MSPA Journalism Camp

Hello everyone. For the rest of this week I will be at journalism camp so I won't have any blog posts for a while. You can follow my blog at the camp here.

One More Year!

Maryland's best basketball player, Junior Guard Greivis Vasquez, has announced that he will return to Maryland for his senior season. Vasquez lead the Terps in about every statistical category last season, leading the team in points (17.5 per game), rebounds (5.4 rpg) and assists (5.0 apg). Fellow Maryland fans, have a nice sigh of relief. After Vasquez flirted with the possibility of an NBA career for the past couple months, he has decided to get his degree and then enter the draft next year as a senior. This should have many Maryland fans excited, as he returns to lead a team that looks promised to make some noise this year. He joins Guard Eric Hayes and Forward Landon Milbourne to make up a strong senior class, surrounded by other talents such as Guards Adrian Bowie and Sean Mosely. Freshman big men Jordan Williams and James Padgett will be counted on to hold down the low block for the Terps after the departure of Dave Neal. Vasquez certainly will make it easier for these freshman, as all the attention will be on him now. I can honestly say that I think Maryland will be a Top 25 team next year. No worrying come March next year for the Terps, not with Greivis Vasquez in control. It has also been announced that Maryland will play in that Maui Invitational with Gonzaga, and play a tough non-conference game against Villanova at Verizon Center. Scottie Reynolds vs. Greivis Vasque, now that will be quite a sight to see.

College Football Preview

This next post comes from some inspiration. I was looking through the sports magazines at Borders today and my teams are getting no love. The redskins were predicted to finish last in the NFC East and the Terps were predicted to finish last in the ACC Atlantic Divison. Being the proud fan that I am, I cannot stand for this so I decided to make my own previews. Today I will assess my College Football preview and sometime next week I will do the NFL. SO here it goes, I'll start with Maryland since their my favorite team.

The terps have to replace 30 seniors from last years team, but that does not necessarily mean they are in a rebuilding process. The Terps will have many stars to build around, including Quarterback Chris Turner, running back Da'Rel Scott, and Wide Reciever Torrey Smith. On defense, Linebacker Alex Wujciak will lead the way, as he led the Terps in tackles in 2008 with 10.2 tackles per game. New Defensive Coordinator Don Brown will bring a more aggressive blitzing style of defense to Maryland, and will have an experienced secondary to work with. Now for a position by position breakdown

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Grade B
Senior Chris Turner is back for his third year as a starter for the Terps. This is the first year in a while the Terps knew who the unanimous starter was going into the season, and under Turner they should have more leadership. Turner threw for 2,516 yards and 13 TDs in 2008, and has a 5-1 all time record against ranked opponents. But Chris will have to be more consistent for the Terps to truly succeed this year. The big question is what happens if Turner gets injured. Jordan Steffy graduated and Josh Portis transfered, leaving only Jamarr Robinson behind him, who has never taken a college snap.

Running Back: Grade B+
The Terps are loaded at the running back position. Returning Junior Da'Rel Scott, Sophmore Davin Meggett, and Junior Morgan Green will all get plenty of carries this year to keep each other's legs fresh. Fullback Cory Jackson also returns to open up holes for these capable backs. Scott is the most explosive and quick of the three, he rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2008 and had a career game in the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl where he rushed for 174 yards and 2 scores against Nevada, in just 2 quarters. Davin Meggett had a great Freshman season and stepped ug big time in Maryland's win over NC State when Scott got injured. Meggett is a good compliment to Scott, because he is more of a bowling ball power runner with deceptive speed compared to Scott, who can flat out fly. Scott is one of Maryland's fastest running backs since Bruce Perry. The Terps should have no problem running the ball this year if the O Line can block.

Wide Recievers: B-
The Terps will no doubtedly miss the depature of Darrius Heyward-Bey to the NFL, but there is a lot of young and unproven talent here ready to step in and fill his shoes. The lone returning wide out is Torrey Smith, who caught 24 passes for 356 yards and 2 TDs in 2008 as a freshman. He also is a dynamic returner, setting the ACC record for kick return yards in a season with 1,089 and scored in the Humanitarian Bowl on a long kickoff return. Behind Smith there are still contributors from last years' team. Ronnie Tyler, Emani Lee-Odai, LaQuan Williams and Adrian Cannon all made an impact on last years team. The Terps also have some youthful talents in Quintin McCree, Tony Logan, Kevin Dorsey, and Kerry Boykins. It has yet to be determined if Kenny Tate will see time at Wide Reciever for the Terps this season, but the highly touted recruit played that position at DeMatha before switching to safety.

