Archive: March 2, 2008 - March 8, 2008
Famous People Like the Hoyas
The Secretary of State, with Jack the Bulldog. At least a dozen shirtless members of the Georgetown crew team made their way to the front of the student section yesterday, sporting spandex shorts, painted chests, mohawks and the like. They said it "seemed like a good idea." "Pretty awesome,"...
By Dan Steinberg | March 8, 2008; 5:54 PM ET | Comments (10)
Pitino Says Georgetown's Been Lucky
Getty photo. Today's Georgetown-Louisville game was great stuff, and you'd have to figure there's a high chance these teams play again next week in New York. Which is why Pitino continuing to go out of his way to get himself posted on some sort of locker room bulletin board...
By Dan Steinberg | March 8, 2008; 3:21 PM ET | Comments (15)
Franco Niell is Short
(Photos courtesy D.C. United) Remember how Franco Niell, he of the 5-foot-4 listed roster height, has that tattoo of a troll playing soccer on his calf? The point being that he's, you know, short? Well, this photo illustrates that a lot better than the tattoo. My goodness, Tim Duncan...
By Dan Steinberg | March 7, 2008; 3:44 PM ET | Comments (7)
Buck and Phil Kiss: the Video
Our good friends and colleagues and countrymen from Comcast SportsyNet have come through again with video of the two Steve Buckhantz-Phil Chenier kissing incidents from recent weeks. What do Wednesday night's loss and this smooch have in common? Plenty of O, but no D. Which was followed by one of...
By Dan Steinberg | March 7, 2008; 2:13 PM ET | Comments (6)
Bucknell Announcer Loses Mind, Soul
So yeah, yesterday's post noted that Navy must have been awful sad after losing in virtually the worst way imaginable. But every action has a reaction, or whatever, and so the Bucknell announcer entered a catatonic state of mindless bliss when that 40-foot prayer went in. Hat tips to Steve...
By Dan Steinberg | March 7, 2008; 12:55 PM ET | Comments (4)
DeShawn's T-Shirt Upgrade
Last year's shirt. Last year DeShawn Stevenson gave away 3,000 "I Can't Feel My Face" t-shirts, and while it was a great gesture, the t-shirts were sort of smallish, and the design left a bit to be desired. Note: I'm not a particularly large man, and yet this still...
By Dan Steinberg | March 6, 2008; 4:47 PM ET | Comments (10)
AU Storms the Court Again
I liked these guys, even if they did storm the court. So for the second straight game, American wins a home game it was supposed to win. This time, the Eagles were the No. 1 (that means top) seed in an eight-team tournament, playing against the No. 8 (that...
By Dan Steinberg | March 6, 2008; 3:49 PM ET | Comments (22)
Nats Plant Trees
One mayor and two presidents. The Nationals' brain trust gathered beyond the left field fence at Nats Stadium this morning to plant the 13th 14th of 14 cherry trees that will adorn the plaza. The ceremony began once Mayor Adrian Fenty arrived. Giant Racing President Head George Washington immediately...
By Dan Steinberg | March 6, 2008; 2:17 PM ET | Comments (9)
Navy's Loss: The Video
(Video via FanHouse) Maryland's home loss to Clemson was bad. Arguably the most intestine-spilling loss by a local team this year. But Navy's loss to Bucknell last night was worse. A lot worse. If there were active Navy message boards, several participants would have committed Internets hara-kiri. This photo...
By Dan Steinberg | March 6, 2008; 12:29 PM ET | Comments (9)
Fire Zorn Site Up and Running
Watch me get from Jim Fassel to Bucknell. As Jim Fassel's name bubbled its way to the top of the Redskins' wish list and settled in the foamy, speckled film atop the franchise's bottled-up hopes and dreams, some Internet dwellers skimmed that foam off and metaphorically spat its contents...
