Back In Action

After a summer long hiatus it is great to be back in the game. I would have loved to continue writing after spring semester, but it is very difficult to stay focused during such a busy season. I have missed so much, and I feel as if I should cover everything that happened this past summer, but I'd like to start fresh. Fall semester has begun and new courses are in action. I am continuing on to the second level Journalism/New Media class, and I am very excited. This class gives me a chance to stay more disciplined in my writing. It will help me build my writing techniques and skills, and will hopefully encourage me to take the next step in the Mass Communication field. I hope for this class to provide me with more advanced knowledge of audio/video softwares, along with a better understanding of the journalistic world.

Football season is 2 weeks away, and no one does it better than Baltimore. Last season, the Baltimore Ravens shocked the football world with an 11-5 season thanks to a little help from a rookie Quarterback and rookie Head Coach. This season, hopes are the highest they have ever been as our surprising rookies from 2008 are now more dangerous, more versatile, and more aggressive. I honestly believe our remarkable 2008 season is just a stepping stone of more amazing years to come. This is the perfect time to begin blogging once again. Nothing is more exciting than football, and no team is more electrifying than the Baltimore Ravens.

My main focus this semester is to blog strictly about the 2009 Baltimore Ravens. However, if anything interesting or odd comes along, then I will most certainly throw in a random blog not concerning the purple and black. "ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?????!!!!!"

New Home, New Problems

Balls continue to fly out of the New Yankee Stadium this year. The new park has seen a recorded 26 homeruns in six home games. That is one more than the previous record for the first six games at a major league venue. It didn't seem too odd at first, but when you look at the number of homeruns hit at the old Yankee stadium then it is certainly cause for concern.

General Manager, Brian Cashman, even said that the organization will have to start monitoring the number of balls flying into the stands. There is no doubt that the new Yankee Stadium is a home run ball park, but it doesn't seem possible that 26 can be hit in six games.

Well, there is an actual reason to this homerun problem. It has been reported that the new stadium was built into a different wind pattern direction as the old stadium. The old Yankee stadium had more stacked tiers and a large upper deck. The higher deck acted like a solid wall which would cause the wind to swirl and be less concentrated. The new stadium is less stacked. This allows the wind to blow entirely across the field with less restriction. Balls are given a much more forceful lift, causing more homeruns, especially towards right field. If this is the case, then games will only be effected with more homeruns on days that winds are higher than 10mph.

If I'm not mistaken, September and October have higher winds than the summer. Just another advantage for the Yankees. Not only do they pay for three players at prices higher than it took to even build the stadium, but they could possibly score more runs than already projected. We'll see how the season will progress, and whether the Yankees are forced make a change to their new home.

Nick Adenhart 1986-2009

The biggest story to hit the news this week was the tragic, unexpected death of Angel's rookie, Nick Adenhart. The 22-year-old from Silver Spring, Maryland was in a deadly car accident in Fullerton, California only 3 hours after he made his Major League Debut on the mound.

Adenhart and two other friends went out late Wednesday night to celebrate the most impressive game of his short career. The three were victims of an alleged drunk driver as their Mitsubishi Eclipse was slammed into at 50mph while sitting at a red light. The cowardly driver in the Toyota minivan thought he could flee the scence on foot, but was eventually caught and charged with three counts of murder. Adenhart's dad was waiting for Nick and his friends at the nightclub where they were to celebrate, but Nick never made it.

When I heard the news, my heart sank. I had literally just watched Nick play that same evening when he pitched 6 scoreless innings, gave up 7 hits, and struck out 5. I thought it was some sort of sick joke. Untimely deaths occur in Major League Sports every so often, but none of them had a bigger effect on me than Nick Adenhart. The young age made his death more heart-breaking...and after he just pitched his greatest game of his life makes everything seem unfathomable.

It's disgusting that a drunk driver is always able to walk away from an accident without a scratch. It just puts things into perspective. Some of these big time baseball players take for granted the money they make. They should just be happy for the blessed opportunity to even play in the Majors. They should thank God every single day to be lucky enough to step foot onto a baseball field, that they are fortunate enough even to be alive. Players like Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez wait until their chump-change offers get turned into $180 million, and quite frankly, I have to pop a few TUMS in my stomach because it makes me want to puke. Nick Adenhart was just a kid who had a simple dream to play in the Majors. He didn't have to make millions. He was happy enough to get the chance to do what he loved, play baseball.

Nick Adenhart was able to fulfill his dream of one day playing in the majors. His career was shortlived, but his legacy will last forever. Maybe it was a coincidence that he played for the Angels......

