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Nestor Aparicio

A plea from Mt. St. Joe for Jim Schwartz

Nestor Aparicio

I don’t post all of the email I get — I think most people are catching on to the comments section of our blogs, and our FORUMS ARE OPEN above — just register and start writing your heart out! We have a self-service website. You can write as much as you like, anytime you want and everyone can respond accordingly, and hopefully, with some respect and dignity. But I did get an interesting email today and I’ll post it here with Steve’s permission… The Baltimore Ravens are interviewing their second round of head coaching possibilities this week and it has been leaked that Jason Garrett and John Harbaugh are the team’s #1 and #2 choice to replace previous head coach Brian Billick.   The team believes these two gentlemen are prime candidates, but for some reason they have left out a person from the pool of even first round candidates that has more experience than both Garrett and Harbaugh…Jim Schwartz.   Since Jason Garrett is the Raven’s #1 choice, he will be the person in comparison to Jim.   Jim Schwartz is the same age as Jason Garrett, 41, both being born in 1966.  Jim graduated from Mt. St. Joe

The situation room: Jason Garrett and Steve Bisciotti

Nestor Aparicio

So, today the Ravens might have a new coach, and as we’ve seen over the past 72 hours,  maybe they WON’T. Predictions are out this window at this point, and there are as many “scenarios” as there are coaching candidates. Below I will try to give you the flavor of what I’ve been sifting through as a 24-year journalist over the past few days. (I’ve gone old school here, calling upon every resource I have in the league trying to figure out what’s happening here!) Everyone in the league is buzzing about all of the changes on the coaching carousel and the six days off between games in mid-January usually lend themselves to the rumorama that comes with owners, coaches, agents and executives all jockeying for seats in the boardrooms of 32 NFL teams. Incidentally, almost unanimously my sources say that the stunt that Garrett pulled on Tuesday was very against the “etiquette” of how these job situations are handled. The whole notion of a “second interview” means that you’re coming to take the job. No doubt, Bisciotti talked money with Garrett’s team before he got on the plane Monday night. Garrett, and his slippery agent David Dunn, apparently didn’t

Wanted: An NFL Head Coach

Nestor Aparicio

OK, so this one is making the rounds on the internet. I haven’t seen it posted anywhere, but it’s quite funny (and I usually don’t find these things funny enough to post). Ask around, I have a lame sense of humor. But it’s kinda hard for me to argue with this particular pundit’s product. It’s closer to reality than fiction. Some people have too much time on their hands. I have a gift certficate to a local sponsor for $100 if you can prove to me that YOU are the author! But anyway, here it is: Any comments below are welcomed…and by all means, if YOU’RE this clever and creative, I wanna hear from you. I’d love for you to contribute to WNST!

Jason Garrett is gone…so now what?

Nestor Aparicio

Jason Garrett escaped the Bellagio about 20 minutes ago. He’s no doubt headed to Atlanta, the next stop in the “driving the stakes” up game, which is no doubt being orchestrated by agent David Dunn. Now, the only question is: Will Steve Bisciotti blink? We don’t know whether it’s the cash, the years, the power, the job, the wife, the family, the Cowboys, Jerry Jones — but for whatever reason, Jason Garrett left Baltimore today without becoming the Ravens’ head coach. It appears as though John Harbaugh is “next man up.” My sources (and I DON’T mean those in Owings Mills), who’ve been calling me all day in one capacity or another, tell me Harbaugh is gonna be a better head coach than Garrett. I’ve had three people tell me that today, all NFL insiders who know all of the interested parties. Special teams coaches have turned into Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer, etc…you’ll hear all the names if they hire Harbaugh. But it’s going to be hard to explain to Ravens fans why they wound up with a special teams coach with a year on the defensive side instead of a decorated offensive guy. Rex Ryan, Marvin Lewis and Jim

Cam Cameron to the right, Dom Capers to the left

Nestor Aparicio

Reports have begun to circulate that if Jason Garrett accepts Steve Bisciotti’s offer to become head coach, he plans to bring deposed Miami head coach Cam Cameron and twice deposed NFL head coach Dom Capers to Baltimore with him as coordinators. Many outlets are reporting that Rex Ryan is the leading candidate in Atlanta as well. If Garrett never leaves for Atlanta and Jim Caldwell doesn’t leave Indianapolis (and it looks like Tony Dungy is departing there soon, if not by Monday), it would leave the Falcons job for Ryan if Atlanta was truly down to the reported “Final 3.” So, the drama continues. And if the Ravens are “trapping” Garrett in Owings Mills (as one media outlet indicated) — one way to make sure he’s staying for the day is to take his wife out on the town for four hours — it’ll be interesting to see if Jerry Jones gets that “final call” from Garrett before he inks with Bisciotti. Word is, the Ravens might be making it difficult for Garrett to leave the building, which is a strategy onto itself. Every story on the web sings Jones’ love for Garrett. And Troy Aikman loves him, too. And

