The Loss Column — Baltimore Sports Blog and Community

–The 2007 Marlins Mermaids have been announced, and The Loss Column would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to top row, fourth from the left: BluJean (click for large version, and she’s also on MySpace, though her profile is private). (source)

None of us actually know BluJean…we just wish we did.

–So you all know how Tim Hardaway feels about the gays, right? Now, it’s safe to assume that there is at least one gay man currently in the NBA, and probably several more just dabbling. It’s also safe to assume that Hardaway isn’t the only player who feels this way (current, recently retired — either way), just the only one dumb enough to say it.

So what now? I have a feeling this one’s not going away.

–This post from a Cubs fansite goes into some detail on an issue that’s been vexing me for several months now: MLB apparently hates “bloggers.” I’ve tried four times to get access to their online, press-only storehouse of press releases, contact numbers, etc, only to be ignored three times and told I wasn’t worthy on the other one. I just assumed it was a matter of our relative newness, but apparently not. Stupid.

– Pitchers and Catchers…the single most optimistic phrase in the language. More to come soon.

I just realized that the “Third and…” series of weekly roundups seems to have died off. Not sure why that is, but it’s back now. For a week at least.

–The lovely lady to your right (click for large version) is professional table tennis player Biba Golic. Or, as I see she is sometimes called, the “Anna Kournikova of table tennis.” I post her here because it makes for a convenient way to mention that I’m absolutely fascinated by Rockstar’s table tennis game for Xbox 360 — highly recommended if you’re looking for one of those games that’s simple to pick up but engrossing as hell the more you play.

There are also the more, um, obvious reasons (pic from this page, via Uni Watch).

– Speaking of aesthetic matters, the Pirates today unveiled a new alternate jersey. That shouldn’t be worth mentioning, but as it happens the thing is unfathomably horrifying (guard your eyes before clicking that link). What the hell is that?

Also note the headline: “Pirates re-introduce red to uniforms.” This is not an “introduction.” This borders on warfare.

– I haven’t had a chance to say much about the Australian Open, mostly because the matches are on at weird times, which means I know the results before they actually air. That tends to take the fun out of it.

But, it has been interesting. As I write this, Serena Williams — unseeded — is putting the hurt something fierce on Maria Sharapova. I don’t think anybody saw that coming. Roger Federer, meanwhile, continues to lay claim on “greatest ever” status. Seriously — watch that guy play. The chance to see that kind of talent in action only comes around so often.

– Real Journalism Alert! I’m going to have at least one piece in PressBox sometime in February — more details to follow. I’m also tentatively scheduled to do an interview with a local sports media figure of some note, and that piece will eventually be published right here.

Finally, I had a non-sports-related article published recently, and you can read that by clicking here.

UPDATE
Just read this article about how Baltimore is responsible for the success of the Nike Air Force One. Fascinating.

Whenever you have anomalies like Oral Roberts beating Kansas this early in the college basketball season, you have to ask: is Kansas that bad, or is Oral Roberts that good? You ask because you will realize that it matters in four months when you fill out your March Madness brackets. Likewise, pay attention to the fact that Winthrop hung in with North Carolina, and was up at the half, last night. Take notes.

NASCAR crowns a champion on Sunday, which makes the Ford 400 in Homestead, FL one of the few races that might be worth watching for the casual fan. As an added bonus, Formula One star Juan Pablo Montoya will be making his Nextel Cup Series debut. His full-time entry into NASCAR next year is quite a big deal as far as auto racing goes, and he has the potential to be the first of several significant drivers from other, more respected circuits to jump in. It’s good theater.

You know college football’s not our thing, but it’s hard not to be intrigued by the Michigan-OSU game this weekend. I went a-googling and found this treasure trove of tidbits, facts, stats, and the like to help put me in the right frame of mind.

Rather than cram the baseball items in here, there’ll be another Hot (Stove) Action update coming later today.

You might have (not) noticed the lack of an NFL Inquest this week. It’ll be back next Tuesday.

Free Bob Knight.

The Orioles made their first smart decision of the offseason today — by default — when they didn’t trade for Terrell Gary Sheffield. The mere fact that they had interest pretty much confirms that the team will be no better off in April than they were in September, but still.

Some minor controversy popped up in Madrid over the use of male models as ballboys at the season-ending WTA Championships. According to Elena Dementieva:

“The players are so focused and sometimes they get crazy with the ball boys so they don’t know what they will be facing in a couple of days.”

I have no idea what the hell she’s talking about, but so far it looks like everything is running smoothly. Thank god.

Up the road in York, PA the freshly minted York Revolution unveiled their new logos. While the main logo is weak as hell, they deserve some props for the alternate/cap logo, which for some reason I kind of like.

What intrigues me most about this team is the heavy involvement of Brooks Robinson. I love minor league ball and I’m glad he’s doing this, but the fact is that Brooks Robinson should be involved with the Orioles somehow, some way.

Finally, you might have missed it on account of the shit talking, ownership of failed second-rate BBQ restaurants, and overall douchebaggery, but Ray Lewis wants to save your soul. I’m just sayin’ — keep it in mind.

