Sports Beat column - November 2, 2006

Sports Beat
November 2, 2006

Sports Beat by Bill McCaffrey

It was sad in DC Arnold â¤¦Redâ¤? Auerbach passing at age 89. He was one of the greatest coachâ¤s ever in the NBA and the praise was pouring in from all over about Red building the Boston Celtics into a NBA power but hardly a mention about him coaching Roosevelt High School in DC and Redâ¤s Rough Riders star the late Hymie Perlo and winning a tournament in North Carolina defeating a team led by the great Bones McKinney.

He then took on the job of putting together the Washington Capitals for Mike Uline and the team went 49-11 in the regular season in the initial year of what was to become the NBA but was first called the Basketball Association of America.

His starting Caps five was Bob Feerick, Bones McKinney, John Norlander, John Manken and Freddie Scolari. Auerbach was the NBA, the heart and soul of it for many, many years.

A great book to read is John Feinsteinâ¤s book on Auerbach. He lost his brother Zang two years ago. Zang always had lunch every Wednesday with Joe Warren, Jack Hoffman, Bob Summers, the late Hymie Perlo and several others of the old timers at the Greenbelt American Legion.

Last week I had lunch with Emmett Lanier and it was a great time. Emmett was the visiting team batboy at Griffith Stadium in the 1940â¤s and he had lots of stories about the old days and the sports of that era and we will go into more detail in a later column. We talked about Lou Glickfield and Marlo Furniture and the good things he did for a lot of guys like Jimmy Pantos. I met Lou at Roosevelt High School in 1950 (he played at Central HS for new Roosevelt coach Lou Chacos who replaced Pete Labukas who went into the service).

Emmett Lanier is a true American hero, he won the Bronze Star in Korea and earned many other awards for his loyal service to this country. Heâ¤s an Eastern High School grad and he passed along sad news that Ralph C. Dawn, Sr. had passed.

Lanier showed me a book on Lou Glickfield entitled â¤¦A Born Merchantâ¤?. He also gave me a copy of the 1949 Washington Post All-Metro team that had Billy Smith, Bucky Poston and members of the All-High, All-Suburban, and All-Private and some of those names were: Tony Agro, Edie Graham, Leo Speros, Joe Kolley, Ronnie Brooks, Mike Nolan and Pete Haley.

Maryland held on to defeat Florida State 27-24 and this week the Terps play Clemson who lost to Virginia Tech.

Navy was swamped and outclassed by Notre Dame 38-14 and the Irish dropped in the bowl series competition showing why Navy will never be considered a top team. Is it true that the Naval Academy has dropped chemistry as a required subject and added basket weaving to accommodate â¤¦Little Egoâ¤sâ¤? players.

Navy has only weak teams left on their schedule, Duke, Temple , Eastern Michigan , and Army. A sissy schedule if there has ever been one.

The Redskins host Dallas and the Ravens the Bengals, look for both locals to get a win this weekend.

Baltimoreâ¤s defense had a super game against the Saints and is the reason the Ravens easily won.

PENALTIES PROPEL PANTHERS TO 9-7 VICTORY
BSU's Queen Sets Single Game Rushing Record

Nathaniel Queen rushed for a Bowie State single game record 239 yards but the Bulldogs fell 9-7 to Virginia Union. The old record (209) was set last season by Isaac Redman. The loss drops Bowie State to 4-5 overall (2-4 CIAA) but improves Virginia Union to 7-2 (5-1 CIAA).

The Panthers of Virginia Union scored on their very first series on a Lamar Little to Michael Hampton 34 yard pass and catch with 7:33 left in the opening quarter. Hugo Flores-Diazâ¤s extra point attempt was missed, leaving the Panthers with a 6-0 lead.

Diaz added a 43 yard field at the 6:51 mark of the second quarter, extending Virginia Unionâ¤s lead to 9-0. Bowie State missed a scoring opportunity just before halftime when Lamar Manigo was intercepted by VUUâ¤s Akeem Smith at the Bulldogs two yard line.

Bowie State seemed to be gaining momentum in the third quarter but the penalty bug began to bite the Bulldogs. Faced with a third and eight from the BSU 46 yard line, Queen busted through the Panthers defense for what appeared to be a 54 yard touchdown. However, the Bulldogs were penalized 10 yards for holding, negating six points for the home team. The Bulldogs would turn the ball over to Virginia Union two plays later. Fortunately, Bowie State would recover on its next series when Peter Mensah pounded in for his first touchdown of the season from one yard out with 39 seconds remaining in the third quarter. John Riley converted the extra point, cutting the deficit to 9-7.

