The McDaniel Guru

Keys to Success [2-0]

First week:

McDaniel sweeps Scranton.

My take:

Gearing up for their Florida spring break trip, the McDaniel baseball squad had two doubleheaders planned at home. Both were postponed for future dates. This past Sunday [3/8], the team hosted Scranton, a very talented team. As the Guru, I like to throw in my predictions fo the games before the game. I had McDaniel sweeping Scranton 5-2 and 4-3. Even though I was right in the way of a McDaniel sweeping, I do not believe Nostradamus could have seen what played out. The first win came on a passed ball strikeout with 'HB' Baines Jr. at the dish. The second went into extras (eight innings in this case, with all non-conference doubleheaders scheduled with two seven inning games). On a high fly popout with two on and two outs from the stick of Brent Toms, a routine ball turned into two runs and McDaniel's second win.

Even though these were two of the bizarre games I have seen live dating back to last season's 17 run two-inning, a win is a win is a win. Whether they are ugly is irrelevant- McDaniel put themselves in position to win, or for the other team to make mistakes in crucial situations. And McDaniel is showing promise. With captain catcher Justin Reitz out for the doubleheader, and the need for production off the bench, one thing is certain- McDaniel has depth. Bats for the most part are hot, fielding needs a tune up with some unneeded errors. Like I mentioned before, players came off the bench who had not been able to prove themselves in game situations and produced. Those who did not do as well, you WILL get another shot, just work your ass off at all times and your teammates will appreciate it. What is the significance of this doubleheader? A team can practice all they want, but game-time situations are irreplaceable. The past two seasons McDaniel has not gotten games in before spring break thanks to weather, this allows them to get a much needed start to the season. But what are the keys to success for this season?

After last season, I stressed the need for off-season workouts and attitude changes. I want to stress how much this has actually happened. In the off-season I repeatedly saw players in the gym working out, conditioning, etc. The baseball conditioning book is filled out, and people are serious about being on the team. Without the presence of a vocal head coach, players need to motivate others and self-motivate. This is is the final season for a hefty part of the lineup, and this is their last chance for a Centennial playoff berth. So much of the success today was from motivation and team unity. Whether someone goofed up here or misread this there etc., there was plenty of chatter in the dugout. This was lacking last season, and from what I can see is the difference this season so far and it NEEDS TO CONTINUE. Whether you like someone or are friends with someone off the field, this is a team- treat it so.. Be there for each other.

In the pitching department, I saw solid outings. You aren't going to be the GREATEST your first time out. There still is going to be rust to shake off. You had a bad start, a bad inning.. so what. It happens, it's going to happen, it's how you use this for then. No one is perfect, no one. If there were missteps in the field, be confident in yourself and your fielders- be confident that the next time out, they will be solid. Get prepared for your next appearance.

Overall, the team looks decent after their first test. Next is Catholic, then its to Florida and spring break. I cannot stress this enough- you're gonna start out rough, but continue the hard work, the team unity, and the effort that we saw today. Yes, we won in some bizarre fashions, BUT its the fact that we battled back from deficits time and time again that you should be proud off. Like last season, McDaniel battled and battled. 2-0 is great, but it is how you build off of this start. A win is a win, but that doesn't mean you can't get better- and we need to. This team has all the pieces- solid hitting, fielding, and a solid pitching core. Its up to you to keep the machine moving. Motivation? The Centennial coaches picked you to finish 7th. This couldn't be any further from the truth or a correct assessment of your talents. Use this and take it to Catholic Tuesday.

In Terror I Trust.
-The Guru

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09 Mar, 2009 | McDaniel Guru | Leave comment - 0 - | Share on Facebook | Email this article | Viewed: 572 times

Curley Gets Coach of the Year Nod

CICM Internship Possibilites

Recently I was notified by Lisa Breslin, adviser to the McDaniel Free Press about an exciting internship with ICM (Innovation in College Media). The internship deals with maintaining a weblog on their site about the innovation that college media has undergone to keep up to speed with the ever changing outlets that newspapers and magazines have now in the 21st century.

Basically, what you are reading now- is a new innovation of college media. Blogs, videos, and podcasts are all examples of the new innovations that have surfaced to make information available to those interested in obtaining information. Its obvious to the internet generation that these outlets are more accessible (but not better than) buying a newspaper subscription or magazine subscription. Youtube videos, iTunes podcasts, and blogs allow college students to gain information on a variety of subjects that are more our speed. Pretty simple to me.

