Personal Thoughts:
Ravens: Another interesting game.
Flacco did a lot of passing, and was quite successful at it. It appears that
Kelley Washington and Demetrius Williams may be just the complement needed to
keep teams from over-focusing on Mason this season. Despite the Coaches report
that running back by committee will be used, it appears that Ray Rice has risen
as the lead running back at looks to get more than a fair share of carries. The
defense played strong again, although the bench warmers showed some holes in the
second half, it is still a solid unit. Todd Heap is back, and he seems to be
playing with a mission.
That leaves the biggest question. Steve Hauschka had to only sign the papers and rookie Graham Gano was gone. Unfortunately for Hauschka, he failed to file the paperwork with a missed 27 yard field goal on the opening drive. Next game could feature Gano doing most of the kicking to see how he handles the full game pressures, or, we could see the return of Matt Stover. There are almost too many factors to incorporate, but I would bet that Hauschka gets the job, and Stover gets the call in October if Steve shows any signs of problems.
Harbaugh says he wants to finish the preseason undefeated. A highly unusual statement given that most coaches just want to get through this part of the schedule with as few injuries as possible, but he wants a thorough look at what every one can do, and that he will get.
Orioles: I've dropped my loss prediction to 98. All in all, not a favorable one.
On a different note, I was at the Frederick Keys game for a kids birthday party on Sunday. Hadn't been there since Bush was president... Senior! A real nice venue for a kids birthday party. Didn't get to see too much of the game, but I did manage to obtain the 2-run homer ball from the Myrtle Beach Pelican right fielder that put the Keys up 9-8 in the bottom of the 8th inning to seal the win. Monday, I swung by the DUGOUT ZONE, and bought a display case for the ball, and I am going to present the ball to the birthday boy with a note indicating the date, score, and significance of the ball. How's that for something special.
Crystal Palace Baltimore F.C. (Home games at UMBC): Palace's Japanese star, Shintaro Harada, has travelled to London to train with the UK club for a week. In his absence, Harada was named to the USL2 All-League 1st Team for the second year in a row and is in the running for the Defender of the Year award.
The 4. Charlotte Eagles (10-6-7) miracle run ran out of steam in the 2nd half of the championship match against the 2. Richmond Kickers (13-3-6) this past Saturday. Charlotte scored early, in the 14th minute, to mark the first time that Charlotte had led a game in Richmond since August 5, 2006. These two teams also met for the championship in that year. Richmond did not score until the 63rd minute, and then explored for 2 quick goals in the final 7 minutes to win the title by a 3-1 score, reprising the results of the 2006 championship.
Alouettes: The Als (7-1) still top the power rankings as they maintained their 3 game lead on the next best record in the division. The Als look to win for the first time in BC since the 2000 season, as they take on the stuggling Lions Friday Night. (3-5, tied for 3rd in the West).Blast: The Hale and Jones families are promoting a clambake sponsored by "Jane’s Legacy Foundation," to be held on September 12, at the Tall Cedars Hall in Parkville. Jane is the late wife of Blast owner Ed Hale, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2006. See the Blast's website for details.
Mariners: Mariners resigned Offensive Coordinator (and former Maryland player) Mike Moyseenko, who guided the Baltimore Mariners to the league’s number one ranked rushing offense and an average of 48.8 points per game in the 2009 season. This will be his third season with the team. The team also announced that Former Morgan State Bear Joe Taylor, who was one of the Baltimore Mariners top tacklers in 2009 and helped lead the team to a staggering 42 interceptions, has re-signed with the Mariners for the upcoming 2010 season.
Additional signings include Garry “J.R.” Cipra, who led all American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) kickers in 2009 in scoring with 172 points and helped lead the Baltimore Mariners to a 9-5 record and the franchise’s first playoff berth. Cipra who has played six seasons of professional football also is a Pre-K to 8th Grade Physical Education teacher at Montibello Elementary/Middle (School #44) located on 32nd Street in Baltimore.
What do you want to see in the Ravens report? What should be scrapped? Actually, nevermind. No one is reading this anyway, so I will just butcher things up however I please, and you won't know the difference. Send an email to iggy at tealdragon.net. Thanks!
| 2009 Preseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Opponent | Time | Result | |
| Thursday, August 13 | Washington Redskins | 1-0-0 | W 23-0 | |
| Monday, August 24 | New York Jets | 2-0-0 | W 24-23 | |
| Saturday, August 29 | @Carolina Panthers | 3-0-0 | W 17-13 | |
| Thursday, September 3 | @Atlanta Falcons | 7:30 PM | ||
| 2009 Regular Season | ||||
| Date | Opponent | Record | Time | Result |
| Sunday, September 13 | Kansas City Chiefs | 1-3 Overall 0-3 Home |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, September 20 | @San Diego Chargers | 3-3 Overall 1-3 Road |
4:15 PM | |
| Sunday, September 27 | Cleveland Browns | 13-7 Overall 7-3 Home |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, October 4 | @New England Patriots | 0-4 Overall 0-2 Road |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, October 11 | Cincinnati Bengals | 15-11 Overall 9-4 Home |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, October 18 | @Minnesota Vikings | 2-1 Overall 0-0 Road |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, November 1 | Denver Broncos | 4-3 Overall 3-0 Home |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, November 8 | @Cincinnati Bengals | 15-11 Overall 6-7 Road |
1:00 PM | |
| Monday, November 16 | @Cleveland Browns | 13-7 Overall 6-4 Road |
8:30 PM | |
| Sunday, November 22 | Indianapolis Colts | 2-7 Overall 2-3 Home |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, November 29 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-18 Overall 6-8 Home |
8:20 PM | |
| Monday, December 7 | @Green Bay Packers | 1-2 Overall 0-2 Road |
8:30 PM | |
| Sunday, December 13 | Detroit Lions | 1-1 Overall 1-0 Home |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, December 20 | Chicago Bears | 1-2 Overall 1-0 Home |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, December 27 | @Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-18 Overall 4-10 Road |
1:00 PM | |
| Sunday, January 3 | @Oakland Raiders | 5-1 Overall 1-1 Road |
4:15 PM | |