It was somewhat ironic that halfway through Jesse Mueller's at-bat, the loudspeakers from the adjacent lacrosse field began to blare Nelly's "Heart of a Champion." Ironic because, during the course of the five minute long song, Blair's Jesse Mueller flew out to end the first inning with the bases loaded, Richard Montgomery's Mason Dunham ran into his own bunt, and Mueller missed a tough grounder at third base.
By all logic, Blair should have suffered another crushing loss well before the 10th inning of a marathon game. After all, the night had followed a familiar pattern; bad infield defense equals many runs and a blown lead. The Blazers had blown two separate leads of two and four respectively. But logic forgot that the Blazers could hit in the clutch, and get a gutsy relief pitching performance.
All season long, manager John MacDonald has harped that his Blair Blazers can't afford to make defensive mistakes. But if there was ever a time to make a cacophony of errors in the field, today was it.
It's been over a month since principal Phillip Gainous dismissed boys' basketball Orlando Larracuente, and the school is mum on who his replacement will be. That's fine, because Blair's program needs a coach who, as crazy at it might seem, can do more than just coach. After years of turmoil, there is no better time for the school to hire a coach who loves the community and who wants to be here to stay.
The blustery, chilly weather this afternoon made it feel as if it were still winter. And when it came to defense, the Blair Blazers looked just as cold.
Boys' varsity basketball coach Orlando Larracuente was released today, March 1, according to Blair Athletic Director Dale Miller and James Short, Blair's administrator in charge of athletics.
Considering the Blair boys' varsity basketball team went 4-16, they couldn't have asked for a much better playoff draw than the one they got. Instead of facing a juggernaut like Springbrook or Magruder, the Blazers drew the 5-16 Quince Orchard Cougars, a team they lost to by just two points eight days earlier. While Blair drew a beatable opponent, they fell behind early and were humbled by a 24-point blowout loss that ended their season.
Standing at half court with six seconds left in the game, Blair's Che Larracuente saw nothing but two teammates streaking towards the basket and an easy lay-up. Overtime was just one pass to Petros Fentahun away.
It has been a very trying season for the Blair Blazers basketball team. Coming off a week where the team lost at home by 32 and on the road by 16, it seemed as if it could get now worse. But, at least in one sense, Blair continues to defy the odds.
The boisterous Richard Montgomery fans that traveled down Route 355 made Blair feel like visitors in their own gym. Late in the fourth quarter, with their lead rapidly fading, tonight's game looked like it would be yet another brutally close loss for the Blazers. RM even had a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie a game they trailed by eight just 80 seconds earlier.
Following Monday's loss to Magruder, Blair head coach Orlando Larracuente was almost pleased with the team's effort in defeat. Tonight against the Churchill Bulldogs, the result was the same, but the coach's feelings after the game could not have been more different.
Anyone compiling a list of dominant performances might overlook Montgomery County basketball. But after yet another double-double performance, Magruder's Elvis Ellis might just own the Blair Blazers.
The Washington Redskins threw for 41 yards Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their 120 yards of total offense was the worst output by a winning team in a playoff game. But that's the thing; they may have been the worst team to ever win in the postseason, but they won. And they won really, really ugly.
The Blair Blazers have started this season with drama and frustration. But while the team still does some head-scratching things — namely, getting two technical fouls before the game starts — tonight's victory illustrated another important fact: they're a better team than last year.
If the Blair Blazers boys basketball team wanted to know what was worse: a blowout loss or a close one, they were exposed to both feelings this evening. It was a game that made both teams nervous, both teams angry afterwards, and Blair wondering why they had to come back from such a huge deficit to begin with.
Yes, I know the Washington Capitals are bad. Really, really bad. But amidst the sea of frustratingly inept play this season is Alexander Ovechkin. Not only is he not really bad, but also he might just be the best athlete in all of D.C. And he's a 20-year-old rookie!
Five turnovers, including a fumble on the opening kickoff, cost Blair's varsity football team dearly as they saw their playoff dream go up in smoke with a 35-21 loss to the Damascus Hornets.
Two of the main reasons why Blair is such a unique school are its diversity and multiculturalism. In our school are future math and science geniuses, creative free spirits and students from dozens of different nations and cultures. But for all the great demographics our school has, it lacks in one category that mid- and up county schools don't: support for its sports teams.
