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Terps lose Turner and game in Raleigh, 38-31

NC State ended both its three-game losing streak to Maryland and the Terps’ remote bowl chances as Maryland fell to the Wolfpack, 38-31, in Raleigh on Saturday afternoon. While the Terps limited their turnovers (one), an injury to starting quarterback Chris Turner and costly penalties killed Maryland’s chances for a road victory. Turner left the game in the second quarter with knee injury and did not return. Sophomore Jamarr Robinson showed nice running ability but was unable to create much in the passing game under intense pressure. The Terps had a final opportunity to pull even on their final drive of the game, but defensive end Michael Lemon sacked Robinson and then hit the quarterback to force an incompletion on the final play of the game. Maryland committed 10 penalties for 91 yards, with several coming at crucial points in the action. Wolfpack quarterback Russell Wilson carved apart the Maryland defense, throwing for three touchdowns and 343 yards and running for another score. The Terrapins forced four turnovers, including three interceptions, but were unable to take full advantage of the miscues. It was a commendable effort when considering the loss of Turner, but this was certainly a winnable game if

Terps sloppy in exhibition, Gregory suspended for team violation

While the Terps struggled in their 75-54 win over IUP on Wednesday night, the biggest story was the absence of Dino Gregory. The projected starting center did not play in the Terps’ lone exhibition game due to an undisclosed violation of team rules. Head coach Gary Williams refused to comment on the suspension, which could mean the benching stems from more than just a minor violation. Freshman James Padgett started in Gregory’s place as the Terps were sluggish against the Division II Crimson Hawks. “I don’t think we were ready to play today,” senior forward Landon Milbourne said about the 21-point win. Williams cited the team’s poor rebounding, as IUP grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and led the Terps in total boards, 36-35. The Maryland coach acknowledged Gregory’s absence as a major reason for the Terps’ struggles on the glass. “You just need all your players to be your best team,” he said. “We’re fine. We’ll be fine.” Sean Mosley and Milbourne led the Terps in scoring with 14 points apiece. Mosley was 7 of 9 from the field, including a few shots from the perimeter. The Baltimore native worked on his shooting in the offseason, trying to create more arc

Kokinis the latest former Ravens exec shown door in Cleveland

The names change but the team remains the same. The Cleveland Browns stink. The Cleveland Browns, after taking their second “hot shot” executive from Ozzie Newsome’s staff here in Baltimore, have once again shown another Baltimore rock star the gate, this time forcing general manager George Kokinis out the door around lunchtime today according to this WKYC report in Cleveland. Earlier this year, Browns owner Randy Lerner fired another former Ravens executive with a Super Bowl ring in Phil Savage, who is still owed four years of pay from the franchise, which lost again yesterday to fall to 1-7. Lerner has had major problems with a malcontent fanbase who have called for a protest when the team plays the Ravens on Monday Night Football two weeks from tonight. (By the way, we still have seats on our Miller Lite Roadie to that game here…) More to come for sure. But it looks like Kokinis is gone in Cleveland.

And the Orioles continue South with more “neighborly” love for Sarasota…

I just got pinged by a friend who tells me that WBAL slipped out a quiet report a few days ago that the Orioles have again made one of their more outlandish moves of 2009. (And that’s saying something, when you consider the kind of season they slept-walked through this summer.) Remember a few years ago, when Angelos and the boys set up camp in Farragut Square near their “Orioles Store” in downtown Washington, D.C., to feign interest in the market after holding it hostage for five years in exchange for the MASN TV rights that were supposed to buy the Orioles some semblance of respectful balance on the playing field in the AL East. That day — with a 7:05 game looming in another summer of distress — they shipped the entire roster on a bus down to a big city square and served free ice cream and hot dogs and soda to everyone in the park. We, of course, opined that the Orioles have NEVER given away free hot dogs and ice cream in Baltimore. And Angelos’ true interest in D.C. extended about as far as how much he could extort out of Bud Selig and MLB, then

Don’t ask…just click! Very, very funny…

I’m not one for cartoons, jokes, chain letters or general web stuff that I refer to as “spam.” (And for the 1000th time, NO, I don’t want to play Mafia Wars with you on Facebook! Stop sending me that manure!) However, I got this link forwarded to me on Facebook (thanks, Tom!) and, well, it’s pretty freaking good. It’s PG-13, don’t worry…thank me later! Just click here… Be ready to laugh…

So, do you think it’s “right” that not one Orioles player showed at Brooks’ gala?