Brill Garrett

Nestor Aparicio

Because the wife of the guy who isn’t yet coach has become a topic for our blogosphere today — you KNOW it’s a SLOW day at the stakeout — I found a few pictures of Brill Garrett. Hope she’s enjoying Baltimore, as Drew suggests, and I hope they hire SOMEONE really soon… The suspense is killing us and we’re so bored we’re surfing the ‘net for stupid stuff…       These photos are from 1998:      

The waiting is the hardest part…

Nestor Aparicio

We, at WNST, are very pragmatic about the journalism being employed today. Either Jason Garrett IS the coach of the Ravens, or he’s NOT. It’s like being pregnant. You are or aren’t. Right now, he’s not. Not yet, anyway. Comcast Sports Net says he IS. And while ESPN reports that he’s “been offered the job” with a report that no doubt came from Jerry Jones’ camp and/or the Garrett-led negotiation team of David Dunn. Meanwhile, ProFootballTalk is reporting that it “isn’t even close.” Who to believe? We will not be the media organization that reports something false first. We’d rather be second and accurate than first and wrong. We saw what happened with Orioleshangout last week in their phantom reporting of the Brian Roberts trade. When the deal is signed, we’ll bring it to you. And you’ll get it on the text service first. Just click here to join! It takes about 20 seconds to join, it’s free and it REALLY works. Just ask around town…it’s the best service we provide for our company and it’s REALLY COOL! Sign up, and the instant it’s confirmed, your phone will come to life. The 21st century is cool like that! Today’s signing

Wanna know why baseball is screwed up?

Nestor Aparicio

Just put on your television today and watch it in living, breathing color. Right now, as the stakeout in Owings Mills continues, I’m watching Donald Fehr and Bud Selig twist and turn and sliver and “bend” the facts while under oath in front of Congress in Washington, D.C. Watching these guys squirm and make excuses outta be on pay per view. Now, they’re gonna drag Miguel Tejada back for perjury investigation. Oh, and Peter Angelos is in the room as well, there to support Bud Selig. What a mess…    

Rex Ryan and the plane to Atlanta

Nestor Aparicio

While Jason Garrett tours the Bellagio with his wife this morning, the plane awaits him at BWI for a scheduled meeting in Atlanta. As we approach noon, you have to believe that he’s not conducting any business in Georgia until much later in the day, if at all. Turns out Rex Ryan was in Atlanta last night and this morning, meeting with new Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. Word out of Atlanta is that Garrett was supposed to come there today, and Colts assistant Jim Caldwell would be there tomorrow. It’s starting to look like Ryan is moving to the front of the line for the Falcons job, which would allow Garrett to not have to answer the hard question from the Ravens: “Any interest in keeping Rex Ryan here?” It would be a perfect ending for all parties concerned if Garrett gets named head coach today, and Ryan winds up in Atlanta by Thursday. A nice, neat, happy ending. But if Caldwell winds up in Atlanta, it’ll be very interesting to see what happens with Ryan and his staff. The Ravens can still keep all of them because they are under contract for another year and have not been

Jason Garrett is STILL in Owings Mills…

Nestor Aparicio

Through our ground troops in Owings Mills (that’s Casey Willett), we have confirmed that Jason Garrett is STILL in Baltimore and still inside The Bellagio. We do not know the travel arrangements that were made for him to get to Atlanta or when he was scheduled to leave (most of the time, they do NOT fly commercially to job interviews…it’s usually a private lear jet). But we have confirmed that as of 10 a.m., he’s still in Owings Mills. A good sign, if you’re a fan of the team hiring Jason Garrett to be their third head coach. (By the way, I’ve been doing my own research on Jasn Garrett all morning and the reports are mixed. Everyone says he’s a great guy, very bright and knows football as well as anyone. The jury is out on whether he is a “leader of men.” That only comes with experience, and that he does NOT have. Bisciotti will be taking an extreme “leap of faith” with this one.) Casey Willett is in the building (as part of the stakeout). We’ll both be keeping you in the loop all day. Feel free to keep checking into WNST.net and if you join our

Where is Jason Garrett?

