The Baltimore Blast are champions . . . again. The team’s ruthless defense, fast-paced offense, and desire to, once again hoist the Ron Newman Cup drove them to a 4-3 victory over the Monterrey Flash at last night’s game in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. This win is the 10th in franchise history and the third Major Arena Soccer League championship win in a row.

“We’ve been doing it all season,” head coach Danny Kelly told The Sun. “We know wherever we go, we’re going to get everybody’s best shot and that’s the challenge we’ve embraced all season long. There was no fear coming to Monterrey. We just had to play, limit our mistakes and finish our chances when they came. I thought we played a pretty complete game.”

Goalkeeper William Vanzela, in his second game back from a groin injury that sidelined him in January, had a standout game with eight saves, including one game-winning protection during the final minutes. It was that performance that lead to Vanzela’s second MVP title.

“What we accomplished tonight is just unbelievable,” he wrote on Instagram. “For me, in the six years with the Blast, I have been in six finals, four championships, and two MVPs. I am so proud to be part of this incredible organization and of this team.” 

In front of a crowd of nearly 9,000 fans, the defending champions dominated the first half of the game going into the break leading the Flash 3-0. Blast’s forward Vini Dantas kicked off the scoring in the first quarter with an assist from midfielder Tony Donatelli. Forwards Andrew Hoxie and Daniel Peruzzi also got in on the action, each scoring a goal to put the Blast up at halftime. 

While the defense managed to keep the Flash at bay in the first half, the second half proved more troubling. Early in the third quarter, Monterrey’s Edgar Gonzalez was able to finally get the Flash on the scoreboard. Two late fourth quarter goals from Monterrey’s Efran Martinez and Lourenco Andrade shifted the once blowout into a nail biter.   

It all came down to Vanzela needing to make one last save to secure another championship for his team. In the end, the Blast’s determined defense won the game.

“It’s very hard to win one time, even at a rec level as a kid,” Vanzela said. “But three in a row makes me speechless. We are a defensive team that cares more than anyone can think, and the result is in the picture. We are again, for the third straight time, the champions.”

When the PressBox editorial department met to determine its Sportsperson of the Year, it didn’t take long to reach a conclusion. The Maryland men’s lacrosse team had endured a 42-year title drought and nine championship game defeats before head coach John Tillman guided the Terps back to the top, capturing the national title with a 9-6 victory against Ohio State May 29.

PressBox publisher Stan “The Fan” Charles sat down with Tillman to talk about the drought, what the title meant to the lacrosse community, the top-notch talent that surrounds him at Maryland, and more. 

To find out the other winners—including best high school dynasty, unsung hero, social media moment, and Cinderella story—visit PressBoxOnline.com/BestOf.

For the first time in decades, the Baltimore Blast are playing their hard-hitting, high-scoring, indoor-soccer games some place other than Royal Farms Arena. The team’s new home is the smaller, more modern SECU Arena on Towson University’s campus.

In an interview with Marty Bass and Linh Bui on WJZ team owner Edwin F. Hale, Sr. linked the move to his ongoing legal dispute with the city over the ownership of billboards outside Royal Farms Arena. And the deal with the college is the only reason the team is still around.

“Had we not gone to Towson University, there would be no Baltimore Blast this year,” Hale said.

Still, for Blast diehards, leaving may feel a bit like when the Orioles, and then the Ravens, departed Memorial Stadium. Though little about the building could be described as state-of-the-art, the old Baltimore Civic Center is not without its shabby charms and history. But the Blast are all we got and they’re still really, really good at winning games—they’re going for their third championship in a row.

This past Saturday, we ventured out to Towson to check out the new digs and see the Blast take on the St. Louis Ambush. Here are some pointers for enjoying an action-packed game at the new venue.

Buying Tickets

Even though the team’s maximum seating capacity has been cut by more than half (from about 10,000 to 4,000), there were still plenty of seats available for the game against the Ambush. The box office is located beyond the security check-in at Gate 2. With that said, it’s still best to call or check the map on Ticketmaster before banking on walk-up sales.

