The D-Day Tutorial

We realize not every soccer-phile can slouch over their computer for hours on end, hitting "refresh" to get the latest odds and assorted intrigues surrounding World Cup Decision Day.

So just to bring you up to date on past history and present scuttlebut, Fox Soccer Channel has thoughtfully compiled a series of specials on the decision-making process.  By tuning in, you can spout platitudes with the best of the insiders when the big announcement is made. 

With Decision Day 2022: A Fox Soccer Report Special, the network will bring viewers the historic announcement live from FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, along with interviews with leading figures in U.S. Soccer and fan reaction from viewing parties around the country.   This program will air live beginning at 9:30 AM (ET.) Curt Menefee, host of Fox Sports's 2010 UEFA Champions League Final coverage and Fox NFL Sunday, will host the special.

On December 1 at 9:00 PM (ET) a 30-minute preview show, D-Day Minus 1, will examine all of the nations in contention to host the tournaments in 2018 and 2022.    This overview will be followed at 9:30 PM by Team USA: Journey to Glory.

So you have plenty of time to get briefed on the past present and future of Sam's Army by tuning in the Fox Soccer Channel.  If you don't have that on your cable plan, you can always stop in early to Slainte's.  Soccer is always the topic of conversation, and they open at 7:00 AM.

Team Terry looks forward to having you join us for this momentous occasion.

A New View from Bin 400

I was just asked about the horrible racket in the background during a telephone conversation.  Horrible racket, indeed!!  What he was hearing was the sweet sound of jobs and a major event in the making.

Behold the view from Bin 400, Warehouse B.  That's the future Pit Row of the 2011 Baltimore Grand Prix under construction.  (What looks like rubble in the lower right corner is actually granite window sill.  MOSHA doesn't allow me to lean any farther.)

The large rectangular pit in the foreground will be the site of an underground reservoir that will capture stormwater runoff and allow it to be reused for irrigation.  That's supposed to arrive next week.

The oval area at the top, which is where the race cars will enter from Conway Street, will be levelled and transformed into a pedestrian mall with portable trees, planters, streetlights and benches that can be moved to accommodate the race.

In less than a year, the east side of the Warehouse will be one of the most exciting stretchs of the internationally covered race, as cars zip down Conway Street and spin into the pit or veer left to take the corner at Lee Street.  As for now, a little jackhammering just helps us keep alert.

Swivel and Swing at the Convention Center

Probably the only table you had to concern yourself with this weekend was the one surrounded by relatives and starring a turkey.  So just imagine a 150,000 square foot room  with 144 tables, and a thousand very active, highly competative, people scrambling over top of each other, reaching for something other than cranberry sauce.

Wecome to the annual United States Table Tennis North American Teams Championship in Baltimore.

For three days, thousands of table tennis competitors with their friends and family descend on the Inner Harbor for this event that gives each team numerous opportunities to improve by playing teams of all skill levels.  First held in 1998, this tournament attracts athletes from all over the world and continues to increase attendance every year.

[A few clarifications for those of you who may have some questions at this point.  First, Table Tennis is an Olympic Team Sport.  Second, it isn't nice to call it Ping Pong, no matter what you remember from Forrest Gump, Balls of Fire, or the Nixon Administration.  The sport (not game) is Table Tennis.  It uses racquets, not paddles.]

The Baltimore tournament is considered the largest in the world, with participants playing the most matches over the three days of competition. On Friday, teams play between 2 and 4 ties against other teams (a  "tie" is the best of 9 matches; each "match" is the best of 5 games) in preliminary play.

These results are used to assign Saturday and Sunday matches according to ability. Every team will play at least 40 and as many as 108 matches.

(Does your wrist hurt yet?) 

On Sunday, the top ("Elite Division") players will compete for cash prizes.  These include Olympians, National Champions, and World Champions.  This is the most popular of the spectator events, as all other participants get to rest their rotators and enjoy.

As this annual tournament continues to grow in popularity hope to keep welcoming them back to Maryland for years to come.  It's a great way to burn off those holiday calories.

Partnering for Pedals

It was one of the first things that caught my eye in Hyde Park, London (along with the cranks on the soapbox and the lovely landscaping.)  Under the shade of an aged sycamore there was a horizonal kiosk.  At first glance, it looks like an industrial strength bike rack, but you'll notice that all the bikes look alike.

That's because they're rental models, available for hire by the hour or day. Just a convenient swipe of your credit card, then pedal off.

The vending machine in Hyde Park was tourist-oriented, with a map showing various routes around the park and estimated times of each.  However, it also explained the bikes could be taken out of the park and returned at other kiosks located around the City, like the one pictured in a popular commercial district.

