Pretty Bird

Okay, seriously everyone, say it with me. Woo sah. There do you feel better? We are still 7-21(8-21 after the win against the Twins) coming off back to back sweeps (one of us in New York and one against the Red Sox at home) and I have heard two totally different reactions in a matter of days.

Let's be realistic. Who honestly thought the O's would be better then fourth place this season? If you nodded your head, raised your hand or even thought for a second that your answer would qualify as a yes then please hit yourself.

Better now? Yes I admit, I had high hopes, I had concerns but in no way am I going to say, "Get rid of everyone, start anew and start spending money!" Wake up folks, before MacPhail came to town we did that. We threw money at anyone or anything that resembled a major leaguer. Making us to look like we were going to contend. Whether it was Palmeiro, Tejada (the first time, not now, its a favor now), Kevin Brown, Albert Belle, Sidney Ponson(who is in the top 10 of Oriole pitching statistics, strikeouts - he is number 1 in sucking) the list goes on and on. We have been losing ever since Angelos couldn't handle Davey Johnson's ego and fired him after the 1997 season.

Some current fans of the O's have no idea that we were once good, on steroids (allegedly), but still a very competitive team. Ever since Davey Johnson's departure we have been a losing team struggling with its identity. Now I am not saying we shouldn't be upset about the current state of the O's but let's take a step back, relax. I heard one caller on a radio show say we should get rid of Adam Jones because of his porous BA since May of last year (.215) and inability to stay healthy. Sure, let's give up on a gold glover whose batting average reflects being shifted around in the lineup so much in his career. I like Trembley but when it comes to Jones he never has been able to keep him in a specific spot in the lineup. This year it is due to the Brian Roberts injury. Other than Roberts, who can fill our leadoff spot? Its very easy for me to flip flop Jones and Markakis in the lineup. Put Jones in the 3 spot with Markakis batting second, once Roberts returns of course. Markakis hits for average better then power and Jones clearly hits for power.

Do the Orioles need to clean house and start fresh? No. Will we fire Trembley after the season? Oh yes, the only way he saves his job is by some miraculous finish. Will we win any more series' against the Red Sox? No, if we win in Fenway the team may get lynched. Personally I think we should pick up the option on Rojo Johnson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haHlFA_bDkI), I mean we need middle relief help. Right?

Besides, its only a few months until the Ravens open up camp. So, go Ravens!

Haven't You Heard?

So have you heard? The bird is the word! Well the Ravens bird that is.

NFL schedules were released Tuesday which means that last night the complaints from fans began about who had the most ridiculous schedule out there. As well as bragging rights as to who has the toughest schedule for 2010. Well this blog is nothing like that, actually I lie. It's everything like that.

I am not basing my opinion on records from last year like Texans or Titans fans are (they are tied for the hardest schedule based on that). Their opponents bolster a .547 winning percentage from last season. Mainly due to the strength of their own division or just the Colts. Why wouldn't I base it on the same thing that many experts are? Simple, did personnel change? So the teams are all going to change, good or bad. If you want to check out the list go
here ---> http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post/_/id/11663/sweating-out-the-schedule

With that said let me start off by saying that the Ravens have one of the toughest schedules in the league this year. They rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to last years record (12th, .508 percentage) but they are tied with the Lions at that spot. Leaning towards the Ravens being better then the kittens this year. Just a guess. While I went through last year and analyzed and predicted whether the team would win each game on my fridge (not man enough to put it in the blog I guess) I was completely wrong. I didn't see the Bengals not sucking last year, I'm not Merrill Hoge. Nor did I see the Steelers losing to such powerhouses as the Raiders, Browns and Chiefs. At least I got some enjoyment out of that.

So before this drones on let's get to this years schedule. Let's break it down to 4 game increments.

