It is with unbelievable shock and sadness that I sit here and write the following words: Steve McNair is dead.
I was out celebrating the Fourth of July with family and friends when I switched my cell phone to receive Twitter updates. The live band perfoming at the cookout was about to take the stage and I had a spare moment to look at a few random tweets. The first one that came across was a re-tweet stating that McNair had been found shot to death in a Nashville condominium. News began to spread as more people arrived at the cookout about the tragic situation. Whenever an athlete or celebrity dies in circumstances like these, questions always arise. What was he doing there? Why was another woman (not his wife) there and shot as well? Those and many other questions are for police detectives and folks who love gossip and innuendo to deal with. Me, I can only deal with the sadness and sense of loss.
I think of Steve McNair the football player, and how the skeptics were out in full force when he was drafted, and even before then, when the big universities who loved his athletic ability were afraid to let him play quarterback. So McNair took his skills and desire to play quarterback to Alcorn State, where he fashioned an amazing career. The HBCU Sports Blog goes so far as to say that McNair was the best black college quarterback of all time. That post puts him in a class of black college football pillars that begins with Eddie Robinson, and includes Walter Payton and Jerry Rice. When the Houston Oilers drafted McNair in the 1995 draft, it was with the intention of letting him play quarterback, not turning him into a defensive back or wide receiver. McNair rewarded the franchise’s faith in him by leading them, at that time then known as the Tennessee Titans to its only Super Bowl appearance to date, rallying the team down the field and falling just one play short of sending the game into overtime.
Many fans of NFL football remember McNair as a great competitor, a tough player who always came to play despite injuries that would keep other players on the sidelines. The accolades he earned-the Pro Bowls, the MVP award he shared with Peyton Manning, the playoff appearances, the season he led the Ravens to the best regular season record in franchise history-burnish his resume. The word I keep using to describe McNair, and many others have as well, is warrior. To me, he was one of the greatest warriors I ever saw in watching pro football. He always seemed to be in control, and he always battled to the end, win or lose.
He will always be a beacon of light for black quarterbacks who came behind him, and those still to come, and he furthered the progress from black quarterbacks who came before, such as Joe Gilliam, Warren Moon, and Doug Williams. Steve McNair, along with those who arrived before him, helped to further diminish the stigma of the “black quarterback” in the game of pro football at the NFL level and for that, as well as his accomplishments, make him worthy to be celebrated.
Farewell, Mr. McNair. May you be at rest in a better place.
I have been reading other posts of McNair memories today; this one by The NFL Chick is one of the best I’ve read so far. To my blogging friend and fam-well said.
Being a fan is a serious business. Many fans are and should be passionate about their favorite team. But what differentiates a passionate fan from a homer?
In a post inspired by a comment conversation I saw recently at The NFL Chick blog (check her out ya’ll), she explained to me how she was called a “homer” by Ed The Sports Fan (don’t sleep on him either), because in her post about running back tandems to take notice of, she included one from her team and mine, the Baltimore Ravens. As a fellow fan of the Ravens, I’ve got to have her back on this one. The “three-headed monster” was a force last season for the Ravens, and I don’t see any reason why they can’t be as good or better, even without Lorenzo Neal blocking. But does the fact that she even included Willis McGahee and Ray Rice make her a homer? I told her that I didn’t think so, that being a homer means that you drink the kool-aid no matter what, even in the face of evidence to suggest otherwise. I’d say that she falls on the passionate fan side of the ledger.
To me, a homer is someone who roots for the home team but doesn’t give the other team any credit if they come out on top over your squad. A homer is also someone who won’t admit that something the team did was wrong, but places blame on anyone or anything outside the team. By a basic definition, I would suppose that I am a homer because I root for my local teams. However, I am not someone who can’t give the other team some credit when they beat my team. I am a passionate fan for the squads I like (and it ain’t easy when the Orioles and Wizards are on your list). But if another team comes in and whoops my team, unless there is some egregious mistake by the team or the officiating, I can give the other team credit and admit they were better on that particular day. I can also criticize my team if they make a personnel decision I don’t agree with, or a player who doesn’t make a play at a crucial time. In the history of sports, every team has made a mistake at one time or another. To not even acknowledge any mistake or error by your team or its management puts you in the homer category.
