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Nestor Aparicio

Baseball Memories contest update…

Nestor Aparicio

I am amidst a PILE of "Baseball Memories" stories, which have been even better (and did we mention a DEEP pile?) than I anticipated. Looks like I’m not the ONLY one who could write a few books about their magic moments with the game! Just wanted to update the many of you who wrote us… We’re ON it…we’re grading…we’re working diligently…and it’s REALLY hard because they are all so different, so poignant, so funny and the real gift? I’m getting to read them and relive the "Magic" myself on a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee… And after spending the last two days surrounded by Red Sox fans (who, I swear to God, it feels like they’re coming out of the water and up from the sewers)…well, it’s comforting to know that baseball used to mean as much to me and you as it does to them! Again, the videos are there…just a click away on wnsTV! They give me hope that one day I might care as much as THEY do again, and it inspires me to see how much joy and love and friendship and family (I’ve seen a DOZEN family reunion groups who are using a

So just HOW MANY Boston fans are here?

Nestor Aparicio

I will file a video blog later in the week in reaction to this freaking embarrassment going on in downtown Baltimore with the sea of Red…you know, the city we come to 10 times a year and pack with a sea of purple? In the meantime, there are FOUR fresh wnsTV videos for you to enjoy…and if you’re a TRUE Orioles fan, you WILL NOT enjoy them but you should watch them anyway and see where the Orioles franchise stands circa August 2007. Two weeks after 70,000 sat on a hill in Cooperstown for Cal Ripken’s big day, those hardcores were mostly non-existent downtown today. Just go to wnsTV and pick your video of choice… They all paint a VERY accurate and UNBIASED eye on the situation. Most have a minimal amount of editing and many are time-released shots. Bring a barf bag…

Boston invades Baltimore…

Nestor Aparicio

I am on the streets in downtown Baltimore shooting video of the Boston takeover this weekend. If you ARE an Orioles fan and a true Baltimoreans, I hope you stop by and say hello…we’d love to get your thoughts for wnsTV…

Do you LOVE the movie ‘Field of Dreams’?

Nestor Aparicio

Well, then, join me and anyone else who cares to join us TONIGHT at 9 PM at the American Visionary Arts Museum adjacent to Federal Hill. The movie is available on the wall. You can sit in the park with your kids, loved ones and watch a classic baseball film outdoors for FREE on a beautiful downtown night? Here is the link: http://avam.org/cgi-bin/Events.cgi Wear your Orioles, Ravens or FREE THE BIRDS gear… Hope to see you around 8:30 or so on Federal Hill!!!

The ‘battered wife’ checks in…

Nestor Aparicio

I have received several hundred emails regarding Free The Birds 2… This is the best so far…and sadly, I feel it is where the rally movement is… Apathy, depair and helplessness have again inflicted Baltimore… Kinda reminds me of about 1980-81-82 with the Colts… No one seems to care enough to get pissed off enough to do anything about what is damaging on so many levels, not the least of which is economically to the center of the city… I thought the 70,000 sitting on the hill in Cooperstown wanted that feeling AGAIN sometime… Instead, the weekend was more like the reading of the rites… Onward we march to football season! The "Oriole Way" is dead and no one seems to care… Below is the letter: Nasty,   Sorry I didn’t respond earlier about free the birds. In part it is because I am not sure I will still be in town because I have accepted a position at a small litigation firm in north jersey and am moving to Manhattan (but not exactly sure when). The other reason I didn’t respond was because I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about part 2.   As you know I was

WNST grows by 10 lbs, 13 ozs…

Nestor Aparicio

Please welcome to the world, young Ethan Joseph Forrester, who arrived at 5:37 p.m.! Mom and baby boy are fine. Drew is wiped out!