Weeks 1-4 - @Jets, @Cincinnati, Browns and @ Pittsburgh

Prediction - 2-2

The Ravens get the opportunity to play the first Monday Night game in new Jets/Giants stadium. Honestly in the first 7 games before the bye I could see them only getting 3 wins in that stretch. I would be upset and disappointed but it could happen. The Jets game will be the most interesting, not only for the simple fact that its Rex vs Ravens but more importantly its Rex's disciples against Rex's current followers. This could be a new rivalry that could challenge the gladiator fights in Rome for the amount of bloodshed. Two smashmouth teams that have similar gameplans, run and stop the run. What a way to open up Monday Night Football. Cincinnati will be tough but they really haven't improved their team. Still the same team who got blown out in the first round of the playoffs last season just with Antonio Bryant who fell off in production last year. The prediction for the home game against the Browns is that Delhomme will throw 4 picks, if he's the starter. At Jets, at Cincinnati and at Pittsburgh will all be tough games. Even with Big Ben out for the week 4 game (it has just been announced that he will be suspended for 4-6 weeks for personal conduct violations) against the Ravens, Dixon gave them trouble in Baltimore last season. More then likely he will start over Leftwich/Batch.

Week 5-9 - Broncos, @New England, Bills, Bye, Miami

Prediction - 4-0

I know what you are going to say. Obvious wins are agains the Broncos and Bills. Neither team has improved (Broncos are rebuilding trading Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins and Tony Scheffler to the Detroit). Besides, even if Brady Quinn starts for Denver, we own him. Plus those are home games, expect a beatdown of one or both of those teams. Before last season's drubbing of the Pats in the playoffs I would have immediately said there was no way we could win at Gilette Stadium. Now I have high hopes and the Ravens are going to need to go undefeated in this stretch to improve their playoff chances later. A win over the Pats in their house would assist in that. That and it would fuel the fire for me to tease my buddy Marcel who hails from the region. The Bills could be a surprise if they get something from the QB position. Odds are bad for that to happen though. Injuries seem to kill the Bills as well. Add that all the teams in their division got better while they seemed to only get worse (they lost Terrell Owens to free agency...maybe). Plus new coach; alright, thats it enough piling up negatives on the Bills. In week 9, after the bye, Miami pays us a visit. They just picked up a guy we were after last year in Brandon Marshall. Now if he only had a QB that could get him the ball. Marshall is going to burn us, pretty sure of that. Most big time receivers do. That's if Henne has the time to throw which, in our house, is unlikely.

Weeks 10-13 - @Atlanta, @Carolina, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh

Prediction - 3-1

We will finally have a head to head of Flacco and Ryan. The two first round QB's from a couple years ago. Should be a show that the Falcons will lose. Yes, I know they picked up Dunta Robinson. I am pretty sure that Boldin will truck him and Ray Rice will juke him out of his shoes. Their linebacking core is young and inexperienced. John Abraham will give Oher a test on the edge but this is a game we should win. Ryan needs to improve from his sophomore slump last year. The game against the Panthers could be interesting. Moore can go deep and Steve Smith is, oh wait wrong one. If they can actually run on our boys than they might stand a chance. This 3 game NFC South stretch ends against the Bucs in the nest. There is no way they pull of a victory in Baltimore, Josh Freeman will get abused in that game. While I could continue to analyze the game, why would I? The Bucs are rebuilding along with the Rams and Lions, these 3 will be vying for top 5 picks in next years draft. This all leads to the final season meeting against the Steelers. Now we all know they will still be near the top of our division because they are the Steelers after all. Add to the fact that the only tough opponent in their first 6 games when they will be without Ben is us and possibly Miami/Tennessee. As we all know, when both teams are playing well, 9 times out of 10 the home team wins. Facts are facts, even Kyle Boller beat them in Baltimore. Argue with that Steeler fan!