Just one month ago, the Blair Blazers got on the team bus following a 48-7 drubbing at the hands of the Sherwood Warriors. They were 1-3, and appeared headed towards another patented 3-7 or 4-6 campaign. That was before Ross Williams became their running back.
For the three weeks leading up to today's homecoming game, the Blair Blazers had been playing very good football. It's just that nobody from Blair knew about it. After being routed at Sherwood four weeks ago, the team ran off three solid wins; two of which were on the road, and the third on a wet Saturday morning during a storm that dropped seven inches of rain on the area.
These Sox proved, if nothing else, the never-ending truth that white things are boring.
Food is supposed to provide sustenance. It replenishes your body with vitamins, nutrients and 11 of the Colonel's original herbs and spices. Even better, what we eat provides entertainment for many, and a livelihood for the chosen fat.
The last two weeks of Blair football prove that there are two types of losses to be had. Last Friday, head coach Jeffrey Seals had his team applaud itself for staying tough until the end in an 11-point loss. This week, he had the team march quietly out of Sherwood Field and on to the buses, where he told them to keep the windows up.
Since last week's first-in-41-years win over Springbrook apparently wasn't challenging enough, the Blair Blazers faced an even more daunting challenge tonight. Their task was to beat a 2-0 Quince Orchard team; something that hadn't happened in forever. Literally.
For many years, the Blair varsity football team has been all about rushing. The backs come and go each season, but on a team of many questions, they've generally been the stars of the offense. If tonight's game is an indicator of 2005, then Blair may once again have a tandem of backs to build around.
In the scheme of just about anything related to Hurricane Katrina, where the New Orleans Saints play their home opener might be the most irrelevant issue around. But this is a sports column, and in the NFL, putting one team on the road nine times and another at home nine is always unfair.
Look, America's sportswriters. I know you don't care about hockey. I know you hoped the NHL lockout would cause the league to have to fold up like a $10 poker table. But now that it's back I'm asking for a favor.
Tuesday night's NBA Draft was less interesting when it came to the top picks (a stiff with bad eyes, a bench player in college and a slow point guard), and far more compelling hours after the celebration began for top picks Andrew Bogut, and Marvin and Deron Williams.
It was over 60 minutes before President George W. Bush was scheduled to speak at Blair as part of his nationwide photo-op tour touting his Social Security plan. But 2005 Blazer grad Luke Hanlein was already present as one of a few hundred protesters rallying against his plan on that issue and the war in Iraq.
When the presidential motorcade, the long line of buses carrying audience members, and most of the protesters left the vicinity of Blair, a few high-profile Maryland Democrats set up their own press conference to voice their opposition to President George W. Bush's Social Security plan.
The two best teams in the NBA have made it to the Finals. The league should be happy, right?
"The Longest Yard" was brutally assailed by the movie critics this past weekend, but if you're looking for a fun way to spend two hours, this film is for you.
Even though the Detroit Pistons won last night to even their Eastern Conference Finals series with the Miami Heat at 2-2, the man standing in a $1,500 suit coaching them has become a bigger distraction than anybody wearing red on the court. Larry Brown somehow decided that now, in the middle of the playoffs, is the right time to meet with the Cleveland Cavaliers about their vacant General Manager position.
As the NBA Conference Finals start up this week, the Eastern and Western Conference games will not only feature different geographic locations, but also different styles, both on and off the court. If you like good, fun basketball with guys who just shut up and play, then the Western Finals are for you. If there are no repeats of "One Tree Hill" on, then the Eastern Finals could be passable.
I was a little leery walking into "Monster-in-Law" this past weekend. I assumed that Jennifer Lopez plus Jane Fonda had to equal a snoozefest or chick flick (or both). However, much to my surprise, I caught myself laughing out loud to a film that's worth the $14 it costs to see a movie these days.
When the Washington Wizards' season ended last night at the hands of the Miami Heat, I was disappointed that their year was over. Sure, they had a great run and I didn't actually expect them to beat Miami, but I was still sad. Not because they didn't win the NBA title, but because their great ride in the 2005 season came to an end.
All season long, the Blair Blazers had waited for their chance to do damage in the Maryland state softball playoffs, and their opportunity came tonight. For six innings, the Blazers played stellar baseball and looked on their way to a solid win.