FREE THE BIRDS is on life support…

Nestor Aparicio

Drew Forrester baby update: Doctors think Ethan is arriving on this crazy planet around 7 p.m. EST. Now on to baseball…I did Drew’s show this morning and after four hours I’ve come to realize that Free The Birds is about to die a death of apathy — my worst fear of all! We said it last week (and last year): The rally and Free The Birds was never about me or WNST or Drew or anything other than this: we think the city should be proud of the team and we WANT to be proud of the team. As Drew welcomes his first baby boy into the world, he’d like to believe that his kid can have the memories WE have as Orioles fans when we were kids. It honestly feels like those of us who think this city deserves better — AND ARE WILLING TO VOICE THAT DISPLEASURE — well, we are in the distinct minority. There have been THOUSANDS of people who have given me the "atta boys" or the pat on the ass or the random "keep it up" compliments. Well, where are they now, when we want them to put their VOICES behind their feelings? I

Bryant Gumbel STILL sucks…

Nestor Aparicio

And other random thoughts… * How can ANYONE…and I mean ANYONE…possibly think Bryant Gumbel should be doing network-level NFL play by play? Last year was an embarrassment. This year is a CONFIRMATION that someone in charge there has not done any "asking around." I LOVE the NFL. I should love the NFL Network. I don’t. I don’t like their hosts. I don’t like most of their "talent." And it always feels awkward the minute Rick Eisen opens his mouth, because that dude has ZERO passion for football. He’s AWFUL! Just my two cents… (BTW: It took Cris Collinsworth about two minutes after the Steelers scored the first touchdown of the preseason to anoint them "contenders" in the AFC North. He even said people in Cincinnati and Baltimore should be nervous. Gawd, the preseason SUCKS!) If you actually LIKE my two cents, please do me (and yourselves) a favor… Click on the little wnsTV logo on the home page of our website and check out our 2007 version of internet-based television. We’re doing some serious growing here at WNST. We really hope you help us by spreading the word. There’s a video blog there from today, some great footage from the

I asked…and I received…

Nestor Aparicio

Just a quick to note to bring everyone up to speed on FREE THE BIRDS 2 efforts… I’ve received nearly 1,000 emails since 8:45 on Wednesday morning…they are about 85% YES…15% NO (of course, the idiots who send things like filling in my name and "Nestor sucks" ones have been eliminated from consideration)! I have received a MYRIAD of fresh emails from concerned FTB2 people, who don’t want to "WALK OUT" on the current players or Dave Trembley, which I completely understand and respect So, I’m formulating some ideas and taking in some interesting debate/ideas on what exactly we SHOULD do this year. For the record, I NEVER said we were "WALKING OUT." I just want to put together a classy, family-oriented event that says one thing: "THIS ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH and WE WANT CHANGE AT THE TOP." Personally, I’m fascinated at the mystery appeal that Andy McPhail has generated over the six weeks, when he’s basically done NOTHING to forward the cause of the Orioles. The only two things he’s attempted to do — hire Joe Girardi and trade for Mark Texiera — he has failed  to accomplish, yet he’s been given a tremendous "hall pass" from an Orioles

FREE THE BIRDS 2

Nestor Aparicio

Dear BALTIMORE Orioles fan: The time for FREE THE BIRDS 2 has come… Over the last 10 months, I have received more than 8,000 replies to join the “FTB Union” not to mention the countless people who have personally said something positive to me in support of “Free The Birds” since last Sept. 21. I was OVERWHELMED by how many people approached me on the streets of Cooperstown and told me to "NEVER give up the fight!" Many have indicated a sincere interest in a second “walk out” of the Orioles management this summer. Today, I am reaching out to you to see if you’re still interested in another massive event…If YOU are in, I’M IN! If not, we’ll move on… In the coming weeks, we plan to reorganize the “Free The Birds” movement with another “rally” on Oriole Park at Camden Yards similar to last year’s efforts, perhaps with some “twists.” But, here’s the major question: “Are you still with us?” To outline the continuing deterioration of downtown Baltimore’s economic situation on Oriole home dates and to again “itemize” the mean-spiritedness and the team’s place in the standings would be moot for anyone who is paying attention. Sure, they’ve

This is how I felt all over again…

Nestor Aparicio

I went to Cooperstown. The videos are just a click away (see the wnsTV to the right >>>>>) I also bore witness to — and captured on video for all of you to see for YOURSELF — the disgusting sight of 40,000 Yankees fans overrunning downtown while the rest of the "real" Orioles fans were all in Cooperstown. And I felt lousy about the Orioles and what’s missing ALL OVER AGAIN! Wasn’t Sunday just great? Wasn’t it AMAZING for US to ALL be together again in that magical little town in upstate New York? Don’t you CRAVE THAT AGAIN…that chance to all get together, wear orange, talk about the old days and actually have some HOPE that we’ll EVER feel that way again? That 33rd Street feeling? Tomorrow at 8 a.m. I will make a significant statement about FREE THE BIRDS on WNST-AM 1570… Earlier tonight I went to the www.freethebirds.net website and read the letter I posted to the website after the Rally…I wrote this piece in mid-October, about three weeks after the Sept. 21st rally…I still feel this way… Do you? Here it is, unedited (pulled from www.freethebirds.net) What Free The Birds is all about I’ve had almost

