Sports Beat column - March 6, 2008

Sports Beat

March 6, 2008

Sports Beat by Bill McCaffrey

The movie ³Semi Pro² about the ABA reminds me of Ed Cole¹s bid to get the ABA team the Baltimore Claws. Ed put a package together and I went to Baltimore to present the package to the ABA and their representatives and I spent about three hours with then and they didn¹t accept the deal. The tie up was they wanted all of the money up front while we wanted to spread it out over a certain period of time. The Claws did have a ABA superstar in Don Issel but not much else.

The ABA folks probably did us a favor by turning us down because the league was going in the tank but Ed and our group was ready to give it a try. The rest of course is history and the red, white, and blue basketball will always remain as a reminder of a failed but a good idea. Washington DC had a franchise that later became the Virginia Squires.

Just think tho, that edition of the DC franchise already had Rick Barry, Larry Brown, and had signed Dave Bing and when they moved to Virginia they were the first team that Doctor J. (Julius Ervin) played for. And that my friends, is the story behind the story.

MARYLAND WOMEN WIN, MEN LOSE

The Maryland Women beat NC State 77-64 to finish the regular season with a 29-2 record.

31st Annual ACC Tournament
Where: Greensboro Coliseum (12,005) € Greensboro , N.C.
TV: Regional Sports Network (Comcast SportsNet; Fox Sports Net South, NESN) & Fox Sports Net (check tournament schedule).
Radio: WMUC Sports.
Webcast/Audio: ACC Select/www.WMUCSports.com. Audio & Video links available at www.umterps.com

Quick Hits
€ Maryland is ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press and in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls.
€ The Terps boast the most wins in the nation and were the first team to 20 victories. Playing 14 games in the first 31 days of the season, they have played the most games of any team in the nation (31).
€ Maryland plays its last four games of the season over an 18-day stretch, a stark contrast to the beginning of the season when the Terps played eight games in the first 18 days of the season.
€ Maryland 's current record through 31 games is the best since the 1988-89 campaign.
€ Maryland has won only five times on NC State's home court in the history of the series.
€ Senior Crystal Langhorne had her jersey honored after the conclusion of Maryland 's game vs. Florida State.
€ Senior Ashleigh Newman broke the all-time record, and now has 135 broke Shay Doren¹s record of 134.
€ For the first time in the history of the program, Maryland has won 10 ACC games in three-consecutive seasons.
€ Maryland has recorded four-straight 20-win seasons for the first time in school history.
€ A Terrapin has earned ACC Player of the Week honors eight times in 16 weeks of the season. Langhorne is the league's active leader with six career weekly nods.
€ Maryland is one of 12 known teams in NCAA history with four 1,000-point scorers on the roster.
€ The Terps have had at least one player with a double-double in 26 of their 30 games.
€ Three Terps overall were selected preseason candidates for the Wade Trophy and two are on the Midseason Wooden list. Three are on the midseason Naismith Award candidate list. Leaving Last Year Behind
€ With its overtime win over Florida State , Maryland picked up its 28th victory of the season, equaling its win total from a year ago. The Terps also surpassed their ACC win total from last year. The 2006-07 Terrapins went 28-6 overall and 10-4 in league play.

It's All Academic, Too
€ Senior Crystal Langhorne is an All-American on the court and in the classroom. For the second-straight year, she was voted to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America team, earning a spot on the second team.
€ Langhorne was an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 team for the third-straight year. She is a communications major and boasts a 3.43 grade point average. She was a third-team Academic All-American last season.

What a Comeback!
€ Maryland 's 21-point comeback at Virginia Tech on Feb. 4, 2008 tied the third-largest deficit overcome by a team to win in NCAA history. The Terrapins trailed 31-10 in the first half with 10:13 remaining in the first half, before winning the game in overtime, 74-71.
€ The largest comeback overcome was a 32-point deficit by Texas State vs. UT San Antonio on Feb. 18, 2008 . Texas State won the game, 73-71. Oregon came back from a 22-point deficit against Arizona to win, 75-71, on March 4, 2000, while Louisiana Tech posted a 21-point comeback on Feb. 9, 1989 over Old Dominion to win 72-71.