I am not a highbrow person when it comes to my television watching. I would much rather watch "World's Fattest Goldfish 10" (it's 17 pounds!) than some intellectual garbage like "Meet The Press" or "Wheel of Fortune." So it was my delight last week when ABC, continuing their path of not reporting any real news, devoted their "PrimeTime Live" show solely to the allegations that a former contestant on Fox's "American Idol" was romantically linked with Paula Abdul. What a country!
On the final day of the 2005 Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis, the state Congress passed four of the five bills proposed to curb the recent rash of teen driving deaths in the region. The four that were passed on April 11, 2005 and an earlier bill that passed in March, made it through the stack of over 2,500 proposed bills and were sent to the Governor due in large part to advocacy by a Blair alum and three current Blazers.
The Blair Blazers wrapped up the 2005 regular season tonight with their first walk-off win of the year. In one of the best seasons in Blair softball history, the Blazers beat the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons in their lowest scoring game of the year, 1-0, thanks to two of their trademark skills- stealing bases and bunting.
In her previous home pitching appearance, Michelle Linford gave one of the best pitching performances in school history; hurling the first perfect game in years at Blair. Tonight, she didn't even start, but picked up the win in relief, while also knocking in three runs in the process as the Blazers knocked off the Wheaton Knights, 11-6.
I had the privilege to watch the best NBA game I've see in person last night. The atmosphere at Game Six between the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls at MCI Center was incredible, the game was amazing and the night was outstanding. I still don't really know how the Wizards managed to win last night, but I sure had a good time watching.
When Gilbert Arenas left the court last night, he ensured that his name would be etched into NBA Playoff lore for a good time to come. His 14-foot jumper won the game for the Washington Wizards, and more importantly, erased all memory of the team's 22-ppint second half collapse, as well as the recent dismissal of Kwame Brown from the team. Funny how a simple two point jump shot can alter the direction of a franchise.
Tonight was Senior Night here at Blair, and Emily O'Brien, the only senior on the softball team was honored with a large sign that hung on the centerfield wall proclaiming this evening to be "Emily Night." And while O'Brien did have a great game, it was really Michelle Linford Night and a night for history, as she pitched a perfect game in the 10-0 Mercy Rule-shortened Blair win.
On Sunday, after the Wizards lost Game One of their best-of-seven NBA Playoff series at the Chicago Bulls, I took solace in the way they lost. I figured that Gilbert Arenas couldn't possibly score less than the nine points he put up on Sunday, and bench player Andres Nocioni couldn't possibly go off for 25 points and 18 rebounds again.
During their 9-2 start this season, Blair has been able to adjust to and win almost any type of game. Last Thursday, despite pitcher Annie Denenberg allowing seven runs, the Blazers scored 16 to rout Magruder. Tonight, they won the polar opposite of that game, getting great pitching, alert fielding and clutch hits to win a 2-1 pitchers duel against the Springbrook Blue Devils
Auburn went 13-0, winning the best conference in football. The Washington Redskins used their two first round draft picks Saturday on good players, from a great team. Problem is, especially in the case of their second pick, QB Jason Campbell, the pick makes no sense at all.
If they wanted a realistic shot at keeping pace with Damascus at the top of the Maryland 4A division standings, Blair needed to defeat a mediocre Blake. The Blazers did just that, winning 5-2 thanks to a pair of clutch two-RBI base hits.
During the week of March 14-18, 553 foreign language students participated in an informational survey intended to discover what would motivate them to take the High School Assessment (HSA) exams each May. The exams are part of the National No Child Left Behind Act, for which Blair has failed to meet the standards for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) the last two years.
With their 5-3 win last night, the Washington Nationals hosted the first regular season Major League Baseball game in the District in 34 years. And even if they had lost last night to the Arizona Diamondbacks, the buzz and the anticipation of the 10th game of a 162 game season could have been victory enough for baseball and the Nationals franchise, that finally has a home.
When Blair was put in a situation that was foreign to them in 2005, having to make a comeback in the last inning, they responded, tying up a game they had trailed since the third batter of the game. But they were unable to get one final hit to win, and eventually lost in extra innings to Richard Montgomery, 6-3. It was Blair's first defeat of the season.
Pop singer Britney Spears announced Tuesday that she and husband Kevin Federline have conceived their first child. Spears announced the news on her official web site, ending months of tabloid speculation.