The birth of WNST and television…we give you wnsTV

Nestor Aparicio

Instead of me writing about what I did in Cooperstown, you can now ride shotgun… Just click on the WNSTV logo on the right…. From Cooperstown to Camden Yards…we captured the spirit of BOTH events! FREE THE BIRDS!!!!!!!!! (Go ahead…just click it…you’ll see!!!)

Nestor is still alive…

Nestor Aparicio

Just wanted to drop a "howdy" note to everyone in WNST land. Between our blogs being down, growing the company, building this (soon-to-be) fabulous website and the combination of Ripken/Cooperstown week and the start of Ravens season, we’ve been PLENTY busy lately. First, I’m VERY glad the blogs are functioning properly again… Second, stay tuned because this website is going to grow immensely over the next six weeks…and you ALL will be invited into the party to opine as well… I’ll be opining on video in the future, as we launch wnsTV in the next few days, allowing us to speak with you and interact with you via video. So, between Barry Bonds and Michael Vick and NBA officials gambling on their own games, it’s been a CRAZY week of sports. We’re off to Cooperstown with Cal Ripken this weekend and will have plenty of video from the celebration. Rex Ryan will join us for a big dinner on Wednesday night and there’s still time and space for you to join us. Next week, along with Casey Willett and Aaron Wilson, WNST will provide blanket coverage of every hit, every move in Westminster — in writing via our blogs, on

When Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore is meaningless..

Nestor Aparicio

While we appreciate the most sincere form of flattery — imitation — and we’re certainly not unique in being pissed off at baseball and the disgrace of the game in general (see Barry Bonds’ HR chase this week), the Pittsburgh baseball fans’ walkout on Saturday night was certainly not a very high bar as far as standards for having your voice heard. After our successful march last Sept. 21, you knew there’d be more walkouts — geez, it’s not like we hold a patent — but I find it fascinating that this time, it was "yinz from don’ton" doing the "walkout" thing. Because I’m expected to take a cheap shot, here goes: I wasn’t even sure the Pittsburgh Pirates still existed, to be honest with you. Seriously, I’m all for awareness to the cause, which is the plight of baseball and how the fans are getting screwed and the cities are getting bilked after building Taj Mahal stadiums in honor of these franchises. That’s REALLY what we did last summer with FREE THE BIRDS, amidst the "traditional media" critics who were forced to report on how pissed off the public really is and why they’re angry. (And we’ll see if

I’ve got two tickets…but NOT to paradise

Nestor Aparicio

My neighbor upstairs is a great old dude, who loves drinking beer and going to Orioles games and ever since the "Angelos ban" on my press pass, whenever he doesn’t use his tickets, he leaves them under my door so I can go enjoy Orioles baseball. Like many, it seems, I will NEVER spend a nickel with the Orioles until they’re sold to someone who wants to bring some dignity back to the city and the franchise. So, tonight, I have two tickets to the Angels-Birds game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Honestly (and sadly), I really don’t even wanna go! I’m back to that sad, wistful and disgusted place again, where watching "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" on TV was more interesting to me last night than the Orioles-Yankees game (even though any sweep of the Yankees is always welcomed, especially considering how rare it is!). The Orioles haven’t played a meaningful game in 10 years! They’ll be embroiled in a summer-long battle into autumn for sole possession of last place with Tampa Bay. (And honestly, I think they might win! I joked with Joe Maddon on the field in Tampa Bay about it, because I

My man Jayson Stark piles on..