Boarding School
€ Maryland , the leading rebounding team in the nation the last two years, has shown that controlling the glass can affect the outcomes of games. The Terps are 108-8 when outrebounding opponents since 2004-05 and 6-14 when they collect the same or fewer caroms than their opponents.
€ The Terps have outrebounded their opponents in 26 games this season, coming out even against Ohio State and Rutgers . Maryland was outrebounded for the first time since last year's ACC Tournament semifinals in the win over Middle Tennessee State and then again at North Carolina.

Coming Up
€ A No. 2 seed at the ACC Tournament, Maryland will be gunning for its first ACC Championship title since 1989. The No. 2 seed in the tournament is the highest seeding for the Terps since 1993.
€ Clinching a first-round bye, Maryland will play the winner of the first round game between the No. 7 and 10 seeds at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 7. The game can be watched on ACC Select. The semifinal games are slated for Saturday, March 8 at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Net (Comcast SportsNet in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area). The championship game will also be nationally televised on Fox Sports Net on Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m.

Maryland Women Receive Record Number All-ACC Nods
Langhorne becomes first Terp named All-ACC four times

A program-record four Maryland women's basketball players were named to the All-ACC squad, the league office announced on Monday. The three teams were voted on by 49 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Senior Crystal Langhorne and junior Kristi Toliver headlined the first team, each receiving 46 first-team votes and 144 points, tying for the most. Junior Marissa Coleman was named to the second team for the third-straight year, while senior Laura Harper received her first conference nod, earning a place on the third team. The four All-ACC selections is a school record, while the two first-team picks are the most since Vicky Bullett and Deanna Tate were first team selections in 1989.

The ninth player in ACC history to be selected to the first team three times, senior Crystal Langhorne becomes the first-ever Maryland women's basketball player to be named All-ACC four times and the first three-time first-team honoree, as well. The program's all-time scoring leader and the only Terp woman to score 2,000 points, she is averaging 16.5 points per game this season, which ranks in the top five in the ACC. Also the all-time rebounding leader in men's or women's Maryland basketball history, Langhorne has grabbed 9.2 rebounds per game. She was even better this season in conference play, averaging a league-best 19.5 ppg and 10.1 rpg, which ranked third in the ACC. The ACC's active leader in double-doubles with 55, she recorded 12 in 25 games, seven coming against conference opponents. Langhorne was the ACC's Preseason Player of the Year and was voted the ACC's Player of the Week a league-high three times.

Junior Kristi Toliver was a third team pick last season. This year, she has led the conference and is fourth in the nation in assists per game, averaging 7.6 per game, and is second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.72). She leads Maryland in scoring and ranks in the top five in the ACC with 17.2 ppg. Toliver also leads the ACC in free throw shooting (84.8 percent), while also ranking in the top five in three point shooting (40.4 percent) and three pointers made per game (2.23). She has recorded seven double-doubles and has handed out five or more assists in 27 games. This season, she scored her 1,000th career point, became only the fourth Terrapin to dish out 500 assists and also broke Maryland 's career free-throw shooting record (86.5 percent). A two-time ACC Player of the Week pick, Toliver is a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, presented to the nation's top collegiate point guard.

Junior Marissa Coleman is making her third-straight appearance on the second team, becoming one of only four Terps to ever earn All-ACC honors three times. She is third on the team in scoring, averaging a career-best 15.8 points per game, while also grabbing 7.8 rebounds per game. Both rank in the top 10 in the ACC this season, while also ranking in the top 15 in seven other statistical categories. One of the most versatile players in the country, Coleman became only the third player in ACC history to have 1,000 points, 700 rebounds, 300 assists and 100 blocks in a career. She has had double-doubles 10 times this season, as well. She was twice selected the ACC's Player of the Week and was also a Preseason All-ACC pick.

Senior Laura Harper is also having an outstanding season. She was second in the ACC in rebounding, grabbing 10.2 rpg in conference games, while scoring 15.2 ppg. On the season, she is averaging 14.3 ppg and 8.8 rpg, both career highs. She has posted 11 double-doubles and also ranks fourth in the nation, boasting a 63.3 shooting percentage. Harper also scored her 1000th career point this season, also breaking the Maryland record for career blocks, a record which had stood for 28 years. She was also selected the ACC's Player of the Week once this season.

Fifth-ranked Maryland is preparing for the 31st annual ACC Tournament, which takes place March 6-9 in Greensboro, N.C. The Terps earned a first-round bye and play seventh-seeded Boston College or 10th-seeded Virginia Tech on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. at Greensboro Coliseum. The Terps went 13-1 in the ACC and received the No. 2 seed, its highest seeding since 1993.

