Iggy’s Baltimore Sports Report – March 24, 2013

Ravens:
Don’t blame the O’s for the Ravens opening up on the road, probably in Denver or Pittsburgh. Blame Roger Goodall. In all fairness, the O’s had their schedule out first. In a game featuring potentially 2 playoff teams, the O’s host the Chicago White Sox, in what is scheduled as the Sox only trip to Baltimore in 2013, thanks to a new schedule restructuring intent on reducing travel costs. The potential lost revenue for moving that game time could be significant if the O’s shock analyst again and challenge for the division title. Don’t get me wrong. The Orioles could have moved that game, and still profited from it. That’s not the issue. It’s Baseball versus Football at the commissioner’s level. Goodall’s statement that the season could not open up on Wednesday night in Baltimore is petrified bovine fecal matter. The NFL has never strayed away from placing games on religious holidays. They have played on Rosh Hashanah in the past, and have repeatedly put games on Christmas Eve and Christmas night, without hesitation. Mr. Goodall played the playground bully card: It’s my ball, and I’m going home — Whose gonna stop me?

In other news, and probably the biggest Raven free agent news since Flacco, is the signing of Elvis Dumervil. The named I hated hearing all season long, just because it sounded silly, is now they ultimate name on on Defense. Say it with me: Doom-er-ville! All of the sudden, I like the sound of it, and his 11 sacks in 2012.

Orioles:
Starting rotation is down to 6 guys for 5 spots. The loser on the last spot, need not wait long, and will probably be outfitted with a personal pager that goes right to Buck’s speed dial. Pitching depth is what got us to where we were last year, and it will be the backbone again this year.

Alouettes
A few free agent signings, and a proposal to permit replay review of missed field goals has advanced.

Blast:
Nothing to report..

Chesapeake Bayhawks: (Home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium)
MLL and CBS Sports Network have announced their 2013 broadcast schedule. Season opens on April 27.

Charm:
The Charm will open the 2013 season at Jacksonville on May 25.

Capitals (See website for more details):
The Caps have won 2 in a row and 3 of their last 4. They now sit in third place in the division and 5 points behind Winnipeg, but only 3 points behind Carolina for the 8th playoff spot.

Wizards (See website for more details):
The Wizards have won 2 of their last 3 and 5 of their last 7. They probably would have won last night, had Wall not been ejected in the 3rd quarter. Without him, a college team could beat the Wizards. Although no longer in contention for the worst record, they are still 9 games out of the 8th playoff spot, and they are running out of real estate to make up that that ground.

Mystics (See website for more details):
Season opens May 27.

D.C.United (See website for more details):
United lost to Columbus to drop to 1-2-1. Next Saturday, they travel to play Sporting KC.

What do you want to see in the Ravens report? What should be scrapped? Actually, never mind. No one is reading this anyway so you probably won’t know the difference. Send an email to iggy at tealdragon.net. Thanks!

Schedule

2013 Regular Season
Home	Away
Cincinnati Bengals (19-15, 12-6)	Cincinnati Bengals (19-15, 7-9)
Cleveland Browns (21-7, 11-3)	Cleveland Browns (21-7, 10-4)
Pittsburgh Steelers (15-22, 8-10)	Pittsburgh Steelers (15-22, 7-12)
New England Patriots (3-7, 1-2)	Buffalo Bills (3-2, 0-1)
New York Jets (7-1, 5-0)	Miami Dolphins (5-5, 3-4)
Houston Texans (6-1, 3-0)	Denver Broncos (7-4, 2-3)
Green Bay Packers (1-3, 1-0)	Chicago Bears (2-2, 0-2)
Minnesota Vikings (2-2, 2-1)	Detroit Lions (2-1, 0-1)