Nestor Aparicio

Strangely enough, we here at WNST.net have been taking a lot of heat this week from the handful of remaining Orioles sycophants and apologists. But for the most, I think the community is rightly again at wit’s end, and www.freethebirds.net has an INORDINATE amount of traffic and if you HAVEN’T joined the "FAN UNION," please feel free to do so if you’re as pissed as we are that this civic disgrace continues day after day. (It only takes a minute and it’ll put you in the loop FIRST when we announce Free The Birds 2…if you join our text service, you WILL be the FIRST to know!) Funny, I DID call into Andy McPhail’s crackly conference call yesterday and lobbed him a question regarding Russell Smouse and Lou Angelos sitting in on managerial interviews. He gave me a quaint answer about it not being "unusual," but I have my doubts already. In retrospect, I should’ve asked more questions about how and when he was approached by Peter Angelos about this job (I haven’t seen that one spoken to, but again, I don’t attend the "real" press conferences because they refuse to let me in the building because they’re scared to

Since someone who is allegedly sane is NOW running the franchise..

Nestor Aparicio

"I wouldn’t be here unless … I was absolutely confident that I was free to run this franchise the way it has to be run," Andy MacPhail, June 20, 2007 Dear Andy: Once you get done with Drewski’s list below, maybe you could help me with this little problem I’ve had with the Orioles… It’s a long story, but maybe you could rightfully give me my press pass back and I can rip up the $2800 legal bill I have on my desk for the lawsuit that I haven’t yet filed against Mr. Angelos and the Orioles for revoking my press pass and taking away my ability to do what I’ve done professionally for more than 23 years — since I was 15 years old — cover sports in Baltimore! You talked about bringing back "the fans"…well, I’M A FAN AND HAVE BEEN SINCE 1972! If you want to know why I don’t HAVE a press pass after working in the media here and providing honest analysis — just like John Steadman did with your father many moons ago — you might want to ask Mr. Angelos, who put you in charge of the franchise yesterday. Andy, I run this

Because I believe in presenting BOTH sides of the story..

Nestor Aparicio

Unlike the Orioles and their Gestapo media relations tactics… I just got back from the AST Dew Media Day…took a picture and met Bucky Lasek (A DUNDALK BOY!) for the first time…really cool dude…his knee hurts…gonna be a big weekend down in the stadium lots! Anyway, a letter from my inbox… Nestor, I ran into you about 2 weeks ago in Owings Mills at a cafe while we were standing in line to order food.  You were with Rob Long.  But I digress. Anyway, man I’m as frustrated as you are about the state of the Orioles. And call me a fool, but isn’t it even just a little bit possible that the hiring of Andy MacPhail might suggest a change in direction for the team? Imagine for a moment that Angelos finally couldn’t take it anymore, your repeated message finally sank in,  and he admitted that he has to have a baseball guy take over.  I can’t imagine MacPhail taking this job without having complete authority.  He knows who he is dealing with in Angelos.  So there will be no more dual GMs, no more meddling by Angelos. Maybe Angelos realizes he has to restore this organization to respectability,

An open letter to Rex Snider and anyone who believes it’s about money..

Nestor Aparicio

Dear Rex: Because I’ve run in these circles since 1984, I will respectfully rebut your notions about money and baseball people and sports… People who have $20 million in the bank are NOT motivated by money if they are the type of person you REALLY want to hire to work for your business. Joe Girardi will only take this job if he can win, and I doubt that he seriously believes he can win in Baltimore. Here’s some food for thought: WHO in Girardi’s inner circle will ADVISE him to take this job? Will Joe Torre tell him it’s a great opportunity? How about Lee Mazzilli? What would happen if Girardi just calls around to ANYONE who has worked in this organization or even DEALT with this organization? Who will say "Yeah, Joe…you GOTTA take that job in Baltimore?" Especially in light of him being the hottest property on the market, why does he need this grief? For the money? When he already has $20 million in the bank? I would hope Girardi is smarter than that! Let’s face it: this is the worst job in baseball, when you consider the owner, the track record, the AL East, the fan

Davey Johnson: C’MON DOWN!!!!!!!

