Sunday 9AM

It is 9 AM Sunday morning as I write this and it has already been a busy day.

I was up before the sun and on the racquetball court at 6 AM to get in the games that I had delayed playing since the rains on Friday and Saturday morning.

And then for fun, I started learning Pickleball--and played three games, if you can call them games, of this new sport.

From there I zipped off to Jeremy to assist with picking up a sofa--which tool until 8:50 AM. Boom!

And now I am home for breakfast and a shower before heading off to a baseball doubleheader.

A busy summer Sunday. What could be better?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Day at the Course

From the Tee Box at Hole 4
Timbers at Troy
Elkridge, MD
April 17, 2021

 The important thing is that I survived 5 hours of sports activity.

I played racquetball in the morning for an hour followed by just over four hours of golf at Timbers.

I had an OK golf outing, considering that it was only the second golf outing this year. 

It was a beautiful day, just a bit on the too cool side to be called a perfect day, but when out golfing almost any day is a perfect day. My game was ragged--which was to be expected, but there were a few pars and at least one good look at making a birdie--which I missed but was left with an easy tap-in. On the down side, I totally collapsed on the second hardest hole on the course (12) after missing a par put and making a bogey on the hardest hole (9). Ugh. That is golf!

It was a great sports day. Today, sadly, I must devote mostly to business, although I am going to a Severn Seminoles 13U baseball game in a few minutes. 

I do enjoy weekends!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sports Saturday at Hand

Cheery Window Box for a Bright Saturday

Elkridge, MD

April 17, 2021

 A busy sports Saturday is what I am in the middle of enjoying. 

This morning at 7 AM, as dawn was breaking, I was on the outdoor racquetball court. It was about 43 degrees, but the play soon got me very warm. It really is a great way to start the day. I actually held my own on the court, which made me happy. 

Following racquetball I have a Tee time for just before noon at Timbers. It will be only my second golf outing of the year and I am using a new driver--which I am still a bit unsure of. I may take my old one in case I lose confidence in the new one. 

I should be exhausted about the time evening arrives. I am thinking a nice late-afternoon nap will do the trick.

I have to enjoy life today because tomorrow I begin one of the tasks I dread the most: TAXES!! Ugh. Settling-up with the governments is a tortuous task that never comes out in my favor at the end. 

Play today and work tomorrow.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My New Gym Buddy

 

Until September, I had maintained a gym membership for many years. Originally, Chris and I took the membership to improve fitness. And we were very diligent for some time, but eventually the membership evolved to just me and I used the gym exclusively to play racquetball. 

Fast forward to 2020--the year which cannot end too quickly. 

With arrival of the end of September, the club/gym to which I belonged to play racquetball closed because it could not compete with COVID. I played racquetball infrequently through October at an outdoor court, but when the second surge began--it was determined that I should sit it out until Spring. It really is tough to play racquetball on outdoor courts in the cold, rain and snow. Additionally, with the daylight hours being so short--it is hard to finds a time to play. I have been playing racquetball mostly at about 5:30 AM with the exceptions being for leagues and occasional special meetings. It is just dark too at 5:30 most of the year to play outside. 

Enter my new gym buddy!

Meet the NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle. It had been suggested that I call it the Mean Machine. I'm thinking about that. 

I rescued my new gym buddy from Dick's on Sunday and have completed three sessions totaling about 15 miles of riding through Glacier National Park. So far, I love it. I enjoy the rides and they are challenging. Riding the cycle at home is far more time efficient than driving to the gym and then home or to work for that same workout. AND, the added benefit is that I am hoping that I will not be soft and fat when I can again take the court and swing a racquetball racket or walk onto the golf course and whack away impotently at the little white ball which continues to vex me.

After only three rides it is hard to offer a recommendation, but I did my homework. I compared the S22i to its competitors (one of which I really wanted) and, so far, I am extremely happy with my choice. The assembly was not too difficult and as you can see from the picture, I still have not taken all of the packaging off the cycle. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Return to the Court

It was not pretty and the weather was not conducive, but yesterday marked my return to the racquetball court for the first time since mid-March, fully three months ago. 