UPDATE: On my way out the door last night I took a picture with Brooks Robinson, just like I did in 1973 when he signed my “Third Base Is My Home” hardback book at his store at the Hoshchild Kohn at Eastpoint Shopping Center. You’re not a true Baltimore sports lover if you haven’t met Brooks and if getting your picture taken with him isn’t still a thrill. I left with a big smile on my face last night because Brooks planted it there. So, all the real “haters” out there can pile on me for telling the truth, but I would NEVER attempt to sully anything regarding Brooks Robinson or his big night of love. But if you don’t think the owner of the current Orioles not showing up, sending a letter of goodwill or sending any of his baseball players to the event isn’t creepy/mean/peculiar/classless, then you are either a supreme excuse maker/apologist or someone with an agenda regarding Peter Angelos or a bash campaign on my free speech or well-founded opinion. Hate on me all you want, but REALLY — you think ignoring Brooks Robinson is a good move by the Orioles or Angelos at this point?

A somber locker room in Minnesota

All of the videos are up now here at WNST.net. I’m sure folks will be crazy in the Purple Haze in a little while as well. If you ever want to know what I’m thinking during the games, I’ve been TWEETING LIKE A RAVEN on Twitter each week during this season. It’s a LOT of fun for me to share my thoughts via the internet from my seat in the upper deck of the Metrodome surrounded by people in braids. Simply follow us on Twitter and you’ll know every stupid thought that’s on my mind. It was a tough, tough loss today. The Ravens were outplayed dramatically in the first half and the comeback should’ve been good enough to save the day. Honestly, I was filing out of the upper deck before Ray Rice caught that pass thinking the game was over. It was an amazing, memorable comeback and it leads you to believe that anything is possible with this team. The final Frank Walker penalty was so blatant that it’s not even worth discussing. And, if you have a kicker who can’t hit a 43-yarder with the game on the line on the road, you’re not good enough to

Maryland-Virginia Post-Game Notebook

– The Terrapins’ turnover differential stands at (-13) after turning it over four times against Virginia and only forcing one takeaway. Chris Turner’s third-quarter interception off a deflection was returned for a touchdown by defensive end Nate Collins for the go-ahead score for the Cavaliers who went on to beat the Terps, 20-9. “I tried to get it over, but the defensive lineman was standing right there and it was tipped and went right into [Collins’] arms,” Turner said. “Nine times out of ten that wouldn’t have happened, but it did today.” It marks the sixth time in seven games that Maryland has lost the turnover battle. The only opponent to turn it over more than the Terps in a game this season was Clemson. – Maligned for most of the season, the Maryland defense allowed just 63 rushing yards, including only two in the first half. It marks the lowest rushing total by an opponent since Cal had 38 in 2008. The Terps held Virginia to just 201 yards of total offense and nine first downs. It was the lowest total for an opponent since the Maryland defense surrendered only 163 yards to Florida International in the 2007 season.

Turnovers, missed field goals doom Terps against UVA, 20-9

The Maryland Terrapins’ season can be defined with one telling number: Minus 13. It’s the Terps’ turnover differential, and it’s the main reason why their record stands at 2-5 after losing to Virginia, 20-9, on Saturday night before a sparse Homecoming crowd at rainy Byrd Stadium. Four turnovers and two missed field goal attempts spelled defeat for the Terps, falling to the Cavaliers for the third time in a row. “It’s the same story over and over again,” head coach Ralph Friedgen said. “Until that gets fixed, it’s going to be hard to win football games. The [wet] ball was tough tonight, but Virginia did a better job of managing it.” Maryland led, 9-6, late in the third quarter before a Chris Turner pass was batted into the air at the line and picked off by defensive end Nate Collins who returned it 32 yards for a Virginia touchdown. Freshman kicker Nick Ferrara then missed on two fourth-quarter attempts from 37 and 44 yards before Cavaliers fullback Rashawn Jackson scored a two-yard touchdown late in the game to seal the victory. After surrendering 516 yards of offense to Wake Forest in last week’s 42-32 loss, the Maryland defense turned in

“Colt” Matt Stover reaches out to WNST and Ravens fans

Matt Stover and I have been trading texts and phone calls for months. People asked me almost daily, “What’s happening with Matt?” Today, he spent about 20 minutes with Bob Haynie and you can hear the entire episode here in the audio vault. It was a sensational interview by Haynie and I hope you check it out! For the record, Stover has become one of my favorite all-time Ravens, even though we’ve never been publicly linked because he wasn’t a frequent visitor on my show throughout the years. Even though I don’t think I’ve done five “on the record” conversations with him in nearly 15 years, No. 3 was always “go to” guy in the clubhouse literally since the nanosecond the team arrived from Cleveland in 1996. I always love to tell the story of the “altercation” we had in the Memorial Stadium locker room after the first game against Oakland. I was wearing a hardhat with the flying B logo. He chastised me. I introduced myself. We came to terms and and it’s been “all good” ever since. Stover is a rock star of a great guy. A community, family and biblical guy. Always very straightforward and honest, I