Nestor Aparicio

It’s not even 8 a.m. and the rumors are already swirling… “Jason Garrett is on a plane for Atlanta…” “He and his wife are downtown…” “They are in Owings Mills with Steve Bisciotti readying for an afternoon press conference…” Who the heck KNOWS what to believe? We know he arrived last night. We know the Ravens have pretty strong intentions of never letting him get on a plane to Atlanta this morning. And we know he’s a strong enough candidate that at some point in the next 48 hours he’s gonna be a head coach somewhere. A few people have asked what I know about him. I do not know Jason Garrett at all. I know a lot of people who DO know Jason Garrett and all of the reports are positive. He’s a classy, well-thought-of guy in NFL circles. I actually remembered last night that I met him one time. I was in Austin, Tex. in 2003 at a Bruce Springsteen concert with Brian Baldinger and Curt Menafee, and Garrett was with Troy Aikman at the hotel after the concert. I was there visiting Nils Lofgren and they were holding court in the lobby of the hotel. I shook

Garrett is in Baltimore tonight…

Nestor Aparicio

WNST has learned that potential future Ravens head coach Jason Garrett is in Baltimore tonight, along with his wife Brill. It is NOT at all unusual for the candidate to bring his wife along for a final interview and potential signing. Brian Billick brought his wife Kim for his first visit, and dined at a downtown steak house. The next morning, almost nine years ago to the day, Art and David Modell had hired the only coach that would bring their franchise a Super Bowl title. So, is it a done deal? Not JUST yet…but they’re doing the mating dance that usually indicates that Garrett will be the Ravens next head coach. Do the math: the Ravens went four days without activity and the instant Garrett ‘s team was eliminated he’s on a plane for Baltimore. It sure doesn’t appear as though the Ravens are waiting on Marty Schottenheimer, as some reports indicated today. Keep in mind, all reports indicate that Atlanta is next on the Garrett East Coast Family Tour. In NFL circles, this is usually the deal: The first choice gets the first stop with the bargaining chip being simple: “Sign me or I’ll get on the plane

Expect major movement on Ravens coaching search

Nestor Aparicio

Four more teams eliminated, four more sets of coaches for the Ravens to sift through before finding their next field general. The Dallas Cowboys’ surprise elimination will be sure to affect the Ravens search on a few levels in the next 24 hours. First, they’ve interviewed two of Jerry Jones’ guys (as well as guys like John Harbaugh, Brian Schottenheimer and Rex Ryan…and didn’t hire any of them), so it stands to reason that the Cowboys’ elimination held some deeper meaning inside the Bellagio. (But so could the Giants and Chargers’ staying in the hunt, if they have coaches whom the Ravens covet.) In the next few hours, we’ll probably find out what’s happening. If Jason Garrett is indeed the “clubhouse leader” — and there’s no reason to believe he’s NOT — then Jerry Jones’ next step would be to either promote Garrett to assistant head coach and talk him into staying as a “No. 2 in training” with a few million dollars until “Wade Phillips is done” OR fire Phillips today and name Garrett head coach OR allow his young “protege” to walk away. And that could to be Baltimore, Miami, Atlanta, Washington — or maybe even Indianapolis and/or

Am I the only one?

Nestor Aparicio

The Ravens coaching search has cooled significantly over the past four days after a week of a flurry of actvity. So, now after the wait, we’ve had the weekend to watch football, root hard for the “adopted” teams of our choice and watch as candidate after candidate to be our next leader shows up in our living rooms. Am I the only one who EVERY time I see Jason Garrett, I wonder: “Hmmm…Is THAT the guy they’re gonna pick?” I can’t be the only one who was thinking that earlier today with Jim Caldwell, or even now when I see Steve Spagnuolo and Tony Sparano. Even Jim Mora Jr.’s face yesterday gave me a thought to wonder “What if?”. And in the next 48 hours, Mike Holmgren could be leaving Seattle and Tony Dungy could be waving goodbye to Indianapolis. Congrats to Norv Turner’s bunch in San Diego. Beating the Colts on the road is impressive enough, but doing it crunch time without Phillip Rivers AND LaDanian Tomlinson? WOW! This whole exercise feels kinda futile, after you watch how Tom Brady manuevered that offense last night.    

Come out to Piv’s today…and other stuff

Nestor Aparicio

Just prepping for the pair of games today — we’ll be at Piv’s from 1 til ? doing a fun Corona promotion. Come out, wear a little purple, watch a little football, drink some $2 Coronas. I’m happy because it’s getting my lazy ass off the couch. I gotta tell ya, I thought LAST YEAR’S way of watching the playoffs was a lot more fun. I got a sick reminder yesterday when my wife and I did the obligatory “putting away of the holiday crap” in our storage area. And there, lying right in the front part of the unit was a BIG box full of 12 strands of purple rope lights that we bought on line exactly 56 weeks ago. These are the giant 20-footers that you can wrap around windows. Well, when the Ravens hit the 10-and-whatever mark, we got on line and found a discounter selling purple rope lights for like $10 a throw. We bought a case of them, wrapped our place so it looked like Greg Brady’s bedroom in the Johnny Bravo episode. (For the ladies, the glow would be more of a “lavender” — not quite like the club level at the purple palace.)