The Bulldogs were penalized 15 yards for delay of game on the ensuing kickoff, but the flag was thrown because of excessive band play for the second time this season. Bowie State blocked a Flores-Diaz 42 yard field goal attempt early in the final quarter, giving BSU good field position at their 32 yard line. The Panthers defense got another heavy dose of Queen, as the senior carried the ball five of eight times on the drive. Bowie State drove down to the Virginia Union 18 yard line but couldnâ¤t capitalize, wasting a 10 play â¤³ 60 yard drive. A 33 yard field goal attempt by BSUâ¤s Riley sailed wide left with 6:30 left in the game.

Marcus McFadden picked off a pass by Little at the VUU 44 yard line and returned it to the Panthers 20 yard line. But as the case most of the game, BSU was flagged for an illegal block in the back, pushing the ball back to the VUU 35. However, Bowie State went three and out, turning the ball over to Virginia Union. An 18 yard catch by Herb Jones and a 19 yard run by Elihu Smith (155 rushing yards) were to key plays that helped Virginia Union move the sticks and eventually run out the clock.

Little led VUU with 98 passing yards and rushed for another 30 yards. BSUâ¤s Manigo completed six of 17 passes for 61 yards and DeMarcus Reeves caught four of those passes for 30 yards. Devin Burton led the BSU Bulldogs with 10 tackles and the duo of Saad Alston and Durrell York added another seven tackles each. Hurley Hemphill paced the Panthers with nine total tackles. As for those penalties, BSU was hit 13 times for 124 yards while the Panthers were set back seven times for 30 yards.

For additional information on Bowie State football, contact the BSU Office of Sports Information at (301) 860-3574 or log on to www.BSUBulldogs.com.

"MEET ME IN ST. LOUIE, LOOIE, LOOIE"

Now St. Louis is the new World Series champion closing out the Detroit Tigers 4-2 to win it all four games to one.

Tony LaRussa is one of the best managers the game has ever known and Dave Duncan continues to be the premier pitching coach in baseball (better even than Frank Mazzone).

Yadier Molina is a great defensive catcher but was outstanding with a bat in the series.

The Tigers bats were a major disappointment in the series â¤³ Rodriguez (.158), Ordonez (.105), Polanco (.000), Granderson (.095) and Monroe (.150).

Maybe some day the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals will play in a World Series.

Terrapin Field Hockey Top Appalachian State on Senior Day
Susie Rowe scores twice in Terps' final regular-season match

Susie Rowe's two goals in the team's final regular-season game, led No. 1 Maryland field hockey to a 5-0 victory over Appalachian State and it's winningest regular season since 1999. The Terps await the announcement of the ACC Tournament bracket. The postseason event takes place in Chapel Hill , N.C. , Nov. 2-5.

Having already wrapped up the ACC season, earning at least a share of the conference regular-season crown, the Terrapins (18-1) focused their attentions to their six seniors who were honored before the start of the game against the Mountaineers (1-16).

Seniors Kristina Edmonds, Megan Fox, Paula Infante , Christina Restivo Berber Rischen and Emily Trycinski were playing in the final regular-season contest of their careers. With the win, the senior class has amassed an impressive 78-13 record, including three-straight trips to the national semifinals, an ACC tournament title, a conference regular-season title and an NCAA Championship.

Against the Mountaineers on Friday night at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, Maryland took care of business early. The Terps were up 2-0 within the first five minutes of the game. Infante tallied the game-winner on a penalty corner just over a minute into the contest. Fellow senior Trycinski get on the scoreboard for the team's second goal of the evening.

Another senior, Berber Rischen, rounded out the scoring in the first half to put Maryland in front, 3-0.

Before the game was over, Rowe put the visiting Mountaineers away for good, scoring twice in the period.

The shut out is also Maryland's ninth of the season, while the 18-1 regular-season mark is tied for the best since 1999, the year the Terrapins won the NCAA and ACC titles.

Appalachian State (1-16) 0 0 - 0

#1 Maryland (18-1) 3 2 - 5

GOALS: ASU, None. MD, Paula Infante (Janneke van Leeuwen, Kristina Edmonds), pc, 1:08; Emily Trycinski (Kim Ziegler), 4:56; Berber Rischen, un, 24:49; Susie Rowe, un, 36:25; Susie Rowe, un, 43:44. SHOTS: ASU 5, MD 40. PENALTY CORNERS: ASU 3, MD 10. SAVES: ASU, Mikayla Paulson 18 (5 GA, 60:15), Sabra Holt 2 (0 GA, 9:45); MD, Christina Restivo 3 (0 GA, 70:00). ATTENDANCE: 290.

