25 Years of Hating

Today I celebrate the 25th anniversary of me!

Yes, I know what you’re thinking – what is he writing about? Who cares that he turns 25 today? Its true, no ones comes to this blog to read about my feelings, unless they are somehow connected to that of a sports team. But now that I’m a quarter of a century old, I thought I’d turn this blog into more of a personal reflection of my life…

Just kidding!

The reason I bring up the 25th anniversary of my birth is that it is also, ironically, the 25th anniversary of the Super Bowl XVII champion Washington Redskins, who as you have probably guessed by now, I don’t like very much. Many of you probably don’t know (and I didn’t know until recently), that the 1982 season was actually cut short by a player strike and the NFL extended the regular season into January of 1983 and created a 16 team playoff tournament. Pretty crazy, isn’t it? The Baltimore Colts were one of the few teams who didn’t make the playoffs that year as they were 0-8-1. You can read more about it here.

My Mom has told me on many occasions that I sat in the hospital bed with her and watched the Redskins win Super Bowl XVII. It is so ironic that my first experience with sports had to be the sadness of the Skins winning a Super Bowl. But that wasn’t the worst part about 1983…
It began by the Colts having the first pick in the NFL draft that year, after finishing as I mentioned earlier, 0-8-1. I think I remember folks telling me that the Colts owner at the time, Robert Irsay, who was an alcoholic jackass, was mad that Baltimore hadn’t given him a new stadium so he basically made the team suck to spite them. More about this later, but Irsay was basically taking a page out of the movie “Major League” and from that Simpsons episode where they want to move the Isotopes (which I think was there way to poke fun at Irsay and the way he denied moving the Colts to Indy all along)




In the 1983 draft, the Colts selected John Elway. Elway, being the douchebag that he is (as far as I’m concerned he can rot in hell with Robert Irsay), threatened to not play in the NFL if the Colts didn’t trade him because he didn’t want to play in Baltimore. He said if he wasn’t traded, he would pursue his Major League Baseball Career with, guess who, the New York Yankees. So the Colts traded Mr. D-Bag to Denver and that continued a chain of events that resulted in the Colts sneaking out of Baltimore in the middle of the night on March 29th, 1984, at 3:00 A.M. in Mayflower Trucks.



So although I started writing this with the intention of talking about why I hate the Redskins, I ended up ranting about the Colts and why people should hate them. And don’t tell me that Art Modell did the same thing to Cleveland when he moved to Baltimore, because he didn’t. In short, Art left Cleveland’s history, name and colors in Cleveland and guaranteed an expansion team to the city. The Irsay’s on the other hand stole the Colts’ history in Baltimore and even though they agreed to support Baltimore in getting an expansion team, they backed out at the last minute and supported…Jacksonville. Yes Jacksonville, who despite making the playoffs, still can’t sell out their own stadium. Good move NFL. I rant about this in a previous post if you want more info. I think if Indy really wants to close the door on this whole thing, all they have to do is give Baltimore back the history they deserve. Did you know that John Unitas, may he rest in peace, had all mentions of his name in the NFL hall of fame removed because the bastard Irsay family said that he played for the Indianapolis Colts? He was so mad that it said he played for Indy and not Baltimore that he had his names removed from the hall of fame. If that doesn’t make you hate the Irsay family, I don’t know what will.

Anyway, on this day of my birth, I celebrate the Redskins’ Super Bowl Irony as well as the start of the long death of the Colts in Baltimore. I leave you with this – The Baltimore Colts Fight Song. You can listen to it here. Check out that page for other great information about the BALTIMORE Colts past!



Let's go you Baltimore Colts,
And put that ball across the line!
So, drive on you Baltimore Colts,
Go in and strike like lightning bolts!
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Rear up you Colts and let's fight!
Crash through and show them your might!
For Baltimore and Maryland,
You will march on to victory!

Rediscovering my hatred for JJ

As a Maryland fan, you probably hate JJ Redick. I tend to say I “hate” people or things a lot (name of this blog) but I don’t actually “hate” them per se. But JJ is different – I actually hate his guts. I hate everything about him. He was a freaking jerk while at Duke and thought he was better than anyone else. That’s why I don’t feel bad when I hear about how his cell phone number was discovered by Maryland students and prank called a million times. That’s why I don’t care that people made signs about his sister, which I think is hilarious. And I'm not the only one hating on him...type "hate" and "jj redick" into a google search and you get 27,600 hits. That's a lot of hating. So you don't want to just hop on the band wagon of JJ hating and you'd like another reason - how about HORRIBLE poetry? ?