The enterprise was sponsored by Barclay, the banking giant also attached to the Premiere League.  Barclay gets around -- literally.

Thinking this was the coolest, neatest idea yet (and seeing the practical application it could have in our parks and promenades) I contacted Nate Evans, Baltimore City's bicycle guru, and asked if he knew about it.

Of course, Nate is at least two years ahead of me in all things bicycle.  He gave me the good news that this has been under consideration for some time and, by a remarkable coincidence, a similar program was now out for bid with hopes it can be operational next year.

In fact, Nate informed me, it has already proved very popular in Washington, where the program is sponsored by Clear Channel.

The concept is called "Bike Share" and it is focused as much on commuters and part time recreational riders as it is on tourists.  It is not unlike the ZipCar principle of "wheels when you need them."

As Baltimore (and much of Maryland for that matter) becomes more cycle-centric, with legislation protecting the rights of riders, new off-road trails in design and under construction, and more facilities to accommodate patrons (including those at Camden Yards,) now might be a good time to take another look at the Bicycle Map of Baltimore that Nate keeps updated.  You'll note how many new segments have either come online or provide links to existing trails and public transportation stops.

Among the staunchest bicycle advocates statewide are college towns, where cycling is frequently the transportation of choice to and around campus.  College Park has a very active advocacy group.  They connect to Paint Branch, Greenbelt and hope to reach the Anacostia Trail into DC via Bladensburg.  Prince George's County has done a wonderful job with their connectors.  Thanks to a recent $110,000 state grant from Community Legacy Program,  Hyattsville will be creating safe passages to their two Metro Stations.

This is a good time to evaluate the progress Maryland continues to make with cycling routes, because it is a huge deal to Europeans.  Should the USA be fortunate enough to win the 2022 World Cup, the focus turns to which of the 18 sites has the best public and alternative transportation resources, which ones are the most environmentally sensitive.  (No kidding -- these factors are among the foremost considerations.  You thought it was only the June temperature?)

I'm off to Camden Yards now, to take pictures of the gathering throngs for the Annual Report.  Hopefully, this time I'll catch some of those cycling fans on their way to the game.  They move much faster than the buses, cars, pedestrians and my shutter finger.  Which is one more good reason (other than free secure storage) why it's worth pedaling to the park.

Team Terry on Track

It was inevitable that Terry’s efforts to reel in more of the lucrative youth tournament market would take him around the track. Particularly when the facilities and access in Maryland are so attractive for regional competitions. It was only a matter of time before a major governing body like USA Track and Field came calling, and that’s where Terry and Tweety were this week when soccermania started to swirl.

The site visit took them first to Landover, where the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex is located on 80 acres next to FedEx field. As the name indicates, the facility is all about showcasing scholastic athletes in a four star setting.

While it includes a natatorium and Bermuda grass football/lacrosse fields, the arena and indoor/outdoor competition tracks make it the Holy Grail of youthful harriers. The Prince George’s facility, constructed with public and private sector resources, is managed by the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It is being considered for the 2013 Masters Indoor Championship.

The arena, with its field house, 200 meter Mondo track, fitness room, gymnastics facility, and aquatics center - all linked by an atrium and overhead observation areas -- is a knockout in the “wow” factor. Add all the onsite parking and nearby interstate access and you can see why Terry was so eager to show it off.

Morgan State is in the hunt to land the 2012 Junior Olympic Championships. The rambling urban campus with its stadium and 400 meter Mondo track (that’s the same surface used in the Olympics) traditionally hosts the Maryland State Track and Field championships in the spring.

As luck would have it, Team Terry has leave for Virginia Beach for the final presentation of the bids to USATF right after we learn about the 2022 World Cup. The good news is the governing body will make their decisions about both events on December 3rd. So hopefully we’ll be celebrating a lot the first week of December.

In any case, we know the visitors were greatly impressed with what Maryland has to offer. It won’t be the last time we are considered for major track and field tournaments.

Drumming Up Green on the Fields

There was a big announcement in Annapolis last week when the Conference and Visitors Bureau landed the biggest convention in their history.

Over Labor Day, 2012, the Drum Corps Associates will hold their World Championships at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. That translates into about 13,000 drum beating, horn tooting and flag waving marchers, plus family and friends who travel for the annual competitions and enjoy the long weekend in shops, restaurants and hotels. An estimated $10 million in revenue will be generated.

Snaring this gig involved months of negotiations and collaborations with the Naval Academy, city and county for facilities. So what does it have to do with sports, you ask? Plenty, Terry reminds us.