Perhaps the worst type of homer is the press box homer. Now I suppose when you are hired by the team and they sign your paycheck, you have to “root” for the home team some. But the motto used to be “no cheering in the press box” (or at least I think it still is). The good announcers can support the home team without being overzealous about it. One of the rumors as to why John Miller was sent packing as the Orioles radio announcer years ago was because Peter Angelos didn’t think he rooted for the Orioles enough and was too critical of them when the team made mistakes. Now, I’ve always thought that Miller broadcast the right way…but I can remember watching Atlanta Braves games back in the day when Skip Caray would root for the Braves unashamedly from announcer’s booth, often invoking “we” as in “we (the Braves) need to score some runs.” I was never a fan of that style of announcing, but some fans may like it. To me though, Carey was a homer.
If you have an opinion on this, let me know in the comments.
One of the best, and most familiar cheers that can be heard on Ravens game day occurs whenever TE Todd Heap catches a pass downfield. The sound of “Heeeap” meant that the veteran had caught a pass downfield, often for a big gain. However, that sound was heard less frequently last season, as Heap was given more responsibility for blocking for rookie quarterback Joe Flacco and the offense became more run-oriented and conservative. Heap also battled a multitude of injuries during last season, which served to limit his effectiveness. Despite that, Heap and Derrick Mason were the only receivers to start every game last season. However, Heap had only 35 catches and three touchdowns, his lowest numbers ever for a season in which he played every regular season game.
As this article from Press Box’s Joe Platania observes, Heap is only now beginning to round into shape. One can only hope so, as the remaining tight ends on the roster are either injured or inexperienced. The Ravens signed former Philadelphia Eagle L.J. Smith in the off-season, and he has already undergone surgery for a sports hernia. Holdover Quinn Sypniewski is recovering from knee re-attachment surgery from April of last year. Edgar Jones is a converted defensive player learning how to play tight end, and Daniel Wilcox was not re-signed. The team drafted a tight end, Davon Drew in the fifth round, but while he has shown flashes in OTA’s, he remains a rookie. That means that pressure will be exerted on Heap to get the job done at tight end from the first day of training camp. With hints that the team may loosen the reins on Flacco, hopefully that means more plays are made downfield, to offset what has become known as the “three-headed monster” (Willis McGahee, Ray Rice and Le’Ron McClain) in the backfield. Perhaps that means that the tight end position will make more plays in the offense, and more cheers of “Heeeap” from the stands.
It will be interesting to see how this group of tight ends fares in training camp in a few weeks. Heap obviously will be ahead of most everyone else, but it remains to be seen just how healthy he will be. He spent the beginning OTA’s practicing in the red “no-contact” jersey and at the time of the Press Box article, was still having trouble in his lower back. The Ravens will need to improve offensively in several phases, particularly the passing game, if the team expects to match or exceed last year’s results.
Michael Jackson passed away today at the age of 50. It’s true, and yet I find it hard to believe.
Why I am even trying to write something, I don’t even know. The best I can do is offer the same old same old. Basically the memories come back. I’m old enough to remember when you could get a Jackson 5 record on a cereal box. The J5 Saturday morning cartoon. The Jackson 5 doing “Dancing Machine” on Soul Train, and everyone going crazy trying to do the robot dance Michael was doing. When they left Motown, leaving Jermaine behind but adding Randy. Michael playing the Scarecrow in the film version of “The Wiz.” Going solo with Off The Wall, still the best solo Michael Jackson album to me (Thriller will always be his crowning pop achievement, but I always thought Off The Wall was better). The Motown 25 performance with the moonwalk, another dance everyone tried to copy (and I could actually do it, once upon a time-now, not so much). All the videos, each one seeming like more and more of an event than the one before. And of course, the eccentricities that threatened to overshadow the once in a generation talent.
Still, looking beyond the strangeness that became Jackson’s later years, no one can deny that he was a great entertainer. From what we have heard over the years, no one would want to have the childhood he had-having been a star and pop phenomenon from an early age must have exerted unbelievable pressure on him. Yet he delivered, time and again. For over 25 years, he was a presence on the music scene, an icon that shone brightly. When he performed you couldn’t take your eyes off him, wondering what he would do next to wow you. No matter what you think of him, or how you look at him now, he was the one of the greatest entertainers of the last half century. And while many of us joked about how his looks changed, and how his life was, none of us can really imagine what it was like to be him.
