Monday Morning Ramblings 2005, Issue XXII

The dirty birds of Baltimore are due to make their first appearance in Pittsburgh since the '79 series tonight. This is first meaningful game the two teams have played since Omar Moreno squeezed the final out in Game 7 of that World Series. The Pirates have been playing well, not great but good enough, only a handful of games below .500. They have many of the doomsayers in the "if it's not about the Steelers than I'm negative" Pittsburgh media eating crow. They just done taking 2 0f 3 from Atlanta over the weekend right after taking 3 of 4 from Florida.

Danica Patrick's career is over just after it really got going. Seeing that she's on the cover of SI she'll no doubt suffer from that jinx. Seriously though, it must be nice finishing 4th and getting the cover! How's the winner of the race... what's his name, doing?

In the "fruit doesn't fall far from the tree" category, can anyone that sawKellen Winslow's performance with the media be surprised at the lack of maturity and class that his seed has displayed. And this is a guy who works in the sports media for FSN during their college football broadcasts. I've thought for years that Winslow and Dan Fouts didn't get along in San Diego and that, coupled with a lack of defense is the reason why those Air Coryell teams don't have rings. You don't think defense wins championships? Food for thought: Trent Dilfer has a Super Bowl Ring, Dan Marino doesn't. Need I say more?

The jury is out on the Philadelphia Public League's initial season as PIAA members and the peeing contest between media outlets in the east and west continues. While the Philly scribes remain to keep their glass half full, writers elsewhere have a different opinion. I truly believe that writers in the west thought that Philly schools would make much more of an impact in basketball. I thought George Washington made a great showing in AAAA football and that has gone unappreciated.

Needless to say, everyone in the commonwealth needs to relax, the Philly schools will make their mark in basketball, but this is just one season. A notably down year in the Pub for Boys' Basketball, at least accoring to Rob Parent of the Philadelphia Inquirer who, along with Sam Carchidi and Ted Silary, is a premier preps writer on all things Philly.