Beltway Basketball Bonanza-- Hearts will never be practical...

Happy Valentine's Day... a celebration of love and hopes and dreams that every so often ends in a less than awesome manner. A day where a line is drawn in the sand between couples and singles. A day where what ifs become never weres. As the Wizard told the Tin Man, "Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable." Over the next few weeks, plenty of hearts (and bubbles) will be broken as the line between finding an NCAA Tournament partner and being single in the NIT (or worse) will be drawn... with a few still hoping for that one big thing.


Georgetown (19-5, 9-4) bounced back from a tough overtime loss at Syracuse by gutting out another matinee victory over a Big East Bruiser. The 71-61 win over St. John's saw a nice buffet effort from Nate Lubick: 7 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. The Hoyas owned the glass again...and shot 61% in the second half. The team's ability to generate half-court opportunities-- like they did in rallying to tie #2 Syracuse at the end of regulation-- bode well for March. Call their chocolate box more than half-full.


Alma Mater Update-- before I get into the latest pair of cardiac conclusions... let me set the record straight: bad weather and traffic prevented me from going to The Sign of the Whale for the Syracuse-Georgetown game last week. I am not a turncoat nor Benedict Arnold nor Brutus nor Nina from 24. But let me also say that the BLAZING HOT WINGS at the Greene Turtle are beyond napalmish. The key is knocking back two or three to get your mouth accustomed to the fury-- and loading up with bleu cheese dressing. That said, the Orange are fortunate to have held on in overtime against Georgetown and in regulation against Louisville (let the record show that Rick Pitino's white suits are a tonsorial turnover in and of themselves). And like true love, its tough to view this team objectively. Kris Joseph scores 29 against the Hoyas and only 7 against the Cardinals. The defense gives up way too many offensive boards. Halfcourt can be a nightmare. But they can turn you over like nobody else (4th in the nation in steals) and nobody runs the lanes better than this oh-so-deep Orange squad. So this chocolate box is all filled with really cool flavors (coconut, tangerine, cherry, walnut).

Favorite Couples I-- nobody lives in a vacuum. And our perception of life and love is built upon what we've grown up watching. The first couple I openly rooted for was Han Solo and Princess Leia-- their bickering during Star Wars injected spice into a dry script, and their fatalistic get-together in Empire provided one of the best exchanges EVER ("I love you"-"I know). Sadly, there had to be a Return of the Jedi where their relationship was reduced to she mopes, he mopes... and even the rehashing of the money line. Lesson learned? Sometimes it's cool to call it a day after the carbon freezing.


Maryland (14-10, 4-6) isn't in the class of North Carolina or Duke-- although coach Mark Turgeon's team can stay with the Tar Heels and Blue Devils for stretches, they just don't have the talent or depth to go toe to toe for 40 minutes. And that talent and depth goes from half full to half empty with guard Pe'Shon Howard's torn ACL. The Terrapin point guard wasn't a stats dynamo but was essential to the team's ACC success-- he logged 30 minutes or more in all but one of the team's conference games. Howard's loss means more minutes for Nick Faust and Mychal Parker-- and the duo combined for almost half of the Terps' points in the 73-55 loss at Duke. Unfortunately three-point shooting (1-14) and rebounding issues (outboarded 48-33 by the Blue Devils) reared their ugly heads as well. Now with six games remaining the Terps have just two matchups against teams with losing ACC records: Boston College and Georgia Tech are a combined 5-16 in league play. Other than that? Trips to #5 North Carolina and #22 Virginia plus home games against the Cavaliers and surprising Miami. Chocolate Box Status-- loaded with flavors you're not digging, but you'll eat them anyway.


Cruising the Commonwealth-- Yes, Virginia... there is a second half. The Cavaliers led North Carolina by 3-- IN CHAPEL HILL-- before the Tar Heels went on a 22-5 run that spelled the Cavaliers' 64 loss in 70 tries at UNC. Mike Scott scored 18 points... but the rest of the team shot 11 of 38. Revenge may be a dish served early and often over the next few weeks... as UVa plays three teams they've already lost to this winter-- UNC, Florida State and Virginia Tech. Hopefully the Cavs and Hokies will each score more than 47 points in the rematch. Virginia Tech's chocolate box was accidentally dropped in the early ACC season (with 5 losses by 5 points or less)...and then stepped on with double digit losses to Duke and Miami. Three games against ranked opponents in the next two weeks could revive a run to the NIT (at 14-11, it's time to be honest Hokie fans) or bury this bunch. When does spring football start?


