... after all, wouldn't want to strain anything.

As I type the United States is down 1-0 to Ghana less than 25 minutes into their round of 16 World Cup soccer match. In a tournament being played in South Africa, Ghana is the last African country playing.

Not to be selfish, but I'd appreciate it if the Yanks pull this one out. NFL Training Camp is still too far away.

...

I'm pleased that O's right fielder Nick Markakis has taken more of a vocal leadership role, at least publicly, in the last week. First, he provides a critical but not offensive interview regarding his team to The Baltimore Sun.

Then, Nicko requests a meeting with Balmer owner Peter Angelos. The two reportedly talked over dinner in Little Italy.

I know it probably doesn't mean anything tangible, but it's nice to see that someone on Eutaw Street actually gives a damn about the direction of this team. Nicko probably only signed that 6-year, $66.5 million contract with the Birds because he knew he was worth well more to them than any other team in an open market, but now that he's locked in, I'm glad he's having conversations with ownership about improving the performance of the team, rather than demanding a trade to a contender.

...

The signing of backup quarterback Marc Bulger by the Balmer Ravens was excellent. Seriously. But only if Ozzie can find a team willing to give up draft picks for former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith.

Last season showed that the brief experimentation in 2008 with the "Suggs Package," where Smith and Joe Flacco were both on the field, wasn't going to play a large role in the team's offensive future. The Ravens want Flacco to be the one taking all the snaps, because he's the one that can make the most happen with the ball in his hands every single play. They want Flac to be like Manning or Brady. And you don't take snaps away from Manning or Brady.

Even if Smith only fetches a late-round pick, Ozzie can find value there in 2011.

...

For my fellow UMBC alums, are you aware that the school changed its mascot logo back in May? I know, I know, not exactly breaking news ... but I've been wondering what folks' thoughts are. I kind of like it. From umbcretrievers.com: 

What do you think? Is it an improvement? Or a terrible mistake?

Either way, the Retrievers will need to stick with this thing for a while. It's only been ten years since their last logo change, and having a schizophrenic mascot isn't exactly a good thing for a program's image.

...

At the half, the US is still down 1-0 to Ghana, and has looked pretty weak so far.

How many days until Training Camp?

The story: Brian Cushing cheated.  He came up dirty on a blood test for some fertility chemical called hCG which is commonly used to mask some of the physical side effects of steroid use and is often taken after someone completes a cycle of performance enhancing drugs.  He failed the test in September but was allowed to continue playing throughout the appeals process and thus is suspended for the first four games of the upcoming season.  Regardless of how it got in his blood stream (because, of course, he’s completely dumbfounded by the whole ordeal), he played while being chemically influenced by a banned substance and, therefore, cheated.  He was caught, both the individual himself and the team he represents will suffer fairly significant consequences; everything is fine.

The problem that makes this a bigger story: he was awarded the Defensive Rookie of the Year award by the Associated Press.  Whoops… A group of journalists voted for a cheater to receive a relatively prestigious award because no one had broken the story that had unfolded months prior.  It’s fine though, no one should have ever thought to continue to pursue allegations that have followed him since high school.  No really, it’s totally cool; we all know how those sports writers like to hero-worship any white dudes who excel at a position contemporarily dominated by black players (read: Brian Urlacher).  Fans do it too (read: Baltimore’s reaction to last season’s repeated benching of Paul Kruger).  There’s a simple solution: do what old white guys gathered together always do: give yourselves a mulligan and vote for someone else WHO DIDN’T CHEAT.

The bigger problem that makes me sick: they re-voted and he won again.  What the hell, Associated Press?  Where’s the feigned morale outrage about the state of sports in America?  If this shit happened in baseball we’d be sitting through hours of Special Reports with their own theme music and all the pseudo-journalists would be forced to give up their air time to real writers (Enjoy the day off Mr. Berman!) talking about how their daddy’s NFL players would never disrespect the shield like kids today.  They did what they did for the love of the game (Author’s Note: And a weekly income comparable to that of a part-time migrant fruit picker).

HE CHEATED.  BRIAN CUSHING IS A CHEATER.  There is a legal way to participate in the sport of football and he did not participate in said way.  HE F***ING CHEATED, why is he allowed to keep anything related to his performance when it wasn’t entirely his performance?  The winners of the Defensive Rookie of the Year award for the past three years have been: (in order) DeMeco Ryans, Patrick Willis, and Jerod Mayo.  All three of these men are heralded as the next great linebackers in the NFL, and all have, at various times, been talked about as the next Ray Lewis.  Brian Cushing on the other hand, has more in common right now with the 2005 winner, Maryland’s own Shawne Merriman, who also has served a four game suspension for violating the substance policy.

