Baltimore Sun sports columnist Mike Pres- ton’s honesty and candor in covering the Ravens is a welcome breath of fresh air from the cheerleader-style reporting that passes for objective sports coverage of
too many hometown teams these days.
MIKE PRESTON’S GUTSY COMMENTARY
IS HONEST AND STRAIGHTFORWARD
WITHOUT PLAYING FAVORITES
No loud talking in the ‘quiet car’!
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
TRYING TO LOOK CASUAL,
USUALLY LOOK PHONY
By David Maril
While wondering if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fumbles and drops the trophy when he has to make the presentation to the undefeated Tom Brady and his Patriots after they win the Super Bowl, it’s interesting to note the following:
After an 0-3 start and a first victory thanks mainly to horrendous play-calling by the Pittsburgh Steelers, it’s obvious why Ravens’ coach John Harbaugh was so uptight, flying off the handle, during the preseason.
Evidently he had good reason to feel plenty of pressure while he was assessing the shortcomings of his team during training camp.
Speaking of Harbaugh and the Ravens, tip of the hat to Baltimore Sun sports columnist Mike Preston for one of the gutsiest, and most refreshing, pieces ever written in a Baltimore newspaper about one of our local pro teams.
Preston referenced the puzzling and questionable decision-making by Harbaugh and the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin to illustrate how Patriots coach Bill Belichick stands above the AFC coaching crowd.
Even though his commentary was accurate and justified, this type of honesty is rare in daily newspapers covering local teams.
It’s easier, because of personalties and cooperation issues, to usually — as the great songwriter Johnny Mercer recommended — “accentuate the positive [and] eliminate the negative.”
It’s common practice in many cities for sportswriters to get tough in their critiques related to the opposition but tread lightly with their home team coaches, management and players.
Sports journalists are not supposed to be cheerleaders and shills, doing public relations for the teams they cover. Beat writers need to objectively report and columnists should offer their honest opinions.
While Preston did not make his own job covering the Ravens any easier with his commentary, he deserves the respect of knowledgeable fans and anyone who cares about maintaining a high standard of journalism.
Is there a better athlete/pitchman than Peyton Manning?
FUNNY, LIKABLE AND CONVINCING IN FRONT OF A CAMERA
He’s funny, likable and convincing in front of a camera on all of his TV commercials promoting numerous products and services.
Here are six reasons why the Orioles should not bring GM Dan Duquette back next year:
1) The trade of Jake Arrieta to the Cubs for Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger.
The 28-year-old former Oriole, a candidate for the Cy Young Award, has 22 victories for the Cubs, and Baltimore fans will be haunted for years to come every time he hurls a masterpiece.
2) The trade of 22-year-old lefty pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez to AL East rival Boston for reliever Andrew Miller.
Although the hard-throwing Miller bolstered Baltimore’s 2014 bullpen at the end of the season, the team knew it had no chance of re-signing him in 2015.
While Miller was helping the Yankees reach the playoffs this season, Rodriguez was 10-6 with Boston.
Like Arrieta, Rodriguez will be haunting Orioles’ fans for years every time he wins.
3) Not re-signing slugger Nelson Cruz or fan favorite Nick Markakis.
A TEAM THAT LIVES AND DIES ON ITS POWER
For a team that lives and dies on its power, the home-run bat of Cruz, who hit 42 homers with the Mariners, was severely missed this year.
While the Orioles had one of the lowest on-base percentages in baseball, Markakis was drawing plenty of walks, hitting .295 and turning in his usual solid outfield defense in Atlanta.
4) Investing too much money in a long-term contract for pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez.
For a team with a trademark of being conservative when it comes to contracts, investing in such an inconsistent pitcher who has lost some of his velocity was foolish.
5) Stocking the roster with bargain-basement players other organizations have given up on, like Travis Snider and Chris Parmelee.
Manager Buck Showalter was forced to juggle around some strange, and below-par, lineups for the stretch run of the season.
6) Allowing the team to go into the off-season in danger of losing key players like Chris Davis, Darren O’Day, Wei-Yin Chen and Matt Wieters, all at the same time.
That’s not very good planning.
A HALF-DOZEN REASONS ANYONE WANTS TO SUBMIT
I welcome a comparable half-dozen reasons anyone wants to submit, making the case for Duquette returning.
What do announcers mean when they refer to a baserunner getting a decent “secondary” lead?
Isn’t a lead off the base just a lead?
And when did “strike” get dropped from the term “strike zone”?
Only the old-time announcers still refer to a pitch out of the “strike zone” instead of just saying out of the “zone.”
Why do Amtrak conductors have to bellow out in voices that would scare off a 700-pound bear, “THIS IS THE ‘QUIET CAR’ — NO LOUD TALKING!” when they enter the car that demands silence and no use of cellphones?
When was the last time you stayed in a hotel room that had a radio able to pull in a single FM or AM station?
The radio part of the alarm clock devices were either broken years ago or are unable to generate any type of reception through hotel walls.
Mitt Romney on the campaign trail in 2012 try- ing to look casual in jeans and checkered shirt.
Why do male candidates running for president persist in wearing casual attire when they campaign?
Most of them appear awkward and uncomfortable dressed in jeans and flannel, or sport shirts, trying to project the image that they are just ordinary, likable people away from the job.
In the 2012 election, every time Mitt Romney tried to look like your friendly neighbor coming over to help you split some firewood, he looked as if his luggage had been misplaced at the airport and he was wearing borrowed, ill-fitting clothes.
What’s wrong with sticking to ties, jackets and suits to look presidential if you are running for president?
How long will it take for increased scrutiny over the purchase and operation of drones?
Shouldn’t there be a minimum age on qualifying for a drone license along with a test that must be passed to make sure the operator has the skills and knowledge of the operating rules to control the device safely?
And because drones can be extremely dangerous to the general population, aren’t thorough background checks appropriate?
Who made the network TV decision to elevate conservative taskmaster Hugh Hewitt to the status of journalist, frequent news program panelist and occasional presidential debate moderator?
The guess is that in a year where some people believe Donald Trump has credibility as a presidential candidate, anything goes.
davidmaril@voiceofbaltimore.org
“Inside Pitch” is a weekly opinion column written for Voice of Baltimore by David Maril.
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