First of all, most D&B Corps are part of the pageantry that accompanies sports events – from the parades to the halftime performances and all the pep rallies in between. Secondly, they require the same infrastructure for their competitions – stadiums or arenas to perform in, fields to practice on, space for equipment, lots to park on, etc.

And marching bands are every bit as competitive as sports teams. They drill constantly, learn new routines regularly, and incorporate creativity into their play action. They also travel a lot – for parades, games, exhibitions, and competitions like this.

My son was in the marching band at Annapolis High, and he played the euphonium as only a mother could love. (Practice in the van on the way to rehearsals was an unforgettable auditory experience. I still cringe at the thought.) But I gained a great appreciation for the role the band played in his development and can understand why musicians find it a lifetime avocation. Many of these drum corps regulars probably started the same way.

(Brandon later abandoned the brass for guitar, which is easier to transport and more popular on the club circuit. Other than Governor O’Malley, I don’t know anyone with a band featuring a euphonium.)

So while this major competition doesn’t register as a huge spectator event, it will attract a boatload of visitors. It also provides one more example of how sports facilities intersect with tourism to benefit the local economy.

The network that supports this convention is now in place to attract many others. They're already trying to line up future championships.  Congratulations, Connie and Anne Arundel County.

Join our December 2nd Soccer Celebration!!

Has it been almost a year since Maryland landed TWO venues in the US World Cup Bid?  Amazing how the months have flown since Team Terry and Friends gathered to celebrate that selection in January.

Since then, we've been involved in a successful World Cup party at the Inner Harbor, hosted another wildly popular international match at M&T Bank Stadium, and landed a major regional youth soccer tournament for the state.

Now, as we prepare to close out 2010 and revisit the major achievements of the Office of Sports Marketing, the focus is back where the year began -- on the quest to bring the biggest, most viewed, sports event in the world to the USA and our backyard. 

On December 2nd, FIFA will deliver their verdict from Zurich and we want you to be with us.  Because no matter what the decision, what we achieved as we worked our way through this process together merits great celebration.

Please join Team Terry and the regulars at Slainte Pub in Fells Point at 9:30 AM, Thursday December 2nd, to watch the announcement and meet the soccer community who comprise the fiber of our bid. 

Even before the announcement, Terry wants to thank and congratulate everyone for what we achieved -- and stand to gain in years to come.  The infrastructure created during the bid process will manifest itself in countless ways as we establish Maryland as a place to host sporting events of all kinds.  Our efforts demonstrated cooperation across all jurisdictional lines and unprecedented participation on every level of organized soccer. 

That's Slainte's Irish Pub at 1700 Thames Street in Fells Point at 9:30 AM.  The Pub opens at 7:00 AM for breakfast, so you can come early if you want to speculate with the locals.  Remember, this is where Soccer is Religion, so there will be plenty of daily communicants genuflecting.

Wear your team shirt, wave your scarf and show your support.  We want them to hear us in Zurich.

Our Friends, the Feds

Hooray for the National Park Service !!  They are moving ahead on the long-anticipated, eagerly awaited, breathtakingly scenic extension to the 22 mile Western Maryland Rail Trail.

If this doesn't ring a bell with regular readers, perhaps you will recognize this stretch by its most famous battleground -- the 100+ year old Indigo Tunnel, where trail enthusiasts faced off against the Indiana bats and were soundly defeated by the slumbering rodents.

Fortunately, the Indigo Tunnel is only a part of this 15 mile abandoned shortcut through the Potomac's Paw Paw Bends .  This route cuts through the mountains and over convoluted river passage with six trestles and three tunnels.  As you can see from this rickety specimen, the view is simply gorgeous.  Trail enthusiasts (and tourism officials) have been hoping for years to have this rail trail funded.  And now the process is officially underway.

The National Park Service sees this project as an extension of their mission with the C&O Canal towpath, which intersects part of the trail (including the detour around Indigo to accommodate the endangered bats) by providing additional scenic views, recreational experiences, and historic opportunities in the Potomac River Valley.  It will also provide connectivity for a greater regional trail network as the trail passes from West Virginia to Maryland and back.

From a safety standpoint, it will resolve issues related to the abandoned corridor including bridges not being maintained and hazardous materials from former railway uses.

Public meetings to discuss the proposal were held last week in Little Orleans and Paw Paw, and the Park Service will be taking comments through December 23rd.

It is still a long (expensive) process before this extension comes to fruition.  But the federal action is the first big step taken since the bats won the battle of the Indigo Tunnel nearly a year ago.  In the end, the modified trail will offer the best of all worlds with its sensitivity to history, heritage, and the environment.

Western Maryland enjoys its reputation as a great outdoors playground.  The rail trails are only part of what makes it a great region to visit.  There is still plenty of beautiful weather left to experience it this season, so plan to check it out.