Some bloggers have rushed to Cushing’s defense citing his natural instincts and feel for the game.  It’s a hell of a lot easier to act on those instincts in a bigger, faster manner when you are chemically enhanced.  Speaking of faster; remember how rookies often have trouble getting acclimated to the speed of the pro game?  Not Brian Cushing+ (Now with more fertility chemicals)!  He has been able to train his body to stay focused and reactive long after everyone else on the field has tired out.  Other rookies have trouble adjusting to longer, harder seasons?  He plays for the Houston Texans so it’s not like he has to worry about playoffs, but even if he did; BC++ is ready to go!

So why did this happen?  Let’s take Cushing’s own words:

“There are a lot of different options for how it can get into a male’s body. Personally, I know that I didn’t ingest or inject anything, and the fact that my options were that I was either injecting or I had a tumor, as I was told by some sources, I played the whole season thinking I had tumors”.    

It’s time to back down from this defense there kid, because, unless you make with the tumors, you are going to come off looking like a complete and utter jackass to every sports fan in America.  Really?  You thought you might have a tumor?  Have some doctors run some tests with OVER TEN MILLION DOLLARS the Texans guaranteed you back before you embarrassed their franchise.  Create some sort of a paper trail showing you were concerned for your life because when you failed the test IN SEPTEMBER you had to have known someone was going to ask a question sooner or later.

It’s the same thing with anyone who tests positive for a drug and claims that it must have been a supplement tainted with something illegal: SUE THE MANUFACTURER.  Sue them for all they’re worth and profess, in a court of law, that you are the innocent victim and they are the scumbags.  Your silence tells us all we need to know about the shame you cheaters have never learned to properly articulate.  Our loyal readers know that I don’t use CAPITAL LETTERS as a form of EMPHASIS very often; this whole thing pisses me off to no end.

Hell, what does it matter?  To paraphrase Zak’s thoughts: “I just don’t care anymore; if I worried about every cheater I wouldn’t be able to appreciate the game in general”.

Damn you Brian Cushing, you cheating bastard.  How dare you put me in a position where Zak actually makes sense…

Oh yeah…  Brian, if you actually do have a tumor: my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family through this difficult time.  Whoops.    

Attention all NFL executives and coaches: If your offseason training activities are voluntary, stop complaining when a player doesn't volunteer to forfeit his vacation time.

ESPN ran with a story on its website today saying that some Washington Redskins players are unhappy that defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth hasn't reported to voluntary camps.

I actually understand the problem the 'Skins have with Haynesworth staying home. They're busting their butts and they want the superstar lineman to be out there doing it with them. After all, as defensive end Phillip Daniels said, "There is no room for negotiation at 4-12."

That was Washington's record last year when the defense played out of a base 4-3 package. New defense coordinator Jim Haslett apparently plans to install a 3-4 scheme, which Haynesworth has no desire to play in.

Fine. Criticize the overpriced lineman for not wanting to play in a defense because he likes another one better. Criticize him for the apparent attitude problems he flashed all through a disappointing first season with the Redskins.

But don't criticize Haynesworth purely for not attending a voluntary mini camp.

It's one of the more absurd aspects of the NFL. Every team holds voluntary mini camps and conducts voluntary conditioning programs. As their name implies, these camps and programs are not required. Coaches cannot force players to attend or participate. Players cannot be fined or otherwise disciplined within the team for failing to volunteer.

And yet, every offseason, a coach will call out one of his players in the media for not attending a voluntary camp. He'll say he really needs the guy there, and that he's disappointed he didn't show up.

Coach may not be able to fine or bench his player. But he can certainly apply pressure and wreck a player's reputation by tricking the public into thinking he has done something wrong.

Again, the camps are voluntary. We ain't even talkin' 'bout practice. We're talkin' about practice that is not required!

How many of you 9-to-5ers volunteer to come into work on Saturdays? Sure, your boss might like it. But if he doesn't make you, you're not doing it. What's interesting about this particular case is that the players are the ones calling out Haynesworth. But they're not any more right to do so than the coach.

Players in the NFL live a good life. They make lots and lots and lots of money playing a game that most of us loved to play for free as kids. But they pay the price, too, with devastating injuries, the lifelong effects of which we are only just now beginning to comprehend.

So even if I'd love for every player on every team to show up for practice, required or not, and work with their teammates to get better every chance they get, it doesn't make a player wrong to decide to sit out of those voluntary work outs.

I don't know Albert Haynesworth. Maybe he's a terrible teammate and a general pain in the ass. But if a nine year NFL veteran with two Pro Bowls under his belt and an enormous, unhealthy, but required lineman gut above that belt wants to sit a few out in May, I don't see the problem.