Keeping tabs on a whole heap of Baltimore/regional sports goings on right now, to wit:

Morning dudes Terry Ford and Jeremy Conn are out at WNST, the Loss Column’s favorite radio station. The official word from the station is…well, there is no official word from the station. But we first got the news from DCRTV.com, and there are some interesting nuggets buried in that site’s mailbag. Anybody care to shed light on the situation?

The Maryland men’s basketball team eked out a 79-78 win over California University…of Pennsylvania. This brings to mind two pressing questions:

First, what gives with Pennsylvania having not just one but two universities named after other states?

Second, just how bad are the Maryland men going to be this year that they could only manage a one point win (with all due respect to CuP)? Worried…very worried.

Our friends at Snacky and the Bunny pointed out a truly inspiring development in the world of sports writing: Gilbert Arenas has a blog. I could tell you how amazing it is, but that won’t do it justice. Head over and discover for yourself:

We’re going to have female models, we’re going to do little kid modeling calendars. Just, we’re trying to do everything with little kids, and with AAU teams, we’re going to have a lot of AAU teams. We’re just going to be a talent agency, just me and him. We’re starting it off, we’re kicking it off by having a calendar of some of the top celebrity women and models out there.

Finally, noncontributing Loss Column co-conspirator and fellow Orioles fan Steve and I have been crying on each other’s shoulders in anticipation of what figures to be a frustrating and potentially soul-crushing offseason for the Orioles:

On Oct 31, 2006, at 10:43 AM, Stephen Intlekofer wrote:

Apparently, according to the Post, the Orioles are “floored” that Soriano is asking for around 7 years, 120 million, as Beltran did. How are they continually, absurdly “shocked” by free agents’ initial asking prices? Year after year, they are simply “shocked.” Were they expecting 3 years, 21 million? I guess Soriano is out…

On October 31, 2006, at 10:53 AM, Neal Shaffer wrote:

That’s not even the worst of it. One, they’re interested in Sheffield. And two, there’s this:

The Orioles source said pitcher Rodrigo Lopez will certainly be tendered a contract and would remain with the team barring a trade. Lopez, who was a dismal 9-18 with a 5.90 ERA, is eligible for arbitration.

On Oct 31, 2006, at 10:59 AM, Stephen Intlekofer wrote:

They would have to trade for Sheffield since the Yankees picked up his option year. That would be a disaster, but honestly, the chances of them trading young players to the Yankees are remote. (I hope.)

As far as Lopez - what could possibly be the reasoning here, unless they’re thinking of keeping him in the rotation? Is that kind of stupidity possible even for them?

Frustration is not even the word anymore. It’s just depressing.

On Tuesday, October 31, 2006, at 11:29 AM, Neal Shaffer wrote:

Yeah, I knew the Yankees picked up the option, and that’s part of why it’s so stupid. It’d be stupid anyway, of course, but the idea that you’d have to give up even a mid-level prospect to rent that douchebag for a year is incomprehensible.

The Lopez thing is just beyond incomprehensible.

On Oct 31, 2006, at 1:04 PM, Stephen Intlekofer wrote:

Cliff Floyd, on the other hand, would be a great idea. The O’s have a highly successful record of bringing in older, nearly finished ex-stars.

On Tuesday, October 31, 2006, at 1:35 PM, Neal Shaffer wrote:

Hey, we rode him pretty hard a few years ago when he was healthy and people thought he might be good. Nothing’s changed since then, right?

On November 1, 2006, at 9:21 AM, Stephen Intlekofer wrote:

Link

This is sure shaping up to be exactly like every other offseason. Lie to the fans about pursuing some big names, and then settle for a #3 pitcher and a washed-up Cliff Floyd. This is the most infuriating organization…

Count us excited that college basketball season sits just around the corner. Not only that, but for the first and maybe last time, some of that excitement involves the women’s version of the sport. Brenda Frese (at left, with guard Kristi Toliver) brought Maryland a championship, and she deserves a heap of respect for it. We’ll be pulling for a repeat and keeping you posted accordingly.



The Great Experiment
There’s a great NFL story or five every weekend from here to the Super Bowl, but this week is all about one thing in Baltimore: the dawning of the Billick Era.

Remember when the offense was Matt Cavanaugh’s fault? Remember how nothing changed after he left? Of course. We all do. It’s Billick’s offense and it’s always been Billick’s offense. It’s nice that he’s finally taking responsibility, but other than that I’m not sure anything’s really all that different now.

So I’m going to go ahead and say it: it’s time for Billick to go. And nothing he does from here to February will change that opinion. Beginning with the decision to dismiss Trent Dilfer following his Super Bowl win, Billick has made one boneheaded, egocentric, and ultimately unsuccessful decision after another. I’m not saying he’s a bad coach or a bad guy (though I have my suspicions on both counts), I’m just saying his time is up. The Ravens need a new voice and a fresh start — mark it down.