Outdoors Racquetball Court
Columbia, MD
June 9, 2020

The return to racquetball came on an outdoors court in Columbia, MD. I had never played on an outdoors court before and I have to say it was better than I expected--it was a four-wall court made of poured concrete and cinderblock. Being back on the court was fantastic, even in the 90 degree temperatures with soaring humidity. It showed how out of shape I had become while sheltering in place. I had thought it would not be so bad since I have been walking regularly, but there is a big difference between walking a golf course or with a dog around the neighborhood and chasing a 100 mph blue ball around an 800 square foot concrete enclosure on a 90 degree day. 

My game was understandably ragged. I had to get used to playing in a mask and I also added a hat to help keep the sun off my head. And then there were the shadows on the court--which you can see in the picture. I have to admit, it was a different experience tracking the ball from sun to shadow and back to sun. I felt the concrete walls made the ball play faster--which further highlighted how much work I need to do to get back into some semblance of racquetball shape.

But despite the weather and the raggedness of my game, it was a great return to the court and the next step in finding the new normal living with coronavirus! And we are going to play again next week--during the morning hours to avoid the heat!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sports Thursday

Yesterday was a great personal sports day.

I started the morning at 5:30 am on the racquetball court and finished the day, just before sunset, on the golf course.

In between I went to work and had my teeth cleaned at my semi-annual dental appointment. 

The day was a beautiful day. The sky was blue, mostly, and the sun shone. We hadn't seen a day like that in a long while.

It is amazing how much better I feel when the sun is shining brightly.

It was a great Thursday.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Plans Gone Awry

I used to play in a racquetball league on Tuesday nights. That is something that I have enjoyed, well mostly, for many years. 

This Spring, in a rare moment of forward thinking, I decided to use Tuesday nights for some mid-week golf--which come with reduced rates and fewer golfers on the courses, so that I could work on my game.

Florida Golf Course During March

Here is a recap of my Tuesday golfing experience thus far:

4/19: Trip to Alaska--no golf

4/26: Youth baseball game (I am a coach)-- no golf

5/3: Orioles game (part of my season plan)-- no golf

Today: Nothing else scheduled, but it looks like rain! 

The high temperature today is forecast for the middle 50's! Ugh. 

Well, the weather might clear. The forecast has been wrong before. 

As for golf, I can count the total number of times that I have graced a golf course during April and May on two fingers. And even then the combined number of holes is only 18! At this rate, I probably should go back to playing racquetball on Tuesday evenings.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

What I Did on Veterans Day

I was very busy on Veterans Day. I think I would have been better off to go to work, because I worked hard around the house. 

I played some too.

Here is how the day went down.

I wrote my Veterans Day blog.

Driving Range

Then, because the morning was cold (36 degrees) and the lawn was still wet, I decided to go to a driving range and hit some balls, since I wasn't going be able to play golf. I also had one club re-gripped because it was a disaster. I hit 168 golf balls in about an hour and a half while the sun crawled higher up into the sky and the day began to get going.

Back at the house it was time to finish cutting down the grasses that form the privacy fence around the pool. I love the grasses, but every year they must be cut down and removed. It is not a hard job, but it isn't a lot of fun because they make my arms swell a bit because I am a bit allergic to them. Even though I wear a long sleeve shirt, they manage to get under the fabric around my wrists.

My Truck loaded with the Grasses

Then it was off to the landfill to recycle the grasses with my trusty dog Makayla. She loves to go for road trips and I like having her along for the ride. Speaking of the ride--wow, two delays. First, I got a mile down the read before I realized that I had a soft tire so it was back to the house for air. Then I realized I needed gas--ugh! Why didn't I fill the tank on Friday when I knew it was low?

Back at the house it was time for lunch. 

Then Christmas decorations. I do exterior decorations on Veterans Day, especially if it is a nice day, because then I don't have to worry about them later. For this event, I called in reinforcements: Patrick and Tina. The small army working together completed the task in record time and by 4:00 we were done! Yay.

But the day wasn't over yet.

I have been working to make the fire table have real flames for over two weeks. I have ordered a number of things to make this happen--and have been thwarted. Today, though, the FEDEX man delivered the final part--an adjustable regulator. With Patrick's assistance the fire table was transformed from a warming table to one with true flames and became a true place to enjoy.