Respect and prayers to his family, for no one can really know the grief they all must feel. RIP Michael Joseph Jackson. The light you gave to the world may be extinguished here on Earth, but Heaven just got a little brighter this evening.
My hometown received some good news recently about one of its own. Harold Baines, Jr., son of former Oriole (Ranger, Athletic, Indian and White Sox) Harold Baines, was recently drafted by the White Sox in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft which took place back on June 9-11. Very interesting that the White Sox drafted the junior Baines, thirty-two years after they drafted his father with the No. 1 pick back in 1977.
While I know the family, I don’t know them all that well, so I can’t really say whether or not dad gave any advice to son throughout the years. I do know that Harold Jr. played ball in high school, just like his father, and was a very good player, just like his father was. I can say that the fact that HB (as he is called by his friends) was drafted wasn’t a surprise, at least to me. The younger Baines begins his new life in the Applachian Rookie League tonight in Bristol, Virginia as the Bristol Sox play the Greeneville (TN) Astros.
In an article published by the Bristol Herald Courier, writer Tim Hayes gets some insight as to what advice father gave to son upon his arrival in Bristol. “He just said congratulations, you earned it and stuff like that,” Baines Jr. said. “The best advice he gave me is just come out here, work hard every day and do the best possible.” Knowing the father as a man of few words, a description that was always used during his playing days, I can believe that’s what he told HB.
Having never had to do this, I’m sure it’s not easy to play in the shadow of a famous, and well-known father, particularly when you are in the same sport that made your father famous. But if there’s anyone who would know how to succeed in that environment, it’s HB. Certainly, ever since he decided to pick up the game of baseball, his father’s exploits on the diamond in the big leagues have been ringing in his ears. Now, he gets the chance to step out on his own and make his own way.
Best wishes and good luck!
A special thanks to my oldest daughter, who has been friends with HB for years and is a high school classmate of his. It was she who let me know that HB had been drafted.
Last year, I did a similar post to this one when I realized (after it had come upon me) that it had been twenty years since I had graduated from Washington College. Following on the heels of that anniversary, another one has arrived. This month marks twenty-five years since I graduated from high school. As I did with that post, I’ll do the same with this one. (Incidentally, it just so happens that our class will be holding a 25-year reunion later this summer, that I found out about only by signing on to Facebook). I will post a list of songs that formed a soundtrack of sorts from my senior year of high school. It is no secret to anyone that music forms the soundtrack of your life, and these songs were my soundtrack. Some of these may be your favorites, some songs you may not be familiar with at all.
I can recall being very focused that year, because I knew I wanted to go to college, but I didn’t know how I was going to do it. My mother wasn’t exactly flush with cash, and I didn’t want to burden her with my student loans so that I could go to college. So my senior year was focused on hitting the books-hard. I wasn’t a poor student, but I knew I needed to really make a good impression with admissions offices. So I worked my tail off, but I made sure to have some fun too. I almost remember my senior year as being something of a coming-out party for me, it seemed that lots of people found out that year that I could dance after my appearances at the Senior Prom and a “backwards prom” that the Honor Society sponsored. I didn’t really go out a lot in high school, owing to my shyness, so no one really knew what I could do. But one thing that really stood out was that I almost blew it. One class that I had to take and pass to graduate, 20th Century Problems (or something like that, I know it was focused on current events), required that you had to participate in class discussions. Needless to say, due to my shyness, I rarely, if ever spoke in class. This caused me to get zeroes for class participation. However, I aced all the tests, which allowed me to pass the class and graduate. I think it was after that experience (and some talking from the teacher), that helped me get over my shyness a bit.