For a game that was nearly cancelled, Blair ace Annie Denenberg made sure that the fans that stuck through the rain got to see a memorable performance Friday night. Denenberg threw the first no-hitter since 2003 and the Blazers rolled to a 6-0 victory over the Walter Johnson Wildcats, just another chapter in what has been a remarkable stretch out of the gate for Blair, which is now 5-0 on the season.
When I wrote a column last fall about the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series, it was cheesy, sentimental, and, in my mind, right on about how all of New England got an 86-year-old monkey off their back. Last night in St. Louis, another primate needed a new home as North Carolina coach Roy Williams finally coached a team to a College Basketball National Championship.
Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos dragged out his media rights battle with baseball and the Washington Nationals down to the last week before Opening Day. And while he may have emerged as a winner with a sweet TV revenue deal, any fan just wanting to watch Nationals baseball this year is a big loser.
Last Thursday, March 17, March Madness was overshadowed by 11 hours of congressional steroid hearings on Capitol Hill. The testimony session was long, and didn't really answer much. Several politicians who tried to make a name for themselves through this should be embarrassed.
Blair softball manager Louis Hoelman huddled his girls together prior to their victory over the Einstein Titans, and told them that "you can't win 'em all if you don't win the first one." Whether the first part comes to fruition remains to be seen, but the Blazers won the first one convincingly, never allowing Einstein to mount a serious rally in 6-1 victory on a chilly Opening Day.
Of all four regions, Albuquerque might be the weakest, and as a result, the hardest to predict. The Washington Huskies, thanks to conference tourney losses by Kansas, Kentucky, and Wake Forest, was able to pull a surprise number 1 seed in the region. The balance in the bracket means that as many as seven teams have a legitimate shot of winning this bracket and a trip to the Final Four in St. Louis
The Terrapins are in the tournament. The National Invitation Tournament. The NCAA Tourney will be Turtle-less for the first time since before the first Michael Jackson accusations came out. The Terps, and every other team that was snubbed this year shouldn't blame the committee; they only need to look at themselves when they wonder why they didn't get a ticket to the Big Dance.
Bruce Willis makes a good everyman's hero. Any one who has seen the "Die Hard" series, which runs 47 times a day on USA Network, knows that his movies are definitely entertaining and that he does a good job in all of them. "Hostage" doesn't just fit the Willis thriller formula; it does a better job than most hostage thrillers have done in terms of telling a story and making it believable and entertaining the whole way through. The acting is outstanding, the plot is clever and what comes together is one of the best movies of the first part of the year. Really.
Team record: 17-10, 8-8 conference Coach: Paul Hewitt The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are on the NCAA Tournament bubble, but their season ending win at home against Clemson moved them to .500 in the ACC and likely in to the Big Dance. The Jackets, who made it to the National Championship game last season, before losing to UConn, struggled mightily through the first half of conference play, losing four games out of five at one point, with their only victory in that span a 102-101 win over Wake Forest at home. The team that started the year 10-2 and ranked in the Top Ten nationally was 11-5 and hurting, figuratively and literally. The team went 4-5 without B.J. Elder at guard. But the Jackets, coached by Paul Hewitt, managed to cajole a turnaround that should be enough to earn them a face-saving NCAA bid. They went 6-5 in their final 11 ACC games, with ever win during that span being followed by a loss, and vice-versa. Teams that finish .500 or better in the ACC have gotten into the Big Dance 94% of the time, so their prospects look bright at least for this year. But next year could be a struggle, as the team will lose five seniors and perhaps Jarrett Jack, a junior, who may decide to declare himself eligible for the NBA Draft. Jack led the team in points (15.9) and assists (4.6) per game, but the second, third fourth and fifth leading scorers (B.J. Elder, Will Bynum, Luke Schenscher, Isma'il Muhammad) all departing after this year. In the NCAA Tournament, where they will likely be a seven or eight seed, they could pose a very real threat to a top seed in the second round.