An Opening Day To Remember

Opening Day brings a sense of optimism. There is nothing like the feeling of beginning a fresh year tied for 1st place. Despite 11 straight losing seasons, hopes were high, and the enthusiasm was greater than I've ever seen it at Camden Yards. Even the terrential rain that hit Baltimore on Monday didn't seem to touch the bright attitudes of Oriole fans. Everyone has in their hearts that this is the season we break our losing-record streak, and who better to start off strong than against the most hated team in sports, The New York Yankees.

The Baltimore Orioles hold one of the best Opening Day records in the history of Major League Baseball. The last time the Yankees and Orioles met on Opening Day was back in 2002. Tony Batista hit a Grandslam as the Orioles roughed up "Future Hall of Famer", Roger Clemens, for 8 Earned Runs. Final Score: Orioles 10 Yankees 3. A similar situation occurred Monday as the Orioles once again slaughtered one of the best pitchers in the league. C.C. Sabathia was the Yanks starting pitcher. He went 11-2 last season with 7 complete games and an extremely impressive ERA of 1.65. Those poor Birds never stood a chance against the 6'7'' 290 pound power lefty. But I guess the big man C.C. was thinking more about what sort of deli spread there would be in the locker room after the game. The O's beat up on Sabathia pretty badly. They put up 6 Earned Runs, and never looked back. It's almost as if the Orioles thrive off of embarrasing not only the best pitchers in the league, but the New York Yankees, on Opening Day. If only they knew how to play this well in September. My blood pressure would be lower, and I would probably have more hair because I hadn't pulled all of it out by All-Star Break. I guess the $161 million contract for Sabathia is really paying off, Steinbrenner!

The highlight of the game was not Sabathia's poor performance. It was the opportunity that Baltimore fans got to boo hometown kid, Mark Teixeira. For those of you who are not following, Teixeira grew up in Baltimore and always watched the Orioles when he was younger. It would've been a great chance to have a hometown hero born and bred play in his backyard. Fans were excited for this possibility. He eventually landed a deal with his own Baltimore rival, The New York Yankees. We understand that the Yankees are able to dish out hundreds of millions. No harm, no foul. Although the press conference in New York was a slap in the face to the entire city of Baltimore. When Teixeira officially became a Yankee, he gave his speech about how he always looked up to Yankee Hall of Famer, Don Mattingly. He continued to jabber about how he would go to Oriole games as a kid and wear his Yankee hat, and support the Yankees. Not exactly the safest thing to do in Baltimore. Teixeira says, "It was worth it." It wasn't the fact that he signed with the Yankees that made Baltimore feel betrayed, it was the extremely positive statements about New York that was the twist of the dagger. When Teixeira took the field for the first time as a Yankee, he wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms.

A Special Treat For Baltimore

In midst of the NCAA Tourney, NFL Draft talk, and MLB's upcoming season, there is the forgotten sport of Soccer that is hitting the news. It is important to follow what is going on around your hometown from time to time. But, I guess when the Ravens are in the their off-season, and The Orioles have not quite started their own season, then it could be difficult to keep up with Baltimore sports. However, this summer, our hometown of Baltimore will be receiving quite a treat.

It has been announced that two of the largest, most successful soccer clubs in Europe, AC Milan and Chelsea FC, will play a match in July at M&T Bank Stadium. The match will be Friday, July 24, at 8 p.m. The European soccer clubs will be in the midst of their pre-season preparations, so it is highly likely that the team's greatest players will be on the field in Baltimore.

Even if you are not a soccer fan, nor have you ever touched a soccer ball, this event is actually very special. Our own hometown of Baltimore will get a rare opportunity to see some of the greatest, most important athletes from around the world. People do not realize that Soccer in Europe is way larger than the NFL or MLB in America. For those of you who know nothing about AC Milan and Chelsea, they are two of the most prestigious, historic soccer clubs in Europe. AC Milan (Italy) has won the most international competitions in the world. Chelsea has been known to be the "New York Yankees" in the European League. They stack their team with the best players and pay them money even A-Rod has never seen.

Enjoy soccer, or not, this match will be one of the largest, most talked about events around Maryland this year. You can bet that the AC Milan/Chelsea match will be the most prevalent game Baltimore has seen in quite a while, and it will definitely be worth watching. I suggest everyone mark their calendars for July 24, and witness hometown history.

1st and 2nd Round Wrap-Up

Forget Christmas. MARCH is the most wonderful time of the year....at least for sports fans. It's the time of year when everyone can come together, share predictions, yell at the television, and win/lose money. Hearts are crushed and dreams are made as 64 college teams from around the country battle to become #1. Brackets are handed in, and the first 2 rounds are completed. The sweet 16 is set. Although, nothing too unusual in the first weekend of play.