There were some criteria that I set in making the list. Songs had to be on Billboard R&B Singles chart (thanks again to Joel Whitburn’s Book Top R&B/Hip-Hop Hits 1942-2004 for research), they had to debut between Sept. 5, 1983 and June 1, 1984 (roughly the beginning of my senior year to my graduation date) with one exception marked (***), I had to have some memory of really liking the songs or remembering them fondly, and finally, I had to have a copy somewhere in the house. So without further adieu, here is my list for the Class of ‘84 (in roughly chronological order):
Would You Like To Fool Around-Mtume
Break Dancin’-Electric Boogie-West Street Mob
Real Love-Lakeside
Delirious-Prince
All Night Long (All Night)-Lionel Richie
My First Love-Rene & Angela
Stay With Me Tonight-Jeffrey Osborne
Show Me The Way-Skyy
Time Will Reveal-DeBarge
Boys-Mary Jane Girls
Wet My Whistle-Midnight Star
Over And Over-Shalamar
Tell Me If You Still Care-The S.O.S. Band
We Are One-Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly
Touch A Four Leaf Clover-Atlantic Starr
Say, Say, Say-Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
U Bring The Freak Out-Rick James
Baby I’m Hooked (Right Into Your Love)-Con Funk Shun
White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)-Grandmaster & Melle Mel
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)-Michael Jackson
Holiday-Madonna
Joanna-Kool & The Gang
If Only You Knew-Patti LaBelle
Let The Music Play-Shannon
Body Talk-The Deele
Say It Isn’t So-Hall & Oates
How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore?-Stephanie Mills
Popcorn Love/Jealous Girl-New Edition
I Just Can’t Get Over Loving You-Ray Parker, Jr.
Taxi-J. Blackfoot
I’m On Your Side-Angela Bofill
Joystick-Dazz Band
Something’s On Your Mind-D-Train
I’ll Let You Slide-Luther Vandross
Running With The Night-Lionel Richie
Autodrive-Herbie Hancock
Encore-Cheryl Lynn
Fo-Fi-Fo-Pieces Of A Dream
Yah Mo B There-James Ingram & Michael McDonald
Ebony Eyes-Rick James Featuring Smokey Robinson
Midnight Magnet-Teena Marie
You’re The Best Thing Yet-Anita Baker
Don’t Go-Dreamboy
Trommeltanz (Din Daa Daa)-George Kranz
Hard Times/Jam-Master Jay-Run-D.M.C.
The Payoff Mix-Double D & Steinski***
Another Man-Barbara Mason
Livin’ For Your Love-Melba Moore
Plane Love-Jeffrey Osborne
Touch-Earth, Wind & Fire
Automatic-Pointer Sisters
Somebody’s Watching Me-Rockwell
One Million Kisses-Rufus And Chaka Khan
It’s Gonna Be Special-Patti Austin
I Wanna Thank You-Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly
More, More, More-Atlantic Starr
Don’t Look Any Further-Dennis Edwards
Love Has Finally Come At Last-Bobby Womack and Patti LaBelle
Beat Box-The Art Of Noise
She’s Strange-Cameo
Perfect Combination-Stacy Lattisaw & Johnny Gill
Thriller-Michael Jackson
Tonight-Kool & The Gang
White Horse-Laid Back
It’s All Yours-Starpoint
Karma Chameleon-Culture Club
Hi, How Ya Doin?-Kenny G
When You’re Far Away-Gladys Knight & The Pips
No Parking (On The Dance Floor)-Midnight Star
Dancing In The Sheets-Shalamar
Renegades Of Funk-Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force
Love Me In A Special Way-DeBarge
Adult Education-Hall & Oates
Sail Away-The Temptations
Superstar/Until You Come Back To Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do)-Luther Vandross
Just My Luck-The Deele
Shake Down-Evelyn “Champagne” King
We’re Going All The Way-Jeffrey Osborne
Hello-Lionel Richie
Miss Me Blind-Culture Club
Don’t Waste Your Time-Yarbrough & Peoples
You’re The Reason-D-Train
There’s No Easy Way-James Ingram
Love, Need And Want You-Patti LaBelle
Jam On It-Newcleus
Lady You Are-One Way
Freakshow On The Dance Floor-Bar-Kays
Fresh-Fresh 3 M.C.’s
Give Me Tonight-Shannon
Lovelite-O’Bryan
Jump-Van Halen
Change Of Heart-Change
I’m Ready (If You’re Ready)-The Gap Band
Shackles-R.J.’s Latest Arrival
Let’s Hear It For The Boy-Deniece Williams
Rhythm Of The Street-Patti Austin
Swoop (I’m Yours)-Dazz Band
Feel The Need-Anita Baker
Somebody Else’s Guy-Jocelyn Brown
I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On-Cherrelle
Dear Lover-Teena Marie
Jump (For My Love)-Pointer Sisters
Rock Box-Run-D.M.C.