Wake Forest: Team record: 26-4, 13-3 conference Coach: Skip Prosser The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have the second longest name in the ACC and the second best team in the league as well. The Deacons were ranked in the top five most of the year, and started the year 15-1, rising as high as No. 2 nationally in the Associated Press and ESPN polls. They are currently ranked third in the nation, ending the regular season last Sunday with a buzzer-beating win at N.C. State. Until their loss on Jan. 18 at Florida State, their only loss was at Illinois, who finished the season 29-1. Wake Forest was 14-0 at home in Winston-Salem, N.C. this year. They are likely to get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they go deep in the ACC Tournament this weekend. They have the second seed in Washington this week. The team will lose four seniors this year, but their three leading scorers- Justin Gray, Chris Paul, and Eric Williams- all have at least one year of eligibility left. Whether Paul, a sophomore who averaged 16.3 points per game this year, leaves for the NBA this summer is yet to be seen. The trio combined for over 47 points per game this year, and Williams led the team with 7.7 rebounds each night. The Deacons only shot 69% from the foul line this season, but more than made up for their mediocrity there by shooting over 40% on three point attempts, with Paul making half the threes he put up. Paul will miss the first game of the ACC Tourney against either N.C. State or Florida State, eating the suspension after he punched the Wolfpack's Julius Hodge below the belt in the Wake win last Sunday.
Team record: 5-14, 5-11 conference Coach: Oliver Purnell Second year coach Oliver Purnell has the usually dreadful Clemson Tigers headed towards an NIT berth. Consistently the worst team in the ACC over the last five seasons prior, Clemson was still bad this year, Purnell lead an underclassmen-laden squad to ninth place in the league. The Tigers are anchored by Suitland, Md.'s Sherrod Ford, who led the team in points (15.6) and rebounds (8.3). Clemson, buoyed by a light non-conference schedule, started the season 7-1, but were 1-7 in ACC play before stunning then-No. 24 Maryland on Feb. 1. Including the win over the Terrapins, Clemson finished the second half of conference action with a solid 4-4 record, including a three-game winning streak. They swept Maryland this season, and also beat in-state rival South Carolina.
Team record: 13-14, 4-12 conference Coach: Pete Gillen The Virginia Cavaliers enter the ACC Tournament dead last in the conference. The same team that started 6-0, including a win in November over 10th ranked Arizona bottomed out, losing their last five games of the regular season to finish with and under .500 record. Seniors Devin Smith and Elton Brown combined this year to average over points per game. But the team was plagued by poor play at the end of games, none more emblematic than their 92-89 home loss to Maryland last month, where they shot 42% from the free throw line. Head Coach Pete Gillen has not led the Cavs to the NCAA Tournament since 2001, and after yet another deeply disappointing season, his days as head coach at Virginia may be very near the end. That said, the team will return all but three players next season, including starting point guard Sean Singletary, who will be just a sophomore next year. He averaged over 10 points per game this season.
Last week, Temple University basketball coach John Chaney sent a player into a game against St. Joseph's University to, in his words, "send a message,” for the illegal screens that he alleged St. Joe's had been using. Neimiah Ingram, the "goon” Chaney sent in to deliver that message, wound up breaking the right arm of St. Joseph's John Bryant, ending his season and his collegiate career (he's a senior). When Temple heard the news of Bryant's arm, Chaney should have been fired.
50 Cent, the founder of rap group Guerilla Unit, found another feud this week from a seemingly unlikely source--his now-former protégé, The Game. Their recent beef escalated following a shooting outside New York radio station Hot 97 on Monday. 50 kicked The Game out of G-Unit, claiming that he has been disloyal during the recent battles with other high-profile rap stars, including fellow New York MCs Jadakiss and Ja Rule.
Every school day, 184 times a year, the Pledge of Allegiance comes on over the public address system at Blair. Most Blazers stand, reluctantly or not, while a good number of others don't stand at all - in part due to contempt for the government and in part due to just plain laziness.
The NHL did it again. Incredible. And by incredible I mean absolutely disgraceful. That's what Saturday's labor meetings were to the sport that somehow made itself look even more inept and selfish than it was when the season got cancelled on Wednesday.
While the most memorable moment of this season was the horrific fight that went on in Detroit back in November, by now, every one in the country who watched TV the week after that fight knows about it. I think the Food Channel broke in to its show "Iron Chef II: The Benihana Beatdown” to discuss the NBA melee.
What the NHL Players Association needed during the last couple of months was some Dr. Phil. They needed to get real. This season went dark for five months because both sides were lazy in meeting and starting a real dialogue. But it ended because the union is blind to all the red ink this league has been hemorrhaging the last 10 years. And now, as a result, the league will need to dramatically overhaul their whole product, or risk oblivion.
