Seeing, feeling "Raw"

How much excitement can we take?  Yesterday, it was the invasion of the terrible towels (they arrived early and took over most of the bar stools by mid afternoon.)  After they were safely dispatched up the Yachagheny, a convey of semis rumbled into town.  For anyone wondering why 1st Mariner was under seige, they thoughtfully wrapped the 18 wheelers in pictures.  So for those commuting down Cathedral, the lovely diva Maryse provided a better jolt than morning latte.

Yes, the WWE is back and broadcasting live.  Tonight, "Raw" will be coming to viewers from Baltimore, with special guest host Mini Me from the Austin Powers series.  (Wouldn't Ray Lewis have been more appropriate?)

I can't say this event will make my dance card, but I'll probably tune in between breaks in the Saints-Patriots rumble.  Baltimore is a great wrestling town and 1st Mariner is sure to be jumping.

Leaf by leaf

Great news! Our seven crape myrtle trees, compliments of the City of Baltimore, arrived this week. As I related earlier (in the saga of our windowsill lavender nursery) MSA had to scrap our environmental landscaping this fall due to budget cuts. So we've been trying to make do by growing our own crops (the lavender sprouts) and identifying benevolent parties who want to save energy and protect the watershed as much as we.

Our very modest goal for this fall was the median strip between our service road and Russell Street, just before Hamburg Street. This gateway to our complex is usually patrolled by a panoply of panhandlers. That, along with trampled turf and sign clutter, make a less than impressive vision of Baltimore.

Instead, we plan to have a row of Powhattan crape myrtles, a fast growing, moderately sized street tree with an umbrella like canopy that produces bright purple blossoms in late summer.

(For all you Muskogee fans, we know they grow bigger and bloom longer. However, that pale lilac is just a little too girly for our Ravens. Trust us -- you'll love the Powhatans.)

Although we still won't be able to put in the perennials we wanted, the crape myrtles will get us started. Eventually, we hope to carry the look to other areas between parking lots to help offset the heat island effect from our acres of asphalt. And, like the regulars on the median strip, we'll have a hand outstretched to anyone willing to chip in.

Special thanks to Anne Draddy and Beth Strommen from the City. Please put un on the list for the next plant-a-thon.

Soar with the Eagles!

I have a lot of neat experiences working for the Stadium Authority. Among my favorites is visiting facilities we built, seeing how they impact their communities in large and small ways. I've enjoyed performances at the Hippodrome, galas at the Convention Center, a murder mystery at the Geppi Museum, and numerous events at Sports Legends. This year, it was a special treat to attend the Ripken World Series in Aberdeen, and a soccer match at our most recent project, Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf.

I've said it before -- there is nothing more gratifying than watching families enjoy time together at something they all love. (Seeing happy, smiling County Commissioners is a nice touch, too.)

I've learned it isn't just about the performances that take place in the structures, it's about the lives it affects. Sports (and entertainment) engage people of all cultures and interests in a shared experience. Our projects promote a sense of community. In many cases, they provide economic development, neighborhood revitalization, and historic preservation in the process.

There's also a component in our mission that goes largely unrecognized -- education. Next Saturday, I'll be attending a long-anticipated event on the campus of Coppin State University -- the opening of a new sports arena which is the centerpiece of a Physical Education Complex three years in the making. Morgan State, beware. The Eagles will be soaring December 5th.

MSA has done university projects before, at College Park, Towson, and UMBC. All have become important parts of campus life. They've also hosted regional and national events. (Let us not forget the major chess tournament for which UMBC is famous.)

However, Coppin State, with its urban location, compact size, and modest facilities, will be truly transformed by this addition. The enormous three building center, with tracks, fields, parking lots and a new entrance, will enlarge the university size by a third. That's probably not the most important impact, though. Coppin is a wellspring of educational and cultural opportunity in a struggling community.

It is also a fully engaged partner in developing the neighborhood. Coppin likes to say they grow their own students, since they operate an elementary school and magnet middle school. Nursing students staff a neighborhood storefront clinic. Coppin does not occupy an ivory tower; it stays real.

Coppin is more than a beacon to those who never thought college possible. It provides an avenue through its outreach. Just as other structures we have built have become multiuse, year round facilities, Coppin will be a community resource, with sports and recreational opportunities as segue to higher learning.

For a preview of the Coppin Physical Education Complex, go here (and be sure to click the webcam for a real time look.) To see some of the happiest college kids in Baltimore, come to the game next Saturday evening.

Always in Season

I love this time of year.  After tomorrow, I can wear my holiday sweaters all the way through New Year's.  It's a short season, but a merry one.  When you're in the sports biz, you tend to regard the calendar not by months, but seasons.  It's something like being a mom, when you look at life through school schedules (or gestations periods.)