By Dan Steinberg | March 6, 2008; 10:01 AM ET | Comments (10)
Today's Top Five: Nigel Podcast
Georgetown-Louisville this weekend, both with Top 10 title odds, could possibly equal American-Navy next week in local excitement. (AP Photo) 1) Since last time I mentioned his name, it was to accuse him of utter filth, here's Marc "Nigel" Sterne talking like an American and not a Union Jacks-promoting...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 5:09 PM ET | Comments (2)
Archuleta < B. Lloyd
This could be yours for a buck, plus $10.99 shipping. For sale on Redskins.com: Adam Archuleta replica jersey, was $74.99, now just $18.99. For sale on Redskins.com: Brandon Lloyd replica jersey, was $69.99, now just $19.99. This means, to me, that Archuleta was the bigger bust. (Also for sale:...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 4:01 PM ET | Comments (4)
OvechKam
Ccomcast SportsyNet is breaking out the OvechKam for next Wednesday's game against the Flames. From the release: This unique broadcast, which will be available on CSN+ and replayed on Comcast On Demand, will feature a dedicated view that follows Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin throughout the entire game, providing viewers...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 3:47 PM ET | Comments (4)
Patriot League Tourney Preview
Beat Lehigh backwards. I've said all I can say about American University for now, but, briefly.... Postseason matchups: No. 1 American hosts No. 8 Holy Cross, 2 Navy hosts No. 7 Bucknell, No. 3 Colgate hosts No. 6 Lafayette and No. 4 Lehigh hosts No. 5 Army. All games...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 3:03 PM ET | Comments (1)
Make Pecherov's Without Ice
Pecherov's bad haircut, grown out. Oleksiy Pecherov is from the Ukraine, home of various styles of sub-zero precipitation. He was born in December, a month which is synonymous with scenes of frozen bliss. Pecherov likes to shoot the ball as often as possible, regardless of past results, a trait...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 2:05 PM ET | Comments (9)
Caps Fans Devour Wings
Austin Grill wings. Local restaurants: give local fans free food, get free pub. (Robert Severi, courtesy Austin Grill) Mike Holden grew up in the D.C. area, lived here basically his whole life, and has cheered for the Caps that entire time. Heck, his parents' first date was at a...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 12:44 PM ET | Comments (7)
Deron Washington Needs Your Dunking Help
Deron Washington, who says he can't palm a basketball, is looking for your help. (Jonathan Newton - TWP) As we approach America's greatest sporting event, I hope to increasingly pressure my college basketball-covering colleagues to submit Bog items from their various outposts. Today's entry comes from Adam Kilgore, faithful...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 11:44 AM ET | Comments (17)
Screech Loves Him Some Home Plate
Screech and his plate. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Had I not gone to watch Gilbert not be funny after Wiz practice yesterday, I would have been riding in the back of a truck with Nats mascot Screech and home plate. RFK home plate, as you no doubt realize, is a...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 11:14 AM ET | Comments (10)
Conference Tourneys Day I: Bye VMI
The record-setting, phonetics-loving TeeJay Bannister. The Atlantic 11 is composed/comprised/comprisen of 27 Division I teams. Let's gradually bid them farewell as their seasons end. The first to go was Longwood, whose postseason chances ended somewhere around September, but which finished with a 9-22 record. Good bye, Longwood (27). The...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 10:44 AM ET | Comments (7)
Crucify Holy Cross: AU's Cheer Sheet
Garrison Carr. (By Preston Keres - TWP) Two American University posts in a row, but c'mon, when was the last time American hosted a Patriot League quarterfinal? (Answer: Last February 28). A loyal reader passed along the Blue Crew's Facebook event info for tonight's game. If you're the sort...
By Dan Steinberg | March 5, 2008; 10:09 AM ET | Comments (11)
March Madness in Tenleytown
What elements make Tenleytown the top sports destination in the District tomorrow night? Perennial Pat League power and AU-tormenter Holy Cross is coming to town, there's a regular season championship to defend, it's a chance to avenge the home loss on Phil Bender Day, it could get us one step...
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 4:23 PM ET | Comments (8)
Wiz Painting Skills
Ok, last bit of publicity for the Crystal City BID, whatever that is, but some of this Wiz artwork really needs to be in a museum somewhere. The American Museum of (Court) Vision-ary Art or something. Here were the six best pieces of Wiz art, from bottom to top. No....
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 3:47 PM ET | Comments (2)
Gilbert Practices, Talks
Gilbert and the media. The doors opened to the first Gilbert Arenas practice of 2008, and the media stormed in. At least 31 folks perched on the rail, watching the team run through five-on-five drills in which the losing side had to do full-court sprints. When Gilbert's team ran,...
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 3:01 PM ET | Comments (13)
Local Hoops Week 16 Pith
Garrison Carr and Derrick Mercer. (By Jonathan Newton - TWP) Navy has been ignored for far too long this season; non-conference loss at Howard notwithstanding (and hey, nobody wants to play a road game at Burr), the Mids finished a stunning second place in the Patriot League and swept...
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 1:59 PM ET | Comments (1)
Wizards Take Flight
The Wiz plane, by Amy Marshall. With Gilbert's promised appearance on the practice court to actually practice this afternoon, the D.C. media stars are out. The doors haven't even opened yet, and already Lindsay Czarniak and Sara Walsh and Dave Johnson are here, along with usual suspects from the...
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 12:14 PM ET | Comments (0)
Big South Tourney Preview
VMI Coach Duggar Baucom. (By Mark Goldman -- Icon Smi Photo) Some of the most obscure conferences in the country begin tournament play tonight: the Ohio Valley, the Horizon and the Big South. The latter will, of course, generate intense local interest, what with three local teams participating. The...
