A Look at Lacrosse

We are barely a week from the Minolta Face-Off Classic, a triple-header competition of top ranked NCAA teams   (including a match up between Notre Dame and Loyola, who surprised Duke and Navy respectively earlier in the season.)  The celebration of our state sport will take place at M&T Bank Stadium on March 6th.  You can read more about it (and buy your tickets) here.

US Lacrosse, the Maryland-based governing body, just issued a recent study of the sport's growth, and it is very relevant to the popularity it enjoys (and the $$$$ it returns to our state.)

Among the interesting points is the overall growth of lacrosse participants, by 8.4% in 2009.  In the youth category (a favorite Terry target,) the annual growth was 12.1%, with colleges showing a 6% increase.

(You've got to love that growth in youth sports.  That's where Maryland really shines as a destination for regional and national tournaments because we have so many top notch facilities and home grown competitors.)

Since 2001, organized lacrosse play has increased by an astonishing 120%.  They anticipate that in the next ten years, participation will again double as lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in the country.

Geographically, the sport is experiencing growth outside of its traditional Mid-Atlantic, Long Island base.  New England, San Francisco, Denver and Minnesota are mentioned as specific areas where lacrosse enjoys popularity and greater participation.

Contributing to the growth is the number of states now sanctioning the sport, the increased number of varsity lacrosse programs, the expanded coverage of NCAA games on national television and the consistent growth in attendance at the NCAA championship tournaments.

(That's where we come in, folks -- we have to keep that growth going if we want to make Maryland the traditional site of the NCAA finals.  Buy your tickets here.)

Here is an excerpt from the report:

For the last decade, lacrosse has been one of the fastest-growing team sports in the country. US Lacrosse chapters have been established in 40 states and more than 560,000 people played on organized teams in 2009 compared to just over 250,000 in 2001.


The sport is growing at almost every level of the game.


Youth lacrosse is the fastest-growing segment of the sport with more than 30,000 additional players picking up the sport last year. High school lacrosse is now sanctioned in 21 states with the addition of North Carolina and South Carolina in 2010 and Illinois in 2011. A record 60 teams will compete in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse in 2010 and new college varsity programs are popping up in states like Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Wisconsin and more.


The NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship routinely draws crowds in the neighborhood of 50,000 for games played in NFL stadiums. The pro lacrosse leagues stretch across the country and this summer’s men’s world championship is expected to feature a record 30 nations competing.


Lacrosse has become a regular feature on television with nearly 100 games scheduled to
air in 2010, primarily on ESPNU and CBS College Sports.


The sport also receives additional exposure through several sport-specific print and Internet-based publications, including Lacrosse Magazine, a monthly periodical that is mailed to each of the 300,000-plus US Lacrosse members; Lacrosse Magazine Online (www.laxmagazine.com), a news-based Web site; and the US Lacrosse Web site (www.uslacrosse.org), which provides extensive background information about the sport and the leadership provided by US Lacrosse to support the sport’s healthy growth.

You can read the complete press release (which includes a link to the full report) here.

As we've said before, Team Terry is fully committed to convincing the NCAA and other lacrosse advocates to make Baltimore the traditional home of the championship series.  We continue to compile evidence of why this is a good idea (the geographic growth and accessibility of our facilities as well as the critical fan base,) but the most convincing argument is always the bottom line.   So follow the link and get your tickets early.  This is going to be a breakout year for lacrosse festivities, and we want Maryland to drive the action.

Terry on the Tube

Terry made a special appearance on Inside Press Box, which aired this weekend on Channel 2.  His segment, about the prospects for major sports events coming to town, can be viewed here:

http://www.pressboxonline.com/video.cfm?vid=247&display=video

Special thanks to Press Box Editor Stan the Fan and Inside Press Box producer Kevin Heitz, who posted the clip for us.

Terry is on another treasure hunt this week, making a pitch to bring a major youth soccer tournament to Maryland for the next two years.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Crabs on Ice

I'll spare you the sad saga of how/why I missed the 33rd annual Crabpot Tournament in Annapolis last weekend.  Suffice to say it involved a lot of ice that wasn't on the rink and snow that was plowed into mountain ranges and frozen into glaciers.  And that was only Prince George Street.  Faint hearted soul that I am, I wasn't about to venture across the Severn when I couldn't even get near downtown.  So I missed seeing the awarding of the trophy topped by a genuine Maryland crab pot with guilded hockey player adorning the lid.