The small confines and smaller field really do put fans right on top of the action. My buddy and I started out in section 206 and had a great view nearly at midfield. It’s worth it to splurge and get seats in the lower bowl—we checked out club section 112—where you can clearly listen as the players call out directions to their teammates and hear the sound of the ball moving along the artificial turf.

Pregame

Given its location on York Road just off Towson’s campus, local sports bar staple Bill Bateman’s Bistro is, by default, the best place to grab some pregame beers and food. Even then, it’s about a 20-minute walk from Bateman’s to the arena, so you’ll probably still have to drive (responsibly, of course).

I asked our bartender if there were any Blast-related specials and he said there weren’t, but that he was thinking about mentioning it to his manager after seeing an uptick in business on game days. No pressure, guys.

But they did have their regular slate of deals, which on this day featured discounted Bell’s Best Brown Ale ($4.50 for a 22-ounce glass, $3.50 for a pint), and, of course, all the wings, burgers, and pub grub our appetites could handle.

Know Before You Go

SECU Arena is just off Osler Drive and, as the team has heavily promoted, parking is built into the cost of a ticket. As you head south on Osler, the first sign for Blast parking will lead you toward lots near Unitas Stadium. Keep going, though, and you’ll see a second sign that leads to parking near the Towson Center. The lots near the football stadium are much further away.

It took us a little more than five minutes to walk from our spot to the gate and through security. Though not quite as strict as Ravens game, SECU security doesn’t allow bags larger than 12 inches high, 22 inches wide, and 8 inches deep.

The In-Game Experience

Opened in 2013, SECU Arena still has a lot of new bells and whistles, including an overhead scoreboard with crisp graphics and rectangular video boards that wrap around the seating bowl, much like at M&T Bank Stadium. These new amenities give the game itself a much sleeker, professionally produced feel.

As for concessions, professional sports still means professional sports prices, with nachos at $6, pizzas at $8 ($8.50 for pepperoni), chicken tenders and Old Bay chips at $11, and beer and wine ranging from $7.50 to $8.50, just to name a few. There were only three main food areas and a couple of carts, but they all seemed to move customers through briskly. Only at halftime were there noticeable lines. A few things worth pointing out: There are no vendors walking up and down the aisles, and the food stands started shutting down early into the fourth quarter.

The team store is located below section 210 and sells standard sports fare, like jerseys, shirts, and soccer balls, as well as fidget spinners and, if you so desire, Hale’s autobiography.

Otherwise, the atmosphere is the same as ever: Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration” and a T-shirt toss after every goal, the once-per-game playing of the theme from SpongeBob Squarepants, and superfan Rickee Walker—decked out in a hat and vest covered with buttons and pins from years past—banging on a drum, shaking gas fans filled with chickpeas, or playing a vuvuzela to hype the crowd.

Postgame

Per usual, several players will head to the team store after the final buzzer to sign autographs for fans.

The official after-party is at Nacho Mama’s in downtown Towson, where players, coaches, cheerleaders, and their families enjoy a meal together and then mingle with fans. There were no specials there, either, but the restaurant does boast having its house margarita, the sour and salty Graceland, on draft.

With two consecutive championships, how does it feel to be part of a successful sports team like the Baltimore Blast?
It feels great, I can’t complain. When you’re playing any sport that you love, as a professional, you want to succeed. We’ve been back-to-back champions—I’ve won three of the five since I’ve been here—but the reality is, we put in a lot of work to be where we are. 

Last season makes nine wins for the Blast. How did this championship game compare to others in the past?
At the championship in Mexico, they scored on us with 18 seconds left in the game. They had won the first game, so that meant they would win the championship if they beat us. We scored back with five seconds left. Then we went into overtime, and then second overtime, and we won. We still can’t believe we did that. 

How do you feel about the team moving from the Royal Farms Arena to the Towson SECU Arena this fall?
Wherever the team goes, we are going to play. As a goalie, for my personal game, I prefer a bigger field, but we won the last two championships in really tiny fields, which makes me think this will be a good move. It’s a transition, but it’s definitely going to be for the best. Our fans are going to be closer. It’s going to be really loud. 