Terps reach the halfway mark…Steve Hennessey checks in from Garyland

Nestor Aparicio

Because my man Steve Hennessey couldn’t get HIS blog up, I’ll post it for him. Steve has been WNST’s main salesguy since the beginning (or even before that!). We call him the Vice President of all Things Terps at WNST. He’s a Terrapin Clubber from way back and has been known to yell “Carolina ref!” at the drop of a charging foul. He misses Cole Field House, too! (I added that part!) His report is below…his words, not mine… I’m just hooking a brotha’ up… “Terps reach the half-way mark” By Steve Hennessey With their non-conference schedule in the books, the (10-6, 0-1 ACC) Terps men’s basketball season have reached the half-way point…16 games down, 15 ACC league games to go. So, how do the Terps look at the mid-year? Fairly average… Maryland got off to a decent start with a 4-0 record, only to lose both games (by double digits) in the CBC Classic in Kansas City in early November. They bounced back with a gritty win at home vs. Illinois in the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge (has the Big 10 Ever been remotely competitive in this event?) which featured some inspired play by freshman center Braxton Dupree

Terrell Suggs tells Phoenix station he wants to be a Cardinal

Nestor Aparicio

While you were sleeping, Terrell Suggs began attempting to pave his road out of Baltimore. As first reported here in Baltimore on Glenn Clark’s “Crabs and Beer,”  Suggs told a Phoenix radio station that he wants to play for the Arizona Cardinals. Here is the link to the story from the East Valley Tribune… The Ravens plan to use the franchise tag on Suggs, if necessary, to keep him in purple. The Cardinals, meanwhile, apparently have no interest in “big ticket” free agents this offseason. It was a bizarre thing for Suggs to say, even if he did spend the first 20 years of his life in the Valley of the Sun. It’ll be interesting to see how the new coaching staff handles these offseason situations. Too many microphones, too little common sense. A shame, really…        

Maybe Aubrey Huff rubbed it too much?

Nestor Aparicio

Am I the only one in this city who is still outraged by Aubrey Huff’s comments about Baltimore? And outraged that spring training is five weeks away and that they’re planning on bringing this loser back here to play baseball again this summer? Some poor female broadcaster makes a foolish faux paus this week with the Tiger Woods’ “lynching” comment. Woods said it was no big deal. His agent called it a non-story. Now, her career looks wrecked. A shame… Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles’ $8 million a year first baseman has called our city a “horses**t” town and we’re going to welcome him back with open arms and a full paycheck on Opening Day? Rest assured, those of us who are still outraged won’t be allowing that to happen. Meanwhile, The Sun’s Dan Connolly wrote one of the funniest lines in recent Baltimore journalism history this morning:   “Club officials knew that Huff had felt discomfort in his groin during offseason workouts but hoped he would be able to avoid surgery.”   Maybe he rubbed it too much during those long afternoons of hangovers in those $300 a night hotels with the Spice Channel. Or maybe he has too much

And on the Ninth Day, the Ravens finally rested…

Nestor Aparicio

It’s now been 10 mornings since the firing of Brian Billick. While the fans on the outside have been hitting refresh on their browsers awaiting word of the next candidate (or in my case some actual honest information about what this process entails), the powers that be inside The Bellagio have been working nonstop trying to find the next coach of the Baltimore Ravens. For virtually everyone in the room, it is a daunting task, no doubt filled with questions, answers, background checks and a series of possibilities for assistant coaches that must look like some crazy algorithm. If they bring in more candidates next week – and the word from the inside is that there are STILL more candidates who will be brought in from current playoff teams – they might need to tear down the draft war room from last April and erect a coaching war room. So many names. So many possibilities. And the worst part? No true consensus forming just yet. “If we hire this guy, who could he bring with him for the staff?” “What are the strengths, what are the weaknesses of each candidate?” “What exactly are we looking for and what do we

Handicapping the Ravens’ job search is impossible…but we’ll try!

Nestor Aparicio

Everywhere I go, and with every email I open, people are all asking the same question: Who is going to be the next coach of the Ravens? As was borne out last Monday morning, it’s all but impossible to obtain accurate and reliable information from the Ravens at this point, because it feels like the last 10 days of the job search have been an “hour by hour” situation. It’s weird after almost 13 years to think that the Ravens are flying by the seat of their pants, but it sure looks that way. I’ll go through the skinny on the candidates below, but here’s an overview of what I know and/or believe. A few things that have been made clear to me: 1.    No one in the organization had any clue that Brian Billick was in trouble, because there was zero manpower put into even making a short list of candidates before the “wildcat” firing. The franchise was woefully unprepared to begin the monumental task of finding a coach on such short notice. The committee (believed to include Steve Bisciotti, Dick Cass, Ozzie Newsome, Kevin Byrne, Eric Decosta, George Kokinis and Pat Moriarty) has been doing background checks on