#1 Field Hockey Terps Are Top Seed in ACC Tournament
Top-seeded Terps looking for second-straight title Tournament Central

Regular-season ACC co-Champion Maryland field hockey is the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament, which runs Nov. 2-5 in Chapel Hill , N.C. The top-ranked Terps earn a first-round bye and face the winner of the #4 Boston College-#5 Virginia on Friday, Nov. 3 at 4 p.m.

Maryland boasts a 4-1 record, tying for first place in the standings with Wake For est. The Terps defeated the Demon Deacons on Sept. 23, 3-2, in Winston-Salem , N.C. , to earn the tiebreaker over WFU.

Head coach Missy Meharg led the Terrapins to capture the ACC Tournament title last season, prior to winning the national championship in early November. Maryland currently boasts a 18-1 regular season record, the winningest regular season 1999.

Maryland has won six ACC Tournament titles, including last season's victory. The Terps have also claimed the regular-season crown five times, including this season.

On the other side of the bracket, second-seeded Wake Forest battles the winner of the first-round match-up between third-seeded Duke and sixth-seeded North Carolina . The championship game will be held on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 12 p.m. and will be televised on the ACC's Regional Sports Network on a tape delay basis at 5:30 p.m.

The quarterfinal and semifinal games can be viewed on the internet through ACCselect.com and live stats will be available at www.theacc.com for every game.

All-tournament ticket packages for the tournament are $10 for adults and $5 for students, seniors and children. Single-day tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students, seniors and children. Students with ID from an ACC school will be admitted for free.

2006 ACC Tournament
Francis E. Henry Stadium ( Chapel Hill , N.C. )

Thursday, Nov. 2
GAME 1: #4 Boston College vs. #5 Virginia, 1 p.m.
GAME 2: #3 Duke vs. #6 North Carolina, 4 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 3
GAME 3: #1 Maryland vs. Game 1 winner, 4 p.m.
GAME 4: #2 Wake Forest vs. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 5
GAME 5: Championship game, 12 p.m. (RSN, tape delay 5:30 p.m.)

RSN - Regional Sports Network (Comcast SportsNet, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Florida , New England Sports Network)

National Champion Terps No. 1 in Preseason Coaches Poll
Terps receive 29 of 31 first-place votes.

2006-07 Season Outlook | ACC Women's Basketball Previews
Terps Home Debut to be Televised on Comacst SportsNet
Terps Hold Their Annual Media Day

Returning its top eight players from last season, including its five starters, the National Champion Maryland women's basketball team was nearly a consensus No. 1 preseason pick in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, receiving 29 of a possible 31 first-place votes. It is the first time in school history the Terrapins have been tabbed the preseason favorites.

The Terrapins finished the 2005-06 campaign as the No. 1 team in the country according to the coaches poll after winning the NCAA title with a dramatic 78-75 overtime victory over Duke. Prior to that, the Terps' highest ranking was No. 3.

Maryland won a school-record 34 games last season and had five players averaging in double figures. Among the players returning is junior All-American Crystal Langhorne , who was recently named to the preseason All-ACC team and has been tabbed one of the top five players in the country by several publications.

A three-time All-ACC honoree, Shay Doron returns for her final campaign, with the help of 2006 ACC Rookie of the Year Marissa Coleman , Final Four Most Outstanding Player Laura Harper and Final Four All-Tournament team member Kristi Toliver .

Also ranked in the preseason poll are ACC foes North Carolina (No. 2) and Duke (No. 6). The Tar Heels' two losses last season both came at the hands of the Terrapins, including an 80-71 decision in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

Ten other Maryland opponents appear in the poll, including Michigan State, who visits College Park on Jan. 6 for a nationally televised game on CBS, is ranked 17th, while Boston College (83), George Washington (77), TCU (46), Temple (37), NC State (12), Florida State (8), Virginia Tech (4) and Middle Tennessee State (2) all received votes.

Maryland plays its only exhibition game of the preseason on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. against LTL All-Stars. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.umterps.com or by calling the Comcast Center Ticket Office at 1-800-IM-A-TERP.

