Greetings from the nation's capital

It always throws me off when they say things like that here in Ottawa...anyway, the view below is from our room. Fred was just thrilled with the sheer number of TV channels (like we'll be spending a lot of time in the room); he was even more thrilled to see that even the adult channels were included. Fantastic. We spent the drive up listening to the World Cup games and hockey news on XM. If I had some time, I'd go into the whole Jeremy Roenick thing about him wanting to go to a Canadian team, but we'll have to wait and see where he ends up. Hope it isn't on one.
Till then, I'm off to find some good Canadian beer...

So THAT's why he's an ass

Not like you needed it, but there are more reasons to dislike Mark Cuban:

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban acknowledged in an e-mail that he is "involved" in a bid to purchase the Penguins of the NHL with the provision that the team remain in Pittsburgh. Cuban, who is from western Pennsylvania, is teaming with Pittsburgh native Dan Marino and a New York financier to purchase the team from a group headed by Mario Lemieux.

There are so many things wrong with that paragraph:
- Cuban is from the Pittsburgh area (not surprising, given his manners)
- Dan Marino is also from Pittsburgh
- Cuban wants to be involved in the NHL
- He wants the Penguins to stay in Pittsburgh

Bleh. Sucks all the way around.

Did anyone else think this was kind of desperate of the BHOF? I mean, I like Dylan, but I don't think I'd ever want to hear his version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."

The [Baseball Hall of Fame] has added the baseball episode from the famed singer-songwriter's weekly music show, "Theme Time Radio Hour," on XM Satellite Radio to its archive, it was announced Wednesday. The one-hour episode contains Dylan singing an a cappella rendition of "Take Me out to the Ball Game," along with classic baseball-announcing calls, such as Curt Gowdy's description of Ted Williams' home run in his final at-bat with the Boston Red Sox.

A deluge of hockey news

Ovechkin's en fuego! (info from the Caps):

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin has been nominated for two ESPY Awards – Best Breakthrough Athlete and Best NHL Player – the winners of which will be determined by fan voting that opened today at www.espn.go.com/espy2006. Only six athletes have more nominations than Ovechkin, who is the only hockey player with the chance to win more than one award.

So vote NOW!

I know I'm not the only one who's disgusted and pissed off by the prospect of having to see Todd Bertuzzi often next season, as he'll be playing in the Southeast Division...on the other hand, I agree with Fred when he said, "Guess I can root for the Canucks again."

The Vancouver Canucks sent Todd Bertuzzi to the Florida Panthers in exchange for goaltender Roberto Luongo Friday in a deal that sees the Canucks get the No. 1 goaltender they’ve long coveted, while losing a talented power forward whose off-ice problems had become a distraction.

It is my firm intention to soundly boo Bertuzzi every time his name is announced, he steps on the ice, touches the puck, scratches himself, etc. during a Caps-Panthers game next season. And God forbid if he Bertuzzis any of the Caps, even Yonkman.

On a happier note, the Caps picked up Nicklas Backstrom, who seems to be the most NHL-ready out of all the picks. The New England Hockey Journal had this to say about him last week:

Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom has emerged as a favorite among Boston Bruins fans for selection with the fifth overall pick in Saturday’s NHL Entry Draft.

Nyah nyah, we got him!

Oh yeah, we were talking about Backstrom:

Although just average in size (6-foot, 185 pounds) he’s a gifted playmaker who willingly goes into heavy traffic to make plays. He also demonstrated a strong commitment to defense and showed a great deal of confidence in all zones by the end of the campaign.

So glad the Caps finally got someone (besides Ovechkin, of course) who's willing to do whatever's necessary to make plays. Can't wait to see him in action!

O Canada, I need your help!

In a week I'll be in Ottawa for Canada Day. Having never really celebrated Canada Day before, much less been to Ottawa, I'm at a loss for what to do. It looks like there's a gazillion things to do, and I want to make sure I choose the best ones. After a couple of days in Ottawa, we're going to Montreal (another place I've never visited). So, tell me: where should I go in Ottawa and Montreal? Any good bars/restaurants/museums/must-sees/etc.?

Fred wants to know where the best place in Ottawa is for a Senators fan to go and get Sens gear. I know it's going to be July, but I'd assume that it will be anywhere? Help me out here!

I plan on doing an experiment in Montreal. One day, I'm going to wear my Nationals stuff and see if I get any reaction. JazzFest is going on during that time, so there will be even more people in the city than usual, I think. Should be interesting either way, unless there really are only 173 former fans in Montreal (Boswell's comment from yesterday's discussion).