Weeks 14-17 - @Houston, Saints, @Cleveland, Bengals

Prediction - 2-2

The end of the season could be interesting. At Houston is a game that is up in the air in my eyes. Could go either way depending on what Texans team shows up. As far as New Orleans, they are the defending Super Bowl champs, Brees is on the Madden cover (by this time in the season he could have fallen to the infamous Madden curse) and their offense should still be strong. Cleveland as I said before will be a joke this year but by week 16 things should or could be clicking for them, think last year when they ended the Steelers hopes at the playoffs. When they realized Jerome Harrison could actually run the ball if given the opportunity, the defense began to play, for lack of a better term, defense. So who knows what can happen with a division rival on the road. Speaking of division rivals the Bengals come to Baltimore for week 17 which could be a division crown deciding game. If I were the NFL I would have scheduled the Steelers for the Ravens in week 17 to guarantee that everyone would play for both teams since the players hate/respect each other. The same could be said about some of the Bengals as far as respect but this should be a great game in what could be a lackluster week 17 where teams in the AFC South and West will likely be resting players.

So I have the Ravens going 11-5 which could win the division. Hopefully I am right and Flacco leads us to the playoffs for the third straight year. If I am wrong however, who will know? You won't tell anyone, will you?

T.O. sign or not T.O. sign?

That is the question. Whether tis nobler to sign T.O. and deal with the media circus that he creates? While also ruining our young QB (doubtful he would shed tears for Flacco) and destroying an already powder keg of a locker room. Just because they think it will improve our offense and give a young QB confidence.

We already have a huge egotistical maniac on defense (love ya Ray Ray) but the benefit of Ray is that he happens to be a great leader. Will he call out players, coaches and referees? Yes. Is he a known leader and once the head of the most dominant defense ever? Yes. Was T.O.? Has T.O. ever won a championship? The answer to those is no. He has never been a part of anything historic(team wise) so honestly, in my opinion, he hasn't earned the ego. At least with Ray, it is about the success of the team.

T.O. is a part of history as an individual but his teams are best known for falling apart due to him destroying their foundations. While last season wasn't an example as one of those teams his performance fell off. Last season marked his first without at least 1,000 yards and 10 TDs since his injury shortened season of 2005. I'm not saying his age has anything to do with it but he is 36. Unlike baseball pitchers, it's not like most football players to get better with age. We have seen two franchise running backs cut this week for that exact fact. LT and Brian Westbrook (not to mention Thomas Jones being released by the Jets even though he had a career year last season) are in the over 30 RB club who were axed by their teams.

T.O. is currently fifth all time in TDs behind active leader LT and Randy Moss (Owens is 61 TDs behind the career leader in Jerry Rice who has 208). Like Rice however T.O. has started to fall off later in his career, mainly the past few seasons. His yards and TDs have been declining over the past 2 seasons. Analysts have torn apart his route running, thinking he is giving up on plays in Dallas and just not performing up to his normal par in Buffalo last season. All I am trying to say is he is more trouble then his performance is worth. Unlike previous years where that could balance out to be equal value.

Like Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun, I think we should look a different direction as far as a top tier receiver. I know Harbaugh non saliently said Owens was a, "great player," but more then likely this was just out of respect for Owens' previously mentioned ego/career. There are better options out there. Brandon Marshall and Anquan Boldin come to mind. While Marshall may have his issues, he is clearly a better player then Owens. If you wanted to break his trouble to performance ratio down, they would be almost equal. Who knows, maybe changing team would change his attitude? Boldin would be my first choice if he didn't have injury issues. While he is one of the toughest wideouts in the game (he played a couple weeks after his face was put back together during the 2008 season), the fact that he has knee and hamstring issues scare me.

I trust in Ozzie though, even after that Stallworth signing I still believe in him. He always seems to know something about talent. We need a top tier receiver to pair with Derrick Mason, our backfield is already stacked we just need a receiver to lock up the offense. If you think you have a better idea then let me know in the comments. Until next time, stay classy.

10 Things You're Thinking About Before the Orioles Season Starts

Perhaps non-Oriole fans aren't asking these questions but we as Oriole nation are asking them. Why 10? We are the tenth man after all. Plus I can't completely rip off MLB Networks Prime 9. These are ten things that should be on the minds of us, the fans of "dem O's". Or as some of us may have affectionately called them the "d' O's" (a play on Homer Simpsons "D'oh!"). So unlike a Tiger Woods press conference, let's get to the questions.

