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