Meanwhile…
The Chicago White Sox were so dominant last year that it’s easy to forget that the St. Louis Cardinals took the Astros to six games — all close except the 5-1 clincher — in the 05 NLCS. The Tigers were such a good story this year that most of us, myself included, ignored a basic truth of postseason play, baseball or otherwise: experience matters. A ton. The Cardinals came into this series battle-tested and it showed.

That said, I think Detroit will be in the mix for several years to come.

The Loss Column will be covering the hot stove season in a fair amount of depth over the next few months. There may even be some real journalism involved. Stay tuned.

I’d love to credit that photo of skateboarder Marc Johnson, but I don’t read Russian. For whoever took it, kudos. Nice work.

I post it in the absence of original art because I’m currently rocking Marc’s signature model (the MJ3) from Lakai and it might be the best shoe I’ve ever owned. Fully recommended.

No, I haven’t skateboarded in several years. Your point?

On to the goods…

The Portis Chronicles, Volume Two
Wherein he bends my mind in beautiful ways: If you know what I’m capable of, you know I’m on your team. If you go over our roster, you know people are going to look and say, ‘We’ve got to stop Portis.’ Give them the opportunity to stop Portis.

I say get him 35 touches a game and make him press secretary.

Axe to Grind
Three broadcasters found themselves in hot water this past week, and as far as I can tell only one of them really deserved it.

First, Fox canned Steve Lyons, then Miami did Lamar Thomas likewise. Today news broke that (Fox-owned) Speed Channel’s Ray Dunlap has been suspended one race for “inappropriate” comments.

By now I think everybody knows the Lyons firing was ludicrous. If it was, as most suspect, mostly about the cumulative effect of a series of questionable comments, say so. Failing that, at least pick a better “reason” for letting him go. And if whatever Dunlap said was really that bad, then why wasn’t he fired as well?

Thomas, on the other hand, is an idiot. An amusing idiot, yes, but an idiot nonetheless.

Mobile 2.0
So ESPN has launched their new MyESPN service, and even though it’s still in Beta I think we can all agree that an indifferent shrug is the order of the day. From the looks of things it’s just a less-robust, sports-centric Netvibes. Anyone who’s both interested in this kind of service and savvy enough to use it will probably already have something better. Much like what happened with this ill-fated venture.

Under the Big Top
This is the time of year when every weekend is a big sports weekend. The World Series starts, the wheat and the chaff begin to move to opposite sides of the cafeteria in both college football and the NFL, NASCAR gets down to the wire, the NHL just started, college basketball practices just opened…in other words, saddle up. We’ll cover as much of it here as we can feel like covering.

Speaking of which, baseball stuff is coming. I’m listening to Mets-Cardinals game 7 on the radio right now, and sometime tomorrow I’ll put up my comprehensive thoughts. Expect to see the name John Maine.

By the by…
Please don’t hesitate to comment, email us, and pass a link around if you like what we do. It’s always appreciated.

Once again no original artwork this week, so instead please enjoy this photograph of Daniela Hantuchova. Why?

Why not?

On to the (mostly) weekly roundup…

1. About Those Predictions…
The playoffs have not exactly gone as I thought they might, but I’m not backing down. What the Mets are doing is admirable but wholly unsustainable given their rotation troubles. They’ll probably beat the Dodgers, but I don’t see them getting past…umm, oh…the Cardinals are up 2-0 as well. It might be a solid, face-saving gesture for the NL to consider sitting out the Series this year.

Because it’s early yet, and anything can happen, and it’s not over until it’s over, and everybody’s gonna go out and execute and play how they know they’re capable of playing…but we know where this is headed.

I love the Tigers right now, and I’ve got nothing at all against the A’s, but someone needs to Gillooly the Yankees. I just don’t see another way.

2. T. (n)O.
Remember what I said last week about Terrell Owens? That the man needed help, and that his “misunderstanding” was not the last proof of it we’d see?

I offer you Exhibit A. Where once I felt pity, I now feel shame.

PS - don’t believe the “T.O. back to Philly” hype. He’ll have his 90-110 yards, he’ll probably have one touchdown, and he’ll say something weird, stupid, or both after the game. It’s not exciting anymore.

3. The Passion of Roger Federer
“I jumped out of bed and stood up screaming in a state of shock,” Federer said on his Web site. “I didn’t know where I was. I ran back and hit the corner of the bed, which is solid wood and sharp. I have a big bruise on my tibia now. It was a pretty scary for a moment.”

“I could see the headline now, ‘Federer loses to guy outside top 1,000.’ It’s not so much fun,” Federer said with a smile. “So I’m happy I won and saved my image.”

4. Hockey!
I know I made a crack about it earlier, and the truth is that hockey starts at a strange time and lasts a little too long. Nevertheless, I’m glad it’s back and you should be, too. There’s a ton of young talent in the league and a damn-near-reckless focus on scoring. With the stench of labor troubles getting milder by the day, I predict an exciting, bounce-back kind of year for the NHL.

Speaking of which, somebody help me out: did I dream it, or did the Canucks recently break out this bad-ass look? Anybody?