Is there something in the water?

Guys, simma down. Enough with the spousal abuse already!

Boston police arrested Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers early on Friday on charges of assaulting his wife before a match between the Phillies and the Red Sox. Myers, 25, was charged with domestic assault and battery and released on $200 cash bail after the incident on a street corner in Boston's Back Bay just after midnight, the Suffolk County district attorney's office said.

Myers is scheduled to pitch tomorrow night. If they keep him in the lineup, I'm curious to see how he fares.

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Jammal Brown was free on bond Friday following his arrest on a domestic abuse complaint from his wife. Brown was booked Thursday with domestic abuse battery after his wife placed a 911 call..."I can certainly say it was a physical altercation," [Capt.] Bonnett said. "We know they had a disagreement that escalated into a physical disagreement."

You know, it's just no contest between a guy who's 6'6" and weighs 313, no matter how big his wife may be- and I doubt she's anywhere near his size.

I dunno. I've never understood how relationships get to this point, but I don't get how guys think it's acceptable to hit women in any way. Seems like the act of a coward to me.

On a somewhat related topic, Neate over at Out of Left Field has an interesting defense of trophy wives, which could explain why these women put up with this crap for so long. IMHO, no man is worth putting up with that kind of treatment, no matter how much money, skill, or power he has.

More changes for D.C. United

The Washington Business Journal sent me this item today (thanks!):

An investment group that includes Discovery Communications founder John Hendricks and former Duke University basketball star Brian Davis is nearing a deal to buy D.C. United from Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz. The group has been assembled by D.C. United President Kevin Payne, who is heading the management-led buyout of the professional soccer team. Members of the investment group told city officials that a letter of intent has been signed and they expect the deal to close soon. The team is expected to fetch close to the $25 million that a different investment group agreed to pay before the deal fell apart in January.

Interesting to see that Anschutz is getting out of the soccer business. No problem, who needs an absent billionaire? Great news in that the group has the local connection:

Davis graduated from Bladensburg High School in Maryland in the late 1980s and helped lead Duke’s basketball team to two national championships in the early 1990s. He played briefly in the NBA. The combination of Hendricks, Davis and Barnette — Davis and Barnette are African-American — meets Payne’s goal of assembling an investment group that mixes local participation, minority involvement and real estate development experience.

I guess since the Nationals' ownership competition, minority involvement is a big thing again. Look, I'm all for diversity, but I don't remember it being such a huge deal until the Nats' pageant came to town. I like the idea of someone with local roots, who currently lives here and plans to stay a while. Actually, a better idea is someone who knows what they're doing when they get involved in these ventures and doesn't just see it as an investment (because it certainly isn't, in this area). Well, here's hoping for the best for all involved!

And the award goes to...

I hate awards shows. The NHL Awards show is the only one I'm somewhat willing to watch, and even then it's painful and awkward at times. Of course, all awards shows are painful and awkward.

The red carpet interviews were among those painful moments. They dragged Ovechkin and Crosby off for an interview, and while I thought Ovey did well (certainly much better in front of the camera now than from the beginning of the season), Crosby's much more polished- since he has that 'English as his first language' thing going for him. That's OK. Who's on the cover of NHL 07? Not Crosby!

The award for best acceptance speech would have to go to absent Vezina winner Mikka Kiprusoff, who gave the following advice to award accepter Darryl Sutter: "Don't swear and keep it short." The show also featured this kid, in full Kipper gear. Very cute.

However, our own Olie Kolzig wins the award for best line in an acceptance speech for the King Clancy trophy: "Secondly, as much as it pains me, I'd like to congratulate the Carolina Hurricanes on their Stanley Cup win." BEAUTIFUL! Oh, what a wonderful, wonderful line- so glad he worked it into the speech.

And, of course, Ovechkin won the Calder. IN YOUR FACE, PITTSBURGH!

More of the same

Maybe it's a good thing we're not quite this World Cup crazy here:

An assault on a seven-year-old boy who was punched and kicked while playing in a city park for wearing an England shirt was today widely condemned as bringing "shame on Scotland".
Hugo Clapshaw was enjoying a kickabout in Edinburgh's Inverleith Park when a man punched him on the head before growling: "This is Scotland, not f****** England."

Poor kid! Sadly (and not surprisingly), that wasn't an isolated case:

A disabled man was left with a black eye after being assaulted for wearing an England shirt. Ian Smith, 41, from Aberdeen, was sitting in his parked car when he was dragged from the vehicle and beaten...Mr Smith said: "He came up to the car and gave me a load of abuse about supporting England. I told him there was no need for all this bigotry because it's only football but he grabbed the flag, snapped it in half, then pulled me out of the car and threw me to the ground."