Offensive Line/ Tight Ends: C
The Terps have many holes to fill in the line, with only Phil Coasta and Bruce Campbell returning. Costa will make the switch from Guard to center this year to replace Edwin Williams, while Campbell will retain his position at Left tackle. The other 3 spots will be filled by some unproven youngsters that must step up. Junior Paul Pinegar is the only other lineman to see any action before, and will start out at right tackle, but will have to battle to keep his spot. Sophmore Lamar Young and redshirt freshman Justin Lewis will start at left and right guards respectively heading into the season. It is imperative that these rookies get some experience quickly for the Terps offense to succeed. If they can block long enough for Scott to find holes and Turner to find recievers, the Terps will have one of the most explosive offenses in the ACC. At Tight end, the Terps lose Dan Gronkowski, whose spot will be filled by Senior Tommy Galt, a blocking tight end. Behind him is Landsford Watson, who had a big catch against FSU last season, which was promising.

DEFENSE

Defensive Line: C-
The Defensive Line looks relatively weak again this year, which could be a problem for the Terps. With the departures of Jeremy Navarre, Dean Muhtadi, Trey Covington, Mack Frost, and Olugbemi Otulaja, the Terps are lacking of any experience in the trenches. At nose tackle, senior Travis Ivey will have to anchor the line with sophmore Dion Armstrong beside him. On the ends, Derek Drummond and Jared Harrell will be counted on to put pressure on the Quarterback. Highly recruited players Masengo Kabongo and Deonte Arnett will also push for time and see the field as well.

Linebackers: B-
We lose Dave Philistin and Moise Fokou, but return arguably our best defensive player Alex Wujciak, who should be a beast in the middle this year. Beside him at the Sam spot will be Adrian Moten, a good pash rusher who has 7.0 sacks in his career, which leads the team. Freshman Demetrius Hartsfield will start at the Will Linebacker position. There is also plenty of depth behind them with Ben Pooler, Drew Gloster, and Avery Murray pushing for time.

Secondary: B
First year Defensive Coordinator Don Brown will be helped by a very expienced secondary with a plethora of talent. The only key loss is Kevin Barnes at corner, who was injured half of the season anyways. Terrell Skinner will return at Free Safety, with Antwine Perez backing him up. Jamari McCollough, who led the team with 4 INTs in 2008, will start at the Strong Safety Position this year with Kenny Tate behind him. At the corners we have speedster Anthony Wiseman, a returning starter, and Nolan Carroll, who saw signifcant time last year.

Special Teams: A
The Terps return one of the nations best punters in Junior Travis Baltz, who averaged 41.1 yards per punt last year. We also have Torrey Smith, the ACCs best returner. Obi Egekeze departs at kicker so Sophmore Nick Wallace and Senior David May will battle for the starting kicker position. Tony Logan will take over Punt Return duties for Danny Oquendo, who was very reliable in his time at Maryland.

So Here they are, my predictions for Maryland's 2008-2009 season:

@ California L
vs. James Madison W
vs. Middle Tennesse W
vs. Rutgers W
vs. Clemson W
@ Wake Forest W
vs. Virginia W
@ Duke W
@ NC State L
vs. Virginia Tech L
@ Florida State L
vs. Boston College W

Our Most important game will be the ACC opener vs. Clemson. If we can beat the Tigers and gain some momentum going into the game against Wake Forest, and then pull that one out, It will be smooth sailing until we meet NC State. But If we lose, it will make it very hard for us to scramble to find 6 wins to even make a bowl. Its pretty much a given that we will start out 3-1, so if we could pull off some big wins early in the ACC schedule it will give us momentum for the tougher games vs. FSU and VT late in the season. Overall I see us having a successful 8-4 season and then winning our bowl game.

Now For the Rest of the ACC Standings:

ACC Atlantic

1. NC State
2. Florida State
3. Maryland
4. Wake Forest
5. Clemson
6. Boston College

ACC Coastal
1. Virginia Tech
2. Georgia Tech
3. Miami
4. North Carolina
5. Duke
6. Virginia

ACC Championship Game: Virginia Tech vs. NC State
Winner: Virginia Tech

The Hokies just return so much with Tyrod Taylor and Darren Evans. Danny Coale and Jarrod Boykins developed nicely from the beginning of last season to the end and will give Taylor valuable options to throw too. Hybrid Tight End Greg Boone will also be a key factor in how the Hokies will perform this year, he is a freak of nature that can create mismatches for opposing defenses. Need I speak about the Defense? You already know Bud Foster's bunch will be unstoppable. They have all the making to win the ACC Championship, and maybe even more.