(Not exactly the Heisman, but a coveted prize nonetheless.)

Since the Crabpot is such a classic I have to write about it because skating at the Academy was a special part of growing up in Annapolis when the boys were young.  Until two years ago, Navy Hockey (a club, not varsity, sport at the Academy) called Dahlgren Hall their home pond.  Dahlgren, a beautiful old Beaux Arts building with a hanger-like ceiling, was built in 1904 and was designed as an assembly hall.  It has a balcony that wraps around all four sides and a plane hanging from the ceiling.  This creates a stunning setting for formal affairs (like the Ring Dance,)  but not much gallery space to view the games.   Nonetheless, it was great fun to stick around after skating lessons and hang over the side to watch practices and the games. 

The Crabpot Tournament, founded in 1978, is our variation of Boston's famous "Beanpot."   The idea is to have four local schools compete for state bragging rights.  What the boys and I learned the first time we attended, back in the early '90's, is that the match between Navy and Maryland (who rarely cross paths in varsity sports) was guaranteed to be intense and hard fought. Something about the bad blood left over from the finger-flipping episode in the 60's (some people never forget) and the fact that the two schools are so close and so different gave that contest a particular edge.  I'll never forget the hooting and howling when Maryland edged Navy in the final minutes (and continued celebrating in town the rest of the night.)  Imagine our surprise when we saw Maryland's most aggresive forward treating his teammates to a few brews in our favorite restaurant.  Turned out he was a waiter there when not going to class or brandishing a stick.  The boys were suitably impressed that he could do that kind of hitting without landing in timeout.

 Navy didn't get to play Maryland this year, because the Terps lost in the first round.  Alas, Navy didn't win this year because they lost to Towson, 4-1 in the final.

Despite missing the nostalgic ambiance of Dahlgren Hall, the Mids hockey program has advanced significantly since their move to McMullen Arena in the Brigade Sports Complex.  Their new digs feature an Olympic size rink, which meets NCAA standards.  This will enable them to elevate hockey to varsity status in a few years.

(Navy was named the host school for the 2009 Men's Frozen Four at the Verizon Center, further validation they are ready to take the next step.)

Since the Crabpot was the last home game of the season, it looks like I'll have to wait until next year to see the beautiful new facility.  Hopefully by then, the only ice in Annapolis will be near a Zamboni.

Curling on Cue

I grew up in Laurel and worked summers as a lifeguard at Gunpowder Golf Club.  I hadn't been there in many, many years, so it came as quite a surprise when I learned (via Sports Marketing) that the complex, now part of Fairland Recreational Park, includes the Gardens Ice House.  The Ice House is a skating center, home of the University of Maryland's ice hockey team, several youth hockey leagues and a number of aspiring figure skaters and ice dancers.

The Gardens Ice House is also the home of the National Capital Curling Center, where the Potomac Curling Club competes and trains.

This weekend, the Potomac Curling Club is hosting an open house, where they will teach visitors the art of curling.   Anyone watching the Winter Olympics (and isn't that all of us?) is mystified by curling -- a quirky sport that requires the strategy and gamesmanship of chess with the cutthroat ruthlessness of shuffleboard and hand-eye coordination of bowling or horseshoes.

As if those talents didn't rule out my participation, it also takes place on a sheet of ice, which I've experienced enough walking to work these past few days.  I don't do ice, unless there is a spritzer involved.

Therefore, Tweety is covering the Curling Club, and hopefully will take a shot with a stone or at least wield a broom (which looks too much like housekeeping to interest me.)

Terry and I were watching some Olympic curling competitions yesterday and wondered if the curlers (is that what they're called?) were allowed to grease their marbles to make it glide better, or if the sweepers could somehow paste their bristles to create grooves on the ice to steer the stones.  We weren't sure if this would constitute cheating or not.  We're hoping Tweety can enlighten us on curling ethics when she returns.