The semifinal games are scheduled for 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, with the championship game slated for Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m. The final two days will be nationally televised on Fox Sports Net (Comcast SportsNet in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area).

2008 All-ACC Women¹s Basketball Team
(49 Total Votes)
ALL-ACC
(1st Team Vote 3 points; 2nd Team Vote 2 points; 3rd Team Vote 1 point)

First Team (1st Team Votes) Points
Crystal Langhorne, Maryland (46)............ 144
Kristi Toliver, Maryland (46).................... 144
Khadijah Whittington, NC State (45)......... 142
Erlana Larkins, North Carolina (40)........... 138
LaToya Pringle, North Carolina (16)........... 97

Second Team Points
Monica Wright, Virginia (9).......................... 95
Rashanda McCants, North Carolina (10)..... 85
Chante Black, Duke (8)................................ 84
Marissa Coleman, Maryland (5).................. 83
Brittany Cook, Virginia Tech (6)................. 76

Third Team Points
Janie Mitchell, Georgia Tech (6).................. 73
Laura Harper, Maryland (0)......................... 48
Abby Waner, Duke (4)................................. 43
Sharnee¹ Zoll , Virginia (3)............................ 42
Lyndra Littles, Virginia (0)........................... 24

Honorable Mention (15 or more points) Points
Aisha Mohammed, Virginia.......................... 23
Stefanie Murphy, Boston College................ 18
Tanae Davis-Cain, Florida State................... 17
Maurita Reid, Miami.................................... 17
Chioma Nnamaka, Georgia Tech.................. 15

Terps No. 2 Seed in ACC Women's Tournament
Highest seeding for Maryland since 1993

The fifth-ranked Maryland women's basketball team enters the 31st annual ACC Women's Basketball Tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Terrapins earn a first-round bye and begin their conference championship hunt on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. at Greensboro Coliseum. Maryland went 13-1 in ACC play after its win at NC State on Sunday. It is the most league wins for the program since 1992. Its only loss this season was a double-overtime setback against North Carolina in Chapel Hill , N.C. in January. The Terrapins play the winner of Thursday's first-round matchup between No. 7 Boston College and No. 10 Virginia Tech. North Carolina is the top seed in the tournament after going undefeated in ACC games. The third seed is Duke with a 10-4 record, followed by Virginia, who is also 10-4. All four teams received first-round byes. Taking the floor on Thursday for the opening round are #5 Georgia Tech, #6 Florida State, #7 Boston College, #8 NC State, #9 Clemson, #10 Virginia Tech, #11 Wake Forest and #12 Miami. The semifinal games are slated for Saturday, March 8 at 1 and 3:30 p.m. The champion will be determined on Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m. The final two rounds of the ACC Tournament will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net (Comcast Sports Net in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area). The Terrapins are looking for their first ACC title since 1989. Ranked fifth in the nation, Maryland 's quarterfinal game can be watched on ACC Select. The Terps also enter the postseason with a 29-2, surpassing their win total from last year.

Sunday, March 9:
Game No. 11 € Championship Game, 1:00 p.m. (FSN)

FSN - Fox Sports Net and affiliates
RSN - Fox Sports Net South (FSNS), Comcast SportsNet (CSN), Fox Sports Net Florida (FSNFL), New England Sports Network (NESN)

MARYLAND'S LANGHORNE SELECTED ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Senior is only second Terp to earn the honor

Four Terps Earn All-ACC:
http://umterps.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/030308aaa.html%22

Strickland HM ACC All-Freshman:
http://umterps.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/030408aaa.html%22

AP Feature:Langhorne No. 1 In More Ways Than One
http://umterps.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/022908aac.html

Maryland senior Crystal Langhorne has earned many honors in her four seasons and on Wednesday, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced another for the four-time All-ACC pick. Langhorne was selected the 2008 ACC Player of the Year, as voted on by 49 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. She becomes only the second player in the history of the program and the first since 1989 to earn the honor. Langhorne received 23 votes, with North Carolina 's Erlana Larkins garnering 12. Langhorne's teammate Kristi Toliver, who was a first team All-ACC earlier this week, garnered eight votes, while NC State's Khadijah Whittington had five and UNC's Rashanda McCants had one. The league's preseason player of the year, Langhorne is having another stellar season, averaging 16.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. In ACC games, she led the Terps to a school-record tying 13-1 record, averaging a league best 19.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg in those games.

