Leaving it on the Field

    Mike and I will always be New Englanders at heart, and we were happy to see the Patriots win Sunday afternoon.  But the Ravens impressed me, for a good many reasons.  So I wanted to pass along my thoughts from the game, and hopefully hear some of yours if you are reading this!

1.  Flacco - He played a good game, took what the defense gave, and didn't force throws unlike Tom Brady.  He'll continue to be successful in Baltimore so long as the supporting cast holds up.  A little change on the o-line and another wide receiver to help underneath, perhaps another TE that can get open and catch.  Do those things and I think he'll become more successful. 

2.  Offense overall - Line was good at times, bad at others.  Playcalling was there,  the Ravens took what was given to them.  I didn't like the 3rd an 1 pass play call before the final field goal attempt.  A rush to pick up a first down, a few extra yards closer would have been better, at least to this couch coach.  Rice would have picked up the first down and more I have no doubt had they utilized his ablities.  Tough drop by Evans in the end zone.  Everyone is saying it, not much you can do.  9 out of 10 times,  that catch becomes a touchdown.  Again, they did what they needed to do as an offense to win this game.

3.  Ravens D - Made some great plays, some big plays.  They won the turnover battle, and held the Patriots to field goals three times in the Red Zone.  This was what was prescribed as a key to winning the game beforehand.  If you told me this and nothing else without watching the game, I would assume its a Ravens win.

4.  Heart - The whole Ravens team showed it, and its the intangible of a game.  The past couple years, I watched a Patriots team make the playoffs and then do nothing in that game and show little to no heart as a cohesive unit.  The Ravens left their all out on the field, and that is the most you can ask of any team.  I commend them for it.  They were right there at the end.  If not for a freakish miss, this game is headed into overtime and then its anybody's ball game.

5.  Cundiff - My first two thoughts immediately after the kick. 1.)  Happy the Pats won and escaped by a thread.  2.)  Feeling sorry for someone that I hear is a great guy, and missed an opportunity of a lifetime.  It will stick with him for awhile, its just not something that goes away anytime soon.  Stuff happens...but you don't miss kicks like that either,  not in that situation.  He will be with another team next year and we wish him the best.

Its now Monday afternoon, the Ravens are clearing out or have cleared their lockers out in Owings Mills, MD by this time.  Their exit physicals and such being completed, and they will begin the travel home.  It becomes something tough to swallow when you were one play from traveling to Indianapolis and Super Bowl 46.  But take heart in that this team will be back.  After all, when you get a taste of something that good,  you want to go back for seconds.

- Greg

Smack Talk?!?!

     Sunday 3:00pm is fast approaching and the anticipation of both Ravens fans and Pats fans is building! A few things to remember this weekend.

1. Remember that fans of the opposing team are people with feelings.

2. You are not paid by your team, so beating some one up that supports the other team will not earn you respect with Joe Flacco or Tom Brady.

3. Greg and Mike will not be drinking, but some people do so drink responsibly.

4. NEVER Drink and Drive!!!! EVER!!!!

5. Have fun and be sure the ones around you can also have fun....yes even if they are Pats fans!!!

     Today is Purple Friday in Ravens Land so today I decided to dress from head to toe in my Patriots gear. Let just say I have ruffled some feathers here in Baltimore! This is an AFC Championship match-up I have been waiting for since I moved down here from Boston back in 2002. I do not want to see a blow-out by either side. I really prefer the long hard fought out game like the Pats vs Raiders AFC Championship game a few years back.


     The Ravens need a game like this in their history. Their Superbowl win a few years back was a different time and a much different team. They had that energy, that look, the drive....ok their Defense carried them! But still! This years team I want them to perform well against the past but I am not sold, there is a large shadow in the back of my mind when it comes to the Ravens beating the Pats. I could be wrong, but I saw a giant wake up last weekend against Denver. Sunday we will all find out if that giant has returned!

Good Luck to both teams!

-Mike

Loose Lips Sink Ships

   As the Baltimore Ravens prepare to take on the New England Patriots Sunday in Foxboro, it seems the team is more interested in providing action through sound bites.  Ed Reed is a highly respected player around the NFL, and especially by Tom Brady and Coach Belichick up in New England.  For Reed to come out and make a comment about his quarterback looking rattled against the Texans on Sunday does not help the team in any way shape or form.  I'm a huge believer in team concept, and is why I've bought into how the Patriots roll and treat their interactions with the media for the most part.  The week headed into the conference championship game and for Reed to make those statements just doesn't seem to be helping the team.  If they need the extra motivation to get up for this game,  the Ravens are in big trouble already.   You shouldn't have to kick your teammates in the butt publicly to get them motivated in my opinion.