When it happened, I couldn’t decide if I hated the Orlando Magic for drafting JJ or not, but I think I might love them now because they basically bench JJ on a nightly basis. And why? BECAUSE HE CAN’T PLAY IN THE NBA! Check out some proof:




All the other first round picks from 2006 are actually contributing to their teams. The only thing JJ is doing is contributing to the warmth of Orlando’s bench. So you might ask, where did all of this renewed hatred come from?
It came from this blog. And whose blog is this you might ask? The blog of JJ Redick himself. Oh mercy, if you’re looking for something funny, PLEASE read it. There are some great things in there, including JJ crying about not playing enough, his top magazines that he reads (including US Weekly – he actually talks about how he likes to follow gossip and how US weekly is the ONLY source for the truth!). Another one of his posts talks about his new year’s plans and how he hates the holiday and how he hates Valentine’s Day because he never seems to have a girlfriend. Just a guess JJ, but maybe it’s the backne or the hideous teeth. Since Orlando is giving you so much money to do nothing, you could probably get both of those taken care of.

The only thing funnier than JJ’s blog itself is reading the comments his regular readers leave him. These people actually THINK they’re friends with JJ. They say things like “Oh, I top three magazines are the same as your top three!” It’s really sad. Actually, sad might not be a strong enough word…pathetic might be more appropriate since it appears JJ hasn’t once replied to the comments of these people.
Anyway, enjoy some long overdue hating/mocking of my most hated basketball player ever, J.J. Redick.

I still hate Gary Parish

Recent email I sent to Gary about an article he wrote in which he was mad Maryland received 1 vote for the Top 25...

Your opinion about Maryland receiving votes will change after they beat Duke on the 27th. The Top 25 is so much more a reflection of how a team is playing now vs. what they've done in the past. You're not making your poll as if Maryland lost to American this week. That was several weeks ago. Face it Gary, despite your hatred of Maryland, they're playing better and better as the season goes on. Granted, they're probably not a top 25 team yet, especially with 7 losses, but I thought the Top 25 was based on how teams have come together to this point in the season? Maryland is not the same team that lost to American. Gist is playing like a All-ACC senior forward, Osby stepped it up, Vasquez is controlling himself more, Milbourn is finally finding his roll and the bench has played great, especially with the recent play of Bowie and Cliff Tucker. And they've done this without Eric Hayes being 100%/not playing. This team is better now Gary. If you just beat the team everyone thought was #1, and on their home court, you're clearly playing good basketball to this point, and probably deserve some consideration for the top 25, which is why I don't have a problem with Maryland receiving 1 vote thus far. They should be allowed to continue to climb as long as they continue to win. What will you do if they beat Duke on the 27th Gary? Still talk about the loss to American and Ohio? Teams can either get better as the season goes on or get worse. We'll learn a lot about Maryland on Sunday. If they keep up this play, they should continue to receive more and more votes. They've proven they can hang with the best though Gary. Give credit where credit is due and give this team SOME respect, especially if they continue to win.

This is why I hate the Media

So every time a media person brings up Maryland sports, the ineviately bring up rioting at Maryland, as if "Oh my God, they're the only school that does that they should be sent to hell!"

NEWSFLASH! IT HAPPENS AT EVERY MAJOR SCHOOL ACROSS THE COUNTRY!

Case an point - Columbus, Ohio last night, following Ohio State's loss to LSU. 15 fires were reported in Columbus. But does this make the front of ESPN.com or CNNSI.com? No. Its buried in the back of a CBSSPortsline.com story (http://www.sportsline.com/collegefootball/story/10565213). If this happened at Maryland, I guarantee it would be front page nationally. And at Maryland, we only had one BIG bonfire on Frat row, not 15 like OSU had last night!

What in the wide, wide, world of sports is going on here?

So after being assured that his job was safe through 2008, Brian Billick was fired by the Ravens this week. I must admit, this came as a fairly big shock to me and I still don’t know how I feel about it. Billick can coach and if you don’t think he can, ask yourself how many Super Bowl rings you have and how many he does. Billick was wrongfully labeled an “offensive guru” because he was the offensive coordinator for the Vikings team that put up what was at the time, the record for points scored in an NFL season. In reality, Billick just had an awesome offensive team that made him look like the guru that people still like to call him. He played to his team’s strength and rode our defense all the way to the Super Bowl XXXV title. He did say “I know quarterbacks” but part of the blame for Baltimore’s quarterback turnstile has to be placed on Ozzie Newsome an his inability to rate/value not only quarterbacks, but also wide receivers. The Ravens are great at evaluating talent on the defensive side of the ball, as well as on the O-Line and running back. But if they were half as good at evaluating wide receiver and quarterback talent as they are when it comes to defensive talent, we’d be as dominant as the patriots currently are.
The biggest problem I’ve had with Billick is the lack of discipline that the Ravens have on the field and off of it. Throwing an official’s flag into the stands, no matter how frustrating, shouldn’t be tolerated, and Billick should have disciplined him and didn’t. It was almost as if he was afraid to do so. If that was the case, then it was definitely time for Brian to go.