What do you think sets the Blast apart from the rest of the league?
We play as a unit. Everybody knows that when you’re playing against the Blast, you’re going to have trouble, because of our teamwork. We are so committed to playing as a team. There’s not a single player that is going to outshine the rest.

How is being a goalie different from other positions?
Goalkeepers are always the most pressured player. You can’t really make mistakes. But I love playing under pressure. I like playing away games because all of the fans are against you and I love that atmosphere. The goalkeeper also works really hard during the week but we don’t do much when we perform in the game. You make a couple saves here and there, but you have to be more mentally prepared than physically. 

The Blast has a very loyal fan base.
This is another huge thing that makes us different—and makes people love us. They will likely only meet a Ravens player once in a lifetime, or take a selfie with them and never see them again, but they can be in touch with us easily. They can chat with us and see us after the games. It’s also a family environment. It’s a safe place to let your kids roam and enjoy themselves. 

You’ve been a Fan Favorite for the Blast for five years in a row. Why do you think that is?
When people come to the games and watch me play, they can see how much I care. I really, really love what I do. This was my dream as a kid, and I think I show that side of myself when I play. 

Tell us about your journey with soccer.
I was born in Brazil, and in Brazil, it’s a religion. I started when I was four, and by the time I was seven, I was playing for a travel team and became goalie. I didn’t like to run much, so that worked better for me [laughs]. You had to be a little quicker, smarter, and a little crazy. I moved to a professional team when I was 13 for seven years, and then moved to Italy, where I now have dual citizenship. I was playing for Italy in the 2011 World Cup. The Blast coach saw the game and everything went from there. 

Your team is comprised of men from all different backgrounds and countries.
It’s fun. We have a lot of Brazilian players on this team right now, so we are really close. I played with Elton [de Oliveira] back in Brazil when we were 13. I played with [Jonatas] Melo in Italy when we were 21 or 22. Melo played with Daniel [Peruzzi] in Italy. Soccer is a small world. We are all really good friends. Portuguese is the second language of the Baltimore Blast [laughs]. 

You also coach at Johns Hopkins, McDonogh School, and the Baltimore Celtic Club.
Coaching is very special. It gives you the chance to teach somebody based on the knowledge you have. You watch the improvements and you’re just really proud—I’m like a proud papa. You also get so nervous coaching. It’s worse than playing. You can’t do anything about the outcome. You’re just on the sideline watching. It drives me nuts sometimes, but I love it.

What do you tell kids to motivate them to play?
Play what you love. You have to be happy when you’re a kid. I sometimes think parents forget that and put too much pressure on the kids. I really want them to have fun. The teamwork in soccer is very special. 

What motivates you every day?
I dreamed of being a soccer player and I am a soccer player. How blessed am I? I wake up every morning and go for my dream. Money is important, but for me, happiness is the most important thing. I really, really love this sport, which starts to worry me, because at some point, I’ll have to stop. 

What will you do then?
A friend of mine became a huge soccer player. He stopped playing two years ago and now he does skydiving. He said it’s the same pre-game feeling—the adrenaline. So now I think I’m going to be a skydiver, too!

Baltimore Blast moves to Towson
It’s the end of one era—and the beginning of another. After 37 years at what is now called the Royal Farms Arena, the Baltimore Blast—Baltimore’s Best Team, according to our 2017 Best of Baltimore issue—are moving to SECU Arena at Towson University. 

According to a press release, the team promises, “a more intimate fan experience that will include more convenient parking, better value at the concession stands, and upgraded seating and sight lines that will bring fans closer the action.” We always hate to see anyone move out of the city, but we’re excited to see the Blast play in their new venue. And you had us at “convenient parking.”

