Of course Greivis Vasquez won his last game at Comcast Center {thanks, AP}

A lot went down the past few days, with the O’s starting the spring season and the Ravens getting tender with players, but let’s be honest: This week was all about Greivis and the Terps.

[1] The Terps secured their signature win of the season Wednesday night, beating Duke to pull in a first-place tie with the Blue Devils in the ACC. The Terps are red-hot at the right time, but don’t worry about brackets and seeding and selection committees just yet. Take a few days to celebrate this win — though not like what went down in College Park (but hey, if you want to set the family sofa on fire, go nuts.) I’m all for a good sports-related riot, but I’ll admit, I was surprised by this one. Did they really think there was any way Greivis Vasquez would lose his last game at Comcast Center?

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Sports fans love to talk about sports — especially here in Baltimore — so we’d like to give our readers with sports-savvy an opportunity to rant and rave about what’s going on in the world of sports, both locally and nationally. Each weekday, we’ll pose a new question for you to discuss at the water cooler. Here’s your chance to be an armchair quarterback. Now speak up, play nice and let us know what you think.

Today’s topic at the water cooler:

Should Maryland’s Greivis Vasquez be the ACC’s Player of the Year?

Welcome back, Miguel! And baseball, too. We’ve missed you {thanks, AP}

Spring training is in full swing, so we finally have something to discuss besides the Terps, Ravens and Caps. Sure, we’ll still talk about them, too, but it’s nice to have another option.

[1] The gang’s all there in Sarasota, Fla., after the Orioles position players reported to spring training Tuesday morning. Miggy Tejada rolled in at the last minute, of course, but hey, at least he made it. Making the switch from shortstop to third base, Tejada says he feels “like a little kid with a new toy.” His transition is one of a few major concerns for the O’s this spring. How will Dave Trembley manage his newfound bench? Will the O’s young starters live up to expectations? Has Koji Uehara finally mastered the art of the high-five? We’ll find out the answers soon enough, but it’s a good sign that there are fewer question marks than usual this year.

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Maryland freshman Jordan Williams is a beast {thanks, AP}

There’s a lot going on up there in Vancouver, but it was impossible to ignore what the Terps and Ravens were up to this week.

[1] With back-to-back wins this week, the Terps reclaimed second place in the ACC and pretty much solidified their spot in the NCAA tournament (now the question is where they’ll be seeded). Greivis Vasquez continues to carry the Maryland men with his emotional play and scoring. But the difference between this squad and last year’s is the interior play of senior forward Landon Milbourne and fab frosh Jordan Williams. Williams, who is averaging 8.8 points and 8.1 rebounds, is a beast. The Terps will be a dangerous team in the tourney.

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The area’s two major football squads, the Terps and Ravens, were the big stories even though they’re not playing. Don’t worry, we’ll see “O’s lose again” headlines soon enough.

[1] Consider me impressed. Despite an awful 2-10 record in 2009, the Terps managed to land the 37th best recruiting class in the country, according to rivals.com. It’s an even crazier accomplishment when you consider how coach Ralph Friedgen’s job status was in limbo for a large chunk of the recruiting season. Credit offensive coordinator, coach-in-waiting and recruiting coordinator James Franklin for the success (but take points away for him having too many job titles). The Terps got much-needed reinforcements in the trenches, including offensive linemen Max Garcia and Nathaniel Clarke and defensive end David Mackall. My favorite of the recruits is wideout Tyrek Cheeseboro. I know nothing about him, but his last name is Cheeseboro. Admit it, you wish your last name was Cheeseboro. Who wouldn’t?

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Agent Zero’s out for the season. Mark Hendrickson is back in the O’s bullpen. Jarret Johnson should be in Miami, but he got jobbed. And the Terps are a lock to get in — the NCAA tourney, that is — but how far will they go?

[1] Wizards guards Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were suspended by NBA commish David Stern for the rest of the season after they pulled out guns in the locker room. Stern made the right call. If I were to bring guns to work and tell UGC Wrangler Marissa Gallo to pick one, I should be suspended and/or fired, too. Now the Wizards need to figure out what to do with Arenas. He’s got that monster deal and can’t be traded. Looks like they’re going to have to bite the bullet, buy Agent Zero out and go back to square one.

