Sports in Stilettos

In his Senior Day this weekend, Gettysburg College senior Cory...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:10:34 -0500

In his Senior Day this weekend, Gettysburg College senior Cory Weissman scored his first and only point of his college career.

[Full story at D3Hoops.com]

Weissman suffered a life-threatening stroke during an offseason workout and was sidelined for three years, but he started - and finished - last weekend’s game against Centennial Conference rival Washington College (my alma mater!)

With :19 left in the game, Gettysburg was leading so they put Weissman in the game, and Washington College Coach Rob Nugent called for the Shoremen to foul him so Weissman could get to the free throw line (watch).

Washington College Athletics are very near and dear to my heart, even though I don’t always admit it. I wasn’t a varsity athlete in college (although, believe it or not, I was a basketball cheerleader my junior year…what?) but I worked for the Sports Information Department and I wrote extensively about the school’s athletics history, both as an undergrad and later, a staff member.

There have been a lot of great stories over the years, and this definitely deserves to be among them. I had the opportunity to talk to Coach Nugent at length a few years ago for a piece I did for a local news blog; he’s truly a stand-up guy, and this is 100% who he is and how he runs his program.

This makes me so proud of my school, and so happy for Cory Weissman.

What's the Big Deal About Stefon Diggs?

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:07:00 -0500

Stefon Diggs, a five-star recruit from Maryland powerhouse Good Counsel, was one of the last...

Will he stay or will he go? Earlier today, reports from a...

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:57:00 -0500

Will he stay or will he go?

Earlier today, reports from a “source” said Maryland quarterback Danny O’Brien met with Coach Randy Edsall to inform the coach he was transferring.

O’Brien quickly responded via his Twitter page, saying he’s still a Terp.

…But for how long?

A little over a year ago, after former Terps coach Ralph Friedgen was unceremoniously fired by the university, I wondered whether O’Brien would also hit the road. When I tweeted the news he was staying, he replied, saying that was always the plan.

I doubt that the rest of the season went as planned, though. A year after picking up ACC Rookie of the Year honors, O’Brien was forced into a game of musical quarterback with C.J. Brown. First they switched in and out, then just when it looked like O’Brien was relegated to permanent backup status, he was back in, at least until his season ended with a broken arm.

When he did play, he didn’t play nearly as well as he had as a true freshman - but he was also playing in a different scheme, under a different coaching staff. As a local reporter said on the radio early in the season, Danny O’Brien didn’t regress that much in a year’s time. What did change? The coaching staff.

It seemed pretty clear, pretty early on, that O’Brien wasn’t going to be too successful within former OC Gary Crowton’s offense, so as much as I adore #5, I hoped he’d transfer. He’s a very, very talented quarterback, and he should have the opportunity to play for a program that’s going to give him the very best chance to succeed, in college and possible even in the pros. It was beyond frustrating to see him wasted in Maryland’s offense in 2011; I can’t even begin to imagine how it felt for him.

Crowton’s not calling the plays this year, though. Instead, O’Brien would be working with Mike Locksley, who returned to College Park in the offseason after stints at Illinois, Florida and most recently (and controversially), New Mexico. I’m don’t know much about Locksley’s play-calling style, but if it’s drastically different than what we had in 2011, I’m on board. (Not that it matters, since I’m not the one playing.)

The big question, reportedly to be decided this weekend, is whether Danny O’Brien is on board.

At any point during last season, I would’ve said O’Brien should absolutely jump ship, but now, I’m less certain. I think he’ll have a better shot at a good year in 2012, but I don’t know if it will be a better situation than he’d find elsewhere. He is eligible to graduate this spring, and if he does, he’d be able to transfer to another FBS school without sitting out a year.

So will he stay or will he go?

I assume we’ll find out very soon.

Should he stay or should he go?

I’m not sure anymore.

As cliched as it is, I just hope he does the best thing for himself and his future, whether or not that’s at Maryland. He deserves it.

nfloffseason: Champion: Noun; A person who has defeated or...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:17:13 -0500

nfloffseason:

Champion: Noun; A person who has defeated or surpassed all rivals in a competition, esp. in sports.

All the talk will be about “Elite” Eli, Coughlin the Coach, even Mario Manningham’s magnificent grab, & deservedly so, but take a moment to consider Mark Herzlich & his journey.

He beat cancer, after being told to forget football & maybe even walking ever again. He went undrafted. When the NFL returned from it’s lockout, he chose to sign with the Giants, making the squad out of training camp. While he may have been inactive tonight, as his teammates won the Lombardi trophy, there is no doubt that his life’s story can be defined by just one word tonight.