Favorite Couples II-- "Dallas" was a family saga filled with conflict between old cattle and new oil as well as good brother Bobby against evil brother JR. One casualty of the show was the marriage of Bobby and Pam... a couple that if you watched the show you enjoyed their affection for one another amidst a landscape of dysfunctional pairings- from JR and Sue Ellen to Mitch and Lucy. The whole original premise of the show was how a Ewing married a Barnes and there was no way they'd last. Even after scheming from seemingly every character over four plus seasons tore them apart... you couldn't help but root for the duo. Mark Graison? Jenna Wade? We recognized the real deal and it was Bobby and Pam. They finally got back together much to our delight. Until Katherine Wentworth ran Bobby over with her car (yes, in my mind Dallas ended that day. NO DREAM SEASON). Lesson learned-- if you're not in a car, get off the damn driveway!


George Mason (21-6, 13-2)-- get ready for two games over two weeks (with maybe a third in the CAA Tournament) with VCU that should be incredible. While the case could be made that they're playing for second place (neither has been able to defeat Drexel this season)... the late season home and home will feature two solid teams in the at-large discussion with outstanding forwards: Ryan Pearson (18ppg, 9rpg, 37% from 3) has placed the Patriots on his back on more than one occasion while Bradford Burgess after a midseason slump (6 of 7 games scoring in single digits) appears to have picked up steam (46 points and 11 of 20 from three point range over the last two games). Get to the Patriot Center early on Valentine's Day- one can only wonder what sort of love songs Doc Nix and the Green Machine will be belting out. Chocolate Box- filled with awesome candies you don't want to share.


George Washington (9-16, 4-7) -- the Colonials ended a five game slide by beating Richmond 69-67... as Dwayne Smith has come alive this month (three straight games in double figures after scoring in double figures three times in GW's first 22 games of the season). That's nice relief for Tony Taylor; being a point guard who's often the #1 option means you get double teamed, hacked and downright mugged with numbing regularity. The Colonials have a one and a half game lead for 12th place in the Atlantic Ten-- and of their five remaining regular season games have just one matchup against a school currently with a losing league record (Charlotte- a team they beat by 8 in Foggy Bottom last month). Chocolate Box???? A different kind of bubble-- you open this one and wind up with celery and carrots-- plus raisins (Nature's Candy?!?).


Maryland Womens' Window-- the Terps are a very good team. They rallied against a tough Georgia Tech squad in Atlanta to complete a season sweep of the Yellowjackets. They blasted a subpar Clemson team on the road (Clemson on the road is never easy; just getting there is a logistical nightmare). But Sunday the Terrapins turned the ball over 21 times against #6 Miami- and missed 10 free throws in a 76-74 loss to the Hurricanes. Maryland remains #8 in the newest polls... and has three tough games ahead with a trip to Virginia plus home tilts against Duke and North Carolina. The margin between very good and great is minor... the margin between great and phenomenally incredible is even smaller. This team is close. Two keys down the stretch will be the play of Laurin Mincy and Anjale Barrett.


Favorite Couples III-- Sam and Diane. Who didn't like "Cheers"? I gravitated towards the show during its first season when Carla convinced a drunk Diane that Sam fathered one of her kids. I was hooked when Diane told Sam she'd never believe anything he said and Sam responded "then I think I'm falling in love with you". I recognized the chemistry the two had-- despite being so wrong for one another they were so right. Sam telling Diane "I think you're neat"-- when prompted why he liked her. Their combustible relationship leading to despair in season three (Sam back on the bottle, Diane in an assylum). More than one almost reconciliation... and their near-marriage followed by Sam saying "Have a Good Life". Lesson Learned-- do not pick up recently dumped English Lit Teaching Assistants in Boston bars. Don't even offer them "employment".