Nestor Aparicio

He CAN’T be serious. This has to be old "Dumb Dumb," just yanking Jeff Zrebiec’s chain over on Calvert Street. The Sun is reporting that DAVEY JOHNSON has "interest" in the Orioles managerial job! Man, just when you think you finished off the final pizza during this sick Greek tragedy, you find out you need another bag of popcorn stuffed into the microwave because it’s gonna be a LOONNNG serial. I swear, sometimes I picture Angelos sitting up on his perch, orchestrating some twisted, sick version of "Wag The Dog" as this drama unfolds year after year. Or maybe "Devil’s Advocate" at least… Screw The Sopranos! Just following the Orioles these days (and especially being a "Young, old timer" like me) cries out to wanna know WHAT you hear AFTER "Don’t Stop Believin‘" ends… Or right after J.R. got shot in Dallas… Or when The Fonz jumped the shark… Or right around the time DAVEY last got shot down during the Great Fall War of 1997! Oh, it was a TWO bagger night for popcorn, the last go ’round for Davey vs. Peter! The nasty faxes back and forth that made their way into the media’s hands by the end

Wanna do something for a good cause Wednesday night

Nestor Aparicio

Our research tells us a LOT of people are reading our blogs… So…no better time than NOW to help out our community and let you in on the charity stuff we’re doing at WNST. First up, I got this letter a few weeks ago… My name is Tom, and I’m having a benefit on June 29th. at the Lodge in Catonsville. The Charity is for the soldiers down at Walter Reed Hospital. I felt like I had to do something after hearing what these soldiers and their families are up against. On June 20th. the Wednesday before the benefit I am having a Guest Bartending Night at my cousin’s pub from 7pm to 9pm and was wondering if you would be interested in being our Guest for the evening. The pub is Kelsey’s Pub & Restaurant in the Normandy Shopping Center in Ellicott City right on Rt. 40 west. We’re trying to raise as much as possible for the Charity. On the 29th. we are having three live Bands, DJ, and the local Restaurants are donating food for the evening. The benefit is from 7pm to midnight and we would love to have you and your guest to join us,

An Orioles press conference or a train wreck

Nestor Aparicio

I did NOT attend today’s Orioles managerial press conference at The Warehouse. I don’t think I need to write it anymore, but obviously after my 21 years of having a press pass to cover the Orioles, my credentials were denied on Opening Day because I’m too honest with the public about how the franchise does business and how it translates to a crappy product on the field and how it hurts the downtown business community and this city’s mojo. (Honestly, I would think these FACTS are INDISPUTABLE at this point!) And, of course, to defend the fact that they’ve "elected" to not give me a press pass, they LIED (that’s a theme!) and said it’s because I’m "not" a media member anymore. (You want living, breathing proof that I AM a media member? Well, you’re READING this now, aren’t you! LMAO!) So as much as I’d LIKE to report what’s happening on the "inside" of The Warehouse, I’ll just have to wait until Amber Theoharis or Tom Davis or Jim Hunter — the "REAL" media members — to let me in on the "truth" about the Orioles. But, let’s see what I "think" I missed today: We had TWO general

And just WHERE IS Peter Angelos today

Nestor Aparicio

They will all take the microphones momentarily at The Warehouse with sullen faces, and they’ll talk about a "new day dawning" in Orioles baseball. They’ll talk of Andy McPhails’ success, and what he’ll bring "fresh" and "new" to the organization. They’ll also say nice things about Sam Perlozzo. (And this is just three hours after they had him walking around town this morning looking and sounding like a fool, a dead man walking who was still under the belief that he wasn’t getting fired as far as he knew! But hey, if they’re not gonna honor Elrod for 40 years of service, what good is Perlozzo’s decade-plus, right? They can lie to him as easily as they lie to me…they’re used to it over there!) And they’ll introduce Dave Trembley as a "company" man, which is what you’d HAVE to be to take this career-killing position at this point in the season with the team in last place and staring down the toughest part of their schedule. And who knows WHAT THE HELL they’ll say about the Joe Girardi rumors? Or the crazy Davey Johnson ones? And the funniest/saddest/totally expected thing: Peter Angelos will be NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. Make

When does the planning for FREE THE BIRDS 2 begin

Nestor Aparicio

So who wants to defend Peter Angelos and this organization now? Which cowardly, anonymous message board idiot will be the one NOW who says we’re all WRONG — and have been for a decade — and that those fools in The Warehouse were RIGHT? Right for all of the fired managers, and failed signings and wasted draft picks and money spent on Sidney Ponson, Albert Belle and company… Right for going to war with the media, their own season ticket-holders and sponsors, and most of the agents in the game of baseball… Right for leaving the name of the home city — the one that has embraced this franchise and built it a palace renowned the world over — off of their masthead and road uniforms… Right for taking this city’s one civic treasure over the past half century and turning sun-drenched summer weekends into a reason to do anything BUT go to Oriole Park at Camden Yards and support Baltimore’s Inner Harbor… What difference will it make when they fire Sam Perlozzo, whenever Angelos decides to pull the trigger on the worst-kept secret in town? The Orioles lose for many, many reasons — most of which have very little