Langhorne has been selected the ACC's Player of the Week three times, the most of any player this season. She posted double-doubles 12 times, seven coming in ACC games. She became the Terps' all-time leading scorer, breaking the mark held by Vicky Bullett since 1989, then went on to score her 2,000th-career point. She also broke the program's all-time rebounding record, which Bullett also held, then surpassed Len Elmore's mark, which he had held for 34 years, to become the Maryland basketball men's or women's rebounding leader, grabbing over 1,000 boards.

Langhorne became the first-ever four-time All-ACC pick in the history of the program, also becoming one of 10 players to garner three first team nods in ACC history. Langhorne ranks 11th in the ACC all-time in career scoring with 2,123 points and is seventh with 1,170 rebounds. She owns the conference's single-season (.707) and career (.650) field goal shooting records and ranks in the top five in NCAA history in career category. She is one of only 58 players in NCAA history to score 2,100 points and grab 1,100 rebounds. She also is seventh in career double-figure scoring games, scoring at least 10 in 119 of 129 career games.

Maryland's only two-time All-American, Langhorne was the ACC's Rookie of the Year in 2005. She is one of just four players in league history to win the rookie and player of the year honors during their careers. On Monday, she earned her fourth-consecutive All-ACC recognition and was picked first team for the third- straight year, a first in the history of the Maryland program.

No. 5/4 Maryland is headed for the 31st annual ACC Tournament, which takes place March 6-9 in Greensboro , N.C. The Terps earned a first-round bye and play seventh-seeded Boston College or 10th-seeded Virginia Tech on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. at Greensboro Coliseum. The Terps went 13-1 in the ACC and received the No. 2 seed, its highest seeding since 1993. The semifinal games are scheduled for 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, with the championship game slated for Sunday, March 9 at 1 p.m. The final two days will be nationally televised on Fox Sports Net (Comcast SportsNet in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area).

Strickland Earns ACC All-Freshman Team Honorable Mention
Rookie shot over 42 percent from 3-point range
€ School-Record Four Terps Named All-ACC
€ ACC Tournament Central

Maryland freshman shooting guard Marah Strickland was named Honorable Mention ACC All-Freshman, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Tuesday. The all-rookie team was voted on by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. She becomes the seventh player under head coach Brenda Frese to garner all-freshman honors. Leading the ACC in three-point shooting for most of the season, Marah Strickland shot 42.1 percent from 3-point range during the regular season, currently the second-best mark in the ACC. She is the only freshman on the team to play in every game, starting in 30 of 31 contests. She boasts a 43.2 percent shooting percent from the field and has been nearly perfect from the free throw line, making 23 of 24 attempts. Strickland joins current Maryland starters Crystal Langhorne, Kristi Toliver and Marissa Coleman as Terps to be honored by the ACC as freshmen. Boston College's Stefanie Murphy was named ACC Rookie of the Year. The rest of the first team included: Cetera DeGraffenreid ( North Carolina ), Carolyn Swords ( Boston College ), Alex Montgomery ( Georgia Tech) and Andrea Barbour (Virginia Tech). Duke's Jasmine Thomas also received honorable mention.

2008 Bowie MD FlagFootball 5man Pre-Season NIT Results

The 2008 Bowie , MD MDFlagFootball 5man Pre-Season NIT was held on Saturday, February 23rd. There were a total of 11 teams in the tournament. All teams will receive USFTL ranking points. Here are the results: 1. D4 (Capital Hts, MD) 440 points 2. ST. ANTHONY'S ( Wilmington , DE ) 400 3. 2 & OUT ( Clinton , MD ) 360 4. H.U.H. ( Washington , DC ) 320 5. JUDAH ( Baltimore , MD ) 280 6. SHARKS ( Clinton , MD ) 240 - ROKEL ( Millersville , MD ) 240 8. DEADLY ASSAULT ( Washington , DC ) 160 - O.J.'S ( Bowie , MD ) 160 10. RAGE ( Lothian , MD ) 80 - SUPERFRIENDS ( Washington , DC ) 80 Gary Williams Terps blew a 20 point lead and lost to Clemson 73-70. Unfortunately the Terps shouldn¹t even get an NIT bid much less an NCAA selection. This has to be Williams worse team ever. The men¹s ACC Tournament is next weekend. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SCORE: D4 (6) vs. St. Anthony's (0) MVP OFFENSE: Tony / D4 MVP DEFENSE: Trevor / D4 2008 Bowie , MD MDFlagFootball 5man Pre-Season NIT Champs-D4 (Capital Hts , MD )