American (16-9, 7-3) saw its midseason momentum take a break with a 59-52 loss at Holy Cross; shooting 32% while being outrebounded by ten dooming the Eagles. While Charles Hinkle is able to score even when not shooting well... Troy Brewer has had troubles being a solid second option lately-- take away the game against Lehigh and the senior is on a 7 for 28 shooting slump in his last four games. AU closes the regular season with games against Navy and Army before battling Patriot League leading Bucknell; the Eagles' regular season finale against Lafayette could be for second place and home court for two rounds in the conference tournament. Chocolate Box-- a mixed bag. Be wary of what you choose-- and no "taking one bite but then placing back in the box!"


Howard (7-19, 4-9) fell at home Monday night to Bethune-Cookman 73-67... before the defeat the Bison took three of their previous four games. Two of their three remaining regular season games are against the MEAC's upper echelon, so another double digit conference loss season appears likely. One wonders about the future-- as senior Greg Andrews is the only player averaging more than 10 points a game on this roster. Hopefully Kevin Nickelberry's second true recruiting class will pay dividends. Chocolate Box--return to sender.


Danny Departs-- breaking up is definitely hard to do. Maryland football loses its face-- as junior Danny O'Brien transfers after a difficult 2011 season. The 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year lost his starting job last fall-- and then broke his upper arm against Notre Dame. When did a future so bright suddenly have an expiration date? I look at the West Virginia game-- he threw a pick-six and a fourth quarter INT in the red zone. For the first time since he came to College Park, Danny could look at a game and say "I LOST THIS ONE". Confidence is a tricky thing for anyone of any age, let alone a college student trying to succeed in a new offensive system (after learning the old one for basically two and a half years). The nightmare 2-10 season saw injury added to insult when he broke his arm. I wish the classy kid well-- and know he'll be successful down the road in whatever he decides to do.


Favorite Couples IV-- "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" features Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet playing doomed couple Joel and Clementine. They break up badly (to paraphrase Bryan Brown from "Cocktail": everything ends badly... otherwise it wouldn't end) and she decides to erase her memories of the affair. He finds out and wants to do the same... but halfway through the process realizes that amidst all the madness and hurt there are actually really good memories he wants to hang onto. He tucks away one. They meet again-- and then learn they each erased the other. Do they start again on a similar road that probably ends the way the previous one did? She tells him she'll get bored of him and feel trapped while he'll find things he doesn't like about here. He replies "Okay". Lesson Learned-- I forget... but it has to be something important.

College Football Corner-- Uniformally Different...

Jerry Seinfeld once said that with free agency and trades in pro sports fans are really rooting for laundry nowadays. College football fans have a laundry list of colors to get excited about this fall... and it's not just Notre Dame's "wearing the green jersey to psyche themselves up for USC" look. Week one gave Oregon fans the green highlighter look (par for the course, honestly-- the NikeDucks are going to have to do something really crazy to register on the meter)... as well as the first ever meeting between the Mercury State (Georgia) and the University of Hoth (Boise State). Maryland got into the act Monday night with the state flag on its helmet and white unis (with the flag helmet that looks like it belongs to Biggs or Wedge, the uniform combinations now number 75 in College Park). All splashing and exciting, to be sure. Now I'm not the 15-18 year old being recruited by Division I programs-- so the massive uniform explosion is obviously not geared towards me. What's interesting about today's world of alternate jerseys, helmets, pants, shoes, and I'm sure supportive cups-- today's "uniform" is anything but uniform.


Maryland (1-0) kicked off the Randy Edsall era in the rain by topping Miami 32-24. Danny O'Brien took ACC offensive back of the week honors by throwing for 348 yards and a touchdown... while Cameron Chism and Joe Vellano were honored after returning turnovers for touchdowns. Terrapin Triumphs-- one turnover and four penalties... a nice mistake free opening night. Davin Meggett turned in a workhorse performance with 92 yards rushing plus 4 catches. An opportunistic defense generated three takeaways and two touchdowns-- with defensive tackle Joe Vellano providing a big boost heading into halftime with his return for a score. Terrapin Troubles-- seven trips into the red zone with just one touchdown for the offense... the defense allowed 172 yards rushing and a few big gains on land and in the air. Next up-- September 16th against West Virginia.