Now for my National Championship and Heisman Trophy Prediction:
(No Surprises here)

National Championship: Florida vs. Texas
Winner: UF

Nobody will be able to stop the Gators this year. This is the only reason Tim Tebow came back to school, and who wouldn't? Why not win another one? This guy has too much determination to be denied of his goals. He is one of the hardest workers the game has ever seen, its hard not to like the guy. But with returning all 11 starters on a ferocious defensive, and all you need to know is Tebow behind center and they'll be fine on offense. The only tests they will have will be @ LSU and vs. Ole Miss in the SEC Championship, but I don't see them losing. Theyre just too fast, too strong, and too determined. Florida will win it all, no doubt.

Heisman Winner: Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

I would say Tebow becuase he would be cementing his place as the Greatest College Football Player of All Time with 3 National Championships and 2 Heismans, but I think his numbers won't be as good as when he did as a sophmore because Florida will get production from other Playmakers. Colt McCoy, however, will be asked to do it all for the Longhorns, and he will do so. I think that Texas will beat Oklahoma in this year's Red River Shootout, and McCoy will come up big to lead them to the Title Game and earn himself a Heisman.

Well, that's it. Let me know what you think.

Something Magical is happening

As a Washington Wizards fan, you already know that I gave up on the NBA after the first two months of the season. You also know that I hate LeBron James. With good reason, he's knocked my team out of the postseason in its last 3 appearances. Now I do have respect for LeBron, he is a great player, one of the top 3 in the game, but not the best. I don't like some of the things he does, like complain when he gets "Fouled" to the refs. For a guy that takes more free throws than three pointers, he shouldn't be complaining. So around this time of the year when the Wizards are long out of it, I find a second favorite team: Anyone playing LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Maybe i've found something more than that, maybe even the eventual Champions, the Orlando Magic. They beat the Cavaliers 4-2 in a seven game series in the Eastern Conference Finals to meet the Lakers in the finals. I rarely watched the Magic play the whole regular season, I saw when they beat the Hornets on Christmas and probably whenever they smacked the Wizards. I didn't watch there series vs. the 76ers, nor did I watch the series against the defending champion Celtics. I started watching Game 3 of the series vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, and the NBA's best regular season record. And I tell you, I've pretty much fallen in love with this team. They have a GREAT coach in Stan Van Gundy, ever time I here the guy talk I agree with him more and more. Now that's the kind of guy that can get you a championship ring. They have a very well-rounded team too, with the perfect balance of inside-out. They have one of the most dominating big men in the league in Dwight Howard, who can draw a lot of attention down low. But they also have the number one three point shooting team in the league, so you can't focus on just Howard or Rafer Alston, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu will kill you from long distance. I also like the resiliency of this team. They came back from a 16 point defecit in game one to beat the Cavs, a 23 point defecit in Game 2 in which the "King" won it with a lucky buzzer beater, and Game 5 they came back from a 22 point defecit to take the lead, only to surrender it to a hungry Cavaliers team. If It weren't for James's lucky, incredible, amazing, whatever your take is on it, shot, this series would have been a sweep. Ever since I've started watching this team since Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals and they seem to show no signs of stopping or slowing down. There's something magical happening down in Orlando, and it's not done yet.

Music

So this weekend on my usual car ride to Virginia, I decided to listen to a CD i hadn't in a while: Green Day's "American Idiot". It was so overplayed that I never really had given it much attention since everyone else hopped on it many years ago. Then I got an idea for a good article: Artists that change their style and how their fans react. Green Day is a perfect example of this. They started out as a punk rock band in Berkeley, California. After much success from 1994 album "Dookie" which is clearly punk rock at its best, Green Day seemed on their way. Many other albums were relased afterward trying to live up to the precedent set by "Dookie." Then in 2004, Green Day completely broke away from their roots and released a punk rock opera in "American Idiot". They An album with two 9 minute songs, developing characters such as "Jesus of Suburbia", "st. Jimmy" and "Whatsername", and really having nothing that relates to "Dookie", one could say Green Day was completely a different band. But they were still good. Name another band that can make a nine minute rock opera and get radio play from it. Simply put, Green Day is one of a kind.