O’s making us believe again.
The seven-game win streak came to a disappointing end last night, but the O’s have truly been on fire—and their excellent play has catapulted them right back into the Wild Card chase. (As of this writing, the team is 2.5 games back in the standings, behind LA, Minnesota, and the scuffling Yankees.) I’ll be the first to admit that I had written them off around mid-season, but their combination of solid pitching and clutch hitting—particularly from Manny Machado, who is looking a whole lot like, well, Manny Machado lately—is making me believe. 

Also: Remember the collective shrug we all gave when the O’s traded for Tim Beckham? All he’s done since is bat .394 with 50 hits and 19 RBIs. Throw in the star-making season that Jonathan Schoop is having, Trey Mancini’s Rookie of the Year-caliber performance (*cough* not so fast Aaron Judge *cough*), and Dylan Bundy looking like a legit ace (how bout that beauty of a one-hitter he threw against the Mariners on Tuesday?) and more and more Baltimoreans are finding themselves humming “Orioles Magic” these days.

Baltimore Ravens donated $1 million to the Houston recovery.
The 4-0 preseason was impressive, but this is even more impressive. The team tweeted that they’re donating $1 million to the recovery efforts in Houston. And the Houston Texans are appreciative, RTing the Ravens’ post and adding “#HoustonStrong.” ❤️

Boomer’s getting a sibling!
The cutest little minnow in the sea—Boomer Phelps, that is—is about to get a sister or brother. He looks pretty happy about it, according to to the photo Nicole Phelps posted on Instagram when she made the announcement. But maybe they just told him he was getting a pony. 

Speaking of Michael, we all know that he raced a shark (kind of) during Shark Week and now he has a new proposal—going head-to-head in the pool against MMA champ Connor McGregor, who just had a pretty respectable showing in his much-hyped boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. “Should we race as well?” he jokingly posted to Twitter, with a Photoshopped picture of McGregor donning a swimming cap and goggles. Imagine the Pay Per View bank they could make on that one. . . .

Is the Jeffrey Maier curse over?
Y’all remember Jeffrey Maier, right? That annoying little twerp in NY who interfered with the ball and gave Derek Jeter a home run he never should’ve had in the 1996 ALCS? Well, the O’s are surging, Maier is now a 33-year-old man (yikes!), and this adorable little nugget who seemed exceedingly happy that his dad snagged a Machado home run is our new bleachers spirit animal. All hail #BabyBird.

Baltimore Blast wins ninth national championship.
In true Blast fashion, you couldn’t count the team out even when it was looking bleak. Before more than 8,000 fans at El Centro de Usos Multiples in Hermosillo, Mexico, that Blast was losing 6-3 in the third quarter. But the team rallied back to earn a 9-8 overtime win with a lone goal in the 15-minute mini game from forward Vini Dantas. The victory represents the Blast’s second championship in a row and ninth overall—making them the most winning professional sports franchise in Baltimore. 

“What we did tonight and the entire season is something that me—being in five finals and a professional since I was 16—has never experienced before,” goalie William Vanzela, who had a crucial save with just over a minute left, told The Sun. “We are an unbelievable team that never ever gave up, and nobody deserved it more than us. It’s a magical night that will be forever on our minds.”

As Blast general manager Kevin Healey discussed with us a few weeks back, soccer might not be the most popular sport, but the physicality of the game and the fan engagement make it an incredibly exciting live game. And nowhere was that more evident that the nail-biting final championship game. 

The team’s owner Ed Hale, Sr. also noted that there might be one other secret ingredient to the Blast’s success: “A Baltimore workmanlike attitude.”

Ravens publish unbelievable piece about Konrad Reuland and Rod Carew.
In one of those cases of truth being stranger than fiction, Baltimore Ravens’ Garrett Downing wrote an incredible piece about the late Konrad Reuland and Ron Carew. Reuland was a tight end for the Ravens and, at just 29 years old, lost his life to a brain aneurysm. In the meantime, at a hospital just five miles away, baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew was suffering complications from a heart attack and his condition so severe that doctors immediately rushed his name to the top of the transplant list. Less than a week later, Reuland’s heart was given to Carew. 