Virginia (1-0) avoided upset on Labor Day weekend by blasting William & Mary 40-3 in front of the usual festive Charlottesville crowd (Kippy and Buffy's tailgate brought to you by Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay with a healthy dose of pepperjack for those Ritz Crackers)... as UVa gained momentum as the game progressed. Cavalier Congrats--Kevin Parks ran for 114 yards and three touchdowns... the offense went turnover free and controlled the ball for over 37 minutes... the defense held the Tribe to 2 of 14 on third down. Cavalier Concerns-- Michael Rocco did complete 21 of 29 passes... but for under ten yards per completion. That might work against the CAA, but not against the ACC longterm. Eight penalties isn't ideal, either. Next up--at Indiana Saturday (one week before facing North Carolina; was hoping they'd play LSU later this month to complete the 30-year reunion of the 1981 basketball Final Four).

Virginia Tech (1-0) won on opening day for the first time since 2007... smacking Appalachian State into submission 66-13. The biggest issue was how one pronounced "Appalachian"-- is it "ay" or "ae"? I went with how the Hokie Network said the school's name, and although WTOP reporter Hank Silverberg correctly reminded me the proper way to pronounce the mountain rage, I'm going with Bill Roth on the is one. Although Hank knows how to "Do The Freddie" (60's pop group Freddie and the Dreamers-- you tube it and you'll be amused as well as scared). Hokie Highlights-- BEAMER BALL! Fumble recoveries, interceptions and punt returns set up short fields for touchdowns-- and the exclamation point came in teh form of a blocked punt for a score... BEAMER BALL! David Wilson ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns-- averaging ten yards a carry. And unlike the 2010 team, the defense didn't suffer a first quarter hiccup. Hokie Humblings-- what negatives can be drawn from a 53 point victory where you led by 38 at the half? Did the Smoked Turkey Legs have too much taragon? Next up-- Saturday at East Carolina.

Ten for '10...

2010 came and went like a blur. Too many things on the sports landscape to fairly document.


So to combine scattershot summaries with everybody's best crutch, THE LIST... here we go...:

1-- Superbowl Smackdown... and snowbound-- New Orleans beat Indianapolis 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV... and what wasn't there to like? A gutsy call to start the second half on an onside kick. A masterful game by MVP Drew Brees... and a pick-six thrown by Peyton Manning. An area that hasn't had a lot to celebrate lately (Katrina) got a moment in the sun. A downtrodden franchise (paper bags, anyone) finally won it all. And the trifecta of Yankees-Lakers-Colts as world champs (pure hell for any Boston fan) was prevented. This took place during a February where the DC Metro area doubled as the Ice Planet Hoth... and I swear I saw a tauntaun. After ten years of living in the area and joking about the "rough winters", I actually experienced a rough winter. Still, much more mild than New Hampshire.



2-- Hall Hell... and hoops hubris-- I was excited when the Hollies were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I avidly watched the induction ceremony-- only to learn that drummer Bobby Elliott and guitarist Tony Hicks weren't there because of a concert in London... with the Hollies. So the guys getting honored (Allen Clarke, Graham Nash and a very hammered Terry Sylvester) weren't actually with the band anymore-- yet they were making speeches while the guys still touring as the Hollies were in a different nation. Like if the Rolling Stones were inducted this year and Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor show up to the ceremony because Mick, Keith and Charlie have a gig overseas. And it didn't help that Stevie van Zandt's induction speech sucked. On the hoopfront, I was excited when Syracuse was ranked #1 for the first time since the 1989-90 season (when I finally invent that time-machine, I'm going back to '88 and getting Kenny Anderson to attend SU). But unfortunately the Orange peaked on a Saturday night rout of Villanova... and dropped 3 of their last 5 games en route to a Sweet Sixteen succumbing to Butler. At least the wings were money at Sign of the Whale-- they didn't have them (excuse me? this is a sportsbar! I expect you to run out of everything but beer before you say you don't have wings) for Syracuse's Lacrosse loss to Army (I still blame the bar for the defeat).



3-- NBA Finals... or Green with disgust-- I wasn't expecting to fall for this spring's Boston Celtic squad. The rapidly aging and skill eroding bunch was going to be handed sure defeat if not by Lebron James' getting better by the moment Cleveland Cavaliers, then they'd be schooled by last year's conference champ Orlando. Not so fast sir! Danny Ainge's questionable move for Nate Robinson paid off... Rajon Rondo went from apprentice to master... and the Aging Trio turned in one memorable May. I made the wise decision of watching games two and five with a friend who is one massive Lakers apologist (with the phrase "that's a foul" never too far away) and got to hear a lispy Lakers fan say "ith all tied up now, bithcheth!". After a nice win in game five ("that's a foul!) I was expecting flag #18 and the requisite championship paraphernalia. One Kendrick Perkins injury and two tough losses later, I was sick beyond belief. Damn that one hurt. Still hurts.