The only big back breakers were courtesy of #12 seed Arizona, #13 seed Cleveland State, and #12 Wisconsin, all in the first round. Both Cleveland State and Wisconsin were huge shockers. Cleveland State could have played their bench, and still beat their opponent, # 4 Wake Forest, who might as well not even have showed up. Same goes for Arizona. They whooped up on # 5 Utah whose defense did not live up to reputation. This does not come as a huge surprise considering everyone thought Arizona deserved a better seed to begin with. Wisconsin, however, won an overtime nail-biter against Florida State who actually made it to the ACC Championship this year against Duke. Many thought Florida State would have no problem beating a #12 seed such as Wisconsin, but it's called March Madness for a reason.

Despite 3 big upsets in the first round, nothing too crazy happened in the second round of play. Arizona did wind up playing Cleveland State, and winning. Duke, a #2 seed this year, managed to narrowly escape Texas towards the final minutes of the the second round. Also, #4 Gonzaga, a team that roughed up Akron in the first round, barely squeezed out a 2 point win with .9 second left on the clock against a possible Cinderella in Western Kentucky.

What really concerned everyone is the intensity of the higher seeded teams. Pittsburgh, a #1 seeded favorite to possibly win the tournament has trailed late in both games they have played. Pittsburgh came together in the final minutes, but it is really scary seeing a #1 seed scratching and clawing to beat a lower seeded team. DeJuan Blair is able to dominate the glass, but I'm not sure if that will be enough for the Panthers against a tough #4 Xavier.

Preview of Sweet 16

Some very hard match-ups are coming up, and can make or break anyone's bracket. An aggressive #3 Villanova will take on #2 Duke. It's Coach K's opportunity to prove President Obama wrong. North Carolina will have to prove that they are the nation's best team with Tyler Hansborough and Ty Lawson against #4 Gonzaga. Syracuse looks like they are barreling through everyone in their sight, especially after their 6OT win late in the season. That seems like trouble for one of the best athletes this year in Blake Griffin, who averages 22.5 points per game for #2 Oklahoma.

Other games include #1 Louisville who has been looking like Pittsburgh, but it should not be anything to worry about considering they are playing #12 seed, Arizona. Michigan State vs. Kansas is another battle between a #2 and #3. Kansas won the national championship last year, and they are looking to defend their title, and are looking to play a seriously aggressive game against State. The last two match-ups between UCONN/Purdue, and Missouri/Memphis will most likely be overlooked this weekend, but I think they will be something to talk about.

Who will be this years hero? Which teams will crumble and fall? How many buzzer-beaters, or Overtime wins will there be? When will the next bracket buster come? Anything is possible in College Basketball. Welcome to the Sweet 16!

FREE TICKETS IN 2009!!

It's already March, which means another baseball season is around the corner. I know it is a little early to be talking about how many games under .500 the Orioles will be, but lets face it, nothing else interesting is happening. I could talk about how Lebron once again put up 35 points, an effortless 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. BORING!

It's always new and exciting to think how well your home team will be this season. With high hopes, young players, and a better pitching staff the Orioles actually have a shot of reaching a winning record. However, as long as we are in the same division with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays then we will never make the playoffs. Eleven straight losing seasons can really crush your soul and dignity as a baseball fan. But, every April is the start of a brand new season and anything can happen. It's up to the fans to really bring enthusiasm and excitement into a fresh, new team.

Fans are already raving about how the organization changed the away jersey's to read: Baltimore. This is the first time since the 1970's that the Orioles have represented Baltimore on their uniforms. The fans have been wanting this for over 30 years, and they finally got it. It says, "We are from Baltimore, don't forget it." We are not just the Orioles, we are The Baltimore Orioles. It is little changes like this that really make the fans feel as though this will be a great season, and the beginning of something great. If the Rays can take the Devil out of their name, and then reach the World Series, then we can add Baltimore and do the same thing.

Lately it has all been about the fans. The Baltimore Orioles public relations field have finally been coming up with new ways to get the fans more involved in their home team. They want to draw larger crowds and put Baltimore back on the map as one of the greatest sports cities in America. This season they are trying something new. The Baltimore Orioles invite all fans to attend a game in 2009 FOR FREE!!! They are inviting all baseball fans to celebrate their birthdays at Orioles Park and attend a game for free in 2009. All additional information is listed on the Baltimore Orioles Press Release.

I am so glad the Orioles are finally doing something to bring Baltimore back. With the growing problems of the economy it is hard for fans to attend sporting events because the ticket prices are sky high. I think this is a brilliant idea on the Oriole's part. This will bring in more fans, more enthusiasm, and more excitement to a fresh, new team. I have a feeling this is the start of something great for the city, and the organization. Lets keep our fingers crossed.