I mentioned our nine month countdown before birthing the NCAA Lacrosse Championships on Memorial Day. We've passed a relatively quiet first trimester but when I checked our Camden Yards calendar, I realized the triumphant weekend will actually be the third in a series of tournaments that carry Maryland's team sport from winter into summer. That's when it occurred to me:  in Maryland, it's always lacrosse season.  (Why don't they make garish sweaters so I can celebrate year-round?)

M&T Bank Stadium will host the first triple-header Face Off Classic in early (br-r-r-r-r-) March. Sponsored by Minolta and promoted by Inside Lacrosse magazine, the Face-Off Classic has paired top ranked college teams at the season's start . While the first three years of competition attracted as many as 20,000 fans for a doubleheader, the addition of a third pair of contenders is almost guaranteed to up the ante.

Yes, the weather can be iffy in March (remember the ignominious departure of the Colts?) and last year it was pretty miserable. But lacrosse fans are a hardy bunch and always eager to see the best teams and look at the newest equipment at the beginning of the season.

Three local teams (Maryland, Hopkins, and Loyola) will take on three tough opponents (Duke, Princeton, and Notre Dame) in that order on March 6th. A full day of hard hitting action and indoor tailgating at Pickles.

On April 17th, the second annual Smartlink Day of Rivals (another Inside Lacrosse production) takes place. This double header features two classic grudge matches -- Army-Navy and Maryland-Hopkins -- and hopefully better spring weather.

By the time Memorial Day rolls around, local lacrosse fans should be familiar with at least some of the final four because they've likely already seen them at M&T (or Annapolis, where quarter finals will be held again in 2010.)

As lacrosse becomes a major sport around the country, Maryland is increasingly recognized as the go-to place for tournaments, conventions, camps and clinics. It isn't just the top notch facilities and passionate fan base, it's institutional memory, coaching talent, rec leagues and school programs providing infrastructure to nurture athletes and develop the sport's popularity. The Lacrosse Hall of Fame is here, as is the sport's governing body and major communications network (Inside Lacrosse magazine.)   Even lacrosse equipment is manufactured here.

Maryland is a four season lacrosse state. After the winter to spring season, we'll be into professional lacrosse during the summer (finals in Annapolis again next year) and fall ball exhibitions and tourneys that continue to expand the program.

So the NCAA Championships aren't the beginning, middle or end of the 2010 lacrosse frenzy in Maryland. But they are the marquee event for the sport, and they should be a regular part of Maryland lacrosse heritage (and yes, Terry's working on that . . . .)

Bit by Bit – more tales of the trails

There was a small notice in the Baltimore Sun for a community meeting about improvements to Robert E. Lee Park, which straddles the City-County line above Lake Roland.

Only by reading between the lines is it apparent another segment of the Jones Falls Trail is taking a small step forward. This portion, which incorporates some old railroad property (seen above,) will eventually connect a beautiful natural resource area with downtown Baltimore. Like the now-popular Gwynns Falls Trail which passes through Camden Yards, it has been many years and numerous setbacks in the process. Budget cuts, environmental concerns and NIMBYism impede progress, but the care and consensus that go into these trails make them worth the wait.


Checking on my favorite stalled project, the South Shore Trail in Anne Arundel County, I was encouraged by an update from planner Ken Alban. The South Shore Trail will connect numerous schools, neighborhoods, libraries, parks, and ballfields between Annapolis and Odenton, coursing through communities just as the train did many years ago.   No, it is not yet “shovel ready,” but steady progress is taking place on each of the remaining segments. Easements, property acquisition, and the all-important funding are in the works. The design process has begun.


I recently wrote about Baltimore’s experience with the committee compiling the US bid for a future World Cup.  It bears repeating. Our selection as a site depends a great deal on our commitment to sustainability. Not just recycling and energy conservation, but facilities accessible by mass transit, bicycle and foot. Fortunately, our city and state planners were visionary in compiling a master plan which includes public access the old rightaways that provide connectivity.  Implementation is underway, bolstering our case.


While you may not share our enthusiasm for trails as linear parks or part of your fitness regimen, remember that in much of the world (particularly where decision makers reside) pedestrian and bicycle paths are a significant part of transportation infrastructure.

Bit by bit, we are getting there.

Of Blue Hens and Hokies

I was cruising down 97 towards Annapolis for the Navy game when a carload of Blue Hens streaked past. What on earth, mused I, ever made University of Delaware select “Blue Hen” for a mascot?  That even sounds silly at 70 mph.