Purple Crossroads: Time for offense to check ego and give defense a lift

Nearly every notable season in the brief history of the Baltimore Ravens has included a critical point that determined which path the team would travel. Of course, the Super Bowl winner of 2000 endured a five-game touchdown drought before head coach Brian Billick reinvented his coaching philosophy and turned to the “Dark Side” of winning ugly with a record-setting defense and a power running game. The 2006 Ravens posted the best regular season record in franchise history (13-3) but experienced a two-game losing streak and fired offensive coordinator Jim Fassel during the bye week before Billick’s play calling rejuvenated a team that would go on to win nine of its last 10 regular season games. And only a year ago, Baltimore’s record stood at 2-3 after being lambasted by Indianapolis, 31-3, in Week 6. Instead of folding with a three-game losing streak, the Ravens earned a big victory in Miami to spark a four-game winning streak and nine of 11 victories to close out the regular season before advancing to the conference championship game. Simply put, adversity is a part of the game—even for the greatest teams. And it’s exactly what the Ravens face after losing two straight and traveling

Bengals-Ravens Notebook: 100-yard streak snapped, Ed Reed strikes again

– The Baltimore rush defense hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in nearly three years before the Bengals’ Cedric Benson ended the streak at 39 games on Sunday. Benson’s 28-yard touchdown run pushed him over the century mark while also giving the Bengals a 10-7 lead in the third quarter. The former Texas Longhorn rushed 27 times for 120 yards in the Bengals’ 17-14 victory over the Ravens. “It sucks,” defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said about allowing a 100-yard rusher. “We definitely try to stop the run first, and basically, we didn’t do that today. We’ve got to go back and fix it, and hopefully do better this week.” Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson was the last opponent to eclipse the 100-yard mark against the Baltimore defense before Benson on Sunday. Johnson’s 120-yard day took place in Kansas City on Dec. 10, 2006. – Ed Reed continued to cultivate a Hall of Fame resume on Sunday, picking off Carson Palmer in the second quarter and returning it 52 yards for the first score of the game. It was Reed’s sixth career interception return for a touchdown, a franchise record. It was the 45th interception of his eight-year career. His 45

Defense with no answers, Terps lose 42-32

If it couldn’t get any worse than the opener against Cal, the Terrapins’ first-half effort in Winston-Salem came close. Maryland fell behind 35-10 at halftime and couldn’t recover as Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner threw for 360 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Demon Deacons to a 42-32 victory. The Wake Forest offense simply marched up and down the field throughout the half with little resistance. Don Brown’s defense surrendered 516 total yards for the game and did not force a punt until late in the second quarter. Terps quarterback Chris Turner passed for 307 yards, but much of it came after Maryland was forced to abandon the running game after falling behind early. The senior tossed two scores to Adrian Cannon and another to Torrey Smith. The loss ends the Terps’ brief stay at the top of the ACC Atlantic Division and brings their record to 2-4. Next week, the Terps return to College Park for Homecoming Weekend to take on Virginia. If you’re interested in joining WNST and Terps fanatic Glenn Clark for our bus trip to the game, check out the trips section at the top of the page. You can check out tonight’s box score

Former Raven Tony Fein dead at 27

Former Ravens linebacker and Iraq War veteran Tony Fein died early Tuesday morning, according to his agent. While Fein’s last impression with the Ravens was a charge of misdemeanor assault on a police officer on August 23, the news of his death is very sad to hear. Very few details about his death were available as of Tuesday night. He was the former Ole Miss teammate of Ravens rookie tackle Michael Oher and Jason Cook, another Rebel that was on the training camp roster. Cook currently serves as chaplain for the Ole Miss football team. The link to the story can be found here.