ESPN/Coaches Preseason Top 25

Rank School (2005-06 record) Points Final 2005-06 Rank First-Place Votes

1 Maryland (34-4) 773 1 29
2 North Carolina (33-2) 709
3 1 3 Oklahoma (31-5) 686 8 0
4 Stanford (26-8) 655 7 1
5 Tennessee (31-5) 648 5 0
6 Duke (31-4) 632 2 0
7 Ohio State (29-3) 587 10 0
8 Connecticut (32-5) 557 6 0
9 Georgia (23-9) 487 13 0
10 LSU (31-4) 454 4 0
11 Rutgers (27-5) 448 9 0
12 Arizona State (25-7) 383 17 0
13 Purdue (26-7) 380 11 0
14 Texas A&M (23-9) 297 not ranked 0
15 Vanderbilt (21-11) 262 22 0
16 Kentucky (22-9) 255 not ranked 0
17 Michigan State (24-10) 204 16 0
18 Baylor (26-7) 192 14 0
19 DePaul (27-7) 178 15 0
20 New Mexico (22-10) 134 21 0
21 California (18-12) 114 not ranked 0
22 Southern California (19-12) 100 not ranked 0
23 UCLA (21-11) 95 18 0
24 Brigham Young (26-6) 93 20 0
25 Washington (19-11) 92 not ranked 0

Others receiving votes (2005-06 record in parentheses):
Boston College (21-12) 83; George Washington (23-9) 77; Utah (27-7) 77; Texas (13-15) 50; Bowling Green (28-3) 47; TCU (19-12) 46; Louisiana Tech (26-5) 45; Old Dominion (22-9) 39; Temple (24-8) 37; Louisville (19-10) 33; St. Johnâ¤—s (22-8) 20; Pittsburgh (22-10) 16; Kansas State (22-10) 13; North Carolina State (19-12) 12; Tulsa (25-7) 10; Florida State (20-10) 8; Texas Tech (15-14) 7; South Carolina (17-12) 6; Florida (21-9) 5; Hartford (27-4) 4; Rice (19-13) 4; South Florida (19-12) 4; Virginia Tech (21-10) 4; Mississippi (17-14) 3; Western Kentucky (26-7) 3; Drake (17-12) 2; Iowa (17-12) 2; Middle Tennessee (20-11) 2; Montana (21-7) 1.

Women's Basketball Home Opener to Air on Comcast SportsNet
TV schedule up to 11 games.

The Maryland women's basketball team's home opener against George Mason on Sunday, Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. will be broadcast live on Comcast SportsNet. The afternoon begins with the raising of the national championship banner, as the Terrapins play in front of the home crowd for the first time in 2006-07.

Maryland's home contest against Wake Forest on Jan. 21 has also been added to the television schedule, airing nationally on CSTV. The time for that game has been moved to 4 p.m.

With the addition of the two games, the Terrapins' schedule includes 11 televised contests, with six national broadcasts. Maryland will also have the opportunity to appear on television as selected ACC Tournament games and all games of the NCAA Tournament are also on the television slate.

For tickets or more information, log onto the Maryland athletics' official web site at www.umterps.com or call the Comcast Center Ticket Office at 1-800-IM-A-TERP.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE
Sunday, Nov. 12 â¤¢ George Mason (CSN) â¤¢ 2 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 6 â¤¢ Michigan State (CBS) â¤¢ 2 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 13 â¤¢ at Duke (FSN) â¤¢ 12:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 19 â¤¢ Virginia (RSN) â¤¢ 7 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 21 â¤¢ Wake Forest (CSTV) â¤¢ 4 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 28 â¤¢ North Carolina (ESPN2) â¤¢ 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 4 â¤¢ Boston College (RSN) â¤¢ 4 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 11 â¤¢ at Virginia (RSN) â¤¢ 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 15 â¤¢ at Florida State (ESPN2) â¤¢ 7 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 18 â¤¢ Duke (FSN) â¤¢ 6 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 25 â¤¢ at Boston College (RSN) â¤¢ 3 p.m.

FSN (national) - Fox Sports Net (Comcast SportsNet in the Baltimore/Washington area)
RSN - Regional Sports Network (Comcast SportsNet, Sun Sports, Fox Sports Net affiliates)
ESPN2, CBS, CSTV - national
CSN - Comcast SportsNet

Jimmy Lange and Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson
to Headline December 9th Boxing Event at the Patriot Center;
Major League Boxing show
will also feature Spivey vs. White rematch

Two of the Washington areaâ¤s top boxers will serve as co-headliners and a highly-anticipated, super lightweight contendersâ¤ rematch highlight a six-bout fight card presented by Major League Boxing set for Saturday, December 9, 2006 at the Patriot Center .