Yes, Maryland has a team named after its state bird, but Baltimore Orioles has better ring and more stylish plumage than Delaware Blue Hens. South Carolina has a poultry mascot, but at least Gamecocks suggest a pugilist nature. Not only are hens a little fluttery, they are, well, GIRLS. Hard to visualize guys in shoulder pads clucking on a nest.  Makes me cackle just to think of it.


I once read that Delaware’s mascot was the only one known to be exclusively female, but Mike Frenz pointed out that Williams College has the purple cow (“I’d rather see than be one”) as their spirit symbol. Of course, the cerebral and select Williams (whose athletes are referred to as “Ephs”) is the kind of school that could pull it off.

And whatever inspired Virginia Tech to choose “hokie,” the agricultural term for a neutered male turkey? ( Think: gobbler version of capon.) Most people don’t know what a hokie is, even when they see the wacky big bird stalking the sidelines.


There are various reasons offered for how the school made this particular choice (along with the orange/maroon colors,) but no matter how it evolved, Hokie seems to work, verbally and visually. It certainly did in College Park. The Terp fans all wore black, which didn’t auger well -- especially with the team outfitted in camouflage. (If they were trying to hide from VT, it didn’t work.) The color contrast in the stands emphasized the flock of Techies in attendance, particularly in the fourth quarter when the hometown faithful fled and the turkeys were still trotting.


In Annapolis, the Mids prevailed, despite a scary first half. The Blue Hens are no chickens. Last time they flew in, Navy scored 52 points and STILL lost to a team led by a guy named Flacco. So no one in Annapolis snickers about the hens laying an egg. They’ve made omelettes out of opponents too often.

So Delaware and Virginia Tech are proof that schools can enjoy successful athletic programs and very loyal fans despite having peculiar mascots. I can’t help but wonder if the Fighting Artichokes of Scottsdale do as well.

AND SPEAKING OF MASCOTS . . . . there's still time to vote for our two local favorites, Bill the Goat and Testudo the Terrapin, in the Capital One National Mascot Challenge.  Bill and Testy have advanced to the quarter finals, and need your support.  Go to:  http://www.capitalonebowl.com/vote/main?utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=MascotDig09&utm_source=SportsFanLive&utm_content=M2&utm_term=RunofNCF

Pit Beef in Pigtown

(Part of Game Day Vignettes, an occasional look at experiences off the field)

I won't be around for the next Ravens home game. While I can follow the action on a flat screen in a roomful of fans, there will be a major part of my Game Day Experience lacking. It's not the kind of thing you can replicate in a sports bar because it requires the sights, smells, and industrial grit of 19th Century Baltimore. It's the pre-game hoedown at the Ridgely Street Fire (pronounced "farr") Hall, on the edge of Pigtown. I'm not ashamed to admit -- it's my favorite part of the day.

Much of the appeal of the Camden Yards complex is its sense of place, its connection with history. This theory has been upheld in numerous conversations with visitors from all over the country (especially the Red Sox fans that many find so annoying.) Camden Yards isn't just Anywhere, USA. It was a major hub of the city's industrial and manufacturing past, with many of the old buildings remaining on the periphery. When you're at a game here, you know you're in Baltimore.

The trains running through the complex are a regular reminder. So are the old warehouses south of M&T Bank Stadium and abandoned factories along the Middle Branch that convert very nicely to tailgate venues on game day.

It is this sprawl of revelers that present a golden opportunity for aspiring entreprenuers and organizations. In Sharp-Leadenhall, the neighborhood association has a refreshment stand with cook-out fare and bottled drinks. The PTA sells parking spaces. But the most elaborate fringe operation I've encountered is run by the firefighters in their union hall in Pigtown.

The pit beef and firehouse chili are cooked in the back, where horses were once stabled. A rooftop deck is the stage for a local radio station's pre-game show. Picnic tables provide seating, but outside most folks just prefer to mingle.

The historic building (my favorite part) is wide open, with TVs and tables to watch pre-game commentary. Admittedly, I'm probably the only person more interested in the architectural details. The tin ceiling, tiled foyer, slate mantles and original firepole are vestiges of a bygone era. There are still hooks where harnesses for the horses were hung. This isn't a toney theme bar, it's a slice of life, a visit to long ago in a company town.

On game day, it's teeming with fans who make it a regular stop before the game. The drinks are cheap, the company spirited, and the atmosphere classic Baltimore -- a mixture of personalities (and accents) impossible to categorize.

This operation is run by volunteers, as a fund raiser for their organization. They prepare and serve the food, staff the bar, and clean up. They seem to be having as good a time as their patrons.