National Hockey League (NHL) Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters Wednesday Feb. 16 that the league was unable to reach an agreement with the players union, and the 2004-2005 season has been officially cancelled.
The 2005 Blair JV boys basketball season has not really been up and down, but rather a season of one really high peak, and a very deep valley. After starting the year 6-1, the Blazers lost eight in a row, snapping that skid Wednesday night. But when they thought they had suffered the worst this year, Blair squandered numerous chances to win their final home game tonight; losing 63-61 to a Gaithersburg Trojans squad that had lost 12 in a row.
The Blair boy's JV basketball game was a tale of two very, very different halves. For the Blazers, after a half of run-and-gun, playing to Richard Montgomery's style, they got stingy on defense. Stingy enough to keep RM from making a single field goal in the fourth quarter, en route to a 52-47 Blair win, snapping an eight game losing skid.
Any one who saw Gilbert Arenas light up the Indiana Pacers for 43 points on Monday, Feb. 7 surely must agree that he's an All-Star. Arenas' 24.7 points per game are more than worthy of some accolade, and a chance to shine as an Eastern Conference reserve will do the trick.
Mike Bushnell picks the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl, and here's why...
On September 8, 2004, CBS News broadcasted a report on "60 Minutes II" that was supposedly based on new documents said to contain damaging information on President Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard in 1972. The documents were shown to be false. Investigator Governor Thornburgh and his chief counsel, Michael Missal, sat down with Silver Chips Online at the Governor's office in Washington on a chilly January morning to discuss how the report was put together and much more.
When Larry Hughes, the NBA leader in steals and a top-15 scorer, went down with a broken thumb until the All-Star Break, Washington went in to a panic. Just 12 hours earlier, the Wizards had pulled off their best win of the year, but now worry set in, and rightfully so. How the team would play without one of their main sparks this year was a big unknown, and most fans, including myself, didn't want to know.
Thursday, Jan. 27 marked the 60 – year anniversary of the Soviet liberation of Auschwitz, the deadliest and most notorious Nazi death camp, where an estimated 1.5 million people were executed between 1940-45, the vast majority of them Jews.
With last Thursday's announcement by MLB commissioner Allan "Bud” Selig that the sport would radically toughen its stance on steroids in the game, he proved that the heads of the game were not so ignorant to the problem of performance-enhancers in the game, after all.
Since Winter Break, disorganized play and carelessness resulting in turnovers, has plagued the Blair JV boys basketball team. If tonight's 13-point loss to the Sherwood Warriors, which was never close, wasn't rock bottom, it sure felt like it. Blair was out rebounded in big numbers, failed to make lay-ups consistently, and committed at least 20 turnovers in a 49-36 loss, the Blazers' third in a row.
All season long, the Blair Blazers JV boys basketball team has struggled to score points early. Tonight took the cake for early ineptness, as the team failed to record a single point in the first period of play. The hole they dug proved just too much for the Blazers to dig out of, as they fell to the Blake Bengals in overtime, 55-52.
Over Winter Break, the JV squad saw four of their top players get called up the varsity team, reeling with a 1-6 record themselves. While the call up may have been necessary, it left the JV team with a bare bones and depleted group of players not nearly resembling the lineup that got this team off to a 6-1 start. Instead the Blazers looked outmatched for all 32 minutes in a 56-36 home thrashing at the hands of the Springbrook Blue Devils.
On Monday, the boys' Varsity basketball team traveled nearly an hour to face highly regarded Damascus, and while it lost, the game gave the team much to build on in terms of effort. But while tonight's ugly defeat left Blazer head coach Orlando Larracuente far from speechless, it left many scratching their heads.
Back in November, Blair JV boys basketball head coach Richard Porac lauded the talent his team was, in his words, loaded with, it was hard to tell if he was being honest or just spouting coach speak. But after a high-scoring victory, the team's fifth straight, it's starting to look like Porac was dead on.
The news was stunning as it came out on Wednesday morning. After two years of the city selling itself to baseball, after all that time spent on finally landing a baseball team in the District for the first time since Richard Nixon was president, the deal might be broken for good. Just like that.