Northern Virginia fan favorite JIMMY LANGE (27-3-1, 19 KOs) will return for his fourth consecutive bout in Fairfax joining one of the regionâ¤s all-time great fighters, former three-time world champion MARK â¤¦TOO SHARPâ¤? JOHNSON (44-5, 28 KOs) of Washington, D.C. as the eveningâ¤s main attractions. Opponents for both fighters will be announced shortly.

After an impressive showing earlier this month â¤¦THE PRIDE OF PORTSMOUTHâ¤? DORIN SPIVEY (34-4, 28 KOs) returns to Northern Virginia to face DEAN â¤¦THE PIT BULLâ¤? WHITE (13-5-1, 6 KOs ) of Smithsburg, MD in an exciting eight-round rematch. The two fighters squared off back in 1998 with Spivey earning a seventh round TKO in Virginia Beach .

Lange looks to continue on the winning track after scoring a tenth round TKO win over Tommy Wilt earlier this month at the Patriot Center.

" I look forward to getting right back to work and preparing for December 9,â¤? said Lange who recently returned to camp at trainer Buddy McGirtâ¤s Vero Beach , FL gym. â¤¦I chose to return to the Patriot Center for my next fight instead of pursuing other options because of the great support I always receive from my hometown fans.â¤¦ Johnson, the first and only African-American boxer to ever capture a world championship flyweight title, suffered a loss to WBO bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez in his last fight held on February 25, 2006 in Las Vegas . This will be Johnsonâ¤s second fight in Virginia (first was June 12, 1992 in Alexandria ) and first area appearance since July 2004 (Bowie, MD).

"Boxing has been great to me and my goal is to get back into world title contention, eventually fighting (Robert) Guerrero for his IBF Featherweight Title,â¤? explained Johnson who has captured the WBO Super Flyweight, IBF Flyweight and Super Flyweight championship belts during his illustrious 12â¤³year career. â¤¦It all starts with this fight in December where Iâ¤ll get a chance to see how I feel fighting at 126 in front of a great hometown crowd.â¤?

Promoter Joe Hensley of Major League Boxing anticipates another attractive and competitive card, top-to-bottom, with a total of six bouts to be scheduled. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. with the first bout slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale in the immediate future.

PROMOTER:
www.MajorLeagueBoxing.com

Tickets went on sale wed. Nov. 1st
(Jake"The Snake"Smith's Baltimore Pro Boxing) for the 2nd annual
BOMBS AWAY ON PEARL HARBOR DAY @ Pikesville Armory 610 Reisterstown Rd Pikesville MD. 21208.
For information call : 410-375-9175.

SPORTS NOTES

For More Information, contact:
Don "Moose" Lewis, Chairman International Boxing Union, Inc.
@ 404-808-9268 or fax 775-458-8685 email
Media@IBUboxing.com

IBU Lowers Championship Fees!

( Atlanta , Georgia ) (October 30, 2006)- Don "Moose" Lewis, Chairman and President of the International Boxing Union, Inc. (known as the IBU) based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA announces that the reduction in fees for all IBU championships effective 01 November 2006. Mr. Lewis states, "After noticing how limited the budgets of promoters are in this economy, I feel that the IBU needs to do its part to help them any way we can. By slashing fees by as much as forty per cent (40%), the IBU now shows its willingness to work with Promoters any way possible. I personally hope that this will show the boxing media that sanctioning bodies are not in boxing just for the money."

The International Boxing Union, Inc. sanctions and supervises professional boxing title fights around the globe in classifications such as World, InterContinental, Regional, and National. New fees are as follows:
World US$3000.00
InterContinental US$2000.00
Regional US$1500.00
National US$1250.00

For additional information, including memberships or other Opportunities, please contact us by telephone or email.

Who: Award-winning author Tim Wendel

What: Discussion and signing of "The New Face of Baseball: The 100-Year Rise and Triumph of Latinos in America's Favorite Sport" and his new novel "Castro's Cuba", sponsored by the Latin American Baseball Museum

Where: Reserve Officers Association, 808 17th St, NW (Glover Building), Suite 300, 703-217-3090.
Time: 6:30 P.M.
Date: Tuesday, November 14

BOWIE STATE REPEATS AS EASTERN DIVISION BOWLING CHAMPIONS

The Bowie State University womenâ¤s bowling team captured their third straight CIAA Eastern Division title during a conference Round-Up at AMF Laurel (MD) Lanes. The Lady Bulldogs are the defending CIAA Bowling Champions, and were led by seniors Janine Canlas, Cassie Williams and Kellye Underwood. Canlas averaged 182.92 over the weekend and was named CIAA Eastern Division Bowler of the Week.