NICKLOW WINS AGAIN

Professional Boxing Results Friday, February 29, 2008 Pikesville Armory - Pikesville, Maryland Promoter: Murray "Jake" Smith / Baltimore Pro Boxing Jessie Nicklow of Severn, Maryland wins by TKO over Richard "Tiger" Lee Hall of Rocky Mount, North Carolina at 2:06 of the first round. Mark Tucker, Jr. of Eldersburg , Maryland wins (pro debut) by TKO over Walter Edwards of Wilson , North Carolina at 3:00 of the first round. Shelley Seivert of Severna Park , Maryland wins by KO over Leslie Lubaczewski of Bramwell , West Virginia at 0:34 of the first round. Seth Mitchell of Brandywine , Maryland wins by TKO over Maurice Winslow of Wilson , North Carolina at 0:46 of the first round. Richard Abril of Miami , Florida (originally from Cuba ) wins by TKO over Marcos Hernandez of the Dominican Republic at 0:46 of the first round. Lenwood Dozier of Glen Burnie , Maryland wins by KO over Louechie Wiggins of Wilson , North Carolina at 0:27 of the first round. Card was not as good as Jake¹s last card but the crowd was decent.

FARVE RETIRES

Brett Farve has retired after 17 NFL seasons, 259 games and 442 TD passes thrown. He wasn¹t the greatest but ranks right up there with the best, however I consider him one of the most exciting QB¹s I have seen. Other QB¹s I considered exciting were Sonny Jurgensen, Johnny Unitas, and Sammy Baugh. I can still remember Baugh airing out to Hugh ³Bones² Taylor, Unitas to Raymond Berry and Lenny Moore, Jurgensen to Charley Taylor and Bobby Mitchell. Certainly Farve does rank high on everybody¹s list. He¹s there with the likes of Sid Luckman, Dan Marino, John Elway, Joe Montana, Bob Waterfield, Bobby Layne, Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning, ³Passing Paul² Christman, Otto Graham, Eddie ³The Little General² LeBaron, Jim Kelly, Bart Stars, Chuck Conerly, Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Dan Fouts, Frankie Albert, Joe Thiesman, l Warren Moon and I am sure I missed many of your favorites.

³THE REDSKINS ENCYCLOPEDIA²

This is a great book by Michael Richman and published by Temple University Preso, its 418 pages and contains great and well written information on every page with many great pictures and facts just waiting for you. Richman who works for the ³Voice of America² has put one of the greatest books ever on the Washington Redskins or for that matter any other pro football week. I have purchased a few books and a couple of the folks I will be sending them out to include Ed Cole, Sharon Bigham, and Terry Maher. I still have a couple of them left and if you want one send me an e-mail and you may be lucky enough to get one. Any Redskin fan should get one. I will have a full review on the book as soon as I have read it completely. For information on how to purchase the book go to www.temple.edu/tempress. I urge every Redskin fan to obtain one. As President of NFL Films Steve Sabol says ³For Redskin fans, this book is a treasure-trove of stories, facts, anecdotes, and quotesŠIt¹s as detailed as a Joe Gibbs game plan, as far reaching as a Jurgensen to Taylor post pattern, and as enjoyable as a victory over the Cowboys!² Look for my review in an upcoming issue of St. Mary¹s Today.

WE GET LETTERS

Bill, The Eastern 50-Plus group is having its 30th Annual Reunion luncheon at Maryland University on Saturday, April 26, 2008 beginning with a social hour at 11 AM . This group is basically for those individuals who left Eastern High School 50 or more years ago. Anyone interested, please contact Richard Drechsler, Class of 1952, at: randbdrechsler@yahoo.com. Pat (Duell) Harford, Class of 1953

Bill, These players were named 1st team All Met (or 1st team All High/All Prep pre 1954) in all 3 major sports (Football- Basketball-Baseball) : -Bob Rusevlyn, St John's -Ray Smith, Gonzaga -Billy Smith, Roosevelt -Phil Perlo, Roosevelt -Jack George, St John's -Sam DiBlasi, Central Dan

Dan, Your pick? Wexler¹s pick is Jack George. Bill

Bill, George Keough emailed me that Danny O'Connor, class of 51 or 52, passed away this past Wednesday. Services are to be today. Thought you might like to know & pass on to fellow Anacostians..... Bama Clara Nerpiol Young class of June 1949 died Sept. 22, 2007 in Lady Lake , Fla. Fred Plummer

Fred, Thanks for the sad information. Bill

From: SABR Member D. Bruce Brown mailto: bbrown8870@aol.com
I have been researching and documenting Batter Strikeout information - you might have seen my article in the recent BRJ. I have completed most of my research for 1898, 1899, and 1900 and am now attacking 1901.