Matt Birk is laying down charity roots in Baltimore as well as Minneapolis

I spent the early part of last night with Ravens center Matt Birk at Mother’s Grille in Federal Hill where he kicked off his local charity initiative, the HIKE Foundation, with a dinner and cocktail reception. Birk was extremely active (think, like Cal Ripken kinda active) in the Twin Cities while playing for more than a decade for the Vikings. A well-publicized Harvard alum, Birk has been a finalist for NFL Man of The Year and routinely won awards and accolades for his public service in Minnesota. His work in Baltimore is just beginning and we had a little fun shooting this video about what HIKE stands for and why there’s a pizza with his name on it at Mother’s. Here’s the 411 in his words: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieKSCC95Da4&feature=channel_page[/youtube]

So long, Melvin, and hold your head up

As the Orioles fall toward the 100-loss mark with seemingly little resistance over the final week of the season, their elder statesman winds down his 10-year stay with an organization fixed in what feels like an endless era of losing. Melvin Mora arrived in the Charm City after being traded with three others from the New York Mets for shortstop Mike Bordick in Syd Thrift’s infamous fire sale of 2000.  The 28-year old utility player was coming to a struggling team with a future Hall of Famer (Cal Ripken) winding down his career and its best hitter (Albert Belle) only months away from retirement due to a degenerative hip condition.  The Orioles were completing their third-straight losing season in 2000. Change was needed. Mora’s addition, along with the 13 others acquired in the five summer deals, would pump youthful energy into an aging organization and eventually bring the Orioles back to where they belonged at the top of the standings, right? If only. Of course, we all know the story. Despite the quantity of players coming to the organization for veterans such as Bordick, Charles Johnson, B.J. Surhoff, and Harold Baines, Mora would be the only acquisition to contribute beyond the next couple seasons. Most would never contribute at

The indignity of 100 losses for the Orioles

Naturally, the Orioles theme of the offseason — after the firing of Dave Trembley at some point this Monday — will be “progress.” Isn’t that what Jim Hunter and Rick Dempsey talk about after all of these losses, night after night? Andy MacPhail (and after 2 1/2 seasons of this perpetually sinking ship that knows no depths, we might revert to Chicago’s theme of referring to him as “MacFail,” but that would be giving him too much credit) will preach youth and patience and the injuries to Brad Bergesen and Adam Jones derailing an otherwise promising campaign in 2009. Brian Matusz is Mike Mussina. Matt Wieters is Joe Mauer. Adam Jones is the next Eddie Murray. Blah, blah, blah. Look at the standings. Look at the scoreboard. Look at the 11-game losing streak that they’re adding to every night with complete disasters coming out of the bullpen on a 24-hour cycle. (Oh, that’s right, you forgot they were even playing back around the time Route 140 opened toward Westminster on July 30th!) I sat the at the bar at Piv’s Pub in Cockeysville last night in a sea of NFL watchers as the Orioles played on one little TV with

Want a better WNST purple fan experience?

We are two weeks into the new media revolution at WNST. For Week 1 vs. Kansas City and last weekend in San Diego, I was busy during the game actually Tweeting everything I’m thinking from the seats. It’s been a cathartic, engaging experience, summing up my thoughts as the games unfold. It’s almost like being the color commentator during the game, which at one point was something I thought I really wanted to do. Well, now, through the magic of social media and Twitter, I can. Per NFL rules, we are not allowed to give play by play on Twitter, but honestly, why would we? We’re ASSUMING you’re watching the game when we’re tweeting and giving feedback. We’re simply “joining you at the bar” and getting involved in the conversation of the game while the game is in progress. It’s really cool and revolutionary — especially for us “old guys.” So, if you’re on the couch — safe from the wet weather — and want a new experience in watching the Ravens, come watch them with us on Twitter and follow us while we chat about the game during the game. Everything we’re thinking at WNST is just a click

Turnover Terrapins: 5 turnovers plague MD in 34-13 loss

Another week but the same story for the Maryland Terrapins. Five Maryland turnovers led to 14 Rutgers points, as the Scarlet Knights knocked off the Terps in College Park, 34-13. Though passing for 271 yards and a touchdown to LaQuan Williams, quarterback Chris Turner threw three interceptions—one of them returned for a touchdown by Antonio Lowery on the first play from scrimmage—and fumbled in the end zone, recovered by George Johnson for another Rutgers score. Despite the senior’s poor performance, head coach Ralph Friedgen did not want to place blame solely on his quarterback’s shoulders, noting that everyone played poorly on the offensive side of the ball. “Other guys have to be in the right places and do the right things, too,” he said. Maryland actually led at halftime, 13-10, on the shoulders of an improved defense that played on a short field for most of the game. Don Brown’s unit had a goal-line stand in the second half, keeping the Terps ahead, 13-10, with 7:08 remaining in the third quarter. After allowing over 400 yards in each of the first three games on the schedule, the Maryland defense held Rutgers—playing without starting quarterback Tom Savage—to only 249 total yards