So don't suffer from curling envy.  You don't have to venture to Vancouver to appreciate the sport.  You can try it yourself.  Check out the Potomac Curling Club to learn more about this game of strategy and fellowship that is sweeping the nation.  And wait for Tweety's report to learn more about the curling enthusiasts.

The Makeshift Melter at M&T

MSA staffers are known for their resourcefulness.  Like Seabees, their "can do" approach to challenges just won't quit.

After enduring the third (or was it fourth?) major snowstorm of the season, Jeff Provenzano (Director of Football Operations) had enough.  As the dump trucks and front end loaders continued to deposit their drifts, Jeff cooked up (literally) a plan to assist the rising temperatures in making them disappear.

Using an old dumpster and some steamfitting talent from nearby Trigen, Jeff designed his own snow melter on the south side of the stadium.

It isn't as fancy or as mobile as the hired gun the City brought in from Canada, but it doesn't cost the same hourly rate ($300) as a good divorce lawyer, either.  It was patched together with materials at hand.

I dropped in last week for the test run.  The device was still getting welded together.  While the first trials indicated the pipes needed to be extended further inside, the technology was very promising.

Jeff plans to hang on to his melter until the end of snow season.  While forecasts have been scaled back considerably, Jeff isn't taking any chances.  Any new snow is going to get cooked onsight rather than packed into a mountain range.

Modest souls that we are, we didn't publicize our MacGuyverized melter.  The Canadian snow dragon got all the plaudits. 

Reminds me of another steam tycoon forgotten by history.  Do you know who invented the first steamboat?  You probably think it's Robert Fulton but in fact it is James Rumsey, a blacksmith who developed the technology and demonstrated it on the Potomac in 1787 -- twenty years before Fulton launched the Clermont in New York.  Fulton's successful commercial enterprise on the Hudson gives him the credit for being the father of the steamboat industry, whereas Rumsey had to settle for a neat oblisk monument in Shepherdstown.

So even if Jeff isn't remembered for introducing steam powered snow melting technology to Baltimore, maybe we can commemorate his invention in a marble monument of some sort at M&T.

Babe's Belated Birthday Bash

Having your birthday party postposed for two weeks is a tragedy when you're five, but when the candles number 115, a fortnight is not too much longer to wait for the kind of bash Babe received last night.

Celebrating Babe's birthday is a tradition for Sports Legends, our neighbor here at the Yards.  It's always a fun occasion to revisit the popular museum devoted to Maryland sports, because you will invariably run into old friends and relive those magical moments in Maryland sports history through the exhibits and activities.

Terry is always deluged with questions when he makes a public appearance anywhere around Camden Yards. He gets buttonholed from Pickles to Pigtown. Everyone wants to know about the status of the Indy Race and another summer soccer match. Answer is the same -- you'll know around March 1st.


So nice to see our former board member, Howard Stevens.  (Howard has to be the only person we know who couldn't lose watching the Super Bowl, having played for both the Colts and the Saints in his NFL career.)

If you haven't been to Sports Legends, or the Babe Ruth birthplace museum,  you should take the time.  It's not only a slice of Maryland history, but a dynamic place to experience the ongoing Maryland sports scene.

Annual Report Available

Haven't blogged this week due to the imminent arrival (and distribution) of Maryland Stadium Authority's Annual Report, which you can view here. 

Like most deliveries, the reports were a casualty of the snow, spending a few days on a loading dock before the truck could get to them.  Since having them in the hands of the General Assembly (from whom all blessings flow) is a priority, the blog took a back seat for the week.

That's the new Coppin State Physical Education Complex on the cover.  The report on the Office of Sports Marketing appears on pages 12-15, and overviews of our ongoing projects and studies (plus future events taking place at Camden Yards) are throughout.

If you're on our mailing list and wonder where your copy is, please be patient.  I'm stuffing as fast as I can.

Being (and Having) Good Neighbors

There are still many people who believe the only purpose for stadium complexes is to host games and create traffic at public expense.  One of the few benefits of the Blizzard of a Lifetime was demonstrating how an agency like MSA and a complex like Camden Yards are franchise players when it comes to tackling Mother Nature.