No wonder Bedard hates everyone

Nestor Aparicio

Right now, there are gigantic fireworks going off over Camden Yards. Literally…it was fireworks night! But the only fireworks right now must be the same scene that I witnessed 24 hours ago, only worse inside The Warehouse. I can’t imagine that this Orioles team could invent any more creative, agonizing and dramatic losses than they’ve generated thus far in 2007. From the ARod meltdown to the Wily Mo Pena blast to the Jeremy Guthrie Fenway effort to  any one of the many Titantic-level disasters that Danys Baez has authored — this team CREATIVELY stinks! The losses can all be named and dated because in any other given season, each one — onto itself — would be the biggest disaster of ANY season. Hearing Rick Dempsey talk about 1983’s losing streaks only brings me laughter. The truth is that this crew looks more like the 1988 outfit. Erik Bedard throws in an effort that any major league team should reward with a victory, but as Mike Mussina found out the hard way a decade ago,  if you keep your pitch count down you won’t have to worry about which arsonist is gonna roll outta the bullpen with kerosene. Jim Hunter and

Stink…stank…stunk! MISTER ANGELOS APPEARS

Nestor Aparicio

So, while most of the WNST crew and spouses hit the Burke’s Comedy Factory last night for onion rings and laughs, I had my own laughs at Camden Yards last night where I wound up in a club level suite, catching up with an old friend. It was my first appearance in an Orioles’ club suite since 2003. In the eighth inning — right around the time that the Orioles were stranding three runners and getting two members ejected — His Highness appeared. YES — there was a RARE Peter G. Angelos sighting last night at Camden Yards! I want to make this clear: I love the Orioles and have loved the Orioles all my life. If you want further evidence of my love of the Orioles, just click on the NOSTALGIA button above and read on! Geez, I wrote a whole BOOK about my love of the Orioles! But to sit literally 30 feet away from Angelos (and I have several videos and blurry pictures that I may or may not post here) while watching the Washington Nationals bust out the brooms on the Angelos Orioles, was amusing if not interesting and/or mildly educational. Angelos threw out one obvious

Fan Mail..

Nestor Aparicio

I just got home from a day of running around Baltimore to open some email… The first one is posted below, and I thought I’d share it with you… I’m PETERED OUT from writing about the Orioles and watching the Orioles and trying — again and again — to figure out what they’re doing or thinking or what planet this family must be from. Their acts are just a daily disgrace — a shameless and utter disgrace! I mean, do you really CARE if they beat the Nationals tonight? They’ve stooped so low that I don’t even hate Washington’s baseball team! I actually kinda feel sorry for their fans, because they’re married to Angelos TOO, for better or worse through Mr. Angelos’ Television Network. From TV scoreboards, to "fire the manager," to treating the media like garbage, to their "partnership" with these sick out-of-town media "suck up" entities — the whole thing makes me wanna vomit! It looks like I’m not the ONLY one! Here’s the mail, from a dude named Erich… (OH, and by the way, all of YOU will be able to post YOUR thoughts on this board very, very soon!!) Orioles Fans: If there’s one thing an

Big Night with the Ravens Rookies at The Bowma

Nestor Aparicio

There was lots of fun to be had last night in Carney, as we introduced the Ravens’ 2007 rookie draft class at The Bowman Restaurant. First-round pick Ben Grubbs and Iowa’s Marshal Yanda were the first two to grace the stage, discussing college rivalries and their draft day memories. Big Ben even sang the "War Eagle" fight song from Auburn. Next up were Yamon Figurs and Le’ron McClain, who drove over from Owings Mills together. Figurs — my favorite Raven for 2007, because he smiles a lot — discussed his first-ever flight into Kansas from his home state of Florida, and McClain spoke of the joys of Bear Bryant and Alabama football. Finally, Antwan Barnes and Prescott Burgess worked the room, with Barnes giving a blow by blow (or maybe a laugh by laugh) of Florida International’s brawl with Miami as well as humming the Michigan fight song. Quarterback Troy Smith was slated to attend, but had a family travel complication last night and text along his condolences and said he’d certainly get out to see the WNST.net fans this fall when we start up our full slate of Monday Night Live shows. All told, a super June night in

Five losses in a row..