Joe Gibbs’ resignation will change the NFL job pool

Nestor Aparicio

The story is only a few minutes old, but the resignation of Joe Gibbs in Washington is sure to affect the coaching pool for potential head coaching and assistant coaching candidates throughout the league. Who knows what Danny Snyder thinks of Gregg Williams? Who knows what direction he’ll go in now that his “savior” failed to win a playoff game in his return to the nation’s capital. (CORRECTION BELOW…Gibbs did win one playoff game in Tampa Bay…the author stands corrected)… It was very apparent that whatever Joe Gibbs would be in his second term, it most surely to be a “short term” arrangement. Gibbs wasn’t going to the be the Redskins coach for a decade the second time around. This morning’s announcement can’t REALLY be a surprise to anyone in the league. So, for Rex Ryan, Bill Cowher, Marty Schottenheimer (who almost got the job the last time), and any other prime candidate, there appears to be one more stop for the coaching carousel — Raljon. It only happened 10 minutes ago — so the fallout is far from being predictable at this point — but it does change the status of the coaching arrangements in the league now that

Could the Schwartz be with us?

Nestor Aparicio

So, today was Brian Schottenheimer’s turn in Owings Mills. The speculation is juicy, isn’t it. Marty Ball could come here with Cam Cameron running the offense (and neither has an interview scheduled). Or Marty’s son could be hired as the head coach. And the revolving door of candidates continues. Tomorrow, it’s Philadelphia assistant John Harbaugh’s turn. And in the latest turn, apparently our own resident WNST football defensive guru, Tennessee Titans’ defensive coordinator and Arbutus native Jim Schwartz, will get his time with the Ravens’ management council according to The Sun and the NFL Network’s Adam Schefter. (I spoke to Schwartz at 8:35 p.m. tonight and he said the reports of an imminent visit were news to him. But he said all of his relatives have been calling all night after reading the reports and he said he’d be very prepared if he does visit Baltimore. This time last night he was on a plane leaving San Diego with his season coming to a crushing end after his defense played well for the first half against the Chargers.) Schwartz was an original Mean Machine Ravens assistant, coming “off the boat” with most of Bill Belichick’s staff in 1996 when Art

Chudzinski the latest to pass on Ravens job…

Nestor Aparicio

Earlier today, The Sun reported that Cleveland offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski signed a contract extension and will remain with the Browns. He has cancelled his appointment to meet with Steve Bisciotti and the Ravens today for the head coaching job. The media situation in Cleveland is strange today, with most of the state being at tonight’s national championship game covering Ohio State (they’re still the biggest deal in the state of Ohio, really.) Meanwhile, Terry Pluto wrote a great piece on Chudzinski and his situation in this morning’s Cleveland Plain Dealer. As Brian Billick would say: “Next man up!”    

Next up for questioning: BRIAN Schottenheimer

Nestor Aparicio

As has been reported everywhere in the known universe, deposed and holding defensive coordinator Rex Ryan got his chance to come back into the Bellagio today as a potential head coach for the Ravens. So far, mum’s the word. One interesting thing that has leaked today is that the Ravens are finally submitting to an interview of a Schottenheimer. But, suprisingly enough, it’s NOT Marty! It’s his 34-year old son, Brian. The Associated Press is reporting that New York Jets offensive coordinator and five-franchise veteran Brian Schottenheimer will get a look this week by the Ravens’ search committee. The Ravens have also denied breaking any rules in regard to yesterday’s interview of Dallas assistant coach Tony Sparano. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen dropped a reference on today’s pre-game show to Miami alleging that the Ravens had an unfair recruiting advantage by inviting Sparano to their Owings Mills campus. It’s gonna be a firestorm until Steve Bisciotti finds his coach. We promise to keep you in the loop here at WNST. You can also join our text service and you’ll know the instant that we obtain any exclusive information or breaking news.      

Dallas newspaper reports Garrett’s ties to Baltimore

Nestor Aparicio

How better to celebrate a day when both the Redskins and Steelers get eliminated than by surfing the internet amidst our own Ravens’ coaching change? This is a new experience for me. The last time the Ravens changed coaches, the internet wasn’t really at a stage where you could follow long-distance developments on an hourly basis. Because, like you, I love the Ravens too, we’re going to link you in with everything reputable that there is to read here on WNST.net. Here’s a nugget I dug up from the Dallas Morning News. According to Todd Archer’s piece on Friday night, “(Jason) Garrett has a close connection to the Ravens. Baltimore’s vice president of football administration, Pat Moriarty, was a running back for Garrett’s dad, Jim, in Cleveland in 1979 and would work out at the Garretts’ house.” Every coach in the league has some ancillary connection to someone in Owings Mills. The league tends to be incestuous in that way. But it is nontheless and interesting, and perhaps, relevant tidbit. BTW: Somehow it’s not the same watching Mike Tomlin lose as it was Bill Cowher.  I honestly hate Pittsburgh a little less now that Cowher’s gone.  The Redskins, however, are

Philly newspaper stokes Billick to Eagles rumor

Nestor Aparicio

These days, many deposed coaches with money left on their old contracts go to the next town to become a “consultant” to help a head coach. That’s what Jim Fassel was to Brian Billick, initially. As was Vic Fangio when he first came to Baltimore. It happens all the time. Again, I have not chatted with Brian Billick so I have NO IDEA what his post-Ravens intentions might be.  But, Paul Domowitch of the Philly Daily News speculates here and drums up the Billick to Filthy rumors. Give Casey props on this one…he’s digging the net like a mine!    