Because we (MSA) are responsible for maintaining our facilities in top condition, we have a staff of dedicated professionals who go to any length to achieve our standards despite any challenge.  That was demonstrated clearly when the first blast of the season hit us right before Christmas and the last Ravens home game.  The snow was a formidable opponent, but (like the Bears) it was no match for the home team here at the Yards.

It was this second wallop, the one-two punch we sustained over the past week, where city and state agencies really relied on the stadium complex and our team for services.  It's probably something you'll never see or hear about (our guys don't brag,) so I'll tell you.

Camden Yards is a transit center for accessing buses, trains, light rail, downtown offices, and even the airport.  Our lots have to be clear so the public can use these important connectors and drive as little as possible.

We also provide the parking for major events held at the Convention Center.  This weekend was the annual auto show and the Bridal Showcase.  I don't know if the elements detered the car fans, but I can bet it did nothing to discourage the June brides. (I can only imagine the ugly scene if the Bridezillas, bridesmaids and mothers couldn't get to that pageant.)

Convention Center activities are a significant economic factor, and we are important to their success.  You can bet the lots were clear and safe for the bridal parties and tire kickers.

In the case of a major snow, where narrow streets are impossible to plow with residents parked on them, we provide free parking for our neighbors.  The email tree we maintain with community associations let them know which lots were available to them and how best to access.

Two of the larger lots -- G and H on the southeast side of the complex -- were cleared for a crucial function in the digout process.  This is where snow removal equipment from private contractors was unloaded and dispatched.  When I visited Friday morning, it was stacked with bobcats (including a full flatbed carpooling from out of state,) bulldozers, front end loaders and dump trucks.  Most had out of state tags.   Jim Slusser, our director of security, made sure all the entrances were opened and plowed to accommodate the incoming cavalry.  When we left, a dispatcher said a convoy from Tennessee was just an hour away and they needed more room.  With City and MSA operatives working together, we were able to provide it.

(Tennessee's convoy arrived in the early afternoon. There must have been something wrong with their GPS, because they kept circling Pickles.)

Finally, there is one more, less glamorous service MSA provides -- a dumping ground for stacks of snow.  Yesterday morning, Lot J was beginning to resemble the Swiss Alps (and that was before Tennessee arrived with their heavy loaders.)  The snow had to go someplace, and the harbor was not convenient for everyone.  If you live in South Baltimore, chances are the stuff from your street is now part of the MSA Matterhorn.

We'd like to thank everyone who worked together to bring relief to the City of Baltimore.  I know our staff is exhausted.  Many have been working 12 hour shifts for over a week now.  As with the December snow, several supervisors hunkered down in the stadium club level to spend the night.

The good news is that Babe has shrugged off his winter coat and has his nice bronze glow back.  Feet are still a little snowy, but he looks like the wistful 18 year old we all know and love.

In a few minutes, I'm going down to M&T to explore a rumor about a makeshift snow melter our very ingenious staff has devised.   More as it happens . . . .

Babe in the Blizzard

Not too many folks around the Warehouse today.  (Would have been one fewer if I'd bothered to read the state's website.)

We can always rely on Babe to hold down the fort, though.  (Unlike the still-missing "8", he doesn't do road trips.)  He may look like the Abominable Snowman, but he's a reliable sentry for Camden Yards and he's always on duty, reminding our guests that it's still his neighborhood.

I'm sure, like the rest of us, he's counting the hours til Opening Day.  It's only two months away, so while you're watching the snow swirl outside your window like a scene from "Dr. Zhivago," remember that spring is almost upon us.

(As I kept reminding myself while hoofing up Howard towards home. Where's a troika when you really need one?)

Birthday with Babe

Like most of the East Coast I'm sheltered in place. But with plenty to eat and drink and lots of light in my Mt. Vernon aerie, I'm enjoying the solitude with a good book.

Big Bam is a rollicking look at the life and times of baseball's (and Maryland's) larger than life character. Spending the day with incorrigable George  (he's still an aspiring shirtmaker at. St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys at this point) seems an appropriate way to spend his 115th birthday.  It's also an escape to Baltimore in the early days of the 20th century.   Camden Yards is still a railroad terminal and our beloved Warehouse has just been completed as the largest freight facility on the East Coast.  George Herman Ruth, Sr., runs a bar in our neighborhood. 