1. Did we really sign Miguel Tejada?

• What is he like 40? Honestly we don't know. All false birth certificates and b-12 injection jokes aside, he is still a decent player. Most of us are familiar with Josh Bell, who the O's acquired in the George Sherrill trade at the deadline last season from the Dodgers. If you aren't, know he is the future at third base. Which is why Mora is now in Colorado and Tejada is just filler at the position until Bell is ready. Bell passed the AA test last season when he belted 20 homers and had a respected .295 avg. This isn't a question about Bell. Tejada was a doubles machine last season when he had 46 of them while batting .313 in 158 games. Yes, the homerun numbers are down but that is not why we got him. We have more then enough power without Tejada. With him we have depth at SS in case of another Izturis injury and a solid veteran in our clubhouse. Hopefully he is in better spirits then a few years ago when he left for a "winning franchise" in Houston. Which he should be, considering he signed here. I mean, what were his other options, the Nationals? More then likely Tejada will split time at third, shortstop and DH.

2. Will the lineup be any good?

• We are the projected fifth best lineup in baseball. So let's go with yes. We have the best outfield in the American League East in my opinion with two gold glove caliber players in Jones and Markakis. Add the young Reimold in the mix and we are solid in the outfield. Where are we going to put Pie? He will get his time as well more then likely in left or in center to give Jones a break. Still our starting lineup will probably look something like this. Roberts(2b), Markakis (RF), Jones (CF), Scott (DH), Reimold (LF), Wieters(C), Tejada(3b), Atkins (1B), Izturis (SS). Listed in batting order of course. If this is how the opening day lineup looks I wouldn't be surprised but Reimold and Jones could flip flop or Wieters could move up. Some people have Jones predicted as hitting seventh in our lineup. We shall see what Spring Training shows in our young players like Wieters and Reimold. If they perform well, Jones batting seventh could be a reality.

3. Will anyone hit 30 homers?

• Yes, Matt Wieters...from both sides of the plate! (That was for you Antoine!) All MattWietersfacts.com-like jokes aside, we didn't have one last year. We may not have one this year. If Scott stays healthy all season he is our best bet unless of course someone from our youth movement shows up. Considering that Markakis is more likely to hit .300 then hit 30 homers, I doubt it.

4. Will Brian Matusz be in our starting rotation on opening day?

• Well, he is the fifth best prospect in baseball and has experience from last year. Still with rookie status so he could be a serious contender for rookie of the year. At this point he has had two bullpen sessions down in Sarasota and is feeling good. Working in curveballs and improving his two seamer to his sessions. Most importantly, looking forward to touring ballparks again with his budding bromance, Chris Tillman. The comradery in this young group of pitchers really stands out, hopefully their performance does as well.

5. Will any pitcher win 15 games?

• My confidence levels are high with this one. While we did have a 17 game loser last year, ironically enough this was also the team leader in wins (10, Guthrie). The last 15 game winner we had was Mr. Personality himself, Erik Bedard back in 2006. Please, someone win 15 so that I never have to say that again. While Bedard was a dominant pitcher, his injuries have seemed to dominate him ever since he left Baltimore. Sorry I couldn't hear the smallest violin playing over Adam Jones and George Sherrill being all stars/awesome. So by playing 6 degrees of separation, Bedard won a gold glove last season for the O's playing centerfield. Way to go!

6. Can we have more than 1 player in the All Star game?

• Nothing against Adam Jones, he deserved to go last year (hello I wrote a blog supporting that!), but it would be nice to see more O's in the game. I know Markakis will never start in the All Star game as long as Ichiro is playing which I am okay with. I would take him being an alternate this season. In all honesty, Matt Wieters might be our best option to make the team in addition to anyone else. Considering how weak the AL is with catchers, as long as he performs he could do it. Especially since he is more widely known then others. Yes, I know Varitek will start no matter his stats, thank you Red Sox nation, but Wieters could be the backup. Considering Joe Girardi (an AL East manager) will be coaching the team and seeing Wieters on a regular. Who knows? I don't see you taking a stab at the All Star guessing game. What is more likely is that Jones will repeat or Markakis will make his first appearance. Since those two were the highest O's on the ballot last season.