Maryland-Rutgers Preview: Trying to right the ship with ACC play around the corner

With the start of conference play looming next Saturday, the University of Maryland will try to right its disappointing season against Rutgers in College Park on Saturday afternoon. Having lost two of their first three games and needing overtime to secure their lone win against James Madison, the Terps (1-2) face Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights (2-1, 0-1 in conference play) out of the Big East. Rutgers hopes to be a contender in the Big East this season despite being blown out in the opener against Cincinnati, 47-15. Defensive struggles continue to plague the Terps, as the inexperienced unit has battled injuries in the secondary and has surrendered a total of 119 points and over 400 yards in each of its first three games. New coordinator Don Brown saw his defense wilt in the fourth quarter against Middle Tennessee State last week, allowing the Blue Raiders to march down the field in the closing seconds to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired. Though Rutgers comes from a BCS conference—unlike James Madison and Middle Tennessee State—the Maryland defense may actually catch a break facing a more traditional offense this week  after facing spread offenses in the last two games. The

Billick Chaltktalk 101 at Mother’s was a blast…

“When you go into the lion’s den, you don’t tippy toe in, you carry a spear, you go in screaming like a banshee, you kick whatever doors in, and say, ‘Where’s the son of a bitch?!’ If you go in any other way, you’re gonna lose.” A guy wearing this on the back of his shirt sauntered onto the second floor of Mother’s Grille last night for our Billick Chalktalk 101 series with cold Coors Light. Instead of just writing about, via the power of the internet, we can take you live to Mother’s… [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IHpU_vDth8[/youtube]

“Free The Birds” – It was 3 years ago today…

I was planning to do a three-year examination of the impact of Free The Birds today. I was going to hash out all of the issues – past, present and future – and reiterate my goals with our dormant movement to make the Orioles come to grips with the reality of their fledgling and all-but-evaporated fan base. Our goal has never wavered: we want the team fixed and we want not only a winning product ON the field, but an ownership group committed to the fans and the community OFF the field. But, quite frankly, in the midst of all of the excitement over the Ravens in San Diego and the sheer volume of work I do on a daily basis, I really don’t want to waste any more time with the Orioles this September. I have other more interesting things to write about with the purple birds starting the season 2-0 and doing what the baseball team can only dream about in 2009 — inspiring the sports fans in the Land of Pleasant Living to dream about a championship and a community galvanized. But, really, isn’t that the biggest problem? No one seems to give a damn about the

Morning After: Undefeated Ravens now will play role of favorite in AFC

It’s hard to write these old-man “analysis” columns for the “morning newspaper” after I’ve been talking and Twittering and Facebooking and basically “analyzing” the game from every perspective imaginable literally every moment of the game. (If you’re not following us on your mobile device during the game on Sunday, you’re missing the best “team” analysis of the games as the situations happen. God, I love the internet in 2009!) But before I spend all day Monday flying back from San Diego and inevitably talking to more Ravens fans about the game on the airplane, I suppose I must sum it all by saying this: Sunday’s win has solidified Baltimore’s role as a leader of the AFC pack for a Super Bowl championship this year. I haven’t looked, but I guarantee you that the Ravens will be No. 1 on many “power ranking” or “Fine Fifteens” all across the internet today and all week. Sure, the Ravens 31-26 win at Qualcomm Stadium exposed some of the deficiencies of the team in the secondary, but it also showed the resiliency of the unit and their ability to make a play 3,000 miles from home with the game on the line and the

Day Two postcard from San Diego: Tilted Kilt awash in purple

We came. We saw. We ate wings. We drank beer. And we saw a lot of very, very disappointed USC fans, who were partying with us at the Tilted Kilt in the Gaslamp District of San Diego. In celebration of the purple on the West Coast, we present some of the faces in the purple crowd at the party today:

Maryland-Middle Tenn. St.: Preview and Injury Report

Head coach Ralph Friedgen and the Terps will have revenge on their minds when Middle Tennessee State comes to College Park on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Last season’s 24-14 loss was a difficult pill to swallow for Terps fans, but with injuries and inexperience plaguing Maryland (1-1) in the early stages of 2009, will lightning strike twice? The Terps will again be without left tackle Bruce Campbell and safety Jamari McCollough, but last week’s 38-35 overtime victory over James Madison also brought the loss of senior co-captain Nolan Carroll for the remainder of the season. The cornerback broke his tibia and will be replaced by sophomore Cameron Chism in the starting lineup. Not only does Carroll’s loss hurt what was once considered an experienced secondary, but the Terps must also replace the senior’s leadership. Friedgen believes his players were inspired to finish strongly against James Madison following the injury, but what will be the long-term effect on a defense that has surrendered 87 points in its first two games? Maryland will again face a run-oriented attack led by quarterback Dwight Dasher after struggling against James Madison’s Drew Dudzik and the spread-option last week.  In Middle Tennessee State’s 31-14 victory

