling of hope. Unfortunately, that hope is now lost.

Yes-the Orioles are doing the right things. However, how far can “doing the right things” get a team when baseball still has no salary cap?

The dynasties of the Yankees and Red Sox will not start to crumble until they stop spending money. The Rays tried to the dethrone them—but despite their talent, they can’t break down the wall of dollar bills that is blocking them from a title.

The Orioles have much more money to spend than the Rays, but how will they lure players away from teams with such storied histories as the Yankees and Red Sox? Unfortunately, these two teams possess the three keys to a free agent’s heart: a great city, a winning record, and all the money one could want.

The O’s can throw a ton of cash at free agents. However, the major fact to remember is: Why in the world would they come to Baltimore when they could get the same money in New York or Boston?

The bottom-line: There should be no “stockpiling” of great players on a single team.

The equivalent of this in the NFL would be an offense with Peyton Manning at QB, Adrian Peterson at RB, and Andre Johnson & Larry Fitzgerald at WR.

Until baseball stops this madness, I really don’t think the Orioles can win.

---

View Comments (0) - Post New Comment