And yet in this country, the focus would have been on the flag being snapped in half instead of on the beaten man...but that's neither here nor there.

So who to root for now that the U.S. is out of it? I'm thinking Australia, since they've been a surprise (and the guys are hot). Plus, I love that they're called the Socceroos. Too bad they don't offer the Lucky Undies for women- I'm thinking thong style or even a cute boy short. Can't we offer our support underneath it all too?

World Cup fevah

More cowbell. Maybe that's what was missing from the U.S. match today. Stupid lousy Ghana- at least they'll lose their next game and this one wasn't a blowout like they thought it would be. Thanks for the memories, Arena.

Now that the U.S. is out, the bandwagon fans can get on with their lives and the rest of us will continue watching. Everywhere else in the world, World Cup action is taking precedence:

- A woman surnamed Wei, who suffered from high blood pressure, was watching South Korea vs Togo in Hangzhou, near Shanghai. She took a shower, went to bed and later died.

- Li Zhenbao, 27, died in his sleep in Hong Kong after staying up all night to watch three games in a row. Doctors suspected he died of a heart attack brought on by over-excitement.

- Ge Zuquan, 29, grew so excited during the game between the Netherlands and Ivory Coast that he ran to his fourth-floor Hong Kong balcony and jumped in the air. "But he bounced over the railing," a newspaper said. "Doctors said he could have been paralyzed." As it was, he merely broke bones in his spine, hip, ankle and wrist.

Could you ever see people getting that excited over soccer here?

How about this one:

Buddhist monks in Thailand are too tired to receive early morning alms because they are staying up late to watch the World Cup...In neighboring Cambodia, some 40,000 monks have been warned they could be defrocked if they became too excited while watching the games.
"If they make noise or cheer as they watch, they will lose their monkhood," Phnom Penh patriarch Non Nget told Reuters this month.

At least they won't lose their manhood!

Beat their butts, U.S.

I take back the sort of nice things I said about Ghana winning their game against the Czech Republic the other day. I wish the Czechs had won! I hope the U.S. can beat them big time. Arrogance should never be rewarded (like last night's Heat vs. Mavericks game)- this from a washingtonpost.com World Cup discussion today:

Accra, Ghana: I happen to be spending the summer in Ghana and let me tell you that the assumption is they will crush the U.S. That is if they even consider the U.S. Mostly they are talking about taking on Brazil. While I do believe Ghana has a good chance of beating the U.S., I am perplexed by their total dismissal of the U.S.'s ability to thwart them in any way. They are deaf to any suggestion that football is never a sure thing. And they know nothing about the American team -- most I know have not even watched the other games the U.S. played.
As an American fan, I am accustomed to not raising my expectations and staying rather neutral, but the smugness I've seen really makes me hope Ghana will be spanked.

Camille Powell: It's funny that you say this -- that is the exact same impression I got from talking to a couple of reporters from Ghana yesterday. They said that people in Ghana expect a rout -- like 3-0, 4-0. The tenor of the Ghana press conference today (Coach Dujkovic and Appiah) was one of extreme confidence -- Dujkovic once again said that he thinks the Black Stars will reach the semis, and both men answered several questions about playing Brazil. (As an aside, the two Ghana reporters said that Ghana doesn't need or want Freddy Adu.)

Interesting. Remember, last December, the Ghana coach was going to ask Adu to play for them? But they don't need or want him! Whatever.

This item, from the Post's Sunday Source, sounded pretty interesting! I hope to check out a game sometime. Can I yell "huzzah?"

PLAY BALL, VINTAGE STYLE. The area's vintage baseball teams, Easton's Fair Plays, the Eclipse Base Ball Club of Elkton and the just-formed regional Chesapeake and Potomac Base Ball Club, have revived the rules and styles of baseball circa 1860 -- think umpires in starchy suits, no gloves and 25-cent fines for throwing curveballs. The teams, comprised of players sporting traditional uniforms and using replica bats (which are heavier and thicker than modern mass-produced gear), play in a July 15 tournament in Elkton, along with the Brooklyn Atlantics. Eclipse plans to take on other vintage teams like the New York Mutuals at home games, and the other teams are still firming up their summer schedules (check their Web sites for updates). The events are worth a road trip, if only for the chance to shout oh-so-proper vintage cheers like "Well fielded, sir!" and to re-create the days before steroids and salary insanity came to dominate the gentlemanly game. The teams are also looking for players and voluntee rs.
July 15 tournament: Games start at 11 a.m., 1:15 and 3:15 p.m., with the championship at 5 p.m. Elk Landing, 590 Landing Lane, Elkton. $5, student $1. 410-620-6400. Individual teams' locations and prices vary. Fair Play: http://www.hstc.org/baseball.htm , Eclipse: http://elktoneclipse.tripod.com/ , Chesapeake and Potomac: http://chesapeakepotomacbbc.tripod.com/ .

