one mo blog

Ok, so I stole the headline from the great Peter Schmuck, so sue me.

This past week has been probably the most fun week of watching Orioles baseball I’ve had since the 1997 season, and I spent most of that season working at a Boy Scout camp and checking the box scores in the paper whenever I could. We’ve seen two rookie pitchers win their debut games, and another rookie hit a walk off 3 run homer in the 11th to win a game. Plus, Jenny and I took all the kids to the game on Monday, our first time going to the yard as a whole family, yes even Emma and Mia were there…and the O’s won. Now, the week gets punctuated by Matt Wieters debut tonight. For those who don’t know Matt Wieters is the #1 prospect in all of baseball according to Baseball America, and is projected to be an allstar for many years to come. Don’t believe me, check out this website. My favorite fact: “Matt Wieters Is So Good That Jim Palmer Stopped Talking About Himself.” or maybe “Even Atheists Believe In Matt Wieters.”

Anyway, it’s an exciting day. The O’s are finally headed in the right direction after so many long years of losing. I’m considering going down to the yard for my 4th game already this season!

Now, what should I change the name of my fantasy baseball team, which up to this point has been called “Waiting for Wieters”.

Oh, one more thing: On Monday when we went to the game as I mentioned it was a dugout club game. It’s the first one we’ve gone to. We signed Zach and Cayla up for the club this year and we were not disappointed in our inaugural trip. The O’s really do those games up right with giveaways and games for the kids, cheap tickets for the adults, and a fun atmosphere with other families who love the O’s.

Random Sports

Ravens are in the playoffs!!!

I’m pretty excited about this. Preseason the ravens were picked to finish last in their division, and win about 4 games. Now they are sitting at 11 and 5 and play the Dolphins in the first round this week. So exciting.

Besides watching football, it’s been a busy week around here. We’ve been running around from parents to parents opening presents and playing lots. The nice thing is Jenny doesn’t go back to work till next Monday, so we have the next six days to sit back, relax and enjoy some quality time as a family. As soon as I finish posting this I’m going to get the girls ready to go to the library to pick out some books to read. Jenny is spending the day with her mom and sister.
BTW: The Ravens are in the playoffs.

My mom got the girls each Princess Devotional Bibles for Christmas. I had to laugh. These are not Bibles by any of my definition of the word except that they do have some scripture in them. However, I decided to get past that and read one of the devotions to them last night, along with the scripture passage that went with it.  I’m personally wrestling with the theological…um…issues of constantly referring to the reader as “God’s princess’” and the american christian commercial machine cashing in on the whole princess phenomenon created by the Disney corporation.  However, the whole process did lead to some really good discussion with Cayla. We’ve been reading scripture to her on a semi-regular basis for a couple years, and she’s always asked questions, but this seemed to really connect with her. It was probably because it’s pink, and has a shiny jeweled crown on the front.

BTW RAVENS WON!

I had a couple seasonal posts in my mind for around Christmas, but a community mini-disaster arouse that took my mind from them. I’m going to take notes about what those posts are and put them away for next year. Maybe I’ll write about the disaster and the impact on me.

Ok, that’s it. More coming soon.

Oh, and did I mention that THE RAVENS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!

Faith, Family, Random Sports

For those of you who like football and have ESPN you’ll want to tune in tomorrow night at 9 pm ET when they rebroadcast the 1958 NFL championship game, more popularly known as the greatest game ever played. For those who don’t know this is widely considered the game that put the NFL on the map, and changed the way the game was played. Johnny Unitas threw the ball 40-some times in the course of the game, which was unheard of back in those days. More importantly, it was broadcast nationwide, and was the first sudden-death overtime game in NFL history.