Mr. Bisciotti’s decision to fire Billick is probably a good thing overall, but there are bad things associated with it. He shouldn’t have said Billick’s job was safe. Period. But even though he did, he still made what was probably the right move if you want the Ravens to be winning next year. Now how kosher that move was is another story. I think Mr. Bisciotti issued that vow of confidence because he is Brian Billick’s friend and he thought he could right the sinking Ravens ship in 2008. I think he was thinking with his heart and not as an owner of the team. He finally realized on the morning of December 30th that as the owner of the Ravens, he needed to do what was right for the Ravens, even if that hurt and went against everything he wanted to do as a friend of Brian’s. From what people have said, several players no longer listened to what Billick said. One of those players was probably someone I use to admire and speak very highly of, so that is why its so hard to say this – I wish Ray Lewis was no longer a Raven.

This guy has the audacity to question all of these coaching decisions because he wants the Ravens to do what Ray wants. Guess what Ray, you’re a middle linebacker, not a coach. If you want to coach, hang up your cleats and coach. But don’t you dare call out your quarterback, coach and then not play in the last game because of a “broken finger.” I bet if Rex Ryan was your head coach you’d would have been playing against Pittsburgh. The Ravens aren’t paying you to talk or criticize Ray – they’re paying you as the best middle linebacker to ever play the game. So shut up and play. You got Brian out of Baltimore, so shut your yap. You’ve already had way to much influence on who has played in Baltimore (Deion Sanders, Steve McNair, etc) and it hasn’t worked out. Shut up Ray and play.


I wish Brian Billick the best of luck wherever he ends up and part of me almost hopes the Ravens go 0-16 next year. I’m often embarrassed to be a Baltimore sports fan because of how fast the fans here will turn on their team. Billick wins a super bowl and people are kissing his feet. Then he struggles and people think they’re Vince Lombardi and start criticizing things they have no knowledge about. Do you idiots not remember why the Colts left Baltimore in the first place? Its partially because Baltimore’s fair-weather fans stopped going to the games when the team was down! Granted, Irsay (may he continue to rot in Hell) didn’t put a good product on the field, but still, Baltimore’s “what have you done for me lately” attitude prevails until this day.

I’m not saying Billick shouldn’t have been fired, because it was clear that this group of players need a different message, but some of the players acted and said things the helped get him fired, and I don’t think that is right.

I probably hate...my own teams in 2007!

So the world of sports in Baltimore and the state of Maryland has been pretty bad this year. 2007 started off with the Ravens getting a bye in the first round of the playoffs, only to lose in the next round to the eventual Super Bowl champion Colts, who everyone in Baltimore hates. So the only achievement from a 13-3 record is being AFC North Champions for 2006. My how the times would change...

The Orioles continued their losing ways, winning only 69 games in 2007 and being decimated by injuries. There were some bright spots thought, such as Cal Ripken Jr. being inducted into the Hall of Fame and Erik Bedard pitching like the first ace since Mike Mussina. Plus, we also had some great young pitchers show that they had good stuff. But the Orioles have also dealt with the fall out of the Mitchell Report, which named Brian Roberts and Miguel Tejada as steroid users (among several other one-time Orioles). Good thing we hired Andy MacPhail who traded Miggy the day before the Mitchell report. At least it looks like the Orioles have direction now...building towards the future rather than just signing washed up former stars to fill holes in the lineup. But don't forget about losing to Texas 30-3. And remember, the Orioles were winning that game 3-0 at one point...
In basketball, its really bad when a team goes on a 30-0 run...in BASEBALL, its called the most embarrassing loss in the modern area of the game.

Maryland's men's basketball team tore through the second half of the ACC schedule like a bat out of hell, earning a #4 seed but losing in the 2nd round of the NCAA tourney. What people wouldn't give to have DJ and Mike Jones back now...

Maryland's football team was up and down like you wouldn't believe. After being decimated by injuries and academics to the offensive line, Maryland was literally almost pulling people off the street to play. Maryland managed to lose to UNC but beat two top 10 teams in Rutgers and Boston College, posting a 6-6 record and earning a trip to the Emerald (nut) Bowl in San Fran. At least Maryland knows who their quarterback is, as Chris Turner has gone from third string to hero over the course of the season. The kid is good. Hopefully they can beat Oregon State and finish 7-6.

