My Terps travel to Jersey today to play Rutgers and I imagine many turtle fans will make the road trip up the turnpike to enjoy the game. (When I lived in Boston, my longest drive home to Maryland ever involved a three-hour standstill on the Jersey Turnpike due to burning tires covering the road. Gotta love it.) After all, it is likely that the turtle parents live nearby.  I had several friends who lived off Exit 7A.  It’s a fine exit.

When I attended University of Maryland, I sometimes wondered if College Park really served as a satellite campus for New Jersey’s state school. Walk through Lot 1 student parking and you would see the yellow and white license plates, or perhaps even some of the light blue plate model. Jersery certainly did represent.

So, who will win the battle of the Jersey schools today? My boys are big dogs in this game, but I really would love to quiet those nasty Rutgers fans. We shall see during nationwide TV coverage this afternoon. GO TERPS!

When I was a senior at the University of Maryland, I got into a verbal altercation with one of my fellow students during a basketball game. Our seats were directly behind the bench of our opposition, Florida State. Many of the parents and younger siblings of the FSU players were gathered courtside to cheer on their family member with pride. A group of drunken idiots decided to yell taunts such as, “Your brother is a f***ing loser!” and “F*** you, FSU!” and throw ice at the heads of the guests to Cole Field House. I leaned over the guardrail and apologized to the FSU fans on the floor and let them know that I was embarrassed by the behavior of my fellow Terps. Then, I took on the ringleader of the drunken idiots. I recommended that he stick to cheering on our team and leave the family members of the opposition alone. He broke out the always effective F bomb again, followed by a word that rhymes with “witch”. It was a well-developed retort, and I have no doubt that this wizard of language was captain of the school debate team.

I read an article today that makes the bad behavior of intoxicated Terps look like verbal hugs and kisses in comparison.

Navy’s Reggie Campbell took the kickoff and ran full speed ahead up the middle with all the force his 168-pound body could generate … He got up slowly, limping off. This gutsy kid, a slotback who already spent three quarters being chased and tackled by gangs of defensive linemen and linebackers, all weighing at least 100 pounds more than him, was then given a dose of Rutgers’ student section class.

”You got f—ed up. You got f—ed up. You got f–ed-up,” they chanted.

“This is how you treat people who may die for this country?” said Bill Squires, an Annapolis graduate (Class of’75) who was on the sidelines for the Friday night game in Piscataway and was shocked by the obscene chants directed at the Navy players and fans throughout the game. “It was the most classless thing I’ve seen.”

Toward the end of the second half, Rutgers students in the new bleacher section began to serenade the adjacent section of Navy fans and uniformed Midshipmen.

”F— you, Navy. F—you, Navy. F— you, Navy.”

Absolutely disgusting. The men who take the field wearing a service academy uniform will likely be sent halfway around the world after they graduate to defend our country. I don’t care what you think of the war (well, I do … but not in the context of this story); there is no excuse for showing anything less than complete gratitude and respect for the men and women who have volunteered to defend you while you do keg stands at a frat party or act like chlidish buffoons at a football game. Kids (and they are kids based on their behavior, if not their age) who participate in this kind of activity make my stomach turn. How are you so ungrateful? It’s reprehensible. You should be ashamed.

The Young Republicans continued their domination on the softball field, beating the Young Democrats 42 to 5. (Yes, that actually was the score … after four innings and a mercy ending.) Sean Braisted was in attendance and surprised everyone by stepping to the plate late in the game. He has already posted about the game, with promises of more details and photos to come. He did not mention that he wore a Clement shirt when he came up to bat …

My dear husband did a great job pitching and wielding the bat. Catherine clung to the fence and screamed, “Daddy!”, which I’m sure was not at all distracting.

As promised, both mayoral candidates were there. There were Dean and Clement t-shirts donned by members of both teams, showing the bipartisan appeal of both camps.

I had the opportunity to speak with both Bob and Mary Clement. The candidate shook Catherine’s hand (she responded with a confused, furrowed brow) and told me it was nice to see me again. Mary Clement and I shared a longer conversation. She told me all about her daughters, and I commented that I had seen them on TV and they seemed lovely. As we parted ways, Mrs. Clement looked me up and down and said, “That’s a beautiful little figure you’ve got.” Ummm … thanks? She actually was very sweet, and I know she was just being nice to a fellow mom. So, I appreciate her compliment. Just was not expecting it.

Richard Exton served as the umpire and called the game fairly for both sides. His son played for the Young Dems, as did new Metro Council member Sean McGuire and recent at-large candidate Peter Westerholm. Megan Barry, Luvenia Butler and Ronnie Steine all stopped by greet everyone. I do apologize if I missed any names of note. My attention to the game was somewhat limited. Catherine repeatedly tried to take the field, so we left for a bit to get out some energy at the playground down the hill.

Congratulations to the Davidson County Young Republicans for remaining undefeated in this annual event! Looking forward to next year!

Come on out to the third annual Davidson County Young Republicans vs. Davidson County Young Democrats Softball Challenge tomorrow at 11:00am!  The game is being played at Green Hills Park.

If meeting the two remaining candidates for mayor is not enough to make you come out in the heat (both Clement and Dean are scheduled to attend), then how about the chance to watch my husband and fellow MooreThoughts blogger do some damage at the plate?  I’ll leave it to you to ponder for which team my husband will be playing.  Catherine will be going to cheer on Daddy and I am her official driver for the day (she’s quite demanding).

Hope to see you there!

I haven’t quite gotten tired of hearing about Michael Vick yet. Or the NBA referee scandal (huge). Or how Barry Bonds is a cheat (and a jerk). In the wide world of sports, the three majors are chock full of drama. It’s a good time to be a lawyer and a sports fan.