7. Who will we trade by the deadline?

• Don't be surprised if it is Miguel Tejada. Expiring contract, decent hitter, plays solid defense and would have no issues being traded to a winning team. I mean, it's not likely that we would trade him within our own division for obvious reasons. With Jeter in New York, Scutaro in Boston and Bartlett in Tampa Bay. Lord knows the Blue Jays aren't going to be buyers in July. So why would they give up talent they recently acquired in the Halladay deal? There are teams in the NL that might look at Tejada seriously, maybe the Cubs.

8. Should I pay my money to watch these guys?

• I know times are hard but if you are a fan of baseball and the O's, get out to the Yard! Without sounding like or better than a PR person for the team, this could be the season they turn it around. If you are one of those fans that wants to see a win, go early in the season as we tail off towards the end the past few years. The young talent is really fun to watch and there is a 90% chance you are going to see someone in our outfield make a spectacular play. If Pie is out there...that lowers the percentage. I'm not saying to just go to Red Sox/Yankee games. No matter how many I tell to come, there is a 100% chance Orioles fans will be outnumbered. Nats games are always fun since you will never hear this from any of them, "Remember how awesome we were when we went to the playoffs/won the World Series?" Or the newly updated "27!" Seriously, we have seen the shirt and look Yankee fans, we know. Blah blah blah dynasty. Remember your best player in history was from Baltimore. So, SUCK ON THAT!

9. Are we going to matter in the AL bEast?

• You know what, we just might. I know the term of "this year's Rays" is being thrown our direction but that is the thing. That was only two years ago. No one was saying that about any team minus people mocking the Devil Rays. Maybe if we change the team name to just O's then life will be simpler. So we can all watch sportscasters and reporters alike say, "how bout them Oriole....er I mean O's!" The biggest concern of every fan is our pitching. While I can't say I am happy to be older then half of the staff, at least for a change I can say I'm not more talented (oooo diss!). Games will be decided by our bullpen due to our staff's youth so right now that is my biggest concern. If our starters can have quality starts and perform like all the experts think they can we may be able to snag a wild card spot.

10. Wait, a wild card spot? Brandan, what are you smoking/drinking?

• Uhm, hope? Luck? Andy MacPhail's spiked punch? Realistically I have us as the third team in the division. Above .500 for the first time in years. The Blue Jays are probably going to take fifth which has to be expected losing the talent they have over the past few years. The Rays are hoping, like us, that their young pitchers can lead them toward another winning season and hopefully the playoffs. I like ours as opposed to theirs. I am bias though. However, major league hitters have seen Price and seem to handle him well. He did not perform well as a starter last year after looking stellar in the playoffs when they went to the World Series. Plus, we have the third best lineup in the division. The only position, offensively that is, where power numbers will not matchup is first and third base. I highly doubt Tejada and Atkins. If Atkins from 2007 or 2008 shows up, then I will stand corrected. Give him some time with Terry Crowley, who has turned a lot of people around in his time. Here is hoping the baseball experts are wrong and Atkins is not past his prime.

So there it is. I am sure there are other questions that people may be asking and if there are any that you guys have feel free to post them in the comments. I will answer them as quickly as I can. Thanks for reading and I look forward to BSing with you in the future. Until next time. GO O's!

10 Random Thoughts

It my shock some of you that I had one thought let alone ten. These are just some things that are on my mind lately or have been for awhile. While sticking to the blogs message of sports and entertainment of course.



In some cases I was going to try to write a blog about these things but they couldn't carry a blog on their own.