Many other bands have changed styles and found success, such as Papa Roach. They started out as a rap metal band in the late 90s and now continue to make rocking music but have also implemented some ballads, such as "Scars" and "Forever". This was a successful transformation, as much as I love the song "Last Resort," I wouldn't want to hear them make 30 more songs sounding exactly like it. Incubus, one of my personally favorite bands, has also foregone a transformation that makes them a truly amazing band. They grew from a psychedelic funk metal band that could jazz, rock, and pop all at the same time and blend it perfectly. Now, the band still can change styles like clothes and sound awesome, but they are basically an established alternative rock band. One can see the band's growth from the songs "A Certain Shade of Green" (1999) to "Anna Molly" and "Dig"(2007)

However, some bands, such as Linkin Park, have not seen as much success while switching styles. The bands first two albums, "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora" really could relate to the teenage angst of their fan base. Behind Chester Bennington's screams and Mike Shinoda's hard core raps, LP made it to the top. But then they released Minutes to Midnight. The first hit, "What I've Done" is sort of a wimpy ballad in the eyes of previous LP fans, and other songs like "Bleed It Out" and "Given Up" are just too whiny and not like the good songs of old. Many fans wish they would just go back to the days of "One Step Closer" and "Faint".

Why do bands change? Why do fans criticize when their favorite band does not release the music they've used to know and love? The answer is: People grow and change. A musician spends about 2-3 years between albums, and in that time they may have a life changing experience, or a premonition that will affect their outlook on music. One cannot expect that bands will produce the same music over and over year after year until they break up. Eventually it will get bland and grow old with fans and they will lose them anyways. The answer is musicians are creative, which is why they are professionals and the best at what they do, and it stunts his/her creativity to be making the same music over and over again. SO think twice before you criticize an artist that changes and maybe you can learn to change too.

Good Riddance Braxton Dupree

Today Maryland Sophomore Center Braxton Dupree has recieved his release and intends to transfer from the University of Maryland. Dupree, a 6'8, 245 center has just not lived up to the hype coming out of high school. He was a four-star recruit from Calvert Hall, but due to his inability to make layups and 12 inch vertical, Braxton well...sucked. He averaged 2.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in his career, and made the right decision becuase he probably would not see the floor next year with the front court of Dino Gregory, Landon Milbourne, and Jerome Burney returning, as well as four-star recruits James Padgett and Jordan Williams. In other news, the Terps have announced that they will play at Indiana December 1st for the Big Ten/ ACC Challenge. The Hoosiers went through a rebuilding season last year, and it should pay off this upcoming season. This should be a good game.

What!?! Why?? But.. Oh.. Yeah you're right

*Sigh*
why must the redskins have the worst organization in all of sports? Can we ever be content with the players we have? I guess not. Just recently, rumors of the Redskins trying to acquire Broncos quarterback Jay cutler in a trade surfaced. The redskins were willing to give up current quarterback Jason Campbell in order to complete the deal. The Broncos instead accepted a deal from Chicago sending Cutler to the Bears. So the Redskins were left with Campbell, a big armed young quarterback from an SEC school with a 16-20 record as a starter. Wait...doesn't that sound a lot like Jay Cutler? (almost exactly, except for Cutler's 17-20 record). Luckily, Campbell was classy enough to realize that Daniel Synder and Vinny Cerato are complete idiots, and is glad to be the Redskins quarterback. Things could have turned out exactly as they did for Cutler, who felt hurt by the Broncos after they tried to trade him for Matt Cassel. Honestly, grow up. Football is a business, and until you can man up you will never be a championship quarterback, just one big cry baby. Its quarterbacks like Jason Campbell that win rings, guys that when something like this happens, it just motivates him more. The Redskins organization doesn't deserve a Jason Campbell, maybe thats why we tried to get him. Our organization deserves a Jay Cutler, a primadonna. It seems as though the Redskins aren't following the mold of other successful NFL franchises by DEVELOPING talent, instead of impatient buying any big name free agent possible. Which reminds me, rumors have surfaced that the SKins tampered with DL Albert Hanyesworth before he became a free agent. This is probably true. Now when I read these things in the paper or see them on TV, Am I really that surprised? I've pretty much became accustomed to the stupidity and lack of common sense with out franchise. Until we start making wiser decisions, we will never be a championship team. By the way, mad props to the terps for beating both teams in the national championship.