Hey D.J.-World’s Famous Supreme Team
What People Do For Money-Divine Sounds
Feels So Real (Won’t Let Go)-Patrice Rushen
Baby I’m Scared Of You-Womack & Womack
Let Me Love You-Force M.D.’s
I Can Dream About You-Dan Hartman
Just going over the list, I have so many memories: the aborted attempts to breakdance (not by me; I knew my limitations so I stuck to pop-locking); the many songs I would hear standing outside the local “grown-up” hangout that I couldn’t get into; the Luther Vandross concert (with DeBarge and The Deele) that I saw at the old Capital Centre (I still have the ticket stub-$12 to get in and we walked up and bought tickets that night); waiting for the premiere of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video; watching video after video with my cousins and friends to get the latest moves…it goes on and on. I had so much to learn, yet I thought I knew plenty about life, love, and just getting along with people. Graduating from high school was just one step in a process that has made me the person I am today.
The Stet Sports Blog opines that Baltimore and Washington DC are metro areas are envious of the city of Pittsburgh’s success with its sports teams. With the Steelers winning the Super Bowl and the Penguins recent conquest of the Stanley Cup, JC shows us the how the lack of championship success puts us behind the Steel City. However, he makes no mention of the Pirates. It’s just as well, with the Pirates looking as mediocre as the Orioles and the Nationals just plain bad.
It’s not a surprise that when Brandon Marshall announced that he was looking to leave the Denver Broncos, one of the first teams mentioned was the Baltimore Ravens. Anytime any top wideout has expressed displeasure with his current team, the Ravens are always on the list of teams to acquire the disgruntled player. The NFL Chick gives her reasons that Brandon Marshall should just “go sit down!”
Another post questioning the Donte Stallworth sentence comes from the Pigskin Loving Lady. She has a recurring series of posts called her “WTF” moments. This week the Stallworth sentencing gets the nod. Read about her take on it.
Steelergurl has found yet another football topic for folks to debate. This time, its the NFL’s ten greatest defenses. Not really sure if you’re supposed to name the ten all-time best or the ten best for the upcoming season. Whichever way you roll, give your opinion in the comment section of this post.
If you are needing a basketball fix after the NBA Finals were decided, why not try the WNBA? One of the few blogs that I see making posts about the WNBA that aren’t attached to the league itself is MKRob’s Sports Blog. He usually has a story almost every day during the season. One of his latest posts discusses the loss of Seimone Augustus to a knee injury. Augustus was a starter for the Minnesota Lynx. He also has been following the UFL, the new outdoor football league that will be starting up soon. Here’s a post showing how each of the teams fared in the league’s inaugural draft.
In the ongoing Brett Favre saga, he made an appearance on Joe Buck’s new HBO show. Since he had the shoulder surgery, I guess the only thing stopping him from coming back is himself and how he throws. Okay, I’ll go out on a limb and say he’s coming back. As I’ve said before, I wish he wouldn’t, but he seems powerless to stop himself. Maybe after games against the Steelers and Ravens defenses, he’ll wish he never set foot on the field again.
Rumors abound that the Ravens might be interested in Brandon Marshall. All I can say is puh-leeze no! Leave him out there to fuss with the Broncos. I can’t see the Ravens looking for trouble just to fill a glaring need at wide receiver. Sure, Marshall is loaded with talent, but he also is loaded with off-field baggage. Lee at Ravens 365 agrees with me.
I just read that Donte Stallworth has been indefinitely suspended from the NFL by commissioner Roger Goodell. Can’t really say I’m surprised at this one. Everyone was waiting for the other shoe to drop once he made his guilty plea and got his sentence (a bit light I might add, but not much different than what Leonard Little got for basically the same thing). Black Sports Online has a great post about comparing Stallworth’s sentence for his crime against Michael Vick and his offenses.