WOW

When was the last time Atlanta was in the freaking basement? Never thought I'd see this day.
MLB Standings as of 6/20/2006:

It figures, the ONE TIME I want Atlanta to win the division title again! Still would love to see the overly smug Mets fall flat on their butts by the end of the season, but that would mean rooting for the Phillies to catch up...lesser of two evils, I guess.

Cuban SMASH!

I swear the dude is gonna turn green one of these days and his shirt will rip off, a la the Hulk. *shudder* Well, you gotta give Mark Cuban credit- he's never boring.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $250,000 on Tuesday for his outbursts following Game 5 of the NBA finals, and commissioner David Stern said he's getting tired of the team's antics off the court.

Well, Stern isn't the only one who's sick of it- did you see Nowitzki's temper tantrum after the game? It gets old fast.

Cuban said Monday he was expecting to be fined. It showed in his reaction to the penalty: "I'm fine with it," he wrote in an e-mail. "Get the humor there. Fine with it."

Yes, doofus, WE GET IT. Thanks for the help, moron.

Cuban posted a blog entry in response to a column in the Miami Herald that quoted him as saying, "Your league is rigged" during his tirade after Game 5. "That's a complete insult to the players on the court and the incredible amount of effort they put into preparing for and playing the games," he wrote. "The NBA couldn't rig the games if it wanted to. And it doesn't want to. It's that simple."

No one ever said Cuban was rational. I believe the statement even if David Stern doesn't, only because Cuban is known for making wild and unfounded assertions. It absolutely sounds like something he would say- of course the NBA can't rig the games, but it won't stop Cuban from saying that they can, especially when he's angry. (And he's often pissed off these days, it seems.)

Dan Snyder's a jerkwad, but he simply doesn't compare to this guy. I never thought the day would come when I thought there was a worse owner than Snyder. Unbelievable.

Speaking of crybabies...

Thanks, Express, for the latest mention:

Speaking of crybabies, did you hear about the hissy fit Spike Lee threw at the end of the Nationals game yesterday? I can't find anything written up about it, but someone was talking about it on Comcast this morning- Lee was busy signing autographs, thinking that the Yankees were going to win the game so he doesn't need to pay attention anymore, and looked up to see Zimmerman hit the HR. He then starts cussing Zimm out. BWAH!

And was that Miami-Dallas game last night amazing or what?!? Wade and his 43 points were unbelievable. Go Miami! (I just don't like Dallas or Mark Cuban- yet another whiny one.)

Phil Mickelson, choking like that? I felt bad for the guy and I could care less about golf (even though I play on occasion). But still- a shot off the hospitality tent is a shot *I* would have made, not a world-class golfer. Wow. Wonder what happened to him?

So who's going to do it tonight: Carolina or Edmonton? I hope it's Edmonton, as long as their train hasn't run out of steam by now. However, I think Carolina will be reenergized after their lousy game on Saturday night. It's anyone's guess at this point. I love Game 7s in any sport.

How about a little (World Cup) action?

I wasn't able to watch most of the USA-Italy game yesterday, although I did catch the end and Fred filled me in on the rest. "You have to write about how the ref was paid off by the Italians," he screamed. I don't know about that, but it sure seemed like the ref had it in for the U.S. At least the U.S. redeemed themselves for their crappy play on Monday; for having 9 guys out there, they did pretty well!

And how about Ghana? Who saw that one coming? Glad they did so well in their game against the Czechs, but I hope the U.S. can do well against them (and that Italy wins their next game).

Watching Croatia-Japan right now...merely an acceptable game. Croatia's penalty kick provided some good suspense. The Japan-Australia game last week was much more exciting.

The one thing that bugs me about soccer (and I realize that it's part of the game, but I don't care) is the acting. Player gets slightly touched and you'd think that he needs to go to the ER by the way he's rolling around on the ground, face scrunched up in "pain." I hate that. Yes, sometimes it's legitimate, but most of the time they're not convincing in any way. Bunch of crybabies. Get up and keep playing.

Screech needs your help!