A postcard from San Diego: touring the most beautiful city in the world

So, I’m really, really trying hard for these posts to not be “rubbing it in,” but this really is a great, great place. I flew out last night on a very delayed flight with a plane full of purple maniacs who are all here to watch the Ravens win and enjoy all of the excesses that Southern California affords human beings. So far today, I’ve eaten breakfast at the best restaurant I’ve found on the planet (and I’ve done a lot of searching) — it’s a place called the Hash House A Go Go. If you ever come to San Diego, check this place out: Also, my pal needed to run out to the Chargers complex so I shot a little vlog postcard for you here: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqGOUIsmZgE&feature=channel_page[/youtube] And, of course, we returned downtown and visited Petco Park. Here’s a little synopsis of what I’m seeing here in this land of paradise: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV-3FptkLns&feature=channel_page[/youtube] The Purple Pep Rally and party is at the Tilted Kilt tomorrow. It starts at 9 a.m. Just like all football games should. Man, the West Coast is great. All of the details are here for the big party…

WNST announces major roadtrip San Diego party for Saturday

People have been emailing from all over the country asking where our party will be in San Diego on Saturday. (Yes, WNST.net has users from the purple kingdom outside of the 695 ring!) After much negotiation, we’ve decided on ONE central place in Gaslamp District to gather and it will be Tilted Kilt in the San Diego East Village (Downtown right next to Petco Park). VERY easy to find! THIS IS A FREE PARTY!!!!! The party starts at 9AM Saturday morning for a special purple brunch to start the day of college football, West Coast-style with morning action from the East Coast…continuing into the night with the UFC Fights in the bar later that evening (7 p.m. start). The bar is open until 2 a.m.! This is a sample of wait staff at the Tilted Kilt, which is an Irish-themed, Hooters-style sports bar that Glenn Clark says is “fabulous.” I’ll take Glenn’s word for it. Address: 310 10th Ave. San Diego, CA, 92101 (619) 814-KILT website: http://tiltedkilt.com/california/san_diego/index.html Here is the lineup of specials for the day: Beers are $4, Bloody Marys with a fix it yourself bar, $5.50 20oz Miller Lite and Coors Light drafts, bucket of 5 domestic beers

In case you were wondering how empty Camden Yards was last night

I didn’t go to the Orioles game last night and apparently neither did you. I did watch most of the game, including the Orioles rally from being down 5-0 early to win the game against Tampa 10-5. Jason Berken survived the early battering to work into the 7th inning and earn a rare victory. Brian Roberts and Matt Wieters both broke out the big sticks and each had three hits. The boxscore is here… The stadium was dreadfully empty — maybe the worst crowd in the history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards — and of course the Orioles lied about the attendance again, calling the crowd 11,575. There weren’t 11,000 eyeballs in the stadium last night and they advertised throughout the game on MASN for more of the mysterious $1 tickets for tonight and tomorrow night but were very carefully not show any foul balls. Here’s a picture of Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata throwing out the first pitch. Note the nice shade of forest green in the background in center field. This was a stadium that all WNST followers were “uninvited” to attend. Just pathetic… But this is what happens when the ownership of the team can pocket

Ravens turned to familiar friend when they needed it

Over 71,000 fans were amazed with the new Ferrari in the neighborhood on Sunday, and nobody could blame them. Joe Flacco was throwing passes all over the field, and the Ravens’ traditional run-first offense that so many expect—and often complain about—had suddenly transformed into a 171-yard aerial assault in one half of football. Undoubtedly, it was exciting to watch the second-year quarterback show off the laser arm like Brady or Manning does every Sunday. But then it happened. An ill-advised pass by the second-year quarterback was intercepted by linebacker Derrick Johnson and returned all the way to the Ravens’ 6, setting up the go-ahead touchdown early in the third quarter. Suddenly, the exciting vibes from that shiny new sports car had vanished, and the Ravens trailed the inferior (or thought to be, anyway) Kansas City Chiefs. What the heck was going on, and how would Cam Cameron, Flacco, and the offense respond? Would we see panic or the continuation of the throw-first offense used in the first half? The answer was simple. It was time to call upon that old friend that led them to an improbable 11-5 season a year ago. It lacked the bells and whistles of the

