Orioles to the Playoff's!

The Orioles are in the playoff's for the first time since 1997!!! Congratulations Orioles!

-Mike & Greg

NFL caves to public pressure! Regular Ref's coming back!

     That's right, the NFL struck a deal with the NFLRA Wednesday. We can now go back to complaining about the regular ref's and the other bozo's can go back to stinking up their Division III, and Lingerie Leagues! "Our officials will be back on the field starting [Thursday] night," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. You read that right! They will be back tonight for the Cleveland vs. Baltimore game! So your TV's are safe from being smashed, and please no more holes in the walls! "This agreement supports long-term reforms that will make officiating better. The teams, players and fans want and deserve both consistency and quality in officiating." said Goodell.

     The Ref's will meet Friday and Saturday to vote on the agreement, if it is passed a clinic will be held for the Ref's following the vote. Commissioner Goodell went on to say, ""We look forward to having the finest officials in sports back on the field, and I want to give a special thanks to NFL fans for their passion. Now it's time to put the focus back on the teams and players where it belongs."

Below is a listing of the key terms of this agreement:

» Eight-year term covering the 2012-2019 seasons.

» The current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season (or until the official earns 20 years of service). The defined benefit plan will then be frozen.

» Retirement benefits will be provided for new hires, and for all officials beginning in 2017, through a defined contribution arrangement, which will have two elements: an annual league contribution made on behalf of each game official that will begin with an average of more than $18,000 per official and increase to more than $23,000 per official in 2019, and a partial match on any additional contribution that an official makes to his 401(k) account.

» Apart from their benefit package, the game officials' compensation will increase from an average of $149,000 a year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019.

» Beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option of hiring a number of officials on a full-time basis to work year-round, including on the field.

» The NFL will have the option to retain additional officials for training and development purposes, and may assign those additional officials to work NFL games. The number of additional officials will be determined by the NFL

Welcome back Ref's!!!! I don't think I have ever cheered for a ref before.....this is weird!

Peace and good vibes,

Mike

The NFL is losing integrity.

     Last night there was a report during the Pats vs. Ravens game stating that the NFL and the normal Ref's are not even close to an agreement. I can't speak for Greg, but after all the games I watched on Sunday I fully support a player strike! Below is a letter from the NFLPA to league owners. Let the NFLPA know what you think! Send them a message on twitter @NFLPA or you can follow my tweets @CaseRocker

MEMORANDUM

TO:   Owners of NFL Teams  

FROM:  NFLPA Executive Committee

DATE:  September 20, 2012

RE:  Your Lockout of the NFL Referees and the Negative Impact on Football

The NFL Players Association Executive Committee is calling on you to end the lockout of our referees.  We believe there is substantial evidence that you have failed in your obligation to provide as safe a working environment as possible.

Your decision to lock out officials with more than 1,500 years of collective NFL experience has led to a deterioration of order, safety and integrity.  This affirmative decision has not only resulted in poor calls, missed calls and bad game management, but the combination of those deficiencies will only continue to jeopardize player health and safety and the integrity of the game that has taken decades to build.

As we predicted and explained to you weeks ago, the removal of the veteran officials from regular season games left a group of your replacements who have proved to be incapable of keeping pace with the speed of the game. Coaches and players have complained of numerous errors and failures including: erratic and missed calls on egregious holds and hits, increased skirmishes between players and confusion about game rules. Many replacements have lost control of games due to inexperience and unfamiliarity with players and rules. 

The headlines are embarrassing: a scab working a game despite having been on the payroll of one of the teams, another who was assigned to referee a team he publicly supported on Facebook, and one who is a professional poker player when you propose even more stringent player rules on gambling.

It is lost on us as to how you allow a Commissioner to cavalierly issue suspensions and fines in the name of player health and safety yet permit the wholesale removal of the officials that you trained and entrusted to maintain that very health and safety. It has been reported that the two sides are apart by approximately $60,000 per team. We note that your Commissioner has fined an individual player as much in the name of “safety.”  Your actions are looking more and more like simple greed. As players, we see this game as more than the “product” you reference at times. You cannot simply switch to a group of cheaper officials and fulfill your legal, moral, and duty obligations to us and our fans. You need to end the lockout and bring back the officials immediately. 

We are all men who love and respect this game and believe that it represents something beyond just money. For our teammates, our coaches and our fans who deserve better, vote to end this lockout now.         

                                                            Sincerely,

Domonique Foxworth, NFLPA President                                     

Charlie Batch, NFLPA Vice President, Pittsburgh Steelers                         

Cornelius Bennett, NFLPA Former Players Board of Directors Chairman

Drew Brees, NFLPA Vice President, New Orleans Saints                          

Brian Dawkins, NFLPA Vice President                                        

Scott Fujita, NFLPA Vice President, Cleveland Browns                                        

Matt Hasselbeck, NFLPA Vice President, Tennessee Titans

Brandon Moore, NFLPA Vice President, New York Jets

Jeff Saturday, NFLPA Vice President, Green Bay Packers

Mickey Washington, NFLPA Former Players Board of Directors Member

Brian Waters, NFLPA Vice President, New England Patriots

Benjamin Watson, NFLPA Vice President, Cleveland Browns

Replacement Ref's are a disgusting joke!

Orioles Post Season Tickets info

     As promised in the latest Podcast available now for FREE on iTunes! Below is the official link on purchasing post season tickets for the Orioles!

  http://mlb.mlb.com/bal/ticketing/postseason.jsp


 Good luck!

 -Mike & Greg

Congrats O's!

     No better way to start a Monday and busy work week off than knowing the Orioles have secured their first winning season since 1997! It's to the tremendous credit of everyone in their organization for this season and the effort that has been put in. From top to bottom, it takes a good bit to run a team but that's what the Orioles are functioning as throughout this entire season! Still a few games left before the end of the season, and the playoff race isn't about to quit anytime shortly. So hold on, buckle in a bit tighter because this ride isn't over yet! Go O's, keep on rockin' it and showing the league how it is to play and win as a team!

- Greg

One Game Back?!?!?

     Welcome to crazy town folks! We go from begging Mr. Angelos to sell the Orioles to spitting out our coffee when we take a look at the AL East standings and see that the O's are only one game back from first place in the AL East. FIRST PLACE?!?!? People have been talking Wildcard for the O's but hold on to your pants folks the O's could take the Division this season! What on earth made this even possible?

     The O's organization made 2 awesome moves. The first one being the hiring of coach Buck Showalter. A true modern legend in the world of MLB coaching and play calling. The second (big gulp) was the hiring of good ole' Dan Duquette. This guy has had a lot of years to think about the mistakes made with the Red Sox, and he came to Baltimore with something to prove. So far these two "grand masters" have been working well to compliment the others abilities. Oh man, here comes the bandwagon!

     All season I have been excited for the O's. Talking to people at work, online banter on social networks, and so on, and so on. Every one would say to me, "Oh I've been an O's fan my whole life and they always look good early then tank in August." Or they would say, "Don't you remember just a few years back when they looked good until September then tanked right at the end?" I usually reply with a, "Yes, but this is a different team! They have some solid talent and the right leaders to take the season into October!" I am not saying I think this team is going to win the world series. Is it possible? Heck yeah! I am sure this team will not only have a good showing in the playoffs this year, but will also be back next year! That's right folks from where I sit it sure looks like post season baseball is coming back to Baltimore baby! So buy your tickets now! At least before the bandwagon rolls in!

-Case