1. Terrell Suggs should not be known as T-Sizzles

• There is nothing about Suggs that sizzles for me or any women I know. What sizzles is his play on the field. I get it. However there are better names to have. Suggs will forever be known as "The Suggernaut" in my house. How awesome would it be to hear a commentator whip out a, "Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggs Got-chaaaaaaaaa!" What if his helmet flies off during a play in which Jamaal Charles from Kansas City bowls him over? "Oh Charles you're messin' with his head! He had that helmet since the fourth grade!" If he pushes a lineman into a QB, the technical term will be that he hit said QB "with his own pimp." If you aren't rolling on the floor laughing by now then you have never seen the My Way Production version of X-Men. I would like to be there if this were to pick up just to hear Suggs tell Tom Brady, "You can't mess with me! I'm the Suggernaut b!t@h!"

2. If you aren't from Indianapolis and you aren't cheering for New Orleans Sunday...

• You have no soul. I don't care if you put all your money on the Colts, the Saints are America's team. Not George Dubya's team, but ever since Katrina the city has always looked to the Saints for uplifting. For the first time in franchise history they made it to the big show and what will follow in New Orleans should they win? One of the biggest drinking binges in history. Look for the state to be shutdown for a week if they win. Biggest state wide hangover...ever. A tiger will be in every body's bathroom down there. Don't worry though, he will be dreaming of Halle Berry in her Catwoman suit in no time.

3. Why is David Letterman's popularity increasing?

• I watched his show a few times just to see how much he would bash NBC/Jay Leno this week (not as much as I thought he would) and it wasn't impressive. The funniest moment was when Bruce Willis donned a Jets jersey, ran all over the studio to celebrate the Jets making the Super Bowl. To then only misspell the infamous Jets spelling chant, "J-E-T-E-S!" Uhm, no Bruce that is wrong. At least he called himself out on it afterwards. Clearly, I don't have a dog in the late night battle. That is until Conan possibly comes back in September, hopefully.

4. Something will rise for Chris Johnson

• It may not be his salary, which probably means he will hold out for a better contract. What will rise is his draft position in next year's fantasy draft. If he isn't your number 1 pick after this year, something is really really wrong with whoever has the first pick. Do I blame the guy for wanting a raise? No. He broke the record for yards from scrimmage. It isn't like that happens every year. When it comes to sports contracts, players are only as good as their last season. When that season was a record setting year, they have to take advantage of it. Just unfortunate that Johnson was in the second year of a five year contract.

5. Why does the NHL screw themselves?

• I don't follow hockey however, the games I think about checking out are always against better stuff. Its like Jay Leno in prime time against, long pause, anything (cue rim shot). Ovechkin against Crosby played each other for the first time a couple weeks ago. Ironically the same night as Lebron vs Kobe. Their next meeting is this Sunday. I forget what is on but it's something super I am sure. Honestly, if this was the NFL, these teams would play on opening night. It is the match up that everyone wants to see so why delay it? Plus most of who you are trying to draw in have already forgotten about the stellar match up in the playoffs won by Crosby and the Penguins last season.

6. Way to wait until Conan couldn't fire back to talk smack Leno

• In an interview with Oprah last week, Jay stayed classy by blasting Conan, saying he was disrespecting the Tonight Show franchise with his low ratings. Jay, you disrespected television with your prime time yuckfest. Big city news markets have you to blame for their ratings dropping by nearly 50%. I know you blame NBC but man up. You chose to stick with the network instead of going somewhere else and starting anew. Entertainment Weekly has The Jay Leno Show ranked number 1 for the worst move in television history. In the words of a fellow NBC employee, "You're fired!"

7. Whatever happened to those Guitar Hero lists I promised

• To be perfectly honest, Guitar Hero 5 came out and had most of the songs I was suggesting. Which led to the demise of the list, that in addition to fantasy football season starting. While I do not own the game, I still know what is on it. Before too long I will get another list on here because there are definitely some creative lists I can come up with that Red Octane might miss. The track list on GH 5 is awesome, one of my suggestions "The Spirit of Radio" by Rush is insane I'm sure. In the words of Wayne Campbell, "it will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine."