‘Twas The Night before the Ravens opener…

It kinda reminds me of Christmas Eve with anticipation. We’ve been waiting…and waiting…and waiting…and finally, football season is really here in Baltimore. Wash away those ghosts of Troy Polamalu – the ones from the AFC Championship Game in January not the one from Thursday night – and let us begin a season anew. First up, it’s the woeful Kansas City Chiefs. The general vibe around town all week has been one of supreme confidence. Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed began their Wednesday press conference with dancing. John Harbaugh has sounded confident. Joe Flacco seems like a veteran all of a sudden. I’ve quizzed several Kansas City media members and I had a chance to watch parts of two of their preseason games (both without Matt Cassel). No one is brimming with confidence in the land of the red Chiefs and no one really expects them to win tomorrow. The Vegas line started at 10 ½ and has now moved to 13 points. Even if Matt Cassel plays on Sunday – and that seems to be a sure bet given their backup options with Tyler Thigpen and Brodie Croyle – the Chiefs are a team of nobodys and “who

Live from College Park: Maryland beats JMU in OT, 38-35

11:07 p.m. — The Terps (1-1) will now face Middle Tennessee State next Saturday and will attempt to extract some revenge after the FCS school upset them a year ago. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. You can check out the final box score of tonight’s game right here. 11:04 p.m. — The big play of the first half was Torrey Smith’s 81-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but apparently two teammates inadvertently opened a running lane for him on the big play. Smith said two members of the return team ran into each other, and it actually created a path through which he could run. When asked about the offense’s morale after Turner through the “pick-6,” Smith mentioned how most members of the offense came together on the sideline. “We’ve been here before,” he said.  “We can come back and tie it up.” 11:01 p.m. — Freshman Nick Ferrara may still be adjusting to life as a freshman in College Park, but he’s the big man on campus tonight after hitting the game-winning 26-yard field goal in overtime. Ferrara said it was his first game-winning kick, including high school.  When the game went into overtime, he thought to himself,

Maryland-James Madison Preview: Terps trying to put nightmarish opener to rest

Even the most optimistic of Maryland fans would have to look long and hard to find any positives stemming from last Saturday night’s horrific 52-13 beating at the hands of California. And they still wouldn’t find any. The Terrapins (0-1) will try to put the blowout behind them, as they return to College Park for their home opener against FCS (formerly 1-AA) power James Madison (0-0).  Byrd Stadium will look a little different with the upgraded Tyser Tower housing new suites and a new press box after nearly two years of renovations. An early encounter with a FCS school was formerly considered to be a pseudo bye week for major conference schools, but the myth vanished with Appalachian State’s upset of Michigan two years ago, and the message hit much closer to home last season when the Terps dropped a road game to Middle Tennessee State—next week’s opponent. The Dukes are defending CAA champions and advanced to the FCS semifinals before falling to Montana a year ago.  Mickey Matthews begins his 11th year as head coach and led James Madison to the 1-AA national championship in 2004. Ralph Friedgen’s Terps will attempt to rebound from a rough performance in all

CMac is selling crib in 90210 & getting back in NFL next week

Here’s the direct quote from Chris McAlister in today’s Los Angeles Times: “I will be back in full force on Sept. 15. I can’t say what team yet, but I will be playing again.” His crib is on the market for $7.8 million in Beverly Hills. I’m wondering where CMac will end up or if this is a smokescreen? Either way…just passing it along!

Nestor’s quick NFL preview

I’m so immersed in getting stuff done with the website and company that I realized we’re four hours away from the start of the season and I haven’t even made any bold predictions or written anything nasty about the Steelers. Well, here goes: AFC winners: NE, BAL, IND, SD AFC Wild cards: PIT & HOU NFC winners: PHI, CHI, ATL, ARI NFC Wild cards: GB, NO Super Bowl: Ravens over Bears (OK. So you thought I was going to pick against the Ravens? No way…) See you at Donna’s Tavern in Dundalk tonight for a cold beer to start the season.