As a team, Bowie State recorded a 9-1 record and set a CIAA Round-Up match play record with a 995 set. BSUâ¤s Jessica Sites rolled a game high 234 during the Round-Up. Bowie State â¤s Lady Bulldogs finish the 2006 regular season with an overall record of 48-15 and 37-14 in Eastern Division play.

The conference championships take place November 5-7 in Fayetteville , North Carolina . For additional information about womenâ¤s bowling, contact the Bowie State Office of Sports Information at (301) 860-3574 or log on to www.bsubulldogs.com.

LADY BULLDOGS UPEND LADY PANTHERS 3-2
Bowie State Heads to CIAA Championships As Fourth Seed

The Bowie State University Lady Bulldogs volleyball team concluded the 2006 regular season with a stunning 3-2 victory on the road at Virginia Union University . BSU beat the Lady Panthers 21-30, 30-26, 30-19, 16-30 and 15-9. The win locks Bowie State (8-17 / 7-9 in the CIAA) into the CIAA Championships as the 4th seed in the Eastern Division.

Tamira Conner Rogers and Tiffany Toney led Bowie State with 14 and 11 kills respectively. Toney tied for a team high three service aces along with teammate Alycia Williams-Chase.

Michaela Vanakova paced Virginia Union with 13 kills on senior night and Gabriela Mokra added another 12 kills for the Lady Panthers. Virginia Union (13-8 / 12-3 in the CIAA) will enter the CIAA Championships in Fayetteville (NC) tied for the top seed from the east along with Elizabeth City State . However, VUU earns the number one position by virtue of a tie-breaker.

For additional information about Bowie State womenâ¤s volleyball, contact the Office of Sports Information at (301) 860-3574 or log on to www.bsubulldogs.com.

There has been a time change for the Fayetteville State at Bowie State basketball games scheduled for Saturday, February 3, 2007. The women will tip-off at 2:00 p.m. followed by the men at 5:00 p.m. The menâ¤s game will be a part of the CIAA / Urban Sports television broadcast schedule.

Allegany College of Maryland will rename their field house. It was announced that on November 11th Trojan Square Garden will be renamed in honor of the legendary Allegany coach and athletic director Bob Kirk. Bob deserves the honor!

Rumor has â¤¦Has Beenâ¤? Rahman trying to line up a fight with either Mike Tyson or Riddick Bowe in Virginia .

Look-a-Likes
John Feinstein and Paul "Little Ego"
Chesters Jack Broderick and Kenny Rogers (the singer)
David Jansen and Tim Tighlman
The late Linda Darnell and Toni Agnew

Our deepest sympathy goes to the family of Joe Niekro who passed last week at age 61. He won 221 major league games and with his brother Philâ¤s 318 wins the brothers combined for 539 wins topping brother teams like the Deans for the most wins by two brothers.

Also passing last week was former heavyweight boxing champion Trevor Berbick at age 53.

Our deepest sympathy goes to Richie and Vince Palumbo and their family on the passing of their brother Pat Palumbo who was 77. Par Palumbo was the former team doctor for the Washington Redskins and Capitals.

At Old South in the Menâ¤s Great Day event low net went to Butch and Travis Katski, Jim Nichols, and Peter Quinton. Low gross went to Les Bekber, Chuck Freed, Jim Renner and Jack Schulz.

Both Friendly High School and C.H. Flowers ran their unbeaten records to 8-0. Friendly scored 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to top Douglas 34-15 and Flowers rolled over Bladensburg 42-6.

McDonough also went to 8-0 with a 7-3 squeaker over previously unbeaten Patuxent (7-1).

In D.C. Interhigh scores:
Wilson              14
T. Roosevelt     0
Coolidge          46
Cardozo           0
Ballou               44
Anacostia         0

WE GET LETTERS

Dear Bill, I know you have some experiences and insight regarding many of the great defenses in the history of the National Football League. That said, I was wondering about your feelings concerning the Baltimore Ravens treatment of Reggie Bush, this past Sunday. Some national media have given attention to Bart Scott's (Ravens Linebacker) comments following the game against the Saints.

In an interview, Scott confessed he targeted Bush's ankle, which was injured during the game. However, there is another side to the story. According to Scott, after getting stuffed on early running play, Bush stood up and said to Ray Lewis, "that ain't nuthin', new sheriff in town old man," "their all here to see me.". Then he turned to Scott, who was credited with the tackle, and said, "who are you, nobody knows your name, you're just a paycheck."