But wait, there's more, it was racquetball evening. By 5:30PM I was on the racquetball court playing a match. 

I was there for a bit and then it was home, arriving about 7:30 PM. 

Dinner and a glass of wine around the refurbished fire table was the perfect exclamation point on the day. 

A great day. Very busy and full.

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, Md

Knowing Who is Standing with Me is What Matters

I've been in a low spot. It could be the lack of sunshine, the continuing too cold weather, the pace at work, or my crummy racquetball outings--but nonetheless, I've been in a low spot. I played a racquetball match last evening and even though I had a lead late in both games, I knew I'd blow it, and I did. It was a self fulfilling prophecy.

That written, I have come across a powerful song released last year by one of my favorite artists, Chris Tomlin. The song is Whom Shall I Fear? As I have been struggling against the cold darkness of the season and self-doubt, this song had lifted my spirit.

It is a very uplifting song and I highly recommend it. Click on the link to YouTube above to see the words and hear the song.

The refrain lyrics are:

I know who goes before me 

I know who stands behind me 

The God of angel armies 

Is always by my side 

The one who reigns forever 

He is a friend of mine 

The God of angel armies 

Is always by my side

Perspective! That's what matters when I get too focused on the crummy seasonal weather, losing racquetball matches, being wrong more than I am right, or when I begin to doubt myself and my ability.

I saw the sunrise yesterday grace the sky on my way to work. It was fabulous. The promise of the new day stretched out in front of me dragged me into the dawn of an exciting new day full of possibilities. I've got a lot of stuff to do every day and I need to take more enjoyment from the tasks completed than perseverating over the tasks remaining.   

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Upset

It doesn't happen too often, but I got really emotional and, frankly, pissed off last evening while playing racquetball.

Why?

Philosophy.

I play racquetball because I love to play. I don't call hinders and screens unless they are flagrant. I played a guy who was so intent on winning that he called even the most minor, and frankly not there, hinders. I could not believe some of the calls--in fact when I won the second game I was more concerned with looking around to make sure he couldn't call a hinder than I was celebrating a great comeback and a stolen win.

We had played last week and he upset me with his tick-tacky calls then. As we were discussing that game after last night's game he admitted he called screens on two of my ace serves because they were close. The standard is 18 inches--and at the time I knew they weren't that close. That is just the wrong approach. If we were playing for money in a tournament, then there would be a disinterested party, a/k/a/ referee, to make close calls. Without a referee, my philosophy is--play on.

I know how to lose--Lord knows I lose more than I win now. I just don't like losing when we are playing two different games on the court. I play racquetball because I love the game and the competition.

But I admit, I kinda lost it last evening and just let the other guy have the last three points of the tiebreaker--just because I was so upset about the bad, questionable calls he kept making. I didn't even return the last three serves just to express my dissatisfaction.

Bad on me.

Today is a new day though. I'll try to do better.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Playing Not to Lose

Ever watch a football team go into the prevent defense with 2 minutes left in the game clinging to a narrow lead--and lose?

All the time, right?

That is why it was so satisfying when the Ravens ran out the clock on Sunday and did not provide the Buccaneers the opportunity to test their offense against the Raven's prevent defense.

But even more--I am beginning to realize that in these situations something occurs in the mind. The team or player goes form being offensive and looking to score to being defensive and trying not to lose.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am playing some of the worst racquetball of my life right now. To say that I am frustrated by my play and some of the dumb things I do over and over again would be an understatement.

Understanding that racquetball games are to 15 points (unless it is a tiebreaker which is only to 11), I am struggling to figure out why I can be down in a game one day 4-14 and comeback to win 15-14; while on another day I can be ahead 10-4 and lose 12-15.

I am doing something, changing something, thinking differently, and playing differently. I only wish I knew what it was.

I think though (especially after blowing a lead Thursday morning) it has to do with a subtle shift in focus from playing to win to playing not to lose. I go defensive and I become so focused on not blowing the lead that I forget to focus on winning the point. And, like the NFL teams I have watched so many times, I blow the lead and lose.

At least that what I think is happening.

I have to be careful not to handle everything in my life using the playing not to lose thought process--or things will get really bad.

But on the other hand--I play racquetball for fitness and fun--so is it really all that bad? The sane side of me says, no. The competitor in me says yes--it really sucks.