4-- Can't spell collapse without C-A-P-S... this was the year, right? So much for a 3 games to 1 first round lead... so much for cruising into Lord Stanley's waiting room. Instead, an offseason of doubt surrounding the direction of the best-run franchise in the Beltway... months of wondering which moves were necessary and a fall of unfulfilled dreams that turned into a dismal December (8 game losing streak) underneath a major microscope (HBO). Hopefully it won't rain Saturday at the Winter Classic in Pittsburgh.



5-- Lebron looms large-- "taking one's talents to South Beach" will never sound the same. After flaming out in the conference semifinals, King James made a smart move in the most stupid way. Go to Miami and a much more talented team? Brilliant. Do so on national TV with a hype-machine on overdrive, making us feel like NBA GM's should have been there expecting roses, bachelor-style? Buffoonish. While the Heat have finally gotten their act together, this will be James' "Maroon and Black" moment... if they win, great-- but if things don't work out this will be the moment and that will be the phrase everyone looks back at. Meanwhile, Jim Gray looks more ridiculous every time he has an incident (this fiasco plus the golf channel melee with Corey Pavin making those forget his Pete Rose run-in).



6-- Toothless Tiger-- Tiger began the year under a cloud of mystery (what happened on Thanksgiving?)... apologized after a slew of nasty texts....failed to win a major (the road to 18 has a few more bumps) and became an odd non-story on the PGA Tour. One has to feel he can still reel off two or three major wins in one year, though-- although the window for a "natural grandslam" may be closing fast.



7-- Skinsationalism-- they're on the right path... then all of a sudden Shanahan doesn't know what he's doing. McNabb is the savior. Then he doesn't get the offense and is out of shape. Donovan gets a contract extension-- then is benched. Haynesworth's in... but can't run... then is run out of town. Gold pants help them beat Dallas-- then are the cause for everything wrong. There's no better entertainment in and around the beltway...



8-- NFL...longer with labor-- the best-run league may run itself aground with its current labor issues. Head injuries suddenly become serious. And now the league wants to extend its regular season to 18 games. Great, more January games with 3-14 Carolina facing 7-10 Detroit.
Why mess with perfection? Yeah, I know-- money.


9-- November baseball?-- talk about drawing things out. Extra off-days during the postseason ruin whatever rhythm develops- and heaven forbid a series ends in a game or two early... then you've got a week off. I enjoyed San Francisco's run to the title (they remain my National League mistress and have been since the days of Kevin Mitchell and Will Clark) and the Yankees collapse... but let's wrap this thing up quicker so we can focus fully on the NFL.



10-- December departures come in threes--and an arrival is awesome. Over one weekend the futures of Gilbert Arenas, Ralph Friedgen and Donovan McNabb were determined-- further underscoring how fickle the world of sports is. Gilbert Arenas had the brightest DC future in 2006... and one bad contract, multiple surgeries and a poor understanding of firearm laws later is in a different uniform as a franchise rebuilds. Instead of an all-time great we get a major what-if. Ralph Friedgen spent his life with the job of head football coach as his goal and College Park as his dream destination; and after ten years of returning his alma mater to relevence was shown the door despite being named ACC Coach of the Year. Instead of departing into the sunset in 2012 or 2013 or 2014... a proud alum leaves under a cloud. Even in the "I don't remember yesterday/I won't make plans for tomorrow" world that is the Redskins, most thought Donovan McNabb would be the starting quarterback longer than 13 games. Now #5 is in the land of limbo but definitely on his way out after giving fans a glimpse of the NFC East rival who terrorized them for a decade. Nothing is forever-- or even temporary. Enjoy the games while you can.

Ohh... the arrival. My sister gave birth April 7th to my first niece... and Sarah Margaret is a bundle of joy who will get Maryland, Syracuse, Celtics, Patriots, Red Sox and Caps gear until she turns eighteen. Happy new year to everyone... may 2011 be as rich with hopes and dreams and laughter and tears as this past year was.