So why am I a great choice for ICM? What ideas do I have to highlight what other college media outlets are producing to keep readers interested and invested in the information?

It is no secret that newspapers are becoming more and more extinct with the growing media outlets within technology. Embracing the new technologies is a great idea, and highlighting the ways that other college media outlets are embracing them is an even better idea. With ICM's new weblog, experiencing other college online publications is first a foremost a must. College journalists vary on the ways they are using the new technologies available, and viewing other techniques from around the nation would be an interesting read, and also educational for both already savvy college journalists and publications, and those colleges that want to pursue a new way to produce material. This could be accomplished in several ways, one of which would be as simple as an open forum for other journalists to post ideas, and entries in which I interview the leaders as to what they are doing differently from other college publications. Interviewing college leaders and editors from around the nation would further the idea of how college media is becoming more and more innovative.

As noted in the outline of the CICM position, mapping the different online outlets and what they do differently than other outlts from around the country. Whether it is a section devoted to videos from around their campus (investigative journalism), or sections devoted to out of the ordinary subjects (fashion, etc.), listing and mapping the different techniques that each institution utilizes to make their online version interesting is a great idea. A section on the CICM weblog can be devoted to rating several online versions from a variety of nationwide schools, and highlighting these different techniques and sections.

One of the new ways to produce material that has coincided with the growing online outlet are blogs. Originally, blogs were dismissed as just a way for people to state opinion without any basis. However, blogs have become more and more commonplace for opinion, facts, and an open forum for a variety of subjects. Like McDaniel, there are hundreds of blogs around the nation that college students maintain. "Everyone has a blog" argue critics, yet listing and mapping the different blogs from around the nation is a great idea. Whtere it is a sports blog, fashion, crime on campus, illuminating the variety and more popular blogs from around the nations school's would allow readers to view who are popular blogs, where these blogs are from (school), and what they deal with. A weekly segment could deal with the most viewed or most known blogs from around the nation's online college websites. Within this segment, I could interview or co-write a blog with the writer of the blog chosen for that week about how they decided to turn to online journalism, how they pull readers, what they focus on. This would provide information to other online weblogs and how and why they are turning to online media.

When it comes to showcasing how the nation's universities and colleges are growing to utilize and coincide with the growing technology at their disposal, the sky is the limit. Videos, interviews, mapping the online versions are all techniques that can be used to shed light on other institutions and their techniques in this process. I feel that only by using these techniques will we as college students of journalism understand how our fellow college journalists are utilizing the technology at their disposal.

I feel that I can be an asset to CICM and to other college journalists who are looking for new ways to expand their papers to a multimedia format.

Thank you.
Garrett Eagan

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18 Jan, 2009 | McDaniel Guru | Leave comment - 2 - | Share on Facebook | Email this article | Viewed: 873 times

The Bowls: Given Winners, Weiners, and Why

The 2008 Bowl Season is mostly hard-nosed games with a reason to watch. However, in addition there is the growing trend of scrubby teams like the Irish and the Terrapins getting bowl nods with sub-par at best play. The Irish can barely beat unranked opponents while the Terrapins can only beat ranked opponents. Scratching your head still? Stop. I agree that they should get bowls, but companies put up top dollar to have a bowl. Go ahead and steal it, but my idea is to accumulate money, and have the two worst teams (in D-1A) play each other. The Bowl name? Appropriately called 'The xxxxxxxx Toilet Bowl'. Sponsors still pending. Here are my picks, upsets, and locks of the galaxy.

Notice here I also have a rating system on whether to waste your time on watching these games. It's like movies with 5 stars, but this is football. So this is X's and O's, one X don't even bother. 5X's? Get your pizza and wings ready.