Nestor Aparicio

When the Orioles go to the West Coast and play night games, it’s almost like the losses don’t count. Most people don’t watch the games, and if they’re like me, can only hang until the 5th inning at best. So, another night, another loss I didn’t see (they were up 3-0′ when I fell asleep) and another bullpen meltdown that will get blamed on Sam Perlozzo, who hasn’t thrown a pitch! Thank god for the Comcast DVR! I’ve said it many times: the uniform debate is the LEAST of their problems! Many people have written me regarding Free The Birds and whether there will be a "Free-Pete" of last September. I’m currently soliciting emails from anyone who wishes to join WNST on another march on The Warehouse. We gotta get this team back, before it’s too late. Every summer, it seems like the team slips further and further from the public consciousness and baseball becomes more and more insignificant in Baltimore. It’s especially painful this summer, with all the memories of Cal Ripken and the "real" Orioles being unearthed. Just thinking about the "glory" years only illuminates how cruddy this ownership group is and how far the product and the

Five veterans leave The Sun sports department..

Nestor Aparicio

The Baltimore Sun‘s latest buyout has found five more veteran Calvert Street "lifers" in the sports department on the outside looking in — by choice. Our sources tell us that John Eisenberg, Paul McMullen, Kent Baker, Gary Lambrecht and desk editor Mike Reeb have all elected to leave The Sun, effective yesterday. All of it came down very quickly, but there’s WELL over a century of Baltimore sports journalism walking off the plank on Calvert Street. I left the paper 15 years ago. All of these good guys were my colleagues, even back then! Eisenberg, the best sportswriter in Baltimore and it isn’t even CLOSE, will remain here and continue to write books and watch his son play ball. McMullen is a true local guy, a real Baltimorean who loves sports — especially the local colleges and high schools. I have a feeling Mac will pop up somewhere. Baker is the true sportswriter’s sportwriter — he’s covered EVERYTHING is this city over the years and "Knobby" always had a smile. Lambrecht and I have roots to Dundalk from almost 25 years ago. He was always around the Ravens in their early years, when they lost every week. We always had

If you LOVE Earl Weaver..

Nestor Aparicio

My man Suchy hit one of the greatest nerve centers in my condo on any given night… EARL WEAVER! My wife and I like to laugh — we have a helluva sense of humor — and when we wanna laugh (REALLY laugh), we don’t turn to Comedy Central or any comedian for entertainment. (Sometimes, we find any number of programming decisions on MASN to be laughable, but that’s another story altogether…) All you need is THIS LINK and you’ll will be entertained for three minutes and eight seconds. Honestly, it MIGHT be the greatest 3:08 EVER captured! This is STRICTLY an R-rated performance…Earl Weaver at his salty best, circa 1980-81 at first base at Memorial Stadium…it is VERY well recorded! There are MANY classics with Earl — as Mark Suchy pointed out — but this is the cream of the crop! Turn the sound up, enjoy and sending me an email when you stop laughing your ass off!!!

Why MASN sucks..

Nestor Aparicio

So, I’ve been back from my trip to the West Coast for all of 15 minutes. The Orioles, alas, are in SECOND PLACE…SOLE POSSESSION of second place! (I won’t bring up the actual records or the distance between them and the Red Sox — in terms of management, standings or otherwise — lest I be accused of being an "Oriole hater.") So, I put the game on (Channel 17, Comcast, "Tonight in Washington" was omitted on CSPAN2 in order to accommodate us O’s fans in tough times) in midst of the sixth inning rally. It was 3-2 when I turned it on and the Orioles were turning on the juice on Jorge De La Rosa and Jimmy Gobble. Melvin Mora — with NO ONE OUT — busted a move toward home plate on an errant throw to the third baseman after a Ramon Hernandez single into left field. Initially, Mora waltzed into third base, but upon seeing the errant relay, broke for the plate. The truth: he would have been out by three feet had the Royals’ catcher John Buck held onto the ball. Instead, the ball was bobbled ever-so-slightly, and Mora was immediately ruled safe. So, what does MASN

Greetings from Vancouver..