There is a formula to calculate the value of sports and recreation as revenue generators, which we release in economic impact studies. It tracks monies spent on tickets, concessions, hotels, restaurants, and merchandise. They shake up these figures with a few multipliers, and determine how much tax is produced and how many dollars are circulated in the region.
But it is difficult to quantify the true impact of a major sports event on the community it surrounds. Yes, some residents complain about noise and parking. But to others, it represents opportunity -- lemonade just waiting to be squeezed from the bitter fruit. For every neighbor who complains about traffic, there is an entreprenuer who opens up his driveway or yard for all day parking and pockets the proceeds. Instead of griping about the noise and congestion, the firefighters recruit sponsors, partner with a radio station, set up a lucrative concession, and join in the fun with a rollicking block party.

In Annapolis, the Boat Shows are one of the biggest boons and worst curses of downtown life -- depending on whether you live or do business there. But for the Fleet Reserve Club, also located on City Dock, the Boat Shows allow an operation similar to the Ridgely Fire Hall. For the better part of two weeks, they open their club to the public, inviting them to drink at their bar and partake of the pit beef they prepare on their waterside deck. Club members staff the operation, and I'm told (although I doubt if anyone knows for sure) what they generate during that time covers a big chunk of their expenses for the year.

I wish someone would do a study, albeit an anecdotal one, of the enterprises who operate on the fringe of sports and recreation activities. Maybe they don't make a living off of this element of the visitor industry, but they certainly reap benefits and join in the fun. More importantly, they contribute to the experience -- part of the tradition and heritage that make Maryland such an interesting place to visit.

Lavender Fields Forever

Admittedly, it doesn't have the same ring as the John Lennon classic, but the sentiment does resonate in the Warehouse. It is here, in the window sills overlooking downtown, an experiment is taking place to advance the environmental sensitivity of the Bay watershed. On a budget. By admitted amateurs.

The story begins with the Stadium Authority's commitment to "bayscape" the outer perimeters of our Camden Yard complex. Bayscaping is a recognized term for planting techniques that eliminate runoff, retain soil, and reduce the need for mowing, watering and fertilizing. The Stadium Authority is mindful that our 85 acres is at the headwaters of the greatly stressed Middle Branch, and we need to do everything we can to protect it from damaging elements.

One of the problem areas was the area east of M&T Bank Stadium, where the train tracks run beneath the pedestrian bridge. The steep bank was difficult to mow, leaving it strewn with weeds and trash. It was also populated by a colony of groundhogs, whose burrowing habits made erosion control event more difficult.

Last spring, the top of the steep grade was planted in large ornamental grasses and bright purple butterfly bushes. Not only was the effect a major improvement over the weeds, it stablized the bank (although the groundhogs were annoyed at the disturbance.)

While plans were being developed to finish the project in the fall, Executive Director Mike Frenz read an interesting story in the New York Times about the lavender industry in the Sonoma Valley. The lavender plants were hardy, drought resistent, and (best of all) perennial. The fields were redolent with the fragrance, and serenely beautiful in shades of (what else?) purple.

It sounded perfectly poetic. And ideal for the well drained, full sun, water-challenged gateway to M&T Bank Stadium. Imagine how lovely it would made this approach to Baltimore. How nice the groundhogs would smell after frolicking in it all day.

Phase II was drawn in a field of Munstead (an English country garden variety) lavender plants. Prolific propegators, these plants could be divided every few years to continue the field further and further down the bank.

It was then the perfect environmental and beautification plan ran into an ugly reality -- budget cuts. The groundhogs breathed a sign of relief -- fall planting was cancelled, the lavender-covered slope put on indefinite hold.

Then, the Bay offered its own solution. Ebay, that is.

While lavender plants seeds are supposedly difficult to identify by species (or so Google says) there was a supplier of alleged Munstead seeds on eBay. Also a purveyer of peat pots and planting soil. It was worth a shot to see if sustainable plants could be grown from seed and successfully transplanted.

NOTE: This project was privately funded. No state monies were invested in this experiment!

(End of disclaimer; back to the story)

So now, two months after being planted with seeds no larger than a deer tick, approximately 50 lavender plants are being nutured by volunteers at the Maryland Stadium Authority. They occasionally hear jibes about the innocent-looking sprouts (no, they aren't Wacky Tobaccy is the most frequent response) but the gardeners are steadfast, tending to their charges every day (with an extra dose Friday afternoons.)

Hopefully, by April the plants will be ready to take their place on the bank. If they thrive through the summer with minimal attention, we will know that, indeed, lavender CAN be grown from seeds, and arrange for this much cheaper alternative to improve our watershed and beautify our property.

But regardless, this experiment is already a success, because we've seen our MSA colleagues (including the boss) are great sports, willing to step us to help us meet a challenge.  It's the MSA way, and we're pretty proud.