Champion

I couldn’t find a photo of Mark Herzlich to post immediately after the game, so here it is. This guy right here is the reason I’m happy the Giants won. I have been SUCH a fan for years and I am so incredibly happy for him. He deserves this more than anyone.

Congrats to the 2012 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants If the...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:05:31 -0500

Congrats to the 2012 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants

If the Ravens couldn’t get there, at least we got a winner with a shout-out from Madagascar so I could post a clip with a zebra in it.

Thanks to my sister for the clip. You can follow her on Twitter: @T_ricks10

undercalicoskies: whylimeee: Tweet by UNC basketball player...

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:41:07 -0500

undercalicoskies:

whylimeee:

Tweet by UNC basketball player Kendall Marshall

I’m going to choose to ignore whatever that ellipsis is insinuating and take this as a compliment.

(via Twitter / @sunjeffbarker: Shot today in Terps” footb...

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:33:00 -0500

(via Twitter / @sunjeffbarker: Shot today in Terps” footb …)

The Baltimore Sun’s Jeff Barker shared the above shot from the Maryland football locker room on Twitter Friday. I might’ve posted a photo of these before but they’re so freakin’ flashy and fabulous that this shoe-loving sports blogger can’t resist.

There are a lot of Terps fans out there who don’t have one little bit of love for any bit of the Maryland Pride football uniforms, and I admit, I wasn’t that into them at first either.

These cleats, though. I want a pair. How can you not love them?

Seriously. I’m curious. When I look at those crazy, busy, outlandish, amazing cleats, my eyes get all heart-shaped, Pepe le Pew-style and I can’t stop pondering the possibility of turning those spikes into a spike heel. I’d probably never wear them out, but that’s besides the point. There are thousands of shoes that are works of art rather than footwear intended to be worn.

I might get a little hypnotized every time I look at them, so if you’re a Maryland fan, and looking at these uniforms makes you want to squeeze your eyes closed and never open them again: Why? What am i missing?

(Forgot to post this the other night. Better late than never,...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:23:02 -0500

(Forgot to post this the other night. Better late than never, especially when it’s Adam McQuaid!)

Fifty-four’s a fighter.

Only thing better than all those rights he landed?

That moment, that very special moment, when the helmet came off.

And the fabulous hair was set free.

How can you not love a McQuaid Mullet?

USC Football: Strapped by Scholarship Limits, Trojans Sign 12 in '12 | isportsweb

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:44:56 -0500

USC Football: Strapped by Scholarship Limits, Trojans Sign 12 in '12 | isportsweb: My roundup on...

Marine pumped to join Aztecs | UTSanDiego.com

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:59:00 -0500

Marine pumped to join Aztecs | UTSanDiego.com : “Justin Aysse just turned 25. He didn’t...

1/31/12 Four-star WR Bryce Treggs, who recently visited USC and...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:38:04 -0500

1/31/12

Four-star WR Bryce Treggs, who recently visited USC and received an offer (sort of), remains a solid Cal commit.

Four-star DT Aziz Shittu was projected to Stanford, but USC wants him, too. A lot. They could probably make a pretty convincing argument with “Next Nick Perry.” Anyway, he’s not saying until Wednesday.

Which means these two are just toying with us all now.

National Signing Day’s around the corner! If you’re...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:57:43 -0500

National Signing Day’s around the corner!

If you’re new to Sports in Stilettos, hello and welcome! I’m Justine!

With just two days to go before Signing Day, the college football world is fawning over a bunch of highly talented teenagers and hanging on their every word (and every tweet!). Because that’s healthy and productive.

I’m a little too old to care much about high school dudes, but since I also blog about the USC Trojans’ football program over at isportsweb, I get to watch this annual mating dance between university and potential star from a distance and report on it. Yesssssss.

I obsessed over boys quite enough when I was actually in high school, thank you very much, so my recruiting posts, unlike this explanation, are short and sweet.

USC Football: In With the New has a look at current commits and who else the Trojans hope to sway by Wednesday.

USC Football Recruiting: Trojans whiff on Armstead, snag Banner gives today’s updates (spoiler: USC is 1 for 1 on recruits so far this week)

And since it’s not over until we hit 75 peeps, there will be more to come on Wednesday. Get excited.

"To be fair, the blame for this shouldn’t really fall on Driesell. It should fall on a Maryland..."

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:14:57 -0500

“To be fair, the blame for this shouldn’t really fall on Driesell. It should fall on a...

I had a message from Anonymous the other day asking if I was...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:40:00 -0500

I had a message from Anonymous the other day asking if I was going to blog about Gary Williams Court, the Maryland-Duke game, and the special Under Armour shoes Darren Rovell tweeted.