No, not that one...the other one, from "Saved By The Bell." Seems he's about to lose his house and is selling T-shirts to raise money. He's more than a little bitter about it- the story is worth the read, just to make yourself feel better ("at least I'm not THAT angry"). He sure has an interesting strategy- curious to see if it works!

The enemy is among us

Don't forget that A-Rod, Jeter, and the rest of the tools come to town this weekend to battle the Nats. If you see any of them out and about, be sure to throw something at them. Feel free to do that at the games as well. Normally I wouldn't advocate that, but it's the Stankees.

And everyone's favorite jackass, T.O., will be around as well (same thing applies):

BET's Big Tigger got his break in Washington and Baltimore radio before becoming host of the network's "106th and Park." And he hasn't forgotten to give back; this weekend, his Street Corner Foundation puts on the Celebrity Classic, a party-laced schedule of events benefiting HIV-AIDS causes. Saturday, hit the free outdoor Block Party, with performances by R&B singer Avant and 112, noon-5 p.m. at McKinley Technology High School, 151 T St. NE. The main event, the All Star Celebrity Basketball Game, is later, 6-9 p.m., and features celeb players and coaches including Gabrielle Union, Terrell Owens, Carmelo Anthony and Floetry.

On another note, are sports teams that desperate for fans that they have to find ways to get cute girls out there? First those damn Reds "cheerleaders," now this:

The Boston Bruins held their first ever Ice Girls Draft at Ristuccia Arena on Wednesday evening. Over 90 girls from all over the area came to the tryout for a chance to make the team. Only 20 will be kept.

I know Fred will be on board with this one (he loves seeing the 'Canes Storm Squad) but I think it's sad that an Original Six hockey team has to go to a gimmick like this to get fans back. It's one thing for a team like the Islanders to do it, but the Bruins? Pathetic. I sure hope the Caps never do it- it's bad enough to have a mascot, but having girls out there who don't even know what a shovel is (see below) is just wrong.

Woooooooo

Congrats to the 2006 Calder Cup champions, the Hershey Bears!

Loved this sign from Sunday's game- glad it became true:

Kudos to the Caps, who were able to get the game televised in this area; unfortunately, since we all know Comcast sucks ass, we weren't able to actually WATCH the game, only listen to it. Hope that's rectified before the 3 p.m. broadcast today. Anyway, that didn't matter to me; I stayed up till 1 a.m. to hear John Walton and Gregg Mace talk about how great the Caps organization has been to work with Hershey this year. Sure does seem like a fruitful partnership, unlike Dave Fay's perspective in the Washington Times yesterday. Blah, blah, blah. Sounded like a great game- would have liked to SEE it and some crowd shots (I can't believe 300-400 Bears fans made the trip to Milwaukee- or can I?), since the Bears fans took over the Bradley Center at the end of the game. Awesome.

Great job Bears!

FVK Angelos, again

I first wrote about this guy in August 2005 after seeing him at a Nats game- seems he's a mainstay there, as the Washington Times has now picked up on him:

I thought there was a fourth mascot in the ballpark representing Comcast when I saw some guy sitting in the stands with a Nationals jersey with the name "Angelos" across the back. In front of it appeared to be, on first glance, a four-letter obscenity -- except a letter was missing.

"I just want to express my feelings about Peter Angelos and the years he spent trying to keep D.C. from getting a team," said Doug Collica, a 38-year-old lawyer from Arlington. "He once said there are no real baseball fans in D.C. I wanted to show that there are some real fans, and I think everyone here kind of feels the same way about him."

Who can argue with that?

Next time I see this guy I'm going to introduce myself. We would be like BFF, we have so much in common:

Collica said he was never an Orioles fan. He said he was a Phillies fan -- yesterday's Nationals opponent -- until he moved to the Washington area 13 years ago. "I'm a Nationals fan now," he said.

Yup, never was an O's fan. Except I moved here 12 years ago and I was a half-assed Phillies fan. But still! Good article, seems like a cool guy. Thanks, Times, for putting a name to the back.

Hershey Bears are up 3-0 after the first period...got my fingers crossed that they can win it again tonight, even without me and Fred's lucky mojo! That was our third AHL game, and the third home team win. So we're 3 for 3. Sadly, can't say the same for my attendance at Nats games these days...only seen one win in a bunch of games. Sigh.