March Madness

WOW I havent been on here in a while! Its March now and you know that can only mean one thing: The NCAA Tournament. Cinderella Stories, Buzzer Beaters, and on April 6th a National Champion will be crowned. I decided to weigh in on each bracket and give you my opinion on what will happen.
Midwest Region
Louisville is riding a 10 game winning streak and coming off a Big East Tournament Championship, But still for some reason they don't impress me. The Cardinals have been upset many times this year, by Minnesota, Western Kentucky, and UNLV. I don't see the Cardinals making it all the way, instead I have them being bounced by Wake in the sweet 16. Wake was an interesting pick for me this year, I have them making the final 4. If (Keyword: If) Wake plays to its potential, they can breeze thru this bracket with ease. Lets just hope the Wake team that beat UNC and Duke shows up and not the one that last to Georgia Tech and NC State. My upsets in this bracket are Arizona over Utah, West Virginia over Kansas is the second round (Kansas is so young, I don't know if I can trust them.) and Wake over Louisville and Michigan St. to make the Final 4 in Detroit.
West Region
UCONN is the number 1 seed in this bracket, and i'm also skeptcial of them. With Jerome Dyson out, I don't think they can make it all the way. I have them losing to Washington, yes that's right Washington in the Sweet 16. I like Washington a lot and I have them in the final four. They have a very good balance of guards (Isiah Thomas, Justin Dentmon, Lyle Overton) as well as Quincy Pondexter and JOn Brockman down low. They will be able to take down UCONN in the round of 16. My other upsets are Maryland over Cal, AND (Drum roll please) MARYLAND OVER MEMPHIS!! I have no respect for Memphis what so ever. They play in the C-USA, and the terps have a knack for pulling off the upset against a name-brand team like Memphis. You heard it here first. I have Maryland making it to the sweet 16 where they will lose to Missouri, who will lose to Washington, sending the Huskies to Detroit.
East Region
What's with me showing no love for Big East number 1 seeds?? Pitt has a record of 1-2 as the number 1 team in the nation this year, showing to me they cant perform under pressure. Also, Pitt's coach Jamie Dixon has choked, he has never made it pas the sweet 16. Once again this will hold true as FSU will knock them off in the sweet 16. Why? Florida state's front line of two 6'9 guys and one 7'1 guy can contain Dejuan Blair, and Toney Douglas is amazing and he will go off on Levance Fields. I ended up having Villanova coming out of this bracket, beating Duke in the sweet 16 and then FSU in the Elite 8 to make it to Detroit. I say this becuase I think Scottie Reynolds is the kind of player that can carry a team on his back all the way to the Final Four.
South Region
North Carolina will win this bracket. Ty Lawson will only be out for 1, maybe 2 games, in which the heels will play Radford and Butler/LSU. I don't really think they will need him till the sweet 16, when hell be healthy and ready to go. The big matchup will be UNC vs Oklahoma in the elite 8. I think Blake Griffin will destroy Hansborough, but Lawson and the UNC Guards will be too much to handle for Oklahoma as they head on to Detroit.
Final Four
SO this leaves me with Wake Vs. Washington and UNC Vs. Nova. Wake will ride their moment past the Huskies while UNC will be able to muscle up NOva inside. So in an ACC Championship game, UNC will beat Wake 92-88 in a Classic to win it all. You heard it all first hear. I'm out.

Blink is back!

I don't if any of you guys watched the grammy's 2 weeks ago, but if you did, rock band blink 182- announced that they are reuiniting. It was confirmed on stage when they presented the award for best rock album. Drummer Travis Barker stated, "We used to play music together, and we decided were going to play music again," then Bassist Mork Hoppus yelled, "Blink is back!" Later on their website, blink sent out a message that says "Hi. We're Blink-182. This past week there've been a lot of questions about the current status of the band, and we wanted you to hear it straight from us. To put it simply, We're back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy. Summer 2009. Thanks and get ready."Blink-182 seems to be in the studio recording their next album, which expects to be released this summer. This is very exciting news, becuase blink-182 is one of my favorite bands and Travis barker is my idol. Can't wait for the new CD!!

Here's the video of blink announcing their reunion at the Grammy's:

MTV Shows

And here's their website. Click on message to see that the band has confirmed it:
http://www.blink182.com/

Terps!!