I didn’t see Rovell’s tweet, but here are the shoes Under Armour designed just for last night’s game, at which Coach Williams was honored.

Say what you want about Under Armour and Maryland uniforms, but Mr. Plank’s peeps sure make some hot shoes. (Or as hot as shoes can be if they’re not stilettos!)

And here’s what I posted about Gary Williams Court and the Maryland-Duke game. (Quick game recap here.)

Anonymous, let me know if this covers it!

[Gary Williams special shoes images shared via The Washington Post - Maryland’s Gary Williams Shoes]

Quick Thoughts on Maryland-Duke

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:37:00 -0500

Man. I thought we had a shot there for a second. Must. Shoot. Foul Shots. I think the Terps were...

Ceremony to honor former Maryland head coach Gary Williams and...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:10:19 -0500

Ceremony to honor former Maryland head coach Gary Williams and name the court after him. Not gonna lie, my brain leaked out my eyes a little bit at this.

I realize not everyone agrees with it, but this was a fitting tribute to a man who came to embody Maryland basketball and everything for which the program stands. It was broken when he took over as head coach, and he took it to the very top. Yes, there were others who did great things for the team and the university - it wasn’t all Gary.

But Gary’s an enormous part of the reason you walk past that national championship trophy case when you enter Comcast Center - he’s a big part of the reason the Comcast Center even exists - and donation or no donation, I’m thrilled the university decided to honor his legacy this way.

It’s not Garyland anymore, but Gary Williams Court sounds pretty darn good.

Every year on the occasion of the Maryland-Duke game (and...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:57:31 -0500

Every year on the occasion of the Maryland-Duke game (and sometimes in between, when I need a pick-me-up), I watch the video of former Terp Dave Neal taking Duke’s Nolan Smith OUT during the 2009 game at Comcast Center.

Seriously, I’ve seen concrete walls that can’t set a screen that solid. And then! To finish with the 3-pointer! It’s all the reasons I love Dave Neal rolled into one clip.

My ab-fab favorite part about it?

I was there.

I went to great lengths to procure tickets for my dad for Christmas, and we got every bit of my money’s worth (unfortunately, I also set the bar for Christmas presents impossibly high).

My dad’s a big Terps fan, but until then, he’d never been to a game. Lemme tell ya, it would’ve been tough to pick a better one.

The Maryland-Duke game in College Park is, at least for Maryland fans, one of the most awesome sporting events imaginable. The atmosphere is so frenzied, so emotionally charged, that it’s tough to even describe. And when Maryland actually plays well against Duke and it’s a close game, the atmosphere is like frenzied running on too little sleep and way, way too much Red Bull. Or Four Loko. Insane.

Imagine that wild atmosphere, and then add in a Maryland fan favorite (Neal), a hated rival, a block that a linebacker would admire, and a beautiful, clutch, three-point shot. Can it possibly get any better than that? Some might say yes, like if they’d managed to hold on for the win, but for this Terps-crazy sports nut and her papa, you know, I don’t think it could.

Although, the following year, I was at Comcast Center when Duke came to town as the top-ranked team and LOST and Jordan Williams dunked on Jon Scheyer on a no-look pass from Greivis Vasquez right in front of me.

That came really, really close to usurping Dave Neal’s screen for the title of Most Awesome Sports Moment Ever, but c’mon, there’s just no usurping Dave Neal.

This year’s game itself probably won’t be one of those unforgettable ones (it wouldn’t shock me if it’s one Terps fans would rather forget), but after a pregame ceremony, it’ll be the first game played on Gary Williams Court. It’s an incredible, well-deserved honor for a man who defined Maryland basketball.

If you’re going, I’m envious. And when you’re there, do me (and yourself) a favor. Look around. Take it in. Join the crazy crowd and yell something at Duke that the administration probably won’t approve of. Look at that wall of screaming, fanatical fans in the student section, and realize that all of them, and all the great games and unforgettable finishes in recent memory, all of them are the work of Gary Williams.

Except that screen. That’s all Dave Neal.

Guess what’s in this package? Oh, you know, just an...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:29:24 -0500

Guess what’s in this package?

Oh, you know, just an awesome vintage-y Ravens sweatshirt from a Junk Food sample sale.

Womp.

Nothing like getting brand new super awesome fabulous team gear two days after your team’s season ends. I might just let this package sit unopened for awhile.

"God has never made a mistake. He has never made one mistake. It ain’t about one play, it ain’t about..."

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:59:30 -0500

“God has never made a mistake. He has never made one mistake. It ain’t about one play, it...

"If “ifs” and “buts” were candies and nuts, it would be Christmas every day."

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:22:05 -0500

“If “ifs” and “buts” were candies and nuts, it would be Christmas...