And as for the World Cup? I had the TV on all day yesterday while taking care of a bunch of things at home and that U.S. game was ATROCIOUS. Not much to say there that hasn't already been said. I think I would have played better than most of the U.S. guys on the field. The Australia game was a fun one to watch, and the Italy game was OK. Got to get to the Arlington Cinema 'N Drafthouse as suggested by D at The DCenters to watch some more games. (Summers just gets too crazy and I just don't want to wait.) I do hate the commentary that's being done on TV- XM's coverage is much better. Do what we do: mute the TV and turn the XM on.

Perspective on Petco

I had some time in San Diego a few weeks ago and went to a Padres game. I'd been wanting to go since they opened the new stadium, but hadn't had the chance until then. What a great experience; like night and day between going to a game there and at RFK. My friend and I lucked into cheap club-level seats from a guy who was looking to offload them, so we had an even better experience than expected. (I was planning on buying some bleacher seats and sitting up there, but who can pass up half-price club seats?) We got to the stadium early and walked around. Tons of restaurant options on the club level, in addition to the usual stadium fare. Good beer options. Even a sushi bar in left field! Anyway, here's some things that Petco had that I'd like to see in the new Nats park (in some form):

- Dancing Grounds Crew. Loved this guy! Yeah, he wasn't a true grounds crew member, but he was a great dancer and got the crowd hyped up.


- Friar Races. The Nats would probably have the "Screech Races" or something equally dumb, but what can you do. I know it all evolved out of Milwaukee, but I enjoyed this anyway. The different Friars were entertaining.

- Friendly staff. This would have the biggest impact at RFK, hands down. My friend and I couldn't believe how approachable and nice everyone was at Petco. We were most impressed by a certain guest relations manager on the club level who gave us information about the various bars and restaurants on that level, where they were, what to expect in them, etc. and other highlights of things not to miss around the stadium. Thanks Michael! And all the employees we ran into at Petco were as friendly. Sure wish I could say the same about the RFK employees. I know Lerner and Kasten promise to turn things around, but I don't think they can bring it quite up to that level. I don't know what they're doing at Petco, but they know how to do things right.

- Impromptu dancing outside the stadium after the game. After the Padres beat the Braves (woo!), there was a street band playing right outside the stadium. A huge group gathered, and a little boy was the one who actually got the dancing started. It went on for about 10 minutes before the cops broke it up, unfortunately, but it was a great way to end the evening. Not to mention the proximity of the stadium to bars and nightlife.

And of course it was nice to see Vinny Castilla again. Love Zimmerman and all, but Vinny's cool.

If the Nats only had one of those elements in the new park (preferably the friendly staff), I'd be happy...but a good fan experience, like the one I had at Petco, goes a long way towards engendering new fans. I'm more likely to support the Padres now (not against the Nats, of course), and I think the Nats could do the same thing with out-of-towners. Why not?

They scored, we roared

Road trip to Hershey for game 4 of the Calder Cup finals...it was well worth it! The video is of the last 10 seconds of the game. The sold-out Giant Center was CRAZY, but that's what happens when the home team wins 7-2 (and four of those goals were in the first period). Hershey folks love their team; no less than three employees at Chocolate World and Panera asked us if we were going to the game (I *think* the Caps gear tipped them off) and they chatted about the Bears. Fred said it was like being in Canada with all of the hockey talk; kind of refreshing, really. (He also loved seeing all of the Eagles fans, of which there were many- oddly enough, they all felt obligated to wear both Eagles hats AND t-shirts. Go figure.) The fans were from all over the place- we talked to people from Beltsville to Fairfax Station. It was encouraging to see so many Caps fans there. Also, the prospects for the future look good. Here's to next season!

Best husband ever

Just wanted to acknowledge Fred for all his help behind the scenes with the blog. He often sends me articles of interest for the blog, and sometimes I'll include his input (usually noted) in the posts. While I can't give him credit for football, baseball, and basketball (that would be my dad), he did get me interested in soccer and hockey. He really gets credit for hockey, since I had a bias against it and the Flyers dating back to high school (I didn't care for the girls who, on Casual Day, wore their Ron Hextall jerseys and sighed about how dreamy Hextall was; can you blame me?). He, of course, is the HUGE Caps fan in the house (with Ottawa coming a close second on the list). Fred is also the inspiration for the Canadian content (what there is of it, anyway) on the blog. So here's to Fred- thanks!

Underreaction vs. Overreaction

Did you know that robbing a Smoothie King will get you a slap on the wrist, but eating a cookie gets you suspended and kicked off the baseball team?

Caryl Maitland says her son, Jeremy, told school officials that someone knocked over a cookie jar in the Hungary Creek Middle School kitchen and he ate one of the cookies as he picked them up.

Oh my God, it's like he stole a CAR! That delinquent!

