Crab Cakes and Light Beer

The Swinging Bunt

Rotation Candidates? Orioles’ pitchers and catchers reported to Fort Lauderdale this weekend and all the buzz so far in camp is who will fill out Manager Dave Trembley’s and Pitching Coach Dave Kranitz’s rotation. The Sun’s Jeff Zrebiec addressed this matter in his “10 Questions for the Orioles” and suggested that Jeremy Guthrie and Koji Uehara are assured spots and offered these possibilities for spots 3-5: Danys Baez, Brian Bass, Mark Hendrickson, Brad Hennessey, Radhames Liz, Troy Patton, John Parrish, Hayden Penn, David Pauley, Alfredo Simon and Chris Waters. None of these extremely marginal so-called “major league pitchers” get you going? Well, just in case CMS Producer Glenn Clark has volunteered his services for the upcoming season.

Baltimore’s watching… NBA pre-game? It’s a rough time of the year to get rating for sports in Baltimore this time of year. In between Ravens and Orioles season, the ESPN’s NBA Pre-game Show was the 6^th highest rated sports related TV program last week. Granted the Wizards-Nuggets game, which finished 5^th, was coming on directly afterwards but it got me thinking. If/when T-Sizzle resigns with the Ravens to a long-term deal, I will be pitching network exec’s a Terrell Suggs Reality Show for next year and for more family oriented programming, I’ll pitch joining Joe Flacco Wednesday evening’s for “Bowling with the Quarterback!”

Congratulations Matt Witt! Over the weekend this sophomore from the University of Maryland was crowned champion of the school’s qualifier for the USA Rock Paper Scissors College Championship. To avoid any controversy and to avoid any possible confusion the tournament was played using the official rules of the USA Rock Paper Scissor League. Witt will now compete in Panama City, Florida for the title of the ‘Best Rock, Paper, and Scissor Nerd in the entire Country.” Wahoo go Matt! Rock, paper, scissor, c’mon, really?

“The Bong-Gate Seven.” Courtesy the Smoking Gun, here are the mugshots of the menaces to society who infamously have been arrested in South Carolina for smoking weed with Michael Phelps. Instead of beating a dead horse and making another mediocre marijuana joke I will instead remind everyone of some of the best mugshots of all-time. Pee-Wee Herman. Rapper, DMX. Blue Chips’ Nick Nolte. King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The Hardest Working Man in Showbiz, and Godfather of Soul, James Brown. Shrek. And my nominee for the title of “Worst Celebrity Mugshot of All-Time” goes to the Brady Brunch’s BOBBY BRADY!?!?!?!?! Hey, wait a second… get out of there Shrek!

Scanning the Blogosphere

The Schmuck Stops Here talks the debuts of who the Orioles hope to be three future and present core rotation guys: Matusz, Uehara, and Rich Hill.

Baseball Prospectus, the Baseball Nerds, have their “Top 100 Prospects” list out. Orioles include, #1 C Matt Wieters, #16 P Chris Tillman, #19 P Brian Matusz, #52 P Jake Arietta, and #98 Brandon Erbe.

Camden Chat tells reports the Washington Post, after ending its Ravens coverage before last season, will not have a beat with the Orioles this season either.

D.C. Sports Blog has pictures of VT’s Jeff Allen giving the one-finer salute, Maryland Mohawks, and Ravens HC John Harbaugh openly “hearting” Coach Williams — and not caring who knows it,

Tracking the Terps wonders Did You Notice these things from the VA Tech game on Saturday and found out Gary really did recruit Jordan Williams himself.

The Sporting News’ and friend of WNST, Clifton Brown, says the “Ravens’ biggest obstacle now is free agency.”

SI’s Inside the NFL examines the upcoming ‘09’s drafts’ “Top WR Prospects.” Could any of these men be catching passes from Joe next season?

The Ravens Official Site points out “Fave Five: Best Ravens Pass Completions” in ‘08.

With Leather has Roberto Alomar at #2 in last week’s “Power Rankings: A Look at Whose Back on Top.”

SI’s For the Record says the ‘best pitcher of all-time’ is still out on the free agent market.

Fanhouse calls Mike Green of the Caps, “the hottest player in hockey right now.”

Yahoo!’s Big League Stew has the ‘eye brow rising’ story of the day, “Billy Joel and Elton John to rock the Musical Confines of Wrigley.”

Inside Lacrosse analyst Quint Kessnich has his “D-1 Top-20 Poll,” after Week 1: #3 Maryland, #7 John’s Hopkins, #11 UMBC, #15 Navy, #17 Loyola.

Deadspin tells us something we already know, Jeff Reed is a complete idiot.

CMS Video of the Day

The CMS Staff told you last week about Jordan Williams shattering a backboard at his high school game. Well thanks to You Tube, we can all see the Torrington, CT High School Senior and Terps recruit’s damage. Note, about the first 25 seconds of the video is all black, so don’t worry when the picture doesn’t immediately begin.

And as an Honorable Mention choice for CMS Video of the Morning, “Shaq Dancing with the Jabbawackeez.” Enough said.

The Morning’s Last Call

Right here at the start I want to point out and call a spade a spade… Calvin Klein, I am not. I don’t know anything about the latest “What’s Hot and/or What’s Not” of the fashion world, nor do I “speak Prada.” I barely shop for my own clothes at 23, I prefer Mom to take care of that. If by mistake I don’t go out in matching attire, I blame my ‘mysterious case of color blindness.’ And I have never spent more than $12 on a haircut in my life.

You get the point.

In any event, I couldn’t help but notice during this past NBA All-Star Weekend that many of today’s greatest basketball players on the planet could be the next in line to be this summer’s Athlete-Intern at Vogue Magazine.

In the Rookie v. Sophomores Game Friday evening, the NBA decided to put their youngsters in these high fashion uniforms. Dwyane Wade definitely had something to do with the selections.

Saturday evening was the NBA All-Star Skills Night, with fan favorites such as the 3 Point-Shootout and Slam Dunk Contest, and all of a sudden out of nowhere… a fashion show broke out!

Earlier in the day I found out that apparently corn rows are out. First, Carmelo Anthony took out his braids a little while ago, and on Saturday another Super-Star took a trip to the Barber Shop.

After over a decade, Allen Iverson decided to make the move. Who remembers this fresh-out-of-Georgetown youthful looking AI.

Lebron James, who said he was going to compete in next year’s dunk contest, did so wearing a stunning yellow sweater… which I’ve read is actually called a ‘cardigan.’

Even the Greatest Heavyweight Champion the world has ever seen, Muhammad Ali, was dressed sharply, sporting Oakley Sunglasses and a Tar Heeled-themed sweater.

And finally, Dunk Contest runner-up Dwight Howard, aka Super Man, emerged from a telephone booth in an extra tight jersey to go under his cape, while now two-time Dunk Champ Nate Robinson sported a ‘kryptonite’-inspired Knicks uniform.