Of course those of us from Baltimore also know it as the first of Baltimore’s 4 NFL & Superbowl championships. A lot has been shared in print and on the radio lately about how much that championship and that team meant to this city, but none better (in my opinion) than this interview with longtime Baltimore citizen, columnist and author Michael Olesker by Mark and the Bulldog on 105.7 the Fan. If you’ve ever wondered why it has taken, and continues to take Baltimore so long to get over the loss of the team with the blue horseshoe listen to this interview.

If you get bored by the first three quarters of the game (even the Colts greats admit that the first three quarters were not their best football), stick it out till the final quarter and ensuing overtime.  You won’t regret it.

Random Baltimore, colts, football, Sports

*Deep breath*

Ok

I’ve finished the gauntlet of four major projects in three weeks for classes this semester. After that I got to work on Zach’s new room.  I finally finished that up last night.  So, before I jump right back in doing more house work and school work I’m allowing myself a zero day today.

a cookie to anyone who knows where that phrase comes from.

Anyway, I know everyone has had enough of my sports talk, but it’s how I relax, so you just have to deal.  Plus, it’s a really exciting sports week around here.

My fantasy team, which started the season really rough, has moved into third place!  We’ll see what happens, but I’m just proud of myself for working hard to get back into it.  Earlier in the season I was in 11th out of 12, and so far back that after an amazing week on week 5 I didn’t move out of 11th.

The ravens are kicking butt.  No matter what happens from here on out it’s been a fun ride.  For those of you outside of Baltimore I’m not sure I can express just how excited the people around here are about having a godo young quarterback for the first time in Ravens history.  It’s so exciting to see a young quarterback in Joe Flacco who seems like he might be the future of the franchise.  Big test this weekend against the Giants, we’ll see what happens.

Yeah, the Terps lost the annual Otto bowl (again).  I think in the next couple days I’m going to contact VT and Maryland to see how much money I would have to donate to make that the official name of the annual VT v. MD game.  Ok, my brother is really the one in the family with some money, being a computer guy, so he’ll be the one really donating the money, but that’s neither here nor there.  Anyway, the good news is that the VT game was a game that as a fan I don’t mind losing because they have had to win their last two games against Florida State and Boston College regardless of what they did against VT.  Before they get to those games though Maryland has to face a very tough Carolina team that beat the snot out of Georgia Tech last weekend.  Fortunately, it’s at home and a great friend had an extra ticket, so I’ll probably have no voice on Sunday.

Finally, and this is where today’s zero day comes in, the Orioles are having a rally downtown today to reveal their new jerseys and slightly tweaked Oriole bird logo (seen above).  They are putting Baltimore back on the away jerseys for the first time since 1972! It’s my dad’s day off so he and I will be taking the girls down for the big event and trying to get autographs from Jim Palmer and Nick Markakis.  Maybe I’ll have some pictures for you tomorrow as well.

Random Sports

Last night I handed in the final papers I had due in my three week marathon of four major projects for school.  I don’t have anything else due until the last week of classes!  So tonight when I get home from class I’m going to plop down on the sofa and watch my Maryland Terps play my brothers Virginia Tech Hokies on the ESPN Thursday night football game.  Last time Maryland played the Hokies at VT it didn’t go so well, and I was there.  It was so bad that the VT fans who were yelling at us at the beginning of the game were consoling us at the end.

Hopefully tonight will go better.

Random Sports

As we in Maryland get ready for homecoming we’re wondering if Maryland can beat N.C. State.  I’m frustrated because we should be asking (as Adam is about his favorite team) if Maryland can go undefeated.  Honestly, I’ve never been as frustrated after a win as I was last weekend when Maryland beat Wake Forest.  By beating Wake they have now beat the three best teams on their schedule.  They have beat the two best teams in their division, and the only three ranked teams they have faced this season.  But they have also lost to the two WORST teams they have played this year.  The Terps should be ranked in the top 12, have a one game lead in the ACC Atlantic division, and be looking forward to going to their first ACC Championship game.  Instead they are unranked and need to work their butts off the last few weeks of the season to beat N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Florida State and UNC.  None of these teams are as good as the three ranked teams they already beat, but it’s still a rough stretch.  If they had won those two games you think that if they loose one or even two of their last five games they will still make the championship game.  Instead they need to run the table to assure themselves of the championship game.  One loss probably wins the division, but winning all their remaining games would be a lot better.