Protect This Kingdom!!!

Less than an hour before game time, the Ravens I am most concerned about are the ones guarding Joe Flacco.  But it does bring to mind these fellows, who are responsible for protecting the British empire. 

You can see they take their duties seriously as they patrol the ramparts at the Tower of London.  Not like anyone is going to pinch the Crown Jewels on their watch.

Even though the Broncos and 49ers were on most everyone's mind the weekend I was in London, my "must see" was not the game at Wembley, but the guardians of the Tower.  They were making their appointed rounds, just as they have been for hundred of years, when I arrived on a Saturday morning.

The ravens, you see, have special status at this fortress, which is one of the most popular attractions in London.  They enjoy this privilege/responsibility by royal decree.  They also seem to delight in being a favorite of the tourists and friendly antagonists to the Yoemen of the Guard (whom they torment with their bickering.)

Their mandated presence dates back to the Restoration, when the monarchy was brought back to England after their brief flirtation with a republic.  King Charles II returned from exile in France and took stock of his realm.  One complaint he heard was from the Royal Observatory, which was housed in the centuries-old Tower.  It seemed the telescopes were plagued by the ravens who populated the tower and relieved themselves on the equipment.  Wanting to be rid of this nuisance, the astronomers appealed to the king to give the ravens the ax (a fate suffered by Charles' late father.)  The king was inclined to agree, until reminded of an ancient prophecy that the Tower of London would fall and the kingdom destroyed if the ravens ever left.

Whether this was a great PR ploy by the birds' advocates or Charles II didn't want to take any chances given his family history, it worked -- the ravens were commanded to stay.  And just to make sure they didn't have a change of heart or try to negotiate better terms, their wings were clipped to keep them inside the moat.  The astronomers, on the other hand, were shipped off to Greenwich where they remain to this day.

Even during the Blitz in World War II, when they were battled and shell-shocked, the ravens maintained a presence in the tower -- giving credence to the belief they would protect the kingdom.

So hopefully our O line will show the same tenacity today.  (At least their wings aren't clipped. )  When they return to Baltimore, they should have plenty to crow about.

GO RAVENS !!!

The Last Fling of Fall

Thanks to Arlene, my kayaking buddy, I didn't have to endure a season without visiting Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.  Saturday was Senior Day, traditionally held on the last home game.  Emotions are high, pagaentry and ceremony most festive, and the last tailgate with friends always sentimental.

While November weather in Annapolis ranges from brisk to brutal, yesterday was a reprieve.  With the skies sunny and bright, Arlene and I hoofed from downtown to the stadium, which gave us the opportunity to admire all the improvements that have taken place to the facility since the two of us worked for the City a few years ago when the stadium renovations were taking place.

While the environmental enhancements and extensive landscaping have made a huge difference in the appearance of the stadium and its grounds, one of the most popular (and revenue producing) features in that master plan was the installation of a walking trail around the circumference.  Envisioned as a recreational facility for the neighborhood, the trail has also become the grand promenade and prestigious address for tailgaters.  It was amusing to see the large areas between the trail and the access road labeled as "premium" locations.  With the trail loop being a little over a mile and mostly two sided, you can imagine how nicely this neighborhood amenity works into the economic benefits of Navy football.

But strolling is not the only use of the trail, as you can see above.  You never know what kind of action you may encounter between visits with old friends and sharing a cup of cheer.  While wandering through a wooded section of the trail, we encountered a regiment of Scottish pipers, in full regalia and with bonny lasses performing the Highland fling.  Perhaps "Highland" is the operative word here, because it turns out this unlikely image that seemed to emanate from Brigadoon was actually from Highland Falls -- New York.  That tiny hamlet on the Hudson known as the home of West Point.

That's right -- the Long Gray Line now comes in plaid and knee socks.  And no, I didn't ask what was under the kilts.  I can only guess it is Army issue and TSA compliant.

Now it might surprise some of you that a West Point delegation would show up at a Navy home game, but one thing I learned years ago is not to be surprised at anyone who appears in Annapolis.  It is a favorite destinations for about everyone, and when the chance came for the Cadets to perform, they jumped right on it.  (For the record, Navy has a bagpipe troupe too, so they could have been jamming all night in Bancroft Hall. with dueling refrains of "Amazing Grace.")

As always, the game was inspiring.  The stadium, under a full moon, was luminescent. The north tower addition to the upper deck (completed before the season)  adds the perfect finishing touch.

I'm glad I didn't have to go a season without belting a heartfelt "Navy Blue and Gold" and screaming "Beat Army" with a stadium full of fans.  It's a great Maryland experience that everyone should have at least once.