In his year and three games of coaching the Blair JV boys' basketball team, head coach Richard Porac had only won two games in a row once. Strangely enough, the game where it finally happened again gave Porac little to celebrate.
Every year, there's one Sunday in December where pundits and a couple college football teams rail against the sham that is the BCS system. It wouldn't be the BCS selection show without Bickering, Crying and Screaming. But this year, the system showed how outdated it is.
After a sluggish first half to their home opener, Blair JV boys' basketball head coach Richard Porac changed his game plan. The turnovers that plagued them had to stop, and they needed to get the ball inside more often. Once the Blazers were able to do that, they took control of the game and beat the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons, 64-53.
Even though I wasn't surprised to read that, in sealed grand jury testimony, Barry Bonds admitted that he used steroids, I was still very disappointed. I had been waiting for months now, ever since the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) scandal broke, for the other shoe to drop on Bonds, and wasn't shocked when it finally did this week. But I'm still saddened that the biggest star in the game has now been proven to be a cheater.
The Oakland County (Mich.) prosecutor's office has concluded their three-week long investigation into the November 19 brawl at the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game by charging five Pacers and seven fans with various crimes. All those charged on December 8, including the National Basketball Association (NBA) players, were served with arrest warrants, and will be required to turn themselves in, as reported by the Associated Press.
Every fall, there are around 120 or so programs that air on the six big over-the-air networks. These channels are ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, The Frog One and The One That Used to Show "Girlfriends.” There are also about 180 more channels of stuff on digital cable and satellite. Now, there are some great shows with staying power that beam out of the TV box. But most of it is awful. Just awful. Honestly, just too awful for words. Well, not THAT awful, seeing as how I'm about to write 1500 words about it. But trust me, it's bad.
The strangely thick fog that covered the ice tonight at Wheaton's outdoor rink made it hard all to see, but for the Blair community hockey team, maybe it was better that way.
ESPN cancelled their boxing show Friday Night Fights, but it made a return last week in one of the ugliest incidents ever seen on this side of the Atlantic. For those living under a rock, a riot broke out at the Indiana Pacers-Detroit Pistons game in suburban Detroit on Nov. 19.
The wait for the revealing of the new Washington baseball team's name and logo ended on Nov. 22, with the Expos' name changed to the Nationals and a red, white, blue and gold logo announced.
Police in Santa Monica, California have issued an arrest warrant for rapper Young Buck in connection with the Nov. 15 stabbing of a man at the taping of the Vibe Magazine Awards in a Santa Monica airport hangar.
The upcoming NBA season will introduce the NBA's foray into the six division system that the NHL and MLB have realigned into over the last decade, as well as the opening yearto the Queen City just two years after the Carolinas ran owner George Shinn and of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats, who bring basketball back the relatively good Hornets out of town.
The Blazers dominated the Einstein Titans tonight, allowing just three points on defense in a 22-9 victory. The defense made up for six turnovers, forcing four three-and-outs in the win.
I don't believe in curses; never have, never will. But if there indeed was a hex hanging over the Boston Red Sox organization, it has finally been exorcised.
Bill O' Reilly said that he has settled the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by his former producer out of court on Thursday, October 28.
The Blazers came into tonight's game excited following their first win of the season. However, one would hardly have known it after watching 48 minutes of pain and a Blair loss to the visiting Quince Orchard Cougars, 41-13.
Rushing had been a staple of Blair's offense through the first five games of the 2004 season. However, as effective as it was, the team could never seem to push its way into the end zone on the end of drives, leading to an 0-5 record and just four TDs all year. But Friday, Oct. 8, they finally could score, and the Blazers finally won.
I was going to do this column about Joe Gibbs and how maybe his new nicer demeanor wasn't working. But then it occurred to me, that we're only four weeks into the season. It's too early to jump to those conclusions.
For those that live in this area and root for the Redskins, Week Threewas simply a week of blown calls. For many other teams, however, WeekThree designated a need for drastic courses of actions due to injuries.The Bears, for one, will look to tough out this season after losing twokey playmakers this season, including young quarterback Rex Grossmanlast week.
The Blazers started hot, scoring a touchdown on their first drive of the game. Sadly for them, however, it was the best they would get all night. Special teams mistakes greatly contributed to their defeat at the hands of the Blake Bengals, dropping Blair to 0-5.