Hey--today is a new day and who knows what fun I'm going to have in life today.

Sleepless in Elkridge

I had one of those nights--the kind that I hate where I wake up and then cannot get back to sleep.

Last night!

The mind was on once the body was awake.

Why did I wake up? Well the new exercise program that Chris and I are trying really kicked my butt and I have a lot of sore muscles and some cramping. Yeah--it is a killer. Macho me, I thought with all the racquetball I play this would be a breeze--NOT! It hurt and we worked hard--which despite my moaning is exactly what I needed to supplement my racquetball. I could tell that I have not been working all of my muscles from some of my more disappointing racquetball results, and last night's exercise regimen proved it.

If I survive, I'll be better for it. (keep telling myself that)

So I woke up in a bit of pain and then--instant on with the mind. Ugh! I hate that. So I saw 1245 through about 3 AM. I did get to watch the hockey results on the NHL channel and was pleased to find that the Penguins broke out of their losing streak and that the US defeated Canada for the gold medal in the Junior World Hockey Championship. I started watching some of that game earlier in he evening, but turned away from it for the Orange Bowl for some stupid reason.

So now I'll be sedate and exhausted all day! Lucky for my coworkers.

And what do I have to look forward to tonight? Another brutal 20 minute workout!

Racquetball and Life: Success and Failure

I love to play racquetball.

And I can usually hold my own on the court. But Tuesday night was something to remember. A racquetball catastrophe. A train wreck, so to speak.

I was the number 1 seed in the league playoffs facing the number 4 seed in the semi-finals. It was an 8:30 PM game--and of course I get up about 5AM--so I'm fried anyway.

I warmed up and didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary--until my opponent (Kirk) served the first ball of the game. Yeah--5 points later I was able to break his serve and get my first serve. Seems my game was at home watching the Penguins in the Stanley Cup and not with me on the court. And to make it worse, Kirk brought his "A" game.

Suffice it to say, it was a mercifully short match with Kirk dominating and winning in two games. Kirk was excited--I don't think he had even won a game against me before, let alone a match. And we have played a lot. But he is really getting better and was in total control.

Life, is like that. Some days even the things we know how to do seem hard. Like getting out of bed.

No, really. We know we have the ability and have proven it on many occasions--but there are those days designed to keep us humble and to marvel at the skills that God has given us and let's us use for the benefit of others.

I like to sing. Sometimes, I can't even utter a sound--and that makes me remember how I used to sing and how I can sing and therefore makes me appreciate singing even more when I am actually creating music.

I have heard, and believe, the phrase that says we learn more from failure than from success. Failures provide an opportunity to improve. Unfortunately, I perseverate on failures because I really do want to improve. I tear the failure apart in my mind looking for places where I could have done things differently.

But I am better for them--even though they are hard to accept.

And that is the lesson of life as found in the sporting world--you can't win every game, but the measure of a winner is not in winning, but in getting back up after you have been knocked down. Likewise in life outside of sports--when things don't go your way, don't give up--try again.

Remember the Colonel Sander's experience:

When Colonel Sanders was 65 years old, he received his first social security check of US $99. He was broke. His only asset was a secret chicken recipe.

He left his home in Kentucky and traveled to the many states in the US to sell this recipe. He offered his secret chicken recipe to many restaurants for free.

All he wanted in return was a small percentage of the sales. However, he was shown the door by many restaurants.” Get out of here. Who wants a recipe from a white Santa Claus?” the restaurant owners shouted, referring to the dress code Sanders adopted: a white shirt and white trousers.Over 1,000 restaurants rejected his offer. How many of you would have quit after making one or two unsuccessful sales calls?

On his 1,009th sales visit, one restaurant finally accepted his offer.

Today, Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets and fatherly Colonel Sanders’ statures are found all over the world.

He has changed the way the world ate chicken- finger-lickin’ good!

I do like a quote by Winston Churchill:

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

So--I'll keep on playing racquetball, because I love it and it reminds me that every day is a new day and wrapped in every failure (or loss) is a chance to learn and grow. And then--I can apply the same enthusiasm to the rest of my life.

Friday Night Lights and Glass Wall

I ran into my own kind of glass wall last Friday night.