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 11:44 AM ET | Comments (6)
Today's Top 5: McPhee's Mullet
1) Ted Leonsis's latest Owner's Corner is an enormous manifesto, complete with interesting nuggets ("Comcast SportsNet has enjoyed a 40-plus% improvement from last season in its ratings") and irony-free pronouncements ("Something special is happening around the Capitals - a remarkable atmosphere at Verizon Center and even at Kettler during...
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 10:57 AM ET | Comments (1)
Eddie Jordan's Stuffed Dog
The Jordan family. I don't go to Wizards games any more, because I don't go to any games any more, but there are two possibilities for a Wizards postgame. 1) The Wizards lose, and it's really boring. 2) The Wizards win, and something bizarre inevitably happens. Inevitably. It's like...
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 10:29 AM ET | Comments (4)
Pecherov as Stewie
This Ukrainian Stewie thing is certainly nothing new. Stacey King compared Pecherov to the Family Guy character back in the preseason. Months later, Caron Butler agreed, saying ""Look just like him, right? Think about it," back in January. (See also: Stewie doing the Soulja Boy.) Well, the Wiz were in...
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 9:44 AM ET | Comments (11)
Today in Smoot: Meet Ryan Smoot
While Fred Smoot continues taking over the local snack bar market, with Fred Smoot's Smack now being offered on the campus of George Washington University, his family members are also inserting themselves into the public eye. Ryan Smoot is a 5-foot-9, 191-pound safety from Columbus Africentric Early College, home of...
By Dan Steinberg | March 4, 2008; 9:01 AM ET | Comments (6)
Ovechkin is Good
BETHESDA--I'm watching the Washington Capitals hockey game from the Comcast SportsyNet newsroom, and there are five minutes left in the first period and the Caps are winning 5-0. Alex Ovechkin has scored his 50th, 51st and 52nd goals, and a lot of people in the stands have lost their...
By Dan Steinberg | March 3, 2008; 7:40 PM ET | Comments (4)
Local Poll Week 16: Hoyawn
All those jokes early in the season about the Hoyas going coast-to-coast as No. 1? Well, they've pretty much done it, at least for the regular season. A loss to ranked Louisville isn't going to change anything next week, so congrats to John Thompson III on accomplishing one of...
By Dan Steinberg | March 3, 2008; 6:20 PM ET | Comments (15)
Kournikova to D.C.
Kournikova koming kloser. By trotting out first Serena Williams, and now (as a visiting player, but still) Anna Kournikova, the Washington Kastles are making a bid to kompletey dominate the July sports kalendar in the District. In upkoming moments, the World Team Tennis Kastles, our newest pro sports franchise,...
By Dan Steinberg | March 3, 2008; 2:18 PM ET | Comments (11)
Sidney Ponson Slims Down
Dmitri Young, who either weighs 25 pounds less or 46 pounds more than the new Sidney Ponson (Preston Keres photo). I don't consider the Orioles to be a local team any longer, but due to complicated grandfather clauses I consider Sidney Ponson to be a local athlete now and...
By Dan Steinberg | March 3, 2008; 1:39 PM ET | Comments (6)
Ernie the Enforcer
Ernie, as his number is retired (AP Photo). As Etan Thomas and Brendan Haywood took to punching each other in the head in recent years, Ernie Grunfeld would frequently attempt to diffuse the "wow these guys hate each other" storyline by talking about how he fought plenty of teammates...
By Dan Steinberg | March 3, 2008; 12:29 PM ET | Comments (2)
AU Crowd Goes Mild
You take your court stormings where you can get 'em. I was at the American-Lafayette game on Saturday afternoon, and I'm not ashamed to say it was uproariously enjoyable. The crowd was 2,400-something. The stakes were enormous; an AU win matched with a Navy loss--at a simultaneously played game...
By Dan Steinberg | March 3, 2008; 11:29 AM ET | Comments (8)
Wizards Celeb Kiss-Cammers
The rough stuff. If I ever get a tattoo, it's going to be of this image. That is all....
By Dan Steinberg | March 3, 2008; 10:59 AM ET | Comments (12)
Ronnie Said Knock You Out
"Mama Said Knock You Out" was recorded in 1990 and released in 1991, when Ronnie Belliard was but a teenager, no doubt a bit more svelte around the waist, perhaps of an age when teenagers would go to the high school dance and gesture awkwardly but forcefully at members of...
By Dan Steinberg | March 3, 2008; 10:20 AM ET | Comments (5)
Terps Have a Meltdown
Yup. I thought about going to bed somewhere in the boring middle of the second half of the Terps-Clemson game. Then I figured, what the heck, this is the best time of the year for college basketball, you never know what these crazy kids might do, might as well...
By Dan Steinberg | March 2, 2008; 10:47 PM ET | Comments (81)