This year's presidential election is extremely important: Democrats are looking to reclaim the Senate that they lost two years when the Republicans had a huge night on Election Night 2002. The party that controls the Senate will be able to greatly aide or stop the progress of the president's bills, Supreme Court appointments and cabinet recommendations. Essentially, the race for control of the Senate is immensely important to the future of the nation. Thirty-four Senate seats are up for grabs this year: 15 currently held by Republicans and 19 by Democrats. Here are some of the key races that will help determine whether the Democrats takethe Senate or whether the Republicans retain control. Currently there are 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats and one Independent senator.
With their 1-2 start, the Redskins once again are a disappointment out of the gate. One of their most glaring problems may be at quarterback. Mark Brunell was given a six-year, $40 million contract by Dan Snyder, an awful lot of years and money for a 33-year-old QB who had been squeezed out of Jacksonville in favor of Byron Leftwich. Now, he's the starter here, and what a mistake that signing may turn out to be.
Earlier this week, amid controversy over the validity of the recently released documents saying President Bush skirted his military duty in Texas, CBS News said they can no longer confirm that the memos from Col. Jerry Killian are real.
After that warm June night when the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisted the Stanley Cup, it became the biggest concern for all hockey fans, if it wasn't already. The lockout has begun, and with it, perhaps the end of the NHL as we know it.
Hey, last week we had a bunch of rather unexpected results. The Chargers beating the Texans? Who thought thatwould happen? Well, apparently our very own Nick Falgout did. JamalLewis being stopped for only half a century yards rushing? SanFrancisco competing to the end, as well as the Cardinals? Games aren'tusually very predictable, but the Chips Online staff actually didfairly well. And without further ado, the Chips Staff Standings:
The game took two nights, one full of thunderstorms and rain, the other a picturesque early fall evening in the South. But for the Blair Blazers, neither looked pretty.
When Clinton Portis imagined his first run as a Washington Redskin, he likely thought of a long run for a touchdown that showcased his speed, strength and agility. Against Tampa Bay, his vision became a reality.
The Sherwood Stormin' Warriors came into tonight's game with a boatload of confidence following their win over Springbrook last week. With tonight's 42-13 win, they proved that they have a real shot at greatness this year.
The 2004 Redskins have begun this season like all the others since Daniel Snyder became the owner: with a huge amount of hype and hope. However, of all of Snyder's flashy off-season moves that he has become known for, this season's may have been his best.
Some Wizards fans may remember power forward and center Brian Cardinal from his half-year with Washington back in the 2002-2003 season. However, most won't, seeing as how he played very sparingly, averaging 2.1 points and less than one rebound per game in only eight appearances. Not once did he ever block a shot.
In a sport where only 4 teams make the playoffs, one would think that places would be sorted out by this point. And while there are clunkers this year (Arizona, Seattle, Baltimore, Kansas City), there are also 22 teams within 7 games of a playoff spot.
The Shaquille O'Neal sweepstakes are over in what has already been an busy off-season for the Lakers. And that doesn't even include Kobe Bryant. O'Neal demanded to be traded, and up until this week, it seemed as if Dallas and Sacramento were the two teams that had the best chance of getting the 7'1” center.
Tracy McGrady led the NBA in scoring last season, albeit on a last place team in Orlando. Following the season, he let it be known that if the Magic did not put more talent around him, that he would opt out after next season and become an unrestricted free agent. And despite the probable return of Grant Hill for next year, Pat Garrity's definite return as a viable long-range threat and the number one draft pick in Thursday's NBA Draft, GM John Weisbrod didn't want to risk seeing McGrady leave for nothing, similar to Shaquille O'Neal's departure eight years ago.
For the Minnesota Timberwolves, Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers was a must win. They had lost Game 1 by nine and were staring down the possibility of losing both games at the Target Center in Minneapolis before headed to LA, where the Lakers are undefeated in the playoffs. If Minnesota lost, you could pretty much put this series in the books.
Lisa Davisson is a veteran Special Ed coordinator who has overcome many obstacles to be the head of the program at Blair. Davisson, in her 14th year at Blair after short stints at Walter Johnson and Wootton high schools, is the coordinator of the Special Ed program. Her official title is "Research Teacher of Special Ed." She deals with both staff and the 300 plus kids in Special Ed.