PIONEER LAS VEGAS BOWL
#16 Brigham Young vs. Arizona - ARIZONA - Why Arizona? Here's the thing that scares me about BYU. There are several games this season that should have been inked as a loss, especially the game against Washington, where a suspect call by an official pushed the ball further back, and the extra-point was blocked. Blocking from 13yds out is a little different than from 28yds out. Also, Arizona plays Pac-10 teams like USC and Oregon close. A loss is a loss, and a win is a win, but I think Arizona has a legitimate shot to do it. (oXXXX)

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL
#9 Boise State vs. #11 TCU - BOISE STATE - Never knew the San Diego County Credit Union was such a potent business that it could produce this much scratch to sponsor this bowl. Definitely a good one to watch however. (oXXXX)

SHERATON HAWAII BOWL
Hawaii vs. Notre Dame - NOTRE DAME - Please. I'll be sleeping. (oooXX)

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
West Virginia vs. North Carolina - WVA - As much as I don't like the Mountaineers, I think they will show flashes of their former prowess in this game. Also, a respectable match-up, and a good game to watch. (ooXXX)

EMERALD BOWL
Miami (FL) vs. California - MIAMI (FL) - I would have to say other than my pick in pre-season that Alabama would be the standout team of the year (I was right. #23 to #1/#5? Thanks.) Miami is showing a resurgence this season. In fact, they might be my pick for a standout team next season. I like Miami in this. I mean c'mon, Cal lost to Maryland. Decent game to watch. (ooXXX)

VALERO ALAMO BOWL
#21 Missouri vs. #23 Northwestern - NORTHWESTERN - Where has Missou been this season? Stinking up the joint, that's where. Their inconsistency both defensively in the secondary and also up front bothers me. Northwestern is one of those teams that people like to sleep on. Sorry Chase, give the ball to your back-up. You know, the guy who is ACTUALLY a NFL-style stud. Great game to watch. (XXXXX)

ROADY'S HUMANITARIAN BOWL
Maryland vs. Nevada - MARYLAND - Why in the hell did I waste time to type this when I won't waste the time to watch this. Poor at best game to watch. Stick to taking down the decorations. (ooooX)

PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY BOWL
#13 Oklahoma State vs. #17 Oregon - OK STATE - When it rains, it pours. And this game is going to be a shootout. Defensively, these teams are swiss-cheese. Plus, offensively both teams rank in the top 10 scoring teams in the nation. I like Robinson to Bryant FTW instead of Quack-Quack Masoli. Decent game to watch. (ooXXX)

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
LSU vs. #14 Georgia Tech - LSU - Apart from the idea that I'm not a Les Miles fan, I like the Tigers to claw their way back into a respectable light. Great and tight game to watch. (oXXXX)

THE ROSE BOWL
#8 Penn State vs. #5 USC - USC - I do think that USC will win. I do not think it will be as big of a blowout as most yokels would venture to say as they pet their bellies. Penn State has the ability to keep it close for the majority of the game. But win it? I'm not so confident. Great game to watch, it is the ROSE BOWL. (XXXXX)

FEDEX ORANGE BOWL
#12 Cincinnati vs. #19 Virginia Tech - CINCINNATI - Call me crazy, moronic, or even venture to the insensitive and potty-mouth comments, but VT's inconsistency shies me away from picking them. Decent game to watch. (ooXXX)

COTTON BOWL
#25 Mississippi vs. #7 Texas Tech - OLE MISS - Trust me. T-Tech is nothing special. yes, I did pick them against Texas, but they only won that game thanks to poor tackling on a last minute force into double coverage. I like Ole Miss here. I will be glued to the TV. Join me. (XXXXX)

ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL
#6 Utah vs. #4 Alabama - BAMA - Alabama should be in the national ship game. But instead, notice them taking out frustrations on Utah. Utah also has a chance to keep this interesting. However, I will admit I know nothing of them. We'll see. Good game to watch. (oXXXX)

TOSTITOS FIESTA BOWL
#10 Ohio State vs. #3 Texas - TEXAS - A big fan of Tressel. Not in this one, however. Great game to watch- definite 5-X'er. (XXXXX)

FEDEX BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
#2 Florida vs. #1 Oklahoma - FLORIDA - I like Florida here. Maybe we will see who did/should have won the Heisman. I think Florida is too good of a team ALL-AROUND. Not just about offense here. It's for the title, great game to watch. (XXXXX)

See you around like a donut.
-The Guru

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20 Dec, 2008 | McDaniel Guru | Leave comment - 0 - | Share on Facebook | Email this article | Viewed: 998 times