Nestor Aparicio

So I am wrapping up a "working/fun" weekend vacation in Seattle and Vancouver with my wife. (I brought her here as a birthday gift!) The real reason we came this way was to see The Police play their first concert in 21 years, and we did that last night at the G.M. Place, the fancy, new-ish arena downtown here in Vancouver (it’s where the NHL Canucks play!) In the midst of this bizarre trip to two remote cities, we’ve come to realize what a grip hockey has on the entire country of Canada, even here in Vancouver, where their team was eliminated two rounds ago. Tonight is a big deal in Canada, because Game 1 of the Stanley Cup between Anaheim and Ottawa is being played. We’re going to this happening sports bar/club to take in the excitement and can already anticipate quite a scene. What I can tell you is this: we got here on Saturday (a day early, long story…) but found out that a hockey tournament was being held here. It’s the Memorial Cup for the championship of the Canadian Junior Leagues. If you’re not a hockey fan, you probably wouldn’t understand Canadian Junior Hockey (I’ve been

Here’s one for the ‘Reading’ Room..

Nestor Aparicio

I’m up and having coffee and saw this great piece on espn.com about coaches and their "real" lives and families. Obviously, there have been a number of NFL coaches who have had troubled children. This piece, which starts with many observations from Brian Billick, is a must-read for any NFL fan.

The dreaded, sappy NHL airplane blog..

Nestor Aparicio

So, I’m on an airplane, reading USA Today and trying to kill time on my long flight. Up pops a story on Page 3 about Bryan Murray, who was the first big-league coach I ever covered as a media member. The story was SOOOO good…you MUST read it. It’s not about hockey as much as it is about integrity, honesty and hard work — all of my favorite things about sports and really one of the things that I loved about being around hockey. It wasn’t a "pretend" universe, like baseball. Most of the people I’ve met through the NHL over the years have been really normal, nice, mostly well-adjusted people. They certainly never acted like I was doing them a favor to be sharing the same oxygen, the way some in baseball seem to see the world. The silver-haired Bryan Murray — at 64 years of age and after 17 years of head coaching and two major stints as an NHL GM — is four wins away from achieving his lifetime goal of winning a Stanley Cup as a head coach. He is a hockey lifer and I’m pulling very hard for him and his family to win. Bryan

Boston invades Baltimore…

Nestor Aparicio

I am on the streets in downtown Baltimore shooting video of the Boston takeover this weekend. If you ARE an

Bryant Gumbel STILL sucks…

Nestor Aparicio

And other random thoughts… * How can ANYONE…and I mean ANYONE…possibly think Bryant Gumbel should be doing network-level NFL play

I asked…and I received…

Nestor Aparicio

Just a quick to note to bring everyone up to speed on FREE THE BIRDS 2 efforts… I’ve received nearly

FREE THE BIRDS 2

Nestor Aparicio

Dear BALTIMORE Orioles fan: The time for FREE THE BIRDS 2 has come… Over the last 10 months, I have

Nestor is still alive…

Nestor Aparicio

Just wanted to drop a "howdy" note to everyone in WNST land. Between our blogs being down, growing the company,

No wonder Bedard hates everyone

Nestor Aparicio

Right now, there are gigantic fireworks going off over Camden Yards. Literally…it was fireworks night! But the only fireworks right

Fan Mail..

Nestor Aparicio

I just got home from a day of running around Baltimore to open some email… The first one is posted

Five losses in a row..

Nestor Aparicio

When the Orioles go to the West Coast and play night games, it’s almost like the losses don’t count. Most

If you LOVE Earl Weaver..

Nestor Aparicio

My man Suchy hit one of the greatest nerve centers in my condo on any given night… EARL WEAVER! My

Why MASN sucks..

Nestor Aparicio

So, I’ve been back from my trip to the West Coast for all of 15 minutes. The Orioles, alas, are

Greetings from Vancouver..

Nestor Aparicio

So I am wrapping up a "working/fun" weekend vacation in Seattle and Vancouver with my wife. (I brought her here

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