The Ravens also became the fourth team to partner with a state lottery to allow the team’s logo on scratch off lottery tickets. As I said in this post, gambling is gambling in all its forms and the NFL comes off as hypocrites for allowing its member teams to cash in with state lottery agencies while fighting vigorously to prohibit betting on its games in the state of Delaware. I can’t be the only one on Earth who sees the inconsistency in this position, am I? But then again, with the NFL, it’s all about the money. They can get paid from state lottery agencies; they would see nothing from head to head betting in Delaware.
Inspired by Backspin, XM/Sirius satellite radio’s old school hip-hop station, I thought I’d do a post with some of the songs I’ve heard on the station over the last few days:
First up, Heavy D & The Boyz “Somebody For Me”:
Let’s see…at one time, you couldn’t find a woman who didn’t like Heavy D. And the big man could move! Look at him doing those steps! Good to see Al B. Sure! in the video; if I remember correctly this was a Al B./Kyle West production, just after Al had broken through with his In Effect Mode album. Read recently that Al is making a comeback with a new album on the Hidden Beach label. After all these years, Al has decided to be heard from, to be known for being more than Diddy’s stepson’s real daddy. Good luck to him on his new project. In the meantime, enjoy this classic from the Overweight Lover…
A staple of early hip-hop was the answer record. Everyone knows how UTFO had “Roxanne, Roxanne,” and then the floodgates opened with all kinds of answer records. The Juice Crew and Boogie Down Productions had a back and forth going on where hip hop started. MC Shan and Marley Marl came out first with their classic “The Bridge” (audio only):
And the answer: Boogie Down Productions’ “The Bridge Is Over” (audio only):
I’ll take KRS-One and Scott LaRock over Shan and Marley, but KRS’ singing leaves a lot to be desired. As a singer, KRS-One is one hell of a rapper.
Keeping it moving, one of the most revered and popular rap records of the early 90s, the classic “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)” by Pete Rock and CL Smooth:
Gonna end this post with this one, Public Enemy’s Fight The Power:
In a series where they could easily have been up three games to one or at least tied at two games apiece, the Orlando Magic are 48 minutes away from watching their championship dreams disappear to the West Coast. Last night’s game was just one more nail in the Magic’s coffin. Feeling some confidence after winning game 3 in a score that was much closer than perhaps it should have been, the Magic by all rights should have been pumped for game 4, and started out strong, racing out to a twelve point lead at halftime. The Lakers made all of that up in the third quarter, setting up a back and forth fourth quarter that saw the Magic seemingly put the game on ice late. Up by three with Dwight Howard on the line needing to make just one free throw to essentially end the game and tie the series, he made neither attempt. To compound matters, on the ensuing Lakers possession, after a timeout, Jameer Nelson failed to defend the three point line against Derek Fisher, who hit nothing but net on a 3-pointer to tie the game. From then on, through the overtime period which followed, the Magic was toast.
Let’s face it: when you win a game that you shoot lights out in by less than ten points, that must be some kind of omen. Then when you follow that up with a game where turnovers are a constant problem, closing out on three point shooters is a problem and missing free throws is a problem, that is a recipe for defeat. Kobe Bryant, for all his greatness, wasn’t what did the Magic in, the Magic did themselves in. It’s a fate that has happened far too often in this series. With the Magic now facing a do-or-die scenario in all of its remaining games, I find it hard to believe that they can win three games in a row, with two of those on the Lakers’ home floor. It’s only a matter of when now, for the Los Angeles Lakers to claim another title, and for Kobe Bryant to finally stamp himself as a champion, apart from Shaquille O’Neal.
With the NBA season about to end, I have to say again that this year’s playoffs seemed to bring back excitement to the sport’s postseason. That’s not to say that there were no great plays, fanstastic finishes and exciting games in years past; it just seemed that there was more of each in the playoffs this year. Even with the blowout in Game 1 of this series, the last three games have all had their share of late drama. I wonder if this good will can continue through the offseason into the draft and on to next season. I’m pretty sure that once again, we will hear the cries of those hoping for a LeBron-Kobe showdown in the Finals, the one the Magic denied us with their series win in the Eastern Conference Finals. Nevertheless, the sport wins with a great postseason.