What a great day. The Maryland Terrapins Men's Basketball team, which has suffered the most schizophrenic season so far, finally caught a break and beat No. 3 North Carloina 88-85 in Overtime today. It was the best game the Terps have played in years. Greivis Vasquez recorded a triple-double, only the second person ever to do that in a Maryland uniform as he carried the terps on his back till the end. He finished with 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. Cliff Tucker provided a spark off the bench with 22 points (5 of 7 from 3) and Eric Hayes scored 17 as the Maryland bench outscored UNC's 41-5. The Terps never quit, after being down 9 at halftime and 16 with 15 minutes to go in the second half. 3 point shooting helped the Terps cut the lead to 2. WIth 1 minute left, down 76-70, Vasquez scored 4 points, including a layup with 8 seconds left and Eric Hayes added a layup to send the game to OT deadlocked at 76. Vasquez made 2 crucial free throws with the score at 86-85 to make it 88-85, the score in which Maryland held on to win by. This is such a huge Game for the Terps, who improve to 17-9 and 6-6 in the ACC and appear to be on the bubble for the NCAA tournament. With a key matchup with rival Duke next week, the fun has just begun.

History Tainted...once again

Alex Rodriguez, why? This guy was one of the only "good guys" left in baseball, that we all know didn't do steroids, right? Think again. Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003. This was the year he won AL MVP and home run title with the Texas Rangers. He hit 47 homers with a .298 batting average and knocked in 118 runs. Gah, I'm just at a loss for words. Is there any truth in baseball anymore? Everyone is cheating now a days, and they probably were in the past as well. I have all the reason to suspect that anyone that has hit 30 home runs in one season that is buff used steroids. That is what "America's Pastime" has come to. Cheating. What makes it even worse is in an interview in 2007 on 60 minutes, A-Rod stated he never used steroids. If I were a baseball player that used steroids, I would just admit it. Don't lie about it and get everybody on your side, then dissapoint them. The whole world deserves to be crashing down on you right now. Honestly, wouldn't any caring human being feel guilty after having such a great season or career, by cheating? If I feel guilty when looking at the cheats of a new video game, you must feel horrible. So where does A-Rod go from here? He's 33 and has 553 career home runs. At this pace he will pass Barry Bonds and hold the all time home run record. So it will be passed on from cheater to cheater. Great. Here's some advice A-Rod: Get on a plane and fly as far away as possible to some tropical island and just stay there. Because nobody wants you around anymore. This is the last straw for Major League Baseball. There are a lot of questions that needs to be answered. From now on, any player testing positive for sterois should be thrown out of the league, no exceptions. It's the only way to make the game clean again. Bud Selig has a lot of work on his hands, and with his recent "success", we should expect this to get even worse.

Problems in Garyland

As you all know by now, I'm a huge Maryland fan. That being said, right now is a very tough time for a die hard fan like me. The team stands at 13-7, 2-4 in the ACC, and seems on their way to another NIT bid, which would be its 4th in the last 5 years. Now I can vaguely remember the days of Juan Dixon and Steve Blake, the 2 Final Four Apperances, the National Championship; Only to be stuck with recent memories of Dave Neal, Braxton Dupree, and a 41 point loss to Duke. Recently things have gotten even worse, if one could believe that. After the thrubbing at the hands of Duke, the Terps seemed on their way to a rebound as they were up on Boston College by 16 in the first half. But the Terps blew the lead in the second half due to hurrendous shooting and lost by 9. These losses, much like those to Morgan State, Ohio, and American, take a toll on you as a fan, player, and coach. In the past 5 seasons, Maryland has been 46-48 in ACC play, including 4 Ncaa Tournament games (2-2 record) and no trips to the sweet 16. Compared to the previous 5 seasons, where the Terps were 65-25 and had a 15-4 NCAA tournament record, with Final Four Apperances in 2001 and 2002 and a National Championship in 2002. And the crap has just begun to hit the fan when Gary Williams was asked about the recent recuiting struggles Maryland has been facing. This was in reference to the 2 recruits Maryland lost last year, Gus Gilchrist and Tyree Evans. Williams replied, "Yeah, and it wasn't my fault theyre not there, You know, that was somebody else's call. Gilchrist, a 6-10 Forward that could have helped the terps immensly in its depleted front court, left Maryland last spring for South Florida, where he averages 10.4 ppg and 4.9 rpg. Gilchrist decided to leave when Williams would not allow his personal trainer, Terrelle Woody, to join the staff. Woody now is on the staff at South Florida. Tyree Evans, on the other hand, committed to Maryland out of Community College, but when Williams looked into his criminal background and found some dirty laundry, rescinded Evans's scholarship. Evans now plays at Kent State, where he averages 13.0 ppg and 2.3 rpg for the Golden Flashes. The tension between Williams and Atheltic Director Debbie Yow is rising, and Williams may be on the hot seat if he can't get the job done on the court.