Bride…or bridesmaids in Owings Mills?

Nestor Aparicio

The very tight-lipped Ravens front office search committee began their interviewing process Friday with an interrogation of Colts assistant head coach and QB coach Jim Caldwell. I guess if you want to know about offense, starting with the guy who spends eight hours a day with Peyton Manning isn’t a bad place to start. Today, they’ll hang with “F.O.T” — Friends of Tony — Romo, that is. A pair of Dallas Cowboys assistants – offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and assistant head coach for their offensive line, Tony Sparano, are next up in Dallas as they prepare for their playoff game next weekend. Next week, Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski will take a turn and I’m hearing whispers about Philadelphia secondary coach John Harbaugh, brother of former Ravens QB and Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh. But just whispers… Now that Bill Cowher, Josh McDaniels and Kirk Ferentz have essentially eliminated themselves from the search, I’d have to think that Steve Bisciotti might at least be having a momentary pause at just how popular the Ravens head coaching job is in coaching circles, especially when the general manager and head coach and entire football operations staff got overruled or fired on New Year’s

So, what’s the temperature in Owings Mills?

Nestor Aparicio

I’m going to cover a few items that have been in hot debate on the comments of our WNST blogs over the past 48 hours (in no particular order). This is a long blog, there’s been lots to hear and say on these issues. Some think I’ve been particularly hard on Steve Bisciotti over the past 24 hours. I have! He deserves it. And even though you think I won’t, I will tell him when I see him. And he knows I will. I want to clarify my position (although some folks use the anonymity of the internet to twist the words I actually write…cracks me up! What I REALLY write is listed up here at the top. I make a point to be clear and write in the King’s English. Read it, digest it, and try comment on what I actually WRITE, not what you fabricate.). But I digress… I like Steve Bisciotti. I hold him in very high regard. I thought Monday’s handling of the firing of Brian Billick was bush league. He has his reasons, which he declined to share. I just know what I saw and I’ve been doing this for 25 years and Monday was

I know you think hockey sucks…

Nestor Aparicio

But there’s no WAY you can be watching this blizzard game in Buffalo and NOT think this is cool. I can’t tell you how close my hockey friends and I came to actually flying to Buffalo this morning to go to this game. Had it not been New Year’s Day, we really might’ve done it. I can tell you this: we’re sitting here eating lunch and bumming that we DIDN’T go now that we see how much fun it looks like…at least for the first period before we started to freeze for a game we didn’t care about! The HD cameras bring it life, trying to track the puck is crazy, the blizzard going on, the kids playing on the "pond" next the rink…the stadium chock full of crazy Buffaloanians…it just looks like something you’d wanna say you were there for. Of course, if we were there we wouldn’t get to see so many interviews between Sydney Crosby and Darren Pang, where it feels like every other word accentuates their wacky Canadian accents. After all, it’s an OAT-door game… It’s weird, because I just sat in the upper deck of that stadium a few weeks ago shooting videos for wnsTV

David Modell’s original Profile for a Ravens head coach

Nestor Aparicio

So, because at heart, I’m the world’s biggest Ravens geek, I have a library full of stuff to break at out key times like this. Here’s one: David Modell’s original profile list from Dec. 1998 for what he was looking for in a head coach for the Ravens. I’m breaking this out SOLELY to illustrate what might be going with the Ravens brass as they seek a new head coach. It’s also a review of the last time the Ravens sought a head coach. And, remember Modell’s his prime candidates: Jim Haslett, Sherm Lewis, Emmitt Thomas, Chris Palmer and Terry Donahue (whom his father, Art, was DYING to hire). The other was a guy named Brian Billick. The best "candidates" for the job were two Super Bowl champion coaches: George Seifert and Mike Holmgren, both of whom wanted money and/or power that David Modell couldn’t afford them. Hard to remember this time frame, but before Billick came along, the Ravens’ job was a wasteland for NFL coaches. The Ravens and Modell were a virtual laughingstock. It was not considered a "prime" place for a prime coach. It was a "bottom end" job in the NFL, which is why Seifert and