Back to a few teams previously mentioned. The Ravens have been terrible in the 2007 season, which might be the worst season in the franchise's history. So far, the team is 4-11, in the middle of a 9 game losing streak. Steve McNair looked more like Medicare McNair through the first part of the season, fumbling like Kyle Boller on speed. After suffering more injuries than I though possible (I believe pro bowlers on the Ravens missed over 160 games due to injuries), the Ravens are in the middle of a 9 game losing streak, the longest in franchise history. The last time the Ravens won was on October 14th against St. Louis. And the teams the Ravens did beat ( the Jets, Cardinals, 49ers and Rams, are a combined 18-42). The Ravens secondary is TERRIBLE without C-Mac and Samari Rolle and is also bad without a solid pass rush, which the ravens have really lacked all season (the loss of Pryce to injury and AD to free agency has killed the Ravens). But as bad as the Ravens are, Maryland's men's basketball team might be worse.

After opening the season 5-2 with loses to UCLA and Missouri, Maryland beat Illinois at home and then faced VCU in the BB&T Classic. The BB&T has been like kryptonite to Maryland, with this year being no exception. Maryland lost and people said "that's okay, they're young." Maryland than slipped by Morgan State, who was playing without a few of their guards and lost a close game to Boston College. Maryland now say at 6-4 going into games against Ohio University and American. Cupcake games for the Terps to regroup, right? WRONG. Maryland lost BOTH GAMES AT HOME. Tell me the last time Maryland has lost back to back non-conference games at home. It might be before Gary's time at Maryland. Maryland's 1 and 2 guards aren't fast. Vasquez and Hayes were outrun by American's guards and just drove right past them to the hoop. And James Gist, who should adopt Mike Jones' old nick name of "WHO?" since no one knows where he and his senior leadership have been, has played like a timid freshman. It doesn't get too much easier for Maryland as they have to play a very good Delaware team Friday, who has a transfer from Georgetown and from Nebraska on their roster and at Charlotte, which won't be an easy game on the road. The Terps also play Savannah State (who is 284 in the RPI...if we lose this, I'm done) at home , as well as Holy Cross. Holy Cross is actually a good team, currently 7-2 and 74th in the RPI.

Maryland basically needs to win out its non-conference schedule, making them 10-6 going into the start of ACC play. I'd say Maryland then has to go at LEAST 10-6 in the ACC if they want to get into the NCAA tournament, but at this point, they might be lucky to get into the NIT or the other new post season tournament that is starting this year.

I wouldn't bet on either of the above scenarios happening....I'd plan on suffering through what might be one of the worst seasons Maryland's men basketball team has had in a long time...

Just to add a little extra information, I got this from the Washington Times today, Dec. 28th. "They've suffered consecutive nonconference home losses for the first time since January 1989 and stumbled into Christmas with six losses for the first time since 1949-50"

Happy New Year and lets hope for a better 2008!

YOU shut up, Bill Simmons!

First of all, the Ravens have to play the Pats on Monday...and Tom Brady is good. If Phillip Rivers can beat the Ravens easily, I can't imagine what Tom Brady will do. People keep saying "the Defense could keep the Ravens in this game." Yeah right. Our defense this year isn't good like we're use to. One portion of our secondary sucks...*caugh* Samari Rolle *caugh*...which sucks, because C-Mac and Ed Reed are awesome. And its not like we can say "oh, our D will stop the run. You bet we can! Too bad New England doesn't run the ball! The Pats say "Yeah, we're passing, we'll tell you, but we can still kick your ass!.
But I’m tired of hearing about the Patriots. Which brings me to my next point...I’m also tired of hearing Bill Simmons crying all of the time. “WAH WAH WAH! Pity me! Pity me! I’m a Pats fan! And a Sox fan! And a Celtics fan!”
I was going to write about how funny it would be if the Pats went undefeated and then lost in their first playoff game. But, because of new found hatred for Bill Simmons, I shall write an open letter to him.

Dear Bill,

How did you get your job at ESPN? I would be so awesome if I could write and rant about the Ravens, Orioles, Wizards, Caps and University of Maryland sports, and get paid to do so writing for a national audience who could care less. How did you convince ESPN to let you write for them? I mean, you don’t even have to think out of the box, do you? You just write like a regular beat writer in a major city except you get paid as if you were a good national writer. That is amazing!

One complaint though, Bill. SHUT THE HELL UP ABOUT NEW ENGLAND SPORTS! NO ONE CARES! YOU CAN’T COMPLAIN FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS ABOUT ANYTHING IN NEW ENGLAND! The Pats are 11-0, the Celtics are doing awesome, the Red Sox are World Champs and Boston College is even playing in the ACC title game tomorrow! DOESN’T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THAT!! So for the sanity of everyone who isn’t experiencing the same fortunes as you, SHUT THE HELL UP! It could be worse!

Love,

Everyone outside of New England.

p.s. - you're also ruining the name of people named Bill, such as that of Mr. Bill Nye.