8. Everyone is picking the Baltimore Orioles as a sleeper this season

• Is there any other team that they could pick? I mean, the Nationals are still awful. The Indians haven't gotten better. Most top teams are still that, with the Red Sox and Yankees leading the pack as favorites in the AL. The biggest pickup being Lackey for the Sox. Personally, no one really picked true sleepers until the Rays went worst to first. So, now if we suck like usual, we have them to blame. Thanks Rays! I do like how the lineup looks, Antoine Pollard expects Matt Wieters to hit the warehouse and break every window in the process. Having a solid veteran in the rotation will help our young starters. Think Kris Benson a few years back. He taught Bedard how to throw a curveball, Bedard knew how to be a jerk on his own. Millwood is a much better pitcher then Benson so hopefully he can show these young boys some new tricks. The biggest issue is, as it usually is, our bullpen. Let's see what happens. Should I grow out my facial hair between wins? Considering I would barely look like a normal 13 year old with the amount of hair I would get, going to say no on that one.

9. New Super Mario Bros. Wii was the number 1 selling game of the year

• Which is pretty crazy when you think about it. I mean it was only out in mid-November. A new installment of the classic with the awesomeness of multiplayer. In my house it is useless since only a two year old will play it with me. My only beef with the game is more items. While I love the new penguin getup, I crave being able to fly with a racoon tail or cape. The game is still awesome, mostly due to my Wii being up for repairs it remains unbeaten. Only the 9th world remains. Wish me luck in the near future. If you own a Wii, get the game. It's great fun and the reason you own the system.

10. Is Kobe Bryant the best Laker ever?

• This past week, Bryant passed Jerry West as the highest score in Laker history. He passed Mr. Logo in a loss against the Grizzlies. It lead to every NBA analyst giving their top 5 Lakers ever. Kobe made it as high as 2 on Around the Horn with a couple of analysts forgetting about Kareem Abdul-Jabaar. One of which being Bill Plaschke who writes for the Los Angeles Times! Epic fail Bill. No one mentioned Wilt Chamberlain but then again, "the Stilt" had his best years in Philly. Only leading the Lakers to one championship in which he was the finals MVP (1972). Every one's unanimous number one was Magic Johnson, I completely agree. Personally I think it is impossible to find a top 5 that everyone can agree with in any successful franchise. Could anyone really agree with the top 5 Yankees in baseball, Steelers in football or Red Wings in hockey? The best comparison to the magnitude of the Lakers is the Yankees. There would be riots in the streets to determine that top 5. I guarantee.

So there you have it. Just some things that are rambling around this brain of mine. Have any input? Surprised I had a valid thought? Let me hear about it in the comments. I am always open to insults or input. Input would be better though. Thanks for reading and I hope to BS with you again, real soon.

Meet Your New QB Coach Baltimore - Jim Zorn

The last time we heard about Jim Zorn he was being fired. The firing happened immediately when he got off the plane after the last Washington Redskins game in early January. They replaced him with Mike Shanahan within a few days and Zorn was left wondering what was going to happen to his NFL coaching future.

To be fair, Zorn fell into the head coaching job in Washington. Dan Snyder wanted a big name coach like Cowher at the time but no one wanted to take the job. Snyder took to long to pull the trigger so Zorn was bumped from offensive coordinator to head coach. Many thought Snyder overlooked Gregg Williams, who since has gone on to turn the Saints into a Super Bowl-caliber, turnover machine.

So with the Ravens QB coach Hue Jackson heading for greener pastures in Oakland (not really greener but he will be the offensive coordinator there) it was announced today who would replace him. Jim Zorn. Now before everyone freaks out or Steelers fans start mocking us (Alex!), let's realize what title he got here. He will not be calling plays, Cam Cameron still has that job (probably will never get a head coaching gig thanks to that 1 win stint in Miami a couple years ago). He is going to be doing a job he knows how to do. I know Jason Campbell may not have made the Pro Bowl but let's take a look at his numbers.