NFL Picks Week 16

Week 16 of the NFL showcases what we like to call the final push for those wild card hopeful teams both in the NFC and the AFC. Teams once in the hunt are playing for pride, and also draft picks. Don't expect the Lions to right the ship and take the first pick in the draft. They face off against a quarterback who is just 2 games and 752 yards of tying Dan Marino's 1984 passing yard record. Can he do it? We will see. Both the Ravens and 'Boys are vying to solidify a playoff berth with the game that is only broadcasted on the NFL Network. However, local channels will be simulcasting the game. Goodie. I guess it helps kill time before I, uh, sleep? Here are my picks:

Baltimore at DALLAS (-10) L
CINCINNATI (-3.5) at Cleveland W
SAN FRANCISCO (-0.5) at St. Louis W
NEW ORLEANS (-14) at Detroit W
Pittsburgh at TENNESSEE (-3) W
MIAMI (-9.5) at Kansas City W
Arizona at NEW ENGLAND (-7.5) W
SAN DIEGO (-3.5) at Tampa Bay W
HOUSTON (-3.5) at Oakland L
Buffalo at DENVER (-0.5) L
NY JETS (-7.5) at Seattle L
ATLANTA (-6) at Minnesota W
Philadelphia at WASHINGTON (-3.5) W
Carolina at NY GIANTS (-10.5) W
GREEN BAY (-3.5) at Chicago L

---------------------------------- Week 16 = 10-5

W/L edited 12/24
(Teams in caps are my projected winner. The figure in the parentheses is the amount I feel they are favored by.)

See you around like a donut.
-The Guru

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20 Dec, 2008 | McDaniel Guru | Leave comment - 0 - | Share on Facebook | Email this article | Viewed: 945 times

Your Guru iz Back

Well after my computer has taken a beaten for several reasons in the last month or so, I have not been able to blog. However, after some minor adjustments and a little disk cleanup, I am back in action and there is so much to talk about.

First of all, our beloved Redskins are 6-3, and I think everyone other than the Redskin faithful can explain how a foot tastes. This team has come a long way since the pre-season, making the necessary adjustments in key games, and in turn being able to go on the road with a tough schedule and get the job done against Philadelphia and Dallas. It was funny to see the ESPN.com analyst picks already this season. No credit for the Redskins? As they sleep on the team, the team is wide awake and a huge contender.

Clinton Portis and Jason Campbell are in Pro Bowl production mode, and defensively many people have stepped up and made great contributions to get much needed wins. Chris Horton and London Fletcher are definitely doing their part and more for this banged up Redskins’ defense. Hopefully Jason Taylor and Shawn Springs can get healthy for the Dallas game. In addition, having DeAngelo Hall will help strengthen this defensive team.

This past Monday I was at the MNF game. It was my first MNF game and I have to say I was more than excited to get into the stadium. One thing I noticed about Monday night games that I had not seen before in any other this season was the amount of NFL ‘fathers’ that were in attendance and gawking it up on the sideline during pre-game. Snyder, Wilbon, Kornheiser, Jaws, Esiason, Goodell, and Tirico were in a big circle talking to each other. I NEED a field pass. Badly. I sat there wondering if I would actually get arrested for hopping the wall to walk down to the group just to get a listen and maybe throw in my two cents. As the event staff guards threw me to the ground, I’d simply say I lost my field pass and that I write for Cooley’s blog. I did neither. Wimp.

The game was an awesome experience even if the outcome was not in the Redskins’ favor. Yes, we lost, but the team never gave up. Late in the fourth quarter when the team could have just laid down and died, they fought until the final second ticked down. The defense of the Steelers was dominant throughout the game, yet the Skins would not die. Jason Campbell got the interception out of the way, and stayed strong throughout the game even with being rushed and hit numerous times by the Steelers D. The worst part of the game was the Steelers’ fans bringing their piss-stained toilet paper (Terrible Towels) and swinging them throughout the game.

This weekend was a much needed bye week for the Redskins. Hopefully we can get back our banged up players on defense and come back strong at home against the Cowpokes. If I am lucky, I will be at that game, and let’s pour it on against the Cowgirls. The only question that I had to answer this weekend was: What the hell am I going to watch? The Ravens?! I decided to take a much needed bye week nap.

See you around like a donut.
-The Guru

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13 Nov, 2008 | McDaniel Guru | Leave comment - 5 - | Share on Facebook | Email this article | Viewed: 1412 times

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