My question to you is, do you think Bush got what he deserved? Let's face it, for the 50+ minutes following those remarks, the Ravens defense battered Reggie Bush to a degree he's never experienced. The media has painted the Ravens, and especially Scott, as dirty, as a result of the entire debacle. Yet, it seems Reggie Bush would have received the same treatment from the other very best linebackers in the history of the game. It seems Reggie Bush needs to realize he's no longer in " Kansas " or Southern California . He had a "pie" schedule until the Ravens came to town. I sense he's realizing the NFL is not the NCAA.

I suspect the Ravens taught Reggie Bush a lesson on Sunday. He can do great things in this league, but he'd better respect his opponent, or there will be more beatings to follow. It's a violent game, period. Your thoughts? Rex

Rex, Bush can be great or he can be a bust. It's really up to him. The Ravens defense played an outstanding game against the Saints and the defense helped to produce four of their five TD's. Bill

Bill, I watched the first period of last night's Caps-Canucks game and went to bed. Poor Olie, the shots were 16-1 in the first period. I'm amazed that he was able to get the game to a shootout, he is awesome. 92 shots against in 2 games and the Caps got 3 points, if this keeps up Olie will be on Injured Reserve by Thanksgiving. Some great group of defensemen the Caps have, NOT!!! GEORGE HAS NO CLUE!!! Ed

Ed, They did have a good Western Swing but they are still a poor team. Bill

Bill, The Oprah Show segment featuring Maryland alums Gaayle King and Len Elmore on campus and at Ledoâ¤s waxing glorious about UM and the â¤¦best pizza in the universeâ¤? aired Wednesday, November 1 on her ABC show, Channel 7 in DC. Jack & Judy Jack & Judy, Thanks for sharing the information with us. Bill

Bill, This is to let you know about the death this week of another Anacosita High School alumni, David Icenhower. David was a graduate in June of 1950. Fred

Fred, Thanks for the information. My deepest sympathy goes out to his wife. David was a good friend. Bill Bill, Friday Post Obit for Constance RABBITT Plaag. She passed away on October 19th from Colon Cancer. Connie graduated in 1947. She kept Anacostia in her heart and remembered the great time she had there. Also, she was a member of the committee planning a multi class reunion to be held in 2007. She will be missed! Fred

Fred, Thanks for the information. Bill

Bill, Distinguished Members of the Order: Tonight, baseball's classiest franchise is also its best, and the finest fans in sports are enjoying a well-deserved and overdue celebration. Congrats to Chairman Green, Tom Hucker and all of Cardinals Nation for a memorable October and a great Series win! Savor the moment. LNF

Len, Right on! Bill

Bill, I am forwarding this to special people in my e-mail address book. As you see from what Lisa (Joe's daughter, my step-daughter) says about Lauren (Lisa's18 year old daughter and our granddaughter) she, and her roommate Savanna, need all the prayers possible. Joe and I have seen first-hand what a terrible disease RSD is as Lauren has been living here in our guest house with her older sister, Ashley, for several months. Thank you and, please, keep Lauren and Savanna in your prayers. Jean and Joe

Dear Family and Friends, Just writing to keep everyone up-to-date on Lauren. She was admitted into Kennedy last Thursday. She was and still remains very frightened. She had extensive therapy all day on Friday. This is very painful for her. As discussed with the doctors, it will get worse for Lauren before it gets better. Because of her condition, the therapy is very painful. Lauren is back at the point, where you can not touch her body from the pain, which makes it a bigger challenge for the therapist to help her. She has been walking on the side of her foot for quite some time now. It is less painful for her. The therapist will be fitting her for a device to help straighten out her foot and walk correctly.

Lauren got a roomate on Friday, named Savanna. This young lady has been suffering from RSD for four years. It was frightening for all of us to see what RSD is capable of doing. Lauren and Savanna had a lot in common and found great comfort in each other. They are both part of the few people that RSD has affected their whole body. Savanna is 18 years old. She never had the opportunity to finish High School. Her mother quit her job four years ago and has searched hospitals all over the country seeking relief for Savanna. She had not walked or put any weight on her feet for over two years. Savanna, like Lauren has suffered greatly from the affects of all of the medication. She can no longer eat regular food. She has feeding tubes for nutrition or her mother feeds her baby formula through a syringe. As we have seen through Lauren, the medications wreak havic havoce stomach and digestive tract. Savanna has almost died several times from the side affects of the medications.

As many of you already know, my cousin passed away last week at age 35. He was a disabled veteran, who has been on similar medications long-term to cope with the pain from his disability. After hearing about Savanna and watching first-hand the affects the medications had on my cousin, we are all afraid for Lauren.