(He's even closer to my bin than Pickles.  They found remnants of his saloon when excavating centerfield.  I keep one of the bricks on my windowsill.)

So let the snow fall. I'm enjoying my quality time with Babe in long-ago Baltimore.

NOTE:  Because of the blizzard, Babe's official birthday party, sponsored by Sports Legends Museum, has been postponed until next Friday, February 12th, from 5:00-8:00.  (Such a deal!  You can celebrate for Babe and Abe at the same time!)

Check the website for more details.

Grinding with the Grand Prix

I get asked about the progress of Baltimore Grand Prix a lot.  The proposed Indy Car street race, which would take place in on a two and a half mile course between Camden Yards and the Inner Harbor in the summer of 2011, is still in the development stage.  While questions still need to be answered about up front costs and noise abatement, the overall response has been amazingly positive. In fact, downright enthusiastic.

Still, a lot of people don't know what the race entails, who participates, and what kind of events surround it.  Supporters and promoters have been holding a series of community meetings and public gatherings to talk about the circuit, the governing body, and what staging such a production entails.

I just learned that Jay Davidson, Baltimore native and legal counsel for Baltimore Racing Development, has his own blog.  You can read more about the race and the league and even the players by checking in with Jay at http://charmcitycurrent.com/brd/  

We're hoping to hear more in the near future about this exciting proposal.

Track Tourney Time

It's hard to escape the tournaments going on this time of year.  Hockey (have you ever heard of the Purple Puck?)  swimming, and indoor track are having regional and state competitions.

What stunned me is that one of the premiere regional locations (which actually held statewide games for a number of years) is the 5th Regiment Armory here in Baltimore.

That's right -- the archaic granite castle that looks like it belongs at West Point.  Built in 1901, it is the home of the Maryland National Guard.  

I knew the landmark was used for other events, like festivals and galas. It has also been the site of such momentous occasions as the 1912 Democratic Convention (where one-time Hopkins student Woodrow Wilson was nominated in a nail-biter.)  I even went to the circus there before 1st Mariner existed (you know how long THAT's been.)  But athletic competitons?

At one time, the interior was the largest indoor space in the state.  It used to host the annual Maryland National Guard Indoor Scholastic Games, which attracted more than 2500 student athletes in individual and team competition in track and field exercises.

Although more modern facilities, such as the Prince George's County Sports and Learning Complex, now see more track and field action, the cavernous armory -- built to accommodate two regiments in formation -- is still a traditional competition site.  Its wood surface precludes the use of spikes, so competitors have to modify their stride with a more traditional running shoe.

Despite its drawbacks, the Armory has its fans, and long tradition of hosting track and field events for high school athletes all over the state.  It provides a challenge -- and experience -- all its own.

Joe and the Snow -- Highlights of the Polar Plunge

It was snowing hard before we left Baltimore, but the intrepid Picklodeons rolled merrily along.  Traffic and accidents on 97 caused us to divert to a southern route, but we reached Sandy Point in time for our scheduled 1:00 plunge.

As promised, Terry came through with clearance to the VIP tent, so after my refreshing dip in the drink.  I was able to get the coveted picture of Joe Flacco, albeit not with Tweety.  (That's Miss Maryland running interference here.)

Also ran into Governor O'Malley after his dive.  This pix was taken shortly before the last plunge was cancelled for medical reasons (not to mention the increasingly bad driving conditions that made transit officials want to clear the park.)

The actual plunge was exhilarating.  Since the air was much colder than the water, it wasn't as bad as I thought (not that I stuck around to frolic in the surf.)  The sand stung as badly as sea nettles, particularly the grains that remained frozen.

I wish I had a picture of me in the water with the rest of the Picklesicles, but there was a camera malfunction and alas, the snapshot was not saved.

Only evidence that I have of being there is on a clip from the Fox evening news.  Here I am with Ravens super fan Sports Steve.  My only noteworthy comment to his preparations for the frigid conditions was that his heart kept him warm.  Sports Steve raised over $11,000 for Special Olympics.  And his beads didn't drag him under.

At the end of a very cold day, the worthiness of the cause and the warmth in our hearts is was what everyone took home with them.

(What they were serving on the buses helped too.)

http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_2812.shtml