Heartening Exhibition

Expectations for the Maryland men’s basketball team are generally not all that high. The departures of James Gist and Boom Osby have left the frontcourt glaringly open.

Now, that being said, I can’t wait for this season to get underway. I normally like to be as pessimistic as possible when it comes to sports. But after seeing last Saturday’s exhibition game against Northwood, I can’t help but feel hopeful.

The Terps came out and gave it their all against a team that probably couldn’t have beaten their half. The undersized Terps dominated the boards and scored 100 points for the first time in over a year. They also did that without Greivis Vasquez and Sean Mosley, two players who will undoubtedly have crucial roles in the team’s success.

The Terps gave off the vibe of a team with something to prove. Returning players like Landon Milbourne are disappointed about last season, so they’ve stepped up their game. Milbourne dictated the pace of the first half and showed improvements on both sides of the floor.

The newbies were looking good too. I, like everyone else in Terp Nation, feel insecure about having a team with so many underclassmen. But my outlook improved on Saturday, when I realized the upside to the situation. With only three starters determined going into the season, everyone else needs to compete to the fullest to the remaining starting positions and significant backup minutes.

It looks as though that’s what’s happening. Adrian Bowie has really improved his three-point-shooting, Cliff Tucker is a formidable driving threat, and Braxton Dupree looks like a new man.

That finally brings us to Jin Soo Kim. I had no idea what to expect before Saturday, but I like what I see in this kid. He’s not the savior of Maryland basketball yet, he was visibly nervous and in need of some more experience. But he definitely has toughness and determination, as proven by his old-fashioned three-point plays in the second half. He’s also got a little of the swagger we see in Vasquez, but without the overbearing quality that tends to alienate some fans.

I’ve gotta tell ya, this may not be a successful year. But I don’t think for one second that this team will roll over against UNC and Duke. Terps fans should brace themselves for a rollercoaster ride.

Rain, rain everywhere

After Saturday’s homecoming game, my dorm could have been mistaken for a laundry room. Various articles of clothing were strewn about the room. Jeans and a sweatshirt draped over the headboard, a t-shirt and socks hanging from the rack on the closet door, and everything dripping onto the floor.

And I only stayed until halftime.

The heavens opened up a few minutes into the game, and those of us not undercover got completely drenched. A story in Monday’s Diamondback quoted disgruntled Maryland alumni griping about the rain.

Yeah, I understand that people traveled a long way to go to the game. But at least they got to see a complete game.

Mother Nature has been unleashing her wrath elsewhere in the sports realm as well, and not all sports roll with the punches as easily as football. Game 5 of the World Series started in Philadelphia on Monday night, but will not be concluded until tonight. Weather permitting, that is.

The 2008 World Series has been plagued by rain delays, making it challenging for spectators to sit and enjoy it. Peter Gammons of ESPN said the weather has turned the potentially riveting series into the “worst ever.” I agree.

To see the end of Game 3, an East Coast television viewer like me would have needed to stay awake until almost 2.am. I conked out around 1, and missed a thrilling walk-off finish. I was upset, and I can’t even call myself a true fan of either team.

Fans endure the rain at Game 5 Monday night.

Photo courtesy of cbsnews.com

Imagine paying hundreds of dollars for a ticket to see your home team play in and potentially win the World Series in Game 5. But the rain stops play in the 6th inning, and officials announce that the game is postponed. Oh and you better make sure you saved your ticket stub, because no new tickets will be sold.

That’s inconvenient enough for Philly residents, but terrible for out-of-towners. I’m exhausted, and all I’ve been trying to do is watch.

On a side note, congratulations to the Terps football team-nationally ranked!

You can take the devil out of the name...

The Rays congratulate each other after beating the Red Sox 13-4 in Game 4 of the ALCS.

Photo courtesy of espn.com

Maybe there’s an argument for changing the name of a sports franchise after all. I’ll admit, at first I was resentful of the removal of “devil” from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. If any struggling franchise should reinvent itself through a name change, it should be the Washington Redskins. Could a name be more politically incorrect?

A ray is too abstract for a mascot anyway. I don’t even know what their mascot looks like. I just know they have a little sunbeam on their uniforms. But nevertheless it wasn’t the Skins who transformed, it was the Rays. And who can argue with the results? The Rays were the perennial bottom-feeders of the American League East. Then seemingly out of nowhere, they chopped their name in half, fired their manager, and finished in first place.

It’s hard not to root for this team in the playoffs. They are a rare example of a small market team that slowly but surely built themselves into playoff contenders. I’ve never been one to root for the underdogs just because they’re the underdogs. I have to like the team, and being considered not as good as their opponent isn’t a good enough reason.

These Rays though are pretty impressive. They’ve made smart management decisions since 1999 when they drafted two-time All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford and this season when they called up rookie All-Star Evan Longoria.

Now they’re even breaking records. The good stat people at TBS informed American League Championship Series Game 4 viewers that with Tuesday’s shellacking of the Red Sox, the Rays have scored at least nine runs in three consecutive games. That’s a first in MLB playoff history. Plus, two of these games were at Fenway Park. Now that is awesome.

It was a shame to see the teams with the best records in each league, the Angels and the Cubs, lose so early in October. Now that they’re gone, I’ll be pulling for the renamed and reinvigorated Tampa Bay Rays.

Fall Football Update

Gabby LaVerghetta
Sports Editor

There is nothing like football to ease me back into the tedium of the school year.

That’s how I usually feel, but even football can be boring when the same teams dominate every year. Luckily, the young 2008 season has already been rife with upsets and we have two prime examples in our own backyard.

The Terps have been doing their share of dethroning the top dogs. First came the dismantling of then-No. 23 California at home. In a thriller two weeks later, Maryland came back in the fourth quarter to beat No. 20 Clemson on the road.

That’s big news. By beating Clemson the Terps proved that their win over California was no fluke. Maryland is a team to be taken seriously.

And call me vindictive, but I can’t help but hope that those Clemson fans felt as crushed as we did in March when the Clemson basketball team climbed back from a 20-point deficit to put the kibosh on our tournament dreams.

On the other side of the country, Oregon State shocked fans on Sept. 25 by defeating No. 1 USC by a score of 27-21.

The NFL has not been immune to surprise and intrigue either. Brett Favre is a Jet, for crying out loud.

When New England quarterback Tom Brady went down in Week 1, you had to figure The Pats were in for a struggle. But I don’t think anyone saw them losing to the Miami Dolphins, the same Dolphins who won only one game last year.

As much as I love to hate the Patriots, this particular game lost some of its sweetness since I had picked New England to win in my Elimination Challenge on espn.com. I can, however, take pleasure in the fact that Bill Belichick must have been exponentially more perturbed than I was.
I like this season so far.

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