[2] A handful of Ravens are in Miami for the Pro Bowl. Jarret Johnson isn’t, but the underrated linebacker, overlooked playing next to Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, really should be. He can tackle. He can cover. He can get after the QB. And he doesn’t mind doing the dirty work for the guys in the spotlight. “I would think pretty soon he’s going to be in the Pro Bowl,” coach John Harbaugh said. Let’s hope so, because he’s certainly deserving. Read the rest of this entry »

How’s Joe Flacco’s hip doing? OK, according to the team {thanks, AP}

Let’s get right to it.

[1] The Ravens claim the hip injury that limited QB Joe Flacco in Sunday’s win over the Pats isn’t that bad. I find that hard to believe considering his noticeable limp and erratic passes when his number was called. It’s easy to point out that the Ravens won easily despite throwing just 10 passes, but admit it: If the Ravens fall behind early against the Colts Saturday, you’ll be nervous. I mean, how could you not be?

[2] The Ravens face their old friend, kicker Matt Stover, again Saturday in Indianapolis. Stover-lovin’ Ravens fans are probably sick to the stomach at the thought of Stover ending the Ravens’ season with another game-winning field goal. Wouldn’t it be great, though, if Stover shanked a clutch kick on purpose before pulling off his Colts jersey to reveal a Ravens one and high-fiving his former teammates? Yeah, it’s not going to happen, but if he did, he’d be guaranteed free crabs and Natty Bohs for life. (In a related story, I watched too much wrestling as a kid.)

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1. Lewis re-signs with the Ravens: After reportedly considering other options on the free agent market, franchise cornerstone and Baltimore icon Ray Lewis signed a three-year contract in March that will likely allow him to retire in a Ravens uniform.

2. Wieters makes his debut: In late May, Orioles catching phenom Matt Wieters made his highly anticipated major-league debut in front of a packed house at Camden Yards. Wieters went 0-4, but the Orioles won, 7-2, thanks to two Luke Scott home runs.

3. Ravens lose to Steelers in AFC title game: After beating the Dolphins and upsetting the top-seeded Titans in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Ravens saw their improbable playoff run come to an end in the AFC championship game in Pittsburgh. Rookie QB Joe Flacco threw three interceptions in the heartbreaking 23-14 loss. Read the rest of this entry »

If it weren’t for that whole crooked mayor thing, sports would have been all the talk — with a big Ravens win, Tiger’s “transgressions” and Maryland going back to the Fridge.

[1] The Ravens went toe-to-toe with the Steelers on Sunday night, limping out of M&T Bank Stadium with their biggest victory of the season. The banged-up Steelers, who were missing their two best players in Ben Roethlisberger and Troy Polamalu, had the Ravens on the ropes late. But thanks to a sweet catch-and-run by Ray Rice, a big pick by Paul Kruger and a clutch kick by Billy Cundiff, Baltimore was able to pull it out in overtime. This was the kind of close game the Ravens had been fumbling away all season. Now that they’ve remembered how to win again, might they be turning the corner in the nick of time? We’ll find out Monday night in Green Bay.

[2] Tiger Woods went from peerless sports icon to celebrity tabloid fodder this week with reports of an affair and his vague admissions of “transgressions” and “personal failings.” OK, so Tiger cheated on his wife with this not-so-hot chick — and there’s no excuse for that — but I kind of feel bad for him. No one should have to endure the media storm he got caught up in, and he deserves an opportunity to salvage his marriage behind closed doors.

[3] Maryland announced that football coach Ralph Friedgen will return in 2010, but there are no guarantees after that. To stick around, Friedgen obviously needs to improve on this season’s 2-10 record. But a big-time recruiting class is what the school is really looking for. Not landing the top in-state talent has been his fatal flaw. Read the rest of this entry »

Sports fans love to talk about sports — especially here in Baltimore — so we’d like to give our readers with sports-savvy an opportunity to rant and rave about what’s going on in the world of sports, both locally and nationally. Each weekday, we’ll pose a new question for you to discuss at the water cooler. Here’s your chance to be an armchair quarterback. Now speak up, play nice and let us know what you think.

Today’s topic at the water cooler:
Does Terps football coach Ralph Friedgen deserve his second chance?