  What do you think?  Was Ed Reed out of line with his comments?  Or is it okay to take your teammates to task in the public media?

  I think Sunday will be a heck of a game for the record.  While actions do speak louder than words,  loose lips sink ships.  Maybe the Ravens should try zipping theirs before the ship bottoms out.

- Greg

No doubt in my mind!

     I don't know about you folks but I knew the Ravens had it all the way.....(ducks and watches the sky for lightning bolts!) What a game though, and man what a finish! Flacco to Boldin was hot when it needed to be, but I cringed when Rice could not get over the goal line. Flacco is a good QB. There I said it. What I see on that O line though is guys missing their blocks. Number 73 (Marshal Yanda) may as well have just stepped aside every time and said "There ya go boy, go get 'em!" There were very few plays where the D was stopped from getting to Flacco one way or another. I understand that is the job of the Defense, to knock down the O line to get pressure to the QB. The Offensive line must protect Flacco from the big hits that will come from the Patriots Defense if they want a chance at winning. The Ravens must bring an energy to the game like we have never seen from them on the road.

     Which brings me to the New England Patriots. How on earth are the Ravens going to shut down Gronkowski?!?! How are the Ravens going to own an angry Tom Brady who spews out hell fire and brimstone all four quarters of play?!?! How are the Ravens going to prevent Brady from reaching into the bellows and tossing thunder bolts that his targets are just not missing?!?!?! Ray Lewis has the ability of getting his team fired up but will Ed Reed and others that seemed to be there when it mattered be healthy enough to slay the New England beast? Tempting as it may be to rest and take it easy I am hoping for the Ravens sake they are all working hard and watching every reel they can find and making the adjustments they need to end out on top. I'm looking at you Marshal Yanda you need to block and protect your QB like your life depended on it!

Peace and good vibes,

     Mike

Terps Face Georgia Tech for a Sunday Match Up!

     Tomorrow the Maryland Terrapin's face Georgia Tech at home. So far the Terps are 11-4 overall and 1-1 in the ACC with new Head Coach Mark Turgeon at the helm. Georgia Tech is just 7-8 overall this season and just 0-1 in the ACC. If the Terps can show up with some strong and consistent defense they should come out on top and win this game. Four of the next six conference games are at home for the the Terps which includes a showdown with Duke January 25th at the Comcast Center.

     Maryland has won eight of its last nine games, with its one loss to NC State. The Terps lost that match 79-74 mainly because they were roughed up all over the court. Some would say it was almost like a hockey match, but I just saw it as the team just could not match the energy NC State had that night. This season the Terps seem to perform really well at home, and with a few home wins before their Tuesday match on the 25th at Florida State they should gain some good momentum to be over .500 in the conference. For this being his first year Coach Turgeon seems to be leading this team in the right direction. 

Go Terps!

-Mike

Playoff BBQ Blitz!!

     Ok this weekend Greg and I will be on the hunt for the best BBQ place in Baltimore! The only places I really know anything about in this area is Red Hot & Blue, and Famous Dave's(both are national chains). No matter what you think, we are south of the Mason-Dixon Line and BBQ thrives in the south! So I put my internet search skills to the task of finding top rated Barbecue joints in Baltimore and urbanspoon.com pointed me in the right direction! What I wanted were Barbecue places that had a good rating but also prices that would not break the bank, and Andy Nelson's BBQ in Hunt Valley seemed to be tops on every ones list! Then I came across this video review that just made me want to visit there this weekend!!




     If you know of any other BBQ shacks in the Baltimore area that knocks it out of the park every time let us know and we will add it to our list of places to visit and review! We will be sharing updates on what we thought of the items we ordered and tasted at Andy Nelson's.

Peace and good vibes!

-Mike

Passing the Torch

  Late yesterday afternoon word spread around the local media outlets that Derrick Mason would be retiring from the NFL.  Mason had bumped around to a few teams in the NFL, but his biggest impact was felt here in Baltimore.  He didn't always have the best quarterback in the league to play with but he would go out and give 100% every game.  After spending six seasons with the Ravens,  he retires as the leader in receiving (471 catches*) and receiving yards (5,777.*)  He was a gritty player, and left his heart on the field when he played.  That's all you can ask of any player.  We wish him the best in his retirement!