However, I have run into roadblocks with the primary sources I am using in a couple of the cities, one being Washington , DC . For the seasons I have completed, I was able to pull Washington individual batter strikeout information (for their home games) from the Washington Post (1898 & 1899), either via microfilm or previously, Proquest.

However, with the new AL Washington franchise starting up in 1901, individually documented batter strikeouts for the Washington home games were discontinued in the Post. When I talk about batter strikeouts, they usually show up in the boxscore as "Struck Out - Freeman, Slagle (2); Delahanty)² or a similar format down in the lower part of the boxscore.

Anyway, since I have hit a wall using the Post, I am looking for someone in Washington who would be willing to go to the library and look for other 1901 newspapers which may have the individual batter strikeouts documented in the boxscore. A couple of possibilities might be the Washington Herald or Evening Star. Of course, you may be aware of other possibilities as well. Would you be willing or know someone who could help me in identifying which newspaper(s) have the information I am looking for? Once that is done, I will either interlibrary loan the microfilm or the paper or see if someone local can document the information for me.

Here are selected Washington home games I need checked (paper date, of course, would be the day after for morning papers):
1901 Washington home games: April 30 June 11 August 10 September 26 Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Jonathan Frankel Detroit, MI jlfrankel@comcast.net

Bill, Got last week's column from Marlene and my pick for the best 3 sport athlete would have to be Billy Smith of Roosevelt . No doubt about his incredible talents. Also, wasn't Hymie Perlo a three sport athlete at Roosevelt ? Everyone remembers that name. Enjoyed watching the Maryland championship women's basketball team (lots of new players but still the same Brenda Freise) get a good win over the Rutgers team who won the championship last year, didn't they? And then were trashed by Don Imus. Who seems to be gone, gone, gone and good riddance? Colonel Phil still missing I see. Looking forward to the start of the baseball season and will hope to see the Nationals in their first game at their new stadium. Blessings to you and yours and your real friends have not written you off by any means have they? Dale

Dale, Col. Phil has returned from being AWOL. The I-Man is also back on the air. Bill.

BASEBALL NOTES

After reading Jeff Zrebric¹s article on Luke Scott this past Sunday I now like him because he¹s not afraid to stand up for his beliefs, he¹s a Christian and believes in the second amendment and the right to bear arms. I have now become a Luke Scott fan. Mark Prior won¹t be able to pitch for the Padres before June 1stŠJason Lane is looking good for the YankeesŠReds SS Alex Gonzalez has a broken kneecap and will ne out for a while. What do the Mets Fernando Martinez and Adam Jones of the Orioles have in common other than both being outfielders and young? Both now how to drop fly balls, I wonder why outfielders today like to catch with one hand on routine fly balls instead of using two hands. It may not have parking, ticket and concession prices are on the high side but the food should be really good with Gifford¹s ice cream and a great selection of food you¹ll feel like you are in a high scale food court, much better than Camden Yards.

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO WINS

Christian Siriano of Annapolis won Bravo¹s ³Project Runway² and took the Fan¹s Favorite and judge¹s top prize in how should I say? High Fashion! Christian is already a top designer of women¹s clothes and he¹s only 21. Great story on Siriano in Wednesday¹s Baltimore Sun by Abigail Tucker and Rachel Beckman had a piece on him in the Washington Post. Congratulations to Siriano!

SPORTS NOTES

Col. Phil has surfaced; he has escaped from the winter rigors of Michigan and has been touring Florida with his beautiful girlfriend Sallie. Did you know that the Brown University basketball coach is the brother of Barrack Obama¹s wife? Phil Jackman is the best writer in Baltimore ¹s sports paper ³The Press Box². Do you see the movie ³Wild in the Streets²? I did and it reminds me of what¹s happening in today¹s world especially the elections. Should be a warning to all seniors and anyone over the age of 40. Look-a-Likes: Mike Murphy and ³The Mouse²; Janet Bruchie and the late Marilyn Monroe; June Coates and the late Betty Grable; Slick Spasoff and Jose Greco.