I support Williams on his two decisions. I would rather him run a clean program, even though we'd have a crappy team, rather than a successful team with demons in the closet. He has always been known to get the best out of his players, which I feel he is. I believe that Gary Williams is doing all that he can for this program. The state it was in before he got here, how he resurrected it, seems to be all forgotten right now. But the business these days is a "What have you done for me lately?" kind of thing. ANd lets be real, the Terps have been on a 7 year decline since the National CHampionship in 2002. Which may be the reason why the Terps arent getting the Kevin Durants, Michael Beasleys, and Carmelo Anthonys; harping on the past to a recruit may not be working. A promising and bright future is the best way to get the good recruits, and frankly I see no bright spots here. If I were AD, I'd give Williams one more year, with two four-star recruits coming in (if they don't decommit) Jordan Williams (6-8 245) and James Padgett (6-8 217) to add some much needed depth to a depleted frontcourt, and providing that the backcourt stays in tact, the Terps should make the NCAA tournament next year. If not, even with all that he has done for the Maryland Basketball Program, and the fact that his name should be on our court one day, Gary Williams will be gone.

What the...?!?!

So the other day one of my very close jewish friends (not going to call them out =] ) tried to introduced my to one of the worst "bands" i have ever heard in my life. Sorry but I have to do it. When a group like 3oh!3 comes along, it makes you really question the substance and quality of music these days. Basically this band is 2 white guys from BOULDER, COLORADO that rap over techno beats. Not a good start. Get this: With lines like "Bitches with the huge tits, new gat, new slips" and "I'm a vegetarian I'm not even scared of him" it makes you really wonder what the world has come to. Maybe people like them for the beats, cuz it certainly cannot be the lyrics. Last time I checked, Vegetarian and scared of him do not rhyme. At all. And one can assume that these two guys from boulder, colorado, do not get girls, do not have money, and do not have guns. Instead, they decided to write songs about the life they wish they had so some teenage girls and homosexual men will buy their CDs so maybe they can make a little bit of dough. Honestly, we hear enough of this sex, drugs, and...yeah just sex and drugs from all the other 35749687 rappers in the world today. I'd rather not hear it from two more wannabe Malibu's Most Wanted white boys. No Thanks.

To save us all, I've decided to let you guys know about a band that is way better. Pepper. They are 3 guys from Kona, Hawaii and play ska/alternative/rock. They have a very laid back flow, good party music, and good for long road trips. They aren't really a mainstream sort of band, so if thats what your looking for, then you won't find it here. They sound a lot like Sublime, and are greatly influenced by them as well. I am a huge Sublime fan, and trust me, Pepper does not let you down in any way. Some critics think that Kaleo Wassman (guitar/vocals) is trying to be like Bradley Nowell from Sublime, but the more you listen to these guys, the differences become more apparent. With that being said, Pepper is the closest thing to Sublime due to the fact that Sublime no longer plays due to Nowell's tragic death in 1996. I would recommend searching these guys up on iTunes if you have the time. Look at the Albums, "Kona Town" and "NO Shame". Some good songs are "Ashes", "Give It Up", and "No Control". SO give these guys a chance and tell me what you think. Peace.

No....just no

Now I'm not saying that i'm "fresh" or anything like that, or that I know whats up with all the latest fashion, I'm just stating my personal opinion. I've noticed several people around wearin furry hats from abercrombie or hollister or whatever preppy store it is. And let me tell you, it looks hurrendous. It looks like somebody just went in the woods, killed a beaver, and superglued it onto some cloth. Your not davey crocket, and were not in Russia or Alaska, so don't wear it. Honestly it is never necessary to wear one of these, no matter how warm it keeps you. Please just do us all a favor and end this latest fad. I mean how stupid can you be to really think that looks cool and what not. NO. Just NO. Never Again. Please. Bye.