One thing we learned from Savanna and her mother was how lucky we were to find the team at Hopkins and Kennedy so early in Lauren's disease. It has taken them four years to find people that understand this disease and find relief for Savanna. Savanna has found some relief through alternative medicine. She has success with oxygen therapy and snail venom injections, which come from Japan . Both treatments have decreased the hypershyper-sensitivityr body. Her mother told us that as a result of these treatments, she is now able to brush Savanna's hair without extreme pain to her scalp.

Lauren will be going to John Hopkins next week for testing on her stomach. She has been throwing up blood for several months now. The medications they have put her on for her stomach problems have not been able to resolve this. Hopefully, they will be able to see what is going on with her and address this issue properly.

On Tuesday, October 31st, Lauren and I will meet with the team of doctors at Kennedy Krieger to discuss her medical progress and where we need to go from here. I will also meet with the social workers at Kennedy Krienger. They will be applying for social security for Lauren, as it is doubtful that Lauren will be able to work in the near future. They will also apply for emergency medical assistance behalf, when her health insurance benefits run out.

Ray, Danny and I would like to thank everyone for all of your kindness and concerns about Lauren. We have received letters, emails, cards from friends, family, and people that we do not even know. We realized after listening to Savanna what a difference that support has made in our lives. Savanna does not have the support network that we have. Her mother and herself have sought support through other RSD victims.

Please continue to pray for Lauren. Also, we would like to ask everyone to pray for Savanna, as well. This little girl, despite all that she has been through and her delicate physical health was a true inspiration for all of us. Thanks, Ray and Lisa Shumaker Daniel Cockerham

Dear Joe and Jean, Many folks have put them on their prayer lists, thank you for making me aware of this. Bill

Bill, Who are you supporting in races around the State? Marv Silver

Dear Marv, I am going to rely on Billy Mack Brown's picks which he is going to give me before Saturday. Here are some of the folks I support: Bob Ehrlich for Governor Michael Steele for Senator Mike Miller for State Senator Roy Dyson for State Senator "Mac" Middleton for State Senator John Astle for State Senator Murray Levy for State Delegate John wood for State Delegate John Bohanon for State Delegate Joe Vallerio for State Delegate Jim Proctor for State Delegate Ron Stover for Charles County School Board

I will have BMB's selections in a later release, his picks are in the 97% winning bracket. Also let me add my picks for my 31st Legislative District: Walt Shandrowsky for Senate Joan Cadden, Tom Fleckenstein and Steve Shuh for State Delegates Big Ed Riley and Josh Cohen for Anne Arundel County Council. I also support Ed Middlebrooks and Ron Dillion , whoops, let me get back to sports. Bill

Hi Bill: So good to hear from you. Loved your column. Keep sending them, old friend. Joan Pitkin

PS. Sometime you'll have to tell your inimitable version of the story of my legislation to require boxer's to have tests for possible previous brain injury prior to a fight in MD, which was opposed by the Boxing Commission. They got Sugar Ray Leonard ( still at the top of his game then) to come down to Annapolis and testify against the bill, but then when he finally got through all the photo "ops" with all his legislative fans, he sat down at the witness table, and said "after reading this bill, I think I now support it !". The Boxing Commission folks were in shock. That led to the Aids testing bill, which had died in the Senate and then Mike Miller's son, called his father up on Sine Die and wanted it to pass, so they resurrected the bill from death's door and it passed ! ( when the President of the Senate wants a bill, I found out, ANYTHING can happen ! And it sure did !).

Joan, You always did a super job on everything just as you did on this. Bill

Bill, Distinguished Members of the Order: I'd like to call the first off season meeting of the Hornsby Society for Wednesday, November 15, 7:00 p.m. at the Sly Fox Pub in Annapolis . We had good luck with the Sly Fox at our August meeting, with good food and decent service.

Tentative agenda items include:
1. A recap of the 2006 postseason, with a toast to the World Champion Cardinals;
2. Review of the Nationals' postseason moves, including the search for a new manager and the status of contract talks with Alfonso Soriano;
3. Status of the Nats' ballpark construction project, and the ongoing battle over the 1,200 parking spaces required under the stadium lease agreement between the city and the Nationals;
4. The Orioles' off season preparations for a tenth consecutive losing season;
5. A look at the current free agent crop, with predictions on who lands where.

Please let me know if you intend to make it and, if so, if you have any agenda items to add. Hope to see each of you on 11/15! LNF

Len, I will be there and will be waiting to hear your input on these items. Bill

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