Most of the pundits are on target with Vick. That the charges are federal automatically catapults Vick’s troubles past that of Pac Man Jones, or even the Duke lacrosse situation, where the case was shabby from the get-go. State prosecutors are prone to waste time and resources with less provable charges (and if indigent defendants were more often able to make bond, the state conviction rates would drop to even lower levels - the number of defendants who plead out just so they don’t spend nine months in jail waiting for a trial date is shockingly high). Federal prosecutors are a contrast in total with their state counterparts. United States attorneys do not typically pursue charges until their case is substantial. And especially not so in the Eastern District of Virginia, one of the more preeminent federal districts. Even Stephen A. Smith of ESPN gets it, and he’s usually one quick to pull out the race card.

The the burden required to convict Vick criminally is not and should not be the burden used to determine whether he gets to continue his football career at the present time. And those who support him are mystifying to me for their lack of total judgment. He’s not even a good quarterback.
The upcoming plea by one of the co-defendants also complicates things. In short, Vick is in an increasingly growing serious mess of trouble.

Meanwhile, the NBA can only hope that the Vick news drowns out the basketball-fixing news. While true it is unlikely that anything Donaghy did changed the outcome of a game, the shadow of corruption slaps down a league that was finally, desperately, attempting to climb out of a ten year old pit of despair.  It’s a big deal. And it has brought the credibility of professional basketball to heel with it.
And finally…Barry Bonds would serve the sport well if he retires now, one homer from Hank Aaron’s record. His achievement (if one laughingly wants to call it that), will never be viewed legitimately. If Roger Maris’ 1961 performance came with an asterisk, there’s not a punctuation mark in modern use fitting for Barry Bonds’ 756th home run. And no matter what Bonds says or does, short of quitting the chase, the evidence mounting is weighing against, not for, him. And that doesn’t even take into account the potentiality of a federal indictment. Then again, for those paying attention, common sense coupled with some before and after pictures tell the tale well enough without having to go too deep, and too far. Bonds won’t get “beyond a reasonable doubt” benefits until he is charged with perjury.
So there. Be wise, those of the NHL - stay out the brambles.

I used to be a huge fan of baseball. I attended countless Orioles games (first at Memorial, then at Camden Yards) throughout high school and even more so during college and beyond. I also had great times at Fenway during my year in Boston. Then, in my late 20s, my interest waned. I don’t really have a reason for my apathy. Perhaps it’s because the Orioles have consistently had horrible seasons since firing Davey Johnson (thanks, Angelos). Maybe I turned away after Mike Mussina left us for the Yankees. I loooooved him and I felt so betrayed.

Nathan absolutely loves baseball. (”Why doesn’t he marry it then?” taunts my inner six-year-old voice) We were dating in 2000 when the Braves lost to the Mets in the postseason. I was living in Boston at the time, and Nathan was up from Virginia for a visit. We were taking a beautiful ride through Maine … the fall foliage there can’t be beat. When the score was announced on the radio, Nathan pulled over the car and we just sat in silence for a few moments. It was almost like a member of his family had died. (OK, for the members of our family who I know read this blog … it wasn’t that bad.) There have been other Braves-related disappointments in our lives since then.

Since baseball is important to Nathan and it’s the only sport in which we don’t currently have a shared interest, I am trying to get back on board this season. I am wearing my Baltimore Orioles shirt right now, and I have the Braves vs. Phillies game on TV. Now I just need a hot dog with some relish and mustard and a cold beer! Unfortunately, I think I’ll have to settle for a bowl of cereal and some water. That doesn’t exactly scream “America’s Pasttime”, does it?

I will admit that I don’t understand the whole “love him or hate him” attitude towards Peyton Manning. I just don’t see how a mild-mannered dude who loves football can cause such anger. But, then again, I didn’t even know who he was until he got drafted by the Colts (I had never heard of Steve Spurrier until he came to the Redskins … shows how much I followed college football) He seems like a decent, straight-laced guy to me … someone whose poster my kid could hang on the wall with pride.

I became a Peyton fan after last night’s Saturday Night Live — even found myself crushing on him just a little bit. I think he is great in his many commercials, and he outdid himself with live comedy. From the United Way spot (it’s a must-see) to the locker room dance to the bizarre musings over a cup of coffee, the whole show was hilarious. It’s the first time I’ve made it to the end of a SNL episode in quite some time. That young man has a future in acting once his “shatter every record” and “prove he’s the best quarterback ever” career comes to an end.

What an absolutely wonderful day!  Non-stop basketball for my viewing enjoyment.  This really is one of the best days of the year.  I fail to understand how people can find college football more exciting than the magic of college hoops!

Today started well, with Maryland pulling out a first-round victory over Davidson.  I’ll be rooting for Vandy later today to keep our home happy!

GO TERPS!  FEAR THE TURTLE!

The best time of the sports year is upon us!  Brackets for March Madness have been released (Hey, Davidson … the Terps are going to destroy you on Thursday!) and office pools around the country are forming.

I thought it would be fun to set up a bracket challenge just for Tennessee bloggers.  I have set up a page for us at CBSSportsline.com.  The link is

http://tnblog.mayhem.sportsline.com/e

You will need to register with the website in order to participate, but everything is free.  The password to access the “Tennessee Bloggers” group is writers. 

There won’t be any cash prizes, as I was reminded in The Tennessean yesterday that the cops could come after us.  But, you will have the pride of being the best bracket-picker in the Tennessee blogosphere.  Isn’t that better than money, really?

I will post the top three current leaders here every Monday.  You also can see the leaderboard anytime by going to our site on Sportsline.

You don’t need to know anything about basketball to play!  Just pick some teams and see what happens!  You can even pick the Vols to go to the Final Four if you feel daring!

If you are a Tennessee blogger, please post this link on your site and spread the word.