I played in the league championship for racquetball at the club and learned a lot about desire and just plain getting beat.

It was tough. I was playing a friend for the championship of the division in the end of league tournament. He was the number 1 seed, and I was number 2 based upon our performance during league play against the others in the league.

During league play we met--with the match going into the tiebreaker, which he won 11-10. It was hard fought. But fun. We play each other about twice per week outside of the league.

So I thought I was ready. I had a plan. I felt I could win, and I thought I was ready. He was "readier" it was soon apparent.

So I was reminded why I really play racquetball. Because I love it--even in getting beat fairly handily, I love the sport. the quickness, the thinking, and the hard work. Some fitness guru estimates that a racquetball match is equivalent to running two miles. I hate running for the sake of running. But put me in a court with a racquetball and I'll chase it like a dog!

Well, it's O.K. The league begins again next week. And we can do it all over again.

Daylight Savings and Sunrises

I came out of the club this morning after an invigorating racquetball match to be greeted by darkness again. The darkness--the result of daylight savings time--reminded me how much I love the dawn and coming out of the club into the light of a new day. Just last week the sun was rising as did my spirits as I walked to my car after grueling racquetball matches.

I love starting my day with racquetball. It gets the body moving and in tune for the rest of the day. After a weekend, racquetball helps get those muscles moving again and back into tone.

In two weeks--dawn will be at 6:37 am--which is about when I walk out of the club. In a month--sunrise will be at 6:39 am--which means I will be treated to the rising sun on the horizon as I walk out the doors of the club. But, sadly, in 6 months dawn will again be back to about 6:42 am, meaning that the summer is about over and the dark season is beginning again. Wow--how quickly it all goes away.

But there sure is a lot of fun in between now and then.

And Patrick--if you click on the properties for this picture to see the title--you might get a bit of a surprise. Think about an early morning dive in this lake and tell me if you're game sometime.

So what is the advantage of daylight savings time? Most people like that it is lighter longer into the evening and we can get more chores done around the house and enjoy outdoor activities when the weather is mild. I like it because I get to enjoy more sunrises and I prefer sunrises to sunsets! I remember when Chris and I were younger and would do dumb things like driving through the night to get somewhere. Twenty-four or twenty-seven hours on the road switching off driving every couple hours. I always loved driving when the sun was coming up as the world awoke to the hope of a new day.

Mark 16:2 "And very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb." (NET Bible)

In reflecting on sunrises--I was reminded that our whole confidence in eternal life in Christ began on a Sunday morning at sunrise!

Sunrise of the Mind

As I was leaving the club this morning at 6:30 AM, after a hard fought racquetball match, I was treated to an especially enjoyable sight--a beautiful sunrise.

I have to say, I really improved my mood--because I was limping due to a pulled/strained muscle and I really needed the lift. The sun had not yet risen--but it rays were fanned out across the sky, kind of like the advance party for the day that was dawning.

I was really kinda down because I have a bit of a head cold, I am playing hurt in my racquetball league again--and I am wondering why every new racquetball league brings a new and distressing injury.

But the sunrise--now that was a thing of beauty and it drove me to think of the blessings that I have received and of those around me who love me.

I wish I had my camera--but I almost never have my camera with me when I want it most. Isn't that the way it goes. Then when I have it with me--the battery is dead.

But I have the memory--and God provided a little reminder in my life this morning of His greatness and beauty.

Isaiah 58:8 says it all:
Then your light will shine like the sunrise;
your restoration will quickly arrive;
your godly behavior will go before you,
and the Lord’s splendor will be your rear guard.


yeah!

Return to the Court and Defeat of the Couch Potato

Ugh! I finally crawled back onto the racquetball court yesterday morning after two weeks of sitting around pretty much doing nothing as I recovered from my medical problem. It was not pretty.

It is amazing how much a body forgets in two weeks about how to make certain shots and how to move--it was a struggle to remind myself how to hold a racquet and how to make certain shots. I mean the really good shots: the roll-outs and the corner kill shots. You have to see them before you take the shot and coming off a recovery the mind is a bit slow and the body a bit uncoordinated so it all doesn't flow together.