[Superintendent] Morton said he would not support suspending a student just for eating someone else's cookie. "It wasn't just about a cookie," Morton tells the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "I can't be any plainer than that."

"It wasn't just about a cookie?" Then what was it about? They really had it in for this kid; the "explanation" makes no sense at all. (Is "plainer" even a word? I don't think so. Shouldn't the superintendent of education be able to speak English?)

The punishment doesn't fit the crime. Have the kid bake some cookies and replenish the cookie jar. Have him organize a bake sale. Whatever. But suspension? No way. Granted, we don't know the whole story, but to be suspended over a cookie is stupid.

I LOVE THE CAPS

Well, of course I loved them before, but I love them even more now...for listing me as one of their "Hockey-Friendly Blogs" on the official website. Thanks!

(I'm even doing my part as a Caps fan by supporting the minor-league team; Fred and I are going to Hershey on Sunday for game 4 of the finals.)

Must. Do. Again.

Thanks again to the fun group of ladies who enjoyed those pitchers of sangria (or their drink of choice) with me last night. I had a great time! Hope we can do it again soon. Recaps here and here.

Picks

Oh yeah, almost forgot- the Nats picked a couple of high school kids today in the first round. Hope they work out down the road.

Save me Jeebus

Did you see last week's USA Today article about the Colorado Rockies?

No copies of Playboy or Penthouse are in the clubhouse of baseball's Colorado Rockies. There's not even a Maxim. The only reading materials are daily newspapers, sports and car magazines and the Bible. Music filled with obscenities, wildly popular with youth today and in many other clubhouses, is not played. A player will curse occasionally but usually in hushed tones. Quotes from Scripture are posted in the weight room. Chapel service is packed on Sundays. Prayer and fellowship groups each Tuesday are well-attended. It's not unusual for the front office executives to pray together.

Guess I can't blame them for nixing Maxim- it's a waste of glossy paper. Anyway, why are they doing this?

...they quietly have become an organization guided by Christianity — open to other religious beliefs but embracing a Christian-based code of conduct they believe will bring them focus and success.

So far they're 27-30, last in the NL West but not a horrible record by any means. They should do better than last season's second-worst record, but I don't think they're going to be lighting it up any time soon. It's an interesting approach but one that doesn't seem to be working for them, at least not for those reasons. Spiritually they may be satisfied- at least some of the players, anyway:

"They have a great group of guys over there, but I've never been in a clubhouse where Christianity is the main purpose," says San Francisco Giants first baseman-outfielder Mark Sweeney...who spent 2003 and 2004 with the Rockies. "You wonder if some people are going along with it just to keep their jobs. Look, I pray every day," Sweeney says. "I have faith. It's always been part of my life. But I don't want something forced on me. Do they really have to check to see whether I have a Playboy in my locker?"

Amen, brother. You're not going to hell over a Playboy.

This week's reaction?

Several Rockies contend that last week's USA Today story that portrayed the team as a Christian organization was overblown.

And the team expected to be portrayed...how exactly? Sorry, not sure how the reporter could have gotten that wrong since it sounds pretty widespread throughout the organization. Either the front office prays together or they don't. Either naughty mags and loud music are prohibited or they aren't. So, the reporter lied (and the players aren't claiming that) or the guys are embarrassed. I'll go with door #2.

Monkeyshines

My dad, a big Patriots fan, was thrilled with the trade that was announced today:

...the New Orleans Saints on Monday threw in the towel on defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan, trading the team's first-round choice from the 2003 draft to New England in exchange for wide receiver Bethel Johnson.

My dad's got high hopes for Sullivan (as he does with every Patriots player), despite some of Sullivan's issues:

Sullivan, 25, struggled with weight problems... Although he reportedly lost about 20 months in recent weeks, dropping his weight to 328 pounds, Sullivan's stamina was a problem at the Saints' three-day mini-camp that concluded Sunday.

Holy crap! How did he lose time like that? 20 months in several weeks?!? He'd better slow down before he's back in the womb.

Ignoring the obvious typo, I'm a little surprised that someone who used to weigh 348 pounds could only drop 20 pounds in that amount of time; it shouldn't take that long when you're huge. Yes, I know, big defensive boys want to keep their weight high. But 348 is ridiculous. Even Tank Johnson only weighs 300. (Then again, Ted Washington weighs 365. Daaaaamn.)

Congrats to Maggie the macaque, who beat the pundits again:


From her intermittent perch at The Sports Network, she was the only one of their pundits to correctly pick Edmonton to beat San Jose in the second playoff round. She was the only one to choose Edmonton and Carolina to meet in the final round...Maggie's picks are something less than scientific. She spins a roulette-type wheel, with the competing teams on it, to make her selections.