The one thing I take solace in, is that even if the Terps had gone undefeated this season they still aren’t good enough to play in the national title game (and would be destroyed by the legitimate national title contenders).  So, if they win out, make it to the ACC championship game and then go to a BCS bowl game then ultimatly the end result is the same as if they had gone undefeated.

It’s still frustrating though.

Random Sports

Dad, Brandon, Shaun and I took a day trip up to New York this past Saturday to see the Orioles play the Yankees in the second to last game ever in Yankee Stadium. It was a pretty incredible day. It was my first game in Yankee Stadium, and it was amazing to be in the stadium where so many greats played, and as a Baltimore fan, where the greatest game ever was played. As much as I dislike the Yankees, you’ve got to respect the history and the legacy of that building. We weren’t the only Orioles fans there either, I was actually pretty impressed by the showing Orioles fans made. We got heckled a little bit, but honestly, I was for the most part very impressed by how friendly the Yankee fans were. It was really a fun day, and I’m glad to have had a chance to make it to the stadium before it is torn down later this year.

Random Sports

I just wanted to point out that the Orioles are in first place in the AL East.

I still don’t have a lot of hope for this season.  But I’m enjoying watching the new, young birds.  Still, if you had told me a week ago that after one week of play Luis Hernandez would hit in the game winning run, putting the O’s in sole possession of first place I would have laughed at you.

I also wanted to point out that if Kansas wins the National Championship tonight my lovely wife will win the one mo tourney pick’em.

Go Jayhawks.

Anyway, I know most of you are waiting for an update to last weeks post.  It’s coming.  Check back tomorrow.

Uncategorized Sports

Thank you so much for not blowing the game today.

Seriously, it’s been a bad week for me in sports:  The Orioles seem to have given up, the UM basketball team lost the commitment of their star recruit for ‘08, and the UM football blew a huge lead late in the game against the reigning ACC champs.  Another disappointment might have been too much to bear.  So thank you Ravens, and especially you Matt Stover.

That is all

Random Sports

I can’t believe I forgot to give the wrap-up to my annual tournament challenge.  Just shows how crazy things have been around here.  Anyway, here’s the final standings:

1	Coffee Bean ( akpeachhiker)	152	48 of 63	96th	75139 ?90211
2	the roaster ( postmodernpastor)	133	43 of 63	87th	241876 ?379586
3	I don’t watch sports ( ilikechxmx)	124	45 of 63	81st	363777 ?552465
4	Red Headed Stepchild ( branmanh)	106	48 of 63	67th	642904 ?172121
5	matt’s loser picks * ( mattotto79)	93	42 of 63	51st	967118 ?85425
6	brian’s wednesday night panic ( shadowterp99)	88	42 of 63	44th	1096349 ?49885
7	Highway to Heels ( micahdweinberg)	86	44 of 63	41st	1157115 ?46071
8	Mamba ( daveultnyc)	80	42 of 63	33rd	1330213 ?34049
9	Gonna Win ( jawba2001)	67	36 of 63	19th	1606608 ?7170
10	Your Going to Lose to Your Sis ( teamfalcon2)	66	40 of 63	18th	1628504 ?12063

Isn’t it sad that the three people in this challenge who knew the least about college basketball came in first, second and third!?  At least I came in a respectable fifth this year, and my sister gets what she deserves, coming in last after calling her picks “your going to lose to your sis”…like I’ve ever lost to her in anything sports related.

Anyway, great job to all, thanks for participating and a special congratulations to the runner up, Adam.  Doesn’t it feel good to lose to your wife :p  Congrats Kim for coming in first, great job!

Uncategorized Fun, Sports