  What better way for the torch to be passed though with the retiring of one great Baltimore player and the emergence of another in Torrey Smith who has 50(*) catches and 841(*) yards in his rookie season.  He has been everything thus far the Ravens and fans had hoped for and will only continue to get better in the years ahead.(It should be noted that Anquan Boldin has more catches and yards in 2011, however Smith is the true future at wide receiver I believe.)  As Mason rides off into the sunset, we look forward to the explosiveness of Smith shredding defenses and catching passes from Flacco in the playoffs and for years to come!

 
*  All stats taken from the website link below.
http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rav/career-receiving.htm

 

Shut Down the Passing Game!

     The weekend is fast approaching and one thing is clear. The Ravens must shut down Houston's passing game early and consistently. The graph below is from www.nfl.com's Game Center. According to the numbers on both Offense and Defense Houston has a slight edge. Which Ravens team will show up this weekend?

Provided by: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter

     One element you will not find a graph for is the Ravens ability to feed off of the energy of their fans! Home-field advantage is named such for a reason! There is always this energy in the air for the home team in Baltimore and the team build this year has seemed to snatch that energy and put it to work when it mattered most! This morning on FOX 45 they had people at a Tattoo parlor with "Captain Dee Fense" getting a Ravens purple B tattooed where ever they wanted it and all proceeds went to his charities.

http://devilleink.com/

     So as a Baltimore sports fan do your part in rooting for your team this weekend!! Show us how you will be cheering them on this weekend! Toss us an e-mail at charmcitysportspodcast@gmail.com and share your pics! We will post them here!

Good luck and Go Ravens!!

-Mike

Texans welcome to the home of the real angry BIRDS!!

       So the first half of the AFC division has been set! Houston Vs. Baltimore. From what I saw it looks like next weekends game is going to come down to who can run the ball down the field. It will be important for Baltimore's defense to show up and shut down Houston's passing game. I realize there is only so much preparing professional football players can do.

       Whenever I hear pro players say things like "practice?!?!" I get a little miffed. Sorry but practice is what separates a flash in the pan and Legends. I'm reminded of Larry Bird. He would show up several hours before every game, not just playoff games but every game and practice taking the basketball and putting it in the net. So for the Ravens sake I am hoping more than just the coaching and QB watched video of yesterdays game. Houston has momentum on their side, I just hope Baltimore's season wasn't just one big tease! I am rooting for a Baltimore vs. New England Championship match. This is football and anything can happen!

UPDATE!!!! Like I said this is football and ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN!!! If you missed it you HAVE to watch the video I linked! Denver beats the Steelers in grand fashion and are set to face New England next week! Wow! I don't care who you are, if you love Football this play will just move you! Exciting Games coming to the AFC next week! Share your picks with us. Who is going to the AFC and NFC Championship games?

Good luck and enjoy the games,

-Mike   

Welcome to the Weekend!

Hey folks, quick update here!

We're headed for the weekend and the first round of playoffs in the NFL.  The Bengals and Texans on Saturday afternoon, and the Lions meet the Saints later that evening. Sunday features the Falcons taking on the Giants, while the Steeelers and Broncos get the nightcap.  My(Greg's) picks for the games:  Going to take the Bengals, Saints, Falcons, and wait for it...Broncos.  I like the underdog story that is the Broncos, Dalton is playing solid in Cincy, the Lions pass defense is vulnerable and they're playing against the top passing offense in the NFL, and the Falcons I'm taking because..to be honest I just don't care for the Giants! (Its the whole Super Bowl 42 loss I am not letting go of yet)

We'll see how the playoffs progress and the Ravens fair.  Should the Ravens make the Super Bowl, Mike and I will come up with a special game day menu to share with you!

Orioles are readying for spring training, making a few moves here and there.  Very interested to see what Dan Duquette will bring to the table as Vice President of the club.  He made some really good moves in Boston.  The trade of Heathcliff Slocumb for Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe, brining in Pedro Martinez, and drafting players like Nomar Garciaparra and Trot Nixon.  I'm anxious to see how he will go about retooling the Orioles farm system and what new players he will bring into the clubhouse at Camden Yards.  Hopefully, Angelos will stay out of the way a bit more and just sign the checks!

Did anyone watch the NHL Winter Classic?  Great game,  though the officiating played more of a role in it then it should have on play around the net.  I do love the idea of it though, hockey is meant to be played outdoors!  This was a fantastic and very innovative idea from the NHL.  Now if they could just arrange a pond hockey game.....