The honeymoon ends for Steve Bisciotti

Nestor Aparicio

As you can well imagine, the mind is racing on this New Year’s Eve. I’ve got a million thoughts, none of them tremendously positive for the Ravens. And, for all of you who have read my blogs or Moons over the years who really think I’ve been “easy” on the Ravens, this blog’s for you. What I saw yesterday was the absolute worst-case scenario, something I prayed as a fan and business owner and media member I thought I’d never see. It was a random act of ruthless management by Bisciotti, leaving everyone shaking their heads in Owings Mills. And it had EVERY single earmark of a thrown-together P.R. disaster, a red-alert crisis management situation for the most public business and the most public figure in the city. Billick has yet to speak, but I gotta wonder what he’s thinking tonight as he watches the fireworks on TV on this New Year’s Eve. He went to work this morning, given EVERY assurance that his job was safe, his coaches and their families’ lives were in order, and everything was status quo. He was putting together an annual review and had meetings set up for noon. At 11 a.m. Steve Bisciotti,

Bisciotti UPDATED press conference notes HERE…

Nestor Aparicio

Steve Bisciotti is ashed-faced, discussing the firing of Brian Billick. He has stopped several times with a lump in his throat. Bisciotti said that he wouldn’t address specific issues regarding to the firing of Brian Billick. He went on, when pressed, to finally admit that it was "a gut feel" sorta thing. Ozzie Newsome and Dick Cass both joined him at the podium. Both said they were instrumental in Billick’s firing. Bisciotti said in the four years he’s owned the team, the team has made the playoffs just once and he felt it was heading in the wrong direction. Newsome looks quite uncomfortable. Ravens VP Kevin Byrne, who blogged on the official website three days ago that Brian Billick would NOT be fired, looks absolutely pale. Byrne met with Steve Bisciotti to discuss the Wednesday "I’m keeping Brian Billick" press conference late last week. The press conference was short, succinct and downright macabre. It was basically a dog and pony show that didn’t offer a lot, in real terms. And the media was limited to about 12 questions, one per person, really. Bisciotti must’ve learned something from watching the Orioles and their lack of ownership at press conferences. He CLEARLY

A future Hall of Fame coach coming?

Nestor Aparicio

Word now outta the Ravens locker room is that Steve Bisciotti announced to the players that Brian Billick was fired and that a "future" Hall of Fame coach would be coming to take over the team. Again, ANYTHING we hear at this point is grist for the rumor mill, but wouldn’t that be Marty Schottenheimer or Bill Cowher? I doubt that it’s Marv Levy…or is he already in the Hall of Fame? Gotta keep your sense of humor with this stuff…

WOW…

Nestor Aparicio

I’ve covered the team for 12 years and, just when you think you’ve seen it all, THIS happens. In 12 years, I’ve NEVER been lied to or led astray — NEVER — by anyone in the building in Owings Mills! (That’s what I’ve come to expect from the Orioles, not the Ravens!) Not one coach or player or front office person has EVER been dishonest with me, so obviously, it’s easy to buy into the credibility of all of your sources. Especially, when they’re all saying the same thing: Billick is the safest guy in the building. I’m floored, shocked beyond belief actually — but not TOTALLY baffled by it. * The team was 5-11. * Billick clearly had issues with some of the players, including Ray Lewis, who ultimately has won the war. *  The loudest fans were screaming at the top of their lungs to get rid of Billick, but that ALWAYS happens when a team is 5-11. (I gotta think Mike Preston is the happiest man on the face of the earth. It’ll be his best New Year’s Eve ever!) *  There were definitely some “disciplinary” issues that became an issue when the team started losing, and

Nestor’s ‘BEFORE THE FIRING’ blog…insert joke here!

Nestor Aparicio

(IF I WROTE FOR A NEWSPAPER, THIS WOULD BE BIRDCAGE MATERIAL… But at least I still retain my sense of humor…this was written at 8 a.m. Monday morning) Because the "Is Brian Billick getting fired?" uproar around town has begun yet again, due to Jay Glazer’s report regarding players giving Steve Bisciotti direct feedback, it’s time once again to set the record straight (as we always try to do here at WNST.net). Brian Billick is NOT getting fired on Wednesday. Sure, there will be MANY changes in the offseason — the Ravens will change lots of players, a few coaches, obtain a new offensive coordinator (here are six names: Cam Cameron, Mike Mularkey, Ron Turner, Scott Linehan, Mike Martz and Mike Tice) and might even have some changes coming in the player personnel area do to inevitable poaching — but Billick and Ozzie Newsome will not be forced out of Owings Mills. Several sources indicate that if anything, Bisciotti is MUCH more angry at the many players who have under-acheived, been injured or have been busy attempting to throw the coaching staff under the bus during the past 10 weeks. Perhaps Glazer’s report was partially correct, Bisciotti might’ve been fishing