Hip Hop is Dead ( Luda > Kanye )

People have been saying it for a while. I finally agree. After listening to Kanye West's new album "808s and Heartbreak" I have decided to give up on the genre completely. Kanye used to be in my opinion the hottest rapper alive until the release of this album. I purchased Graduation last year and it still is one of my favorite albums that I own. When I first heard his new single, "Love Lockdown", I couldn't decide whether to fall asleep or throw up. It was pitiful and boring. It just wasn't Kanye West. ALERT TO ALL RAPPERS: AUTOTONE SINGING IS NOT COOL ANYMORE AND NOT ORIGINAL. Thanks a lot T-Pain, look at what you have started. Now Lil wayne, and Kanye West want to be singers? come on now. Just stick to writing rhymes becuase thats where your talent lies. Now I'm not just saying this without backup information.I have listened thru every single song on the new album (as hard as that was for me.) I found that mostly all the songs sound exactly the same, and West uses the same voice in just about every single song. This might be acceptable if it were just one or two songs he did this in, but 11? The only songs I would possibly not switch the station if i heard them on the radio would be Heartless and RoboCop (just becuase of the beat.) I definately think that Ludacris' new album "Theater of the Mind" is much more high quality. With songs like "Last of a Dying Breed" and "Undisputed" and lines like "Call me Mr. Fix It, barrel stay hotter than a fresh batch of home-made buttermilk biscuits" and "Tell her she should blow me like candles on ya B-Day, Cause I've signed more lines then shes passed on the freeway" How can you deny that this man is not the hottest thing out right now? So underrated. On a ending note, all I can say is R.I.P. 2pac and Biggie becuase the industry is not the same without yall. Goodbye Hip-Hop.

Come on ACC!!

So I'm sitting here watchin the Rose Bowl, and I'm pissed off. Why? The ACC. I was happy when we got 10 of the conference's 12 teams into bowls this season. But now I'm just disgusted when those teams have gone 3-6 so far, and if Virginia Tech loses to Cincinnati tonight in the Orange Bowl it will be the icing on the cake. WHat happened? How did this go wrong? And How do we fix this??

In 2003, the ACC was dubbed, "Super Conference" when Boston College, Miami, and Virginia Tech joined the ACC. With Miami, Virginia Tech, and Florida State all in the same conference, many thought the ACC would produce a National Championship contender every year. Lets fast forward to 2009, where NO ACC school has even been in the title game, NO ACC school has produced a Heisman Trophy winner, and NO ACC school has won the Orange Bowl in a decade. IN fact, the last ACC school to win its BCS Bowl was FSU in 1999 when they beat Virginia Tech in the SUgar Bowl to win the National Championship. SO who is to blame for this failure? It's not Virginia Tech, who's been 51-15 since joining the ACC, But losses to Kansas and LSU on the big stage last year don't help the ACC's image. It's not Boston College either, who's gone 39-14 since joining and has produce Matt Ryan, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. That only leaves Florida State and Miami. IT IS FLORIDA STATE AND MIAMI'S FAULT THE ACC SUCKS.

There's no other way to put it. Miami has been 37-25 since joining the ACC. The previous 3 years before joining the ACC, Miami was 46-3 and went to 2 National Championship games. Miami averages just 7 wins a season since 2003 and their best record was 9-3 in 2004 and the best bowl they've gone to was the Peach Bowl in '04 and '05. To sum it up, The Canes have basically just underacheived every single year as a member of the ACC. Before every season, they get hyped up and people say "This is the Year! Miami's gonna make a comeback!" What happens? They go 7-6 and lose to California in the Emerald Bowl. Florida State was one of the ACC's most dominant teams from 1992-2000, winning the ACC Title every single year and winning the National Championship in 1999. SO what have they done for the ACC lately? Since 2003, the Noles have been 50-27, including back-to-back 7-6 seasons in '05 and '06, and have only one the ACC once. Florida State hasn't been as bad as Miami, but Noles fans and ACC fans expect better.

But there is still HOPE for the ACC, as crazy as that sounds. Miami and Florida State seem to be resurging, as both teams were very young this year and did mediocre. If they can keep bringing in the big recruits, maybe they can return to dominance. Now lets not forget about the other ACC schools either. North Carolina went 8-4 under second-year coach Butch Davis and looks to be a team to recon with for years to come. The same goes for Georgia Tech, who went 9-4 under first year coach Paul Johnson. Even Duke, one of the worst football programs in the country went 4-8 in its first season under David Cutliffe (A good year for them, trust me.) Boston College, Miami, Georgia Tech, Duke, North Carolina, and NC State all have first or second year coaches. ANd they haven't done that bad either. As crazy as this sounds, the ACC is showing improvement. So the ACC will be "The Super Conference", just 10 years late.