Heading for the exit question:  What song is in your head today?

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy New Years!  Mike and I are going to keep working on our content here and improving the blog as well as getting back into podcasts very soon.  Thanks to those who are reading for your support of us!

NFL Post Season Grilling!

What will you be slapping on the grill this NLF Playoff season? Last weekend the wife and I decided it was a good weekend to fire up the smoker for the first time this winter. We went with a nice Black Angus Brisket from our freezer. The grill I use is the Brinkmann Smoke N' Grill Charcoal Smoker.


I really like the natural flavor you can get when using all wood charcoal. I don't have a lot of space for one of those big fancy smoker grills you see on the food network.

A book I picked up over the Christmas break was Dr. BBQ's Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook.

This book is full of really good ideas and one of his biggest points about BBQ is, 'how do YOU want the meat to taste?' So I have done just that. Let the Brisket thaw, and collect the seasoning I want for the marinade. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Grill Mates Cowboy Rub, and some hot pepper mix Greg got me called Pirates Bite. Seasoned all sides and they the Brisket sit all night covered in the fridge.

Seasoned Brisket ready to sit over-night.

One thing I do that is a little different is sear both sides of the meat to lock in the flavor. SEAR THE MEAT?!?!? you ask? Yes I set my gas grill to sear which is close to 500 degrees. I sear both sides for under 10 seconds each. Then I wrap it in foil, but before I seal it any left over seasoning / marinade that is in the pan is scraped out and put into the foil with the Brisket. By now the smoker is to temp and ready for this fine slab of meat! This size Brisket only took about 4 hours in the smoker. Once you close the lid do not open the lid at all!! Let the meat sit and allow the low heat to do its work! Between 175 and 180 is where you want the meat temp to be.

175 - 180 is when your Brisket is done!

It is important to allow your meat to rest for a few minutes. 6 Minutes is nice amount of time for meat resting, also never slice your Brisket or any meat until you are going to serve it! If you slice your meat too early it will cause it to dry out and not taste tender and juicy. Below is the final result before we sliced and served.

The small fork belongs to our 3 year old daughter who just loves daddy's grillin'!

Let us know what you have planned for the grill this NFL Playoff Season! You can either comment here or let us know in an e-mail to charmcitysportspodcast@gmail.com Greg and I would love to hear from you!

Peace and good vibes!

-Mike

NFL Post Season is upon us!

Well howdy-do! How is every one doing in this new year? Greg and I are doing fantastic! We decided to take a step back these past few months and try to get to know the Baltimore / Washington sporting area a little better. Attended many O's games, been to a couple Cap's games, survived a Skins game, and still waiting for my Baltimore Grand Prix tickets........Wow.

Lets talk about the Grand Prix for a moment. So I wanted to go, Greg wanted to go. Tickets never came. I could not even find it on TV, digging deeper they gave broadcasting rights to Vs. Really Vs.?!?! This would have been huge for local TV! But after months now I am not the only person who was let down. Vender's involved with the event still have not been paid, Baltimore City has still not been paid, and people who were promised comp tickets never got them (on top of still not being paid). What were the Baltimore Grand Prix organizers thinking?!?! When the big investor wanted to pull out so close to the event that should have been a red flag for all involved.

Culture of secrecy hid Grand Prix's failure

NFL Post season is upon us! As the title reads above. December 11th Greg and myself visited FedEx Field for the Redskins vs. Patriots. What a game for us New England born boys! FedEx Field is a nice field if you can afford close seats.....

But the view from our seats did not have such a nice view of the field, we did in fact have a good view of the one EndZone!

The food and drinks were way over priced, and the stadium just looked like a rush job that was slapped together as cheaply as possible. Take a look at Camden Yards, or M&T Bank Stadium and the quality of building / venue is like night & day. Camden Yards reminds me so much of Fenway Park. After the game Greg and I just happened to come across the player buses! Right away we saw some New England players. I am not good with faces outside of helmets when it comes to football and hockey. The first person I see is Ochocinco.

At the time I was not sure if it was him or not so I didn't ask for a picture. A few other guys walk out to meet with family and friends, and who do I see right next to me?!?! The Lawfirm BenJarvus Green-Ellis!

Needless to say if it was not for the mingle session with the Pats players it would have been a disappointing visit to FedEx Field. It really made our year and every one there was cool about it. Enjoy these NFL playoff games and watch for our upcoming PODcasts on iTunes!

Peace and happy New Year!

-Mike

XV6QB3WGCGQD