Campbell has had to deal with a different offense implemented every season since he has been in Washington. However, with Zorn at the helm, Campbell's numbers improved. It was the team that was poor. The year before Zorn got there Campbell's stats looked like this; 13 games, 60% completions, 2700 yards passing, 12 TDs, 11 interceptions and a QB rating of 77.6. Each of those stats have gone up with Zorn in charge. 2008 saw Campbell limit his turnovers and improve his mechanics with this season having career highs in every passing statistic. Unfortunately that included turnovers. This was mostly without the services of Chris Cooley, the Pro Bowl tight end missed most of the season with a leg injury. Campbell is not Joe Flacco, he did not lead a team to back to back playoff appearances and his owner actually wants him as the franchise QB.

So let's look at this as a positive. Zorn knows how to handle QB's. He is a former NFL QB who has done this job for years. Zorn is on a long road back to being trusted to lead another NFL ship. If he turns Flacco into a Pro Bowler like he did with Matt Hasselbeck in Seattle, it may be sooner then you think.

No-no Show-show fo-fo Coco?

If the title makes absolutely no sense then you probably never watched an episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. I know that everyone has a style of humor that they appreciate, maybe Conan isn't your guy. He's my kind of guy and he will be sadly missed, at least for the next 7 months.



After some serious thought, I realized that I have basically grown up loving the things that O'Brien has done. Whether it was The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live or Late Night with Conan O'Brien I have been a fan for a long time. Mr. O'Brien, if you are reading this, A) thanks for using your free time to check out my blog and 2) you have to own a sweet game system, why read? Since he isn't reading this, because no one has that kind of free time I have been told, I will just wax poetic about his accomplishments. I could do that, bash Jay Leno or NBC. Decisions, decisions.



The high road is a choice not usually taken by yours truly, 98% of readers agree with that. I have too much respect for O'Brien to not bash Leno or the network for what they did. In all honesty, I'm sad to see such a talented guy be taken off the air. Had my emotion been anger I would bash away. Again I know some see his humor as sophmoric, self-depreciating, immature and/or childish crap. On the flip side of that, who cares? He is hilarious!


Other then the obvious skits I will miss of his, mostly his mime abilities will be missed. Whether it is the NBC exec in his evil lair stroking his cat, Sarah Palin, Larry King (suspender pull, suspender pull, glasses = the national sign for Larry King), or his many other inappropriate (guitar riff) moves that coincided with his monologue. Just filing through some Youtube clips of Late Night (just search alternate cable channels for example along with Conan O'Brien or another favorite of mine were the cameos by the Governator Arnold Schwarzanegger/Former President George W. Bush).


Many of us watched as O'Brien gave his emotional, almost tearful, state of mind regarding NBC on Friday. What people who don't watch the show, or who have half a brain, don't realize that this isn't just about Conan. During the final show, honestly the whole final week, he talked about his staff and band (Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg 7/Tonight Show band) in very high regard. If it weren't for Jimmy Fallon lucking out and having the Roots as his band, I would agree with O'Brien that he had the best band in late night. His show has been nominated previously for it's writing accomplishments. That's right, the crew who gave us the Masterbating Bear (the self pleasuring bear as supposedly called by NBC in O'Brien's seperation papers), was nominated for awards. The great news is the staff will receive a severence, one that I hope includes Andy Richter as I don't know if he will be doing any subpar series on NBC anytime soon. Bring back Andy Richter Controls the Universe! Or just stick with Conan. Either way, it's probably going to happen on Fox.


So that is what we are all questioning now. When or if Conan will be back on a network? Will he go to cable? Will he bring back the infamous James Lipton doing weird acts segment on his show? Who knows? Until then, I will have to catch David Letterman to hear all the latest on Jay bashing. Which, in my opinion, is way funnier then Jay Walking.