I love that some sort of monkey is more knowledgeable than the rest of us. Let that be a lesson: no matter how much you think you know about something, an animal that spins a wheel to make picks is smarter than you.

Now why won't they do that here?

In last night's game against the Brewers, the Nationals wore uniforms that we haven't seen them wear before:

To honor players from the Negro Leagues, the Brewers wore reproductions of uniforms worn by the Milwaukee Bears, the city's 1923 representative in the Negro National League. The Nationals wore uniforms of the Negro National League's Homestead Grays, who played in Washington from 1937-48.

Check out Soriano! He always wears the socks anyway (which I love) but I thought the guys looked fantastic. If you happen to catch the highlights, be sure to watch them, especially since the Nats won the game, but also because the uniforms look great. They just don't make them like that anymore.

The bigger question is, why did it take a road trip to Milwaukee for the Nats to debut these unis? Why on earth have they not done it here, seeing as the Negro League was a prominent factor for many years in D.C.? I hope the powers that be plan a similar engagement for a Nationals home game. I also hope that they eventually sell these jerseys to the fans; Fred wants to buy one and didn't see it for sale on the MLB site.

In Orioles news, was everyone else as dumbfounded as I was when I saw this story?

The story begins on Oct. 9, 1996, when Maier, then 12 years old and a rabid New York Yankees fan, reached over the wall at Yankee Stadium and altered the course of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, as well as the fates -- if you care to believe in such things -- of two franchises...And the story ends, at least for now, with a phone call Orioles owner Peter Angelos received a few days ago. You'll never guess, the caller said, who is a pretty good college baseball player now, the all-time hits leader at Wesleyan (Conn.) University, an outfielder-third baseman with a decent chance of being drafted during next week's Major League Baseball amateur draft.
"Who?" Jeffrey Maier. Yes, that Jeffrey Maier.

And can anyone guess what Angelos' reaction is? A stream of curse words? To hang up on the caller? Of course not. That would be giving him too much credit. Let's remember that Angelos is a businessman and a jackass.

Instead, he said this: "To forgive is divine."

You can hear O's fans' heads exploding everywhere, especially when he explains himself:

"I wouldn't be at all opposed to [drafting Maier]. In fact, I'd say it's a very interesting development," Angelos said. "You can say the Orioles are very seriously considering him. I know this much: I was at that game, and he certainly did seem to be a heck of an outfielder. Sure, we'd take him. In fact, I like the idea more and more, the more I think about it."

I watched that game on TV and even though I wasn't an O's fan (even then), I hated the Yankees. I was amazed at the event and was completely pissed off at the kid. Even now, I think he's a jerk. Anyone who's stupid enough to interfere with a ball in play should be dragged out into the street and forced to listen to Andy Rooney complain for two days straight. I'm still stunned that Angelos would seriously consider picking the kid up, even though I'm not surprised. That would be like if the Cubs decided to pick up Steven Bartman (assuming that he was a ball player). Doesn't it seem like Angelos purposely looks for ways to make the O's faithful hate him more and more? It's astounding.

At least the players share in the hate, even when they're currently part of other teams (Erickson's with the Yankees, ironically):

Pitcher Scott Erickson, who started the game for the Orioles and was in line to get the win before Armando Benitez served up the fateful pitch in the eighth inning to Jeter, said he hopes Maier makes it to the major leagues, "just so I can drill him -- I'd like to get one shot at him."

Here's hoping!

AOL shows some fine judgment

Thanks to Moxie for pointing this out, since I probably would have never seen it. Even though I actually have an AOL account, I don't look at the AOL website much. Maybe I should, though, since I now know what I'm missing- features like the Top 11 Erotic Escapes. Rowr!

And thanks to AOL City Guide Washington for giving me a shout-out! Much appreciated!

Couric blocks pucks with jazz hands

Sadly, that wasn't really the case in today's WaPo Express, but it kinda seemed like it. Yes, I know that the big yellow arrow was for Cooper Lowenthal's comment, but it was also right next to mine, despite the black line separating it...I think that if Katie's new job doesn't work out, she could get a new one as an NHL goalie. Pittsburgh, with the worst goals against average, could certainly use a new one. Ms. Couric has the hands and legs for it, and have you ever seen a goalie stop a puck in his face mask? Katie could easily take a puck in the mouth; hers is big enough. Too bad face masks are mandatory now.

Thanks to the Express for another mention!