I wonder where they are today Jack Nance, Fred Sherman, Judy Maholic, Bill Carter, Harold Goldstein, Mary Moffet, Joanne Humenick, Eleanor Maffeo, Maxine Levitt, Joan O¹Rourke, Ann Morningstar Jones, Susan Duigiud, George ³Leon² McCauley, ³Shags² McGowan, Harry Highsmith, Art Hughes, Carole Daniels, and Betty Wigglesworth Hughes?

St. John¹s edged Seton Hall 65-62 in men¹s college hoops.

Michael ³The Burnes² Turner goes from being LT¹s backup to the starter in Atlanta pushing Warrick Dunn to the Titans.

A speedy recovery is wished for Governor, Mayor, and Comptroller William Donald Schaefer from injuries suffered from his fall this past Wednesday.

Add my good friend Dave Grnafoski¹s wife Lis and her friend Kathy Lewis to your prayer lists. Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) got his 800th career coaching victory as Duke beat N.C. State 87-86. Former Maryland players in the NFL on the move Kris Jenkins, Carolina trades him to the N.Y. JetsŠMadieu Williams moves from the Bengals to the Vikings in a free agent moveŠ Patriot cornerback Asante Samuel moves to the Eagles and gets a six year guaranteed 20 million dollar contractŠ Donte Stallworth moves from New England to Cleveland ŠJosh Brown will be kicking for St. Louis this seasonŠ Jacksonville has signed QB Cleo LemonŠJosh McCown signs on with the Dolphins. Catch my blog on www.wnst.net. Best sports show on the radio is on WNST-AM 1012 the Rex Snider-Jason Jubb show. Bucknell dropped Navy 87-86 in triple OT to knock out of the Patriot League Tournament. Atlanta Falcons re-signed ex-Raven QB Chris Redman.

JIM DOYLE PASSES

When I went to Annapolis the classiest and best lobbyist was James J.²Jim² Doyle. I was fortunate to have many conversations with him and he was most truthful unlike some of the others. Jim Doyle was super and my deepest sympathy goes out to his passing at age 81. Other lobbyists that treated me well and were truthful and honest include: Franklin Goldstein, Bruce Bereano, Jerry Evans, Joe Carroll, Bill Pitcher, Marvin Mandell, ³Big Ed² Wayson, ³Moe² and Ed Wyatt, George Manis, Mike Canning, and Steve Thienel.

My deepest sympathy also goes to the following:
Cynthia Parker Coffin (Sidwell Friends grad)
Robert Warren Barnett, Jr. (Sidwell Friends grad)
Charles C. Barcus (Gonzaga HS grad)
Anna N. Beall (Eastern (DC) HS grad)
Ellen M. Hockenberry (retired AT&T operator & member of Telephone Pioneers of America)
Regina P. Adams (Bowie HS grad)
Robin Moore (wrote ³French Connection² and ³The Green Berets² & co-wrote ³The Ballad of the Green Berets²)
Lorraine Robin Penn (W-L HS grad)
Mike Smith (lead singer of the ³Dave Clark Five²)
Buddy Miles (Drummer with Jimi Hendrix)
William R. Clark (Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS grad)
Dorothy Farlee Councill (Theo. Roosevelt (DC) HS grad)

STATE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFF SCORES
Boys 1A
Surrattsville 88 Forestville 72

Boys 3A
Chopticon 60 LaPlata 42
Westlake 49 Crossland 47

Boys 4A
Arundel                         81                     Severna Park                51
Severna Park                 51                     Stone                            45
North County               52                     Glen Burnie                 50

Girls 1A
Surrattsville 63 Forestville 24
Poolesville 53 Catoctin 23

Girls 2A
River Hill                       66                     McDonough                 32
Mt. Hebron                   62                     Central                          32
Gwynn Park                  58                     Marriotts Ridge            48
River Hill                       60                     Calvert                          45

Girls 3A
Great Mills                    66                    Potomac                        45
Largo                             63                     Friendly                        42
Westlake                       68                     Crossland                      37
Lackey                          57                     Huntingtown                 48
Fallston                         52                     Annapolis                     46

State semi-finals and finals in both boys and girls are coming up this weekend.

SUPPORT SOUTHERN MD SPORTS!!