Thankfully, the guy I was playing hadn't played in two weeks either and I was competative--even winning both games we played. (We usually play three or four games--that's how bad it was) Although I suffered a strained muscle for my efforts--serves me right for getting sick in the first place.

But, the games were not against him--but rather against the lethargy of my own body. And I am happy to report that lethargy lost! By the end of the second game--strained muscle and all, things were coming back together. But all during that first game I kept wondering exactly why I force myself onto the court at 5:30 AM.

Saturday morning I was able to watch pros play racquetball on TV. (couch potato alert) I deluded myself into believing that I could make some of their shots--which I can, just not with the consistency they do. Pro Open racquetball is a lot different from the much tamer variety I play. The rules are a bit different too.

But I don't have dreams of ever becoming a pro racquetballer. I play just to keep one step ahead of becoming a permanent couch potato. And I can veggie out with the best of them--just ask my wife.

So, tomorrow morning, ugh, I will force myself out onto the court again to keep moving and hopefully regain some of the conditioning I lost over the course of the past couple weeks. And believe me--I really do love it!

A racquetball morning after the night before

Ugh! It was hard to get up this morning. I went with Jeremy to the O's game last night and we sat through about a two-hour delay before they suspended the game with the score 2-1 in the top of the 6th inning. Since the score was 1-1 at the end of the 5th, it could not be considered a game--so they are playing today to complete the game.

But that is where the trouble started--I didn't get home till after 11 PM and by the time I went to sleep it was like, midnight. And I was hungry because as it turned out we forgot to buy food.

But having a racquetball match this morning, I got up at 0450--and you know what the "0" stands for: OMG it's early!

So by the time I stumbled onto the court at 0530--I really didn't feel too chipper. In fact I was downright fried.

And the outcome of the first game showed it-- I lost 2-15.

But I turned it around and won two close games 15-10 and 15-14. As it wasn't a league match we played all three games to 15 (instead of the tiebreaker to 11). I twisted my ankle pretty bad in the corner during the last game--but persevered.

So what did I learn--I'm not superhuman and actually do need to sleep sometimes. But, I really enjoyed going to the game with Jeremy, even though it rained. It was actually raining too hard for us to want to go to the car to go home--else I would have left about 10 PM.

Next time--wait, there isn't going to be a next time, see, I did learn something!

I Walked out of the Club This Morning, and

it was beautiful. I had just finished playing a match of racquetball and I noticed that day had broken, it was about 6:30 AM. The sky was bright. And I was filled with a sense of hope for the day.

I've been driving my Jaguar, even though I really don't want to, because my truck needs a new engine due to an oil pump failure. I like my Jag, but I did not buy it to be an every day car. Though it is fun to drive, I really want to turn it into a show car. And it has Historic plates on it, which the garage says is OK to drive since it is not an everyday car, but my everyday car is laid up.

I get to play racquetball three times this week at 5:30 AM--and I really like starting my day that way. What a great way to use my time and to get the energy level up for the day.

Do I win or lose and does it matter? Not really. Of course I'd lie if I said I didn't like winning--but I used to play a guy who I almost never beat--and my game improved dramatically over the four years we played so that by the end I was winning about a third of our matches. Now, I'm in a league and playing one guy fairly regularly. I can't remember a time when I was in as good shape as I'm in now.

So, I walked out of the club this morning with the earth alive and birds singing. It made me happy. Joy of living and life.

Turbulent Week

Happy Easter--a week late. It has been a very busy week and among everything going on I really haven't had time to sit and even think about everything that has transpired. Actually, Easter Sunday was great, We had the entire family over for a classic steak dinner. The family is bigger than it was with the addition of Jax who was great all day.

Jax is doing great--he went to the cardiologist and the report was excellent. We are on the road to treating our little miracle baby as a little boy--who still is a miracle.

In amongst all of that, I played in a racquetball tournament a couple weeks ago and was eliminated in the semi-finals. I actually feel pretty good about that because I had moved up to the A division after winning the B division last fall. Racquetball has been one means to keep the stress away from everything going on.

And baseball season begins for me on Monday with Opening Day for the O's. Go O's. Spring begins with hope anew. I'm happy that Brian Roberts remains with the team--he is my favorite O. I know he'll probably be gone by mid-season, but I will still wear my Brian Roberts jersey to the games.
Let's go O's!