FanNation - The Republic of Sport

A student walked into my classroom last friday with no intent but to mock me. Was it Gu3 ragging on my lack of space between paragraphs on this meritorious website, or perhaps my unreasonable attachment to the Washington Nationals? Nah, he's too classy to stoop so low. It was instead another young adult with half the respectfulness and 1/4 the appreciation of quality athletic organizations. For this young man, you see, showed up in my class wearing a Yankees hat. My class. Mr. Baltimore's room. And he not only wore it, but made a point to direct my attention to it. At first, I thought, "Ah, I'll simply get on his back for breaking the cherished school uniform policy, which forbids hats inside the building." Then, I reconsidered. You see, on Friday we were about to begin a three-game series against those detested Yanks, and I had faith in my team to speak for me. So wait it out in silence I did. And the boys in Orange didn't let me down, with a 2/3 series victory, and further evidence that we're better off without Girardi after all. Today, of course, I couldn't help but point it out to the young man, who could only hang his head in shame at the realization that the supposed best team in baseball couldn't beat the supposed worst team more than 1/3 of the time. I saw Gu3 later in the day today too, but nothing needed to be said; just an unspoken understanding of our mutual Birdland pride. (BedardOwns was there too, but he won't get props until he changes his name on this site to AlbersOwns) A great Baltimore baseball weekend indeed. Seeing Girardi's cronies out there floundering about emphasized how much of a blessing it was after all that he went elsewhere while Trembly stayed here. Trembly is simply an amazing man who has incredible transformative powers. His visage hangs in tremendous proportions just above the Eutaw Street entrance to Camden Yards, and just seeing it fills me with faith in the organization's potential under his leadership every time I walk in the gate. Getting a wiff of Boog's BBQ doesn't hurt either. The Nat's are still sliding. Ever downwards, really. Manny Acta says hold on tight, because great things are around the corner; didn't the Nat's say the same thing last year though? O's, please trade Mora and Cabrera to the Nat's for Ryan Zimmerman and Chad Cordero. Then I wouldn't need to decide between MASN and MASN2 anymore. Talk about rapid hope loss. Ah, who am I kidding. I can't help but watch our nation's team. Even now they're losing 5-2 to Atlanta, but I'll still be checking the score tomorrow night like tonight (and the last, oh, 12 games) didn't happen. And you better believe I still wear my lucky Nat's hat to every softball game all season long. Did anybody else in Baltimore notice the Blast are going to the MISL championships? I certainly did. Championship game is inexplicably in Minnesota this weekend, even though neither of the contending teams are from there. Why? Who knows, but it would be nice to have at least one team in Baltimore able to say "reigning champions" next year. And Blast player Denison Cabral is amazing. How amazing? He cures cancer by sneezing, and ended the Cold War by bicycle kicking the Berlin Wall. The Baltimore Ravens' Steve McNair retired? All I can say is finally. This guy took more hits than a junky on Baltimore Street. Time to throw in the towel. Who will step up? Boller? Smith? A draft pick? If you're the betting type, put your money on Jeff Conine. He'll step out of retirement and take the Ravens straight to the Super Bowl. "Dude, he never played football!" you're probably saying. Shut up. Jeff Conine could play God, and even Jesus wouldn't notice. -B