Our pledge: we’ll continue to try to “help” the Orioles

So since Greg Bader and the Orioles’ last remaining flunkies and apologists have again begun to spread “anti-WNST” venom in the web community with lies and false allegations about my integrity or intentions, I suppose it’s my turn to “react” and spew venom. Sorry, I’m not going to get caught up in it and, honestly, I have no time for negativity and nastiness. The Steelers are playing tonight and we’ve got two events – Donna’s in Dundalk and the Twestival at Ramshead. The Ravens are playing on Sunday. I’m honestly feeling really good about WNST and Baltimore and the changing weather. I’m in a good mood. I’m not going to allow the Orioles and their shallow souls and mean-spiritedness to wreck Opening Week of the NFL season. The blog that Drew put a lot of effort and words into properly tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. As has been our stated mission from inception: we wanted to help the Orioles. We wanted to extend an olive branch. We wanted to take them up on THEIR offer to come to the ballpark for $1. We wanted to show our sincerity by donating to Nick Markakis’ Foundation.

Purple Kickoff: What a difference a year makes…but not so fast

Some label it parity while others believe it’s mediocrity, or even just plain luck, but it’s clear to see why many claim the NFL actually stands for “Not For Long.” How else do you explain the Miami Dolphins—owner of a 1-15 record in 2007—winning the AFC East in 2008? Or on the flip side, is it just a coincidence that every Super Bowl loser this decade—except for the 2006 Seattle Seahawks—has failed to even make the playoffs the following season? With few exceptions, the NFL is a league of transient success and reversible frustration. It was only a year ago that a certain NFL team entered Week 1 with a rookie third-string quarterback—pressed into action due to injury—and a new head coach that had never even held a coordinator position (offensive or defensive) at the professional level.  On top of that, the team’s best player was unsure if he’d be able to play due to a debilitating injury, and the offense was in need of not one, but two, reliable offensive tackles. It looked as though a 7-9 season would be grounds for a city-wide celebration with the number of questions surrounding the organization. Fast-forward a year and that same

Sadly, Orioles force cancellation of “See The Birds”

UPDATED 10:43 p.m.: After we had already elected to cancel the “See The Birds” event next week, WNST just received an official “cease and desist” letter from some attorney at MLB telling us that we’re not allowed to help the Orioles fill a few thousand of their 40,000 empty seats next Tuesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. So much for gratitude or fan friendliness. I guess they don’t want to see real Orioles fans in their upper deck. Well, they are who we thought they were. Their shady business practices are on full display this morning. Sadly, the WNST effort to bring 1,000 people to the Orioles-Rays game for next Tuesday night has been thwarted by the team, who refused to sell our group their heavily advertised $1 tickets (which, as we pointed out last Friday, don’t really exist). We will be refunding more than $1,000 collected today to the many who wanted to come to the game with a fun group and donate to Nick Markakis’ Foundation. I’ll be writing more about this sad turn of events later (or maybe not — I’m a little wrung out with these clowns), but many had been inquiring and trying to

Hope you come and “See The Birds” with us next Tuesday for $2

The Orioles $1 ticket promotion gave us a great idea over the weekend. You can read or view my lousy experience from Friday here but this isn’t about crushing the Orioles for yet another foray into dubious marketing. This is about doing the “right” thing and if they’re going to offer tickets for a dollar I’m happy to give them a dollar and go to the ballpark. We’ve all been Orioles fans all of our lives. We all want the team to get better and the city to get stronger because of it. That’s been my personal mission ever since “Free The Birds” began three years ago in the midst of their ninth consecutive season of losing. Now, at the end of their 12th consecutive summer of meaningless baseball, this “See The Birds” campaign is our pledge that we ALL want the Orioles to return to relevancy and bring joy to the people of Baltimore with a product that makes us proud. Last week, they offered $1 tickets and blanketed their “bought off” media market with their offer – ostensibly to try to get that LAST remaining naysayer or guy with his kid who wants to “See The Birds” one

Over 400 tickets already sold for “See The Birds” next Tuesday

In the first two hours of our “See The Birds” promotion for next Tuesday night, we’ve already sold over 400 tickets. Special thanks to Wayne Schoff (Roofing Unlimited), Steve Pavlovsky (Chick Fil A-White Marsh), Gene Myers (Corona), Rob Santoni (Santoni’s Markets) and all of the others who have purchased large blocks of seats. We hope you purchase a few and c’mon down to the ballpark next Tuesday!

Glenn Clark is an Oriole-American Labor Day rock star!

So, we were out tonight celebrating the birthday of our Ravens “analyst” Glenn Clark and he proved once again that he’s not only a great American — he’s also a true red, white and blue Oriole-American: Happy Birthday Glenn!

Nestor’s quick NFL preview

I’m so immersed in getting stuff done with the website and company that I realized we’re four hours away from

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