Bizarre finish in Baltimore

Nestor Aparicio

Let’s get this outta the way right away: ANY win over the Pittsburgh Steelers is a reason for a celebration. Agreed, it means nothing more than a worse draft pick at this point, but ending the season with 10 losses in a row sounds a lot worse right now. I’ll gladly take the win. It was a sloppy effort for anyone who attended the game this afternoon, but there were some encouraging "signs of life" for a team that had been accused of quitting in some circles. David Pittman wanted to play. Corey Ross and Corey Ivy came to play. Adam Terry lined up at tight end. Derrick Mason caught the ball. Troy Smith looked like he’s in the embryo stage of being a very serviceable NFL quarterback. After the game, the storylines played out in the locker room. Jon Ogden did his usual press conference, with a few more bodies at his locker and Scott Garceau quizzing him about a pending retirement. Ogden left himself enough rope to come back, but at no point indicated that he was leaning in the direction of Westminster. I would list his return as very doubtful. Next door, Mike Flynn was telling everyone

Rex Ryan might get a look in Atlanta

Nestor Aparicio

The rumors have started to swirl that Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan will be getting a look by Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons later this week. There are a bevy of candidates for the job, but the chances continue to increase that the Ravens of 2008 are going to look MIGHTY different from the Ravens of today’s finale. Already, Rick Neuheisel is gone, which we kinda all knew for quite some time, even if he didn’t get the UCLA job. So, what happens to Chris Foerster, Wade Harmon and others on the offensive coaching staff? This is the time of the year when the assistant coaches get canned or wooed to other places. And don’t think for a second that Eric Decosta and George Kokinis are safe from being raided away from Owings Mills by being the "Ozzie Newsome" of another organization. Every year someone seems to court them because evaluating talent is the No. 1 priority for every organization in the league. Tis the season for changes… The next 72 hours could provide MAJOR, MAJOR changes for the Ravens before Steve Bisciotti even takes the podium in Owings Mills for what amounts to his "State of the Union"

Pittsburgh invades Baltimore…again!

Nestor Aparicio

So today marks another battle in the dirty little civic war between the Charm City and the Steel City. Obviously, today would be the low ebb for anyone in purple with recent memories. The Steelers are going to the playoffs, we’re going back to the drawing board, and even with Ben Roethlisberger riding the pine, our chances of winning the game today are remote. And to add salt to the wounds, the stadium will be half-empty – no doubt – given the worst weather forecast possible (rainy, mid-30s). And a large percentage of the half who will show up will be waving yellow snot rags. Sure, I hate Pittsburgh as much as any man from Baltimore can hate Pittsburgh. It’s a major part of my DNA, I honestly believe. Maybe it’s from the 1970s, when Terry Bradshaw beat Bert Jones in Pittsburgh in 1975, and then came into Memorial Stadium in 1976 and did it again, even though I remember more about Donald Kroner from that day in the upper deck. The 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and Omar Moreno and his wife, well, enough said about that. I covered most of it in Chapter 8 of Purple Reign. So this has

Who’s watching football today?

Nestor Aparicio

THIS IS A RUNNING BLOG THAT WILL GO ALL DAY OR UNTIL THE RAVENS WIN OR LOSE THIS UGLY AFFAIR…. One more reminder: Today’s promotion at the Gold Club has been cancelled. So, I’ll be holding an open blog area here today to chat, post thoughts, comments, etc. if you are as bored as I am, watching Marvin Lewis and Jamal Lewis freeze today in Cincinnati. So, post comments if you wish, I’ll post them all afternoon… Initial thoughts: 1:17 p.m. * I’m assuming there are a lot of Clevelanders in Cincy today, given the fact that this is the biggest game they’ve played in years. But with all of the orange, who the hell can tell, right? I’m waiting for the first (and inevitable) Cleveland score. * The mere notion that it’s Christmas weekend and the Browns can still win the AFC North just boggles my mind. It feels like two weeks ago that I sat with Phil Savage in Cleveland, where he told me to temper my enthusiasm for the 2007 Browns. Even HE didn’t think they could be 9-5, I’m convinced. * Nice story with Kevin Everett in Buffalo today. It’ll be interesting to see how the

Wanted: An NFL Head Coach

Nestor Aparicio

OK, so this one is making the rounds on the internet. I haven’t seen it posted anywhere, but it’s quite

Brill Garrett

Nestor Aparicio

Because the wife of the guy who isn’t yet coach has become a topic for our blogosphere today — you

Where is Jason Garrett?

Nestor Aparicio

It’s not even 8 a.m. and the rumors are already swirling… “Jason Garrett is on a plane for Atlanta…” “He

Am I the only one?

Nestor Aparicio

The Ravens coaching search has cooled significantly over the past four days after a week of a flurry of actvity.

Could the Schwartz be with us?

Nestor Aparicio

So, today was Brian Schottenheimer’s turn in Owings Mills. The speculation is juicy, isn’t it. Marty Ball could come here

WOW…

Nestor Aparicio

I’ve covered the team for 12 years and, just when you think you’ve seen it all, THIS happens. In 12

Bizarre finish in Baltimore

Nestor Aparicio

Let’s get this outta the way right away: ANY win over the Pittsburgh Steelers is a reason for a celebration.

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