The story is heart-wrenching, seemingly impossible, and inspiring. Give it a read to find out how the two families discovered the connection and how this isn’t the only history Reuland and Carew have shared over the years.

Orioles played home run derby at Fenway.
Wednesday night’s Orioles-Red Sox game got off to a hell of a start. In the first three innings alone, the Orioles hit five home runs—two from DH Trey Mancini—catapulting them to a 12-5 victory over the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The other homers came from Chris Davis, Adam Jones, and Jonathan Schoop. But it was Orioles draft pick Mancini that really shined, becoming .

“It felt incredible, and it’s something I’ll remember by whole life,” he said after the game. “It was a special night, for sure, and to be able to do it in a place like this is something I couldn’t have imagined.”

Showalter and Duquette making off-field moves.
The O’s have won six of their eight games and, while Zach Britton was earning his 53rd consecutive save last night, the team was making plenty of moves off the field. Right-handed pitcher Stefan Crichton was added to the roster, Alec Asher was called up from Norfolk to pitch on April 15, and the team acquired another new reliever—Damien Magnifico from Milwaukee. 

“Damien Magnifico has an excellent sinker, a strikeout pitch in his slider, and a knack for keeping the ball down and in the ballpark. We look forward to his contributing to the Orioles,” executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette told Press Box.

Teams do a lot of cross-promotion this week.
When the Blast won their championship, there were tons of congratulations being shared on social media, but one of our favorites came from the Ravens. 

And then last night the Orioles got in on the lateral support too, donning Washington Capitals t-shirts in hope that each team got a victory over Toronto (which they both did, by the way). Apparently some fans were a little peeved that a Baltimore team was supporting a D.C. team, which is honestly pretty silly. Save those bitter tweets for teams that really deserve them, like the Yankees, Steelers, or Patriots. 

But the Orioles—including Jones, Mancini, Caleb Joseph, and manager Buck Showalter—had some fun rooting for the NHL team.

Even manager Buck Showalter got in on the action, telling The Sun, “the thing I loved about it the most is that there was a Yankee fan trying to get into the field of play that he took it away from. That was probably the highlight for me.”

USA defeated the Dominican Republic 6-3 and went on to conquer Puerto Rico in the final, 8-0, to become the World Baseball Classic champions. U-S-A! U-S-A!

Keeping up with the Ravens.
With all the recent changes to the Ravens roster, let’s make sure we are all up to speed:

Hello: Running back Danny Woodhead, safety Tony Jefferson, and cornerback Brandon Carr.

Bye-Bye: Fullback Kyle Juszczyk and center Jeremy Zuttah are heading to San Francisco. Receiver Kamar Aiken is headed to Indianapolis. Defensive backs Shareece Wright and Kendrick Lewis were waived and safety Ladarius Webb was released.

Welcome Back: Quarterback Ryan Mallet, receiver Mike Wallace, linebacker Anthony Levine Sr., and defensive tackle Brandon Williams. (We’re particularly excited about Williams, both for his on-field performance and his killer dance moves.)

Good news for the Flacco-Pitta bromance fans: Tight end Dennis Pitta—Flacco’s favorite target and BFF—is staying in Baltimore. Pitta restructured his contract taking a pay cut for both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Last year, Pitta led the league in tight end receptions (86) after being forced to take a two-year hiatus due to a hip injury. According to Ravens salary-cap expert Brian McFarland, Pitta’s cut will save the Ravens $2.5 million in cap space.

Lady Terps headed to the Sweet Sixteen.
Fear the Turtle! Despite receiving a lower than expected third seed, Maryland women’s basketball team continues to shine as they clinched their 13th NCAA Sweet Sixteen spot after defeating West Virginia 83-56 on March 19. West Virginia had a five-game winning streak going into the contest but the Maryland squad proved the Mountaineers were no match. At the end of the first half, freshman guard Destiny Slocum lands a buzzer-beating, three-point shot from beyond half court.

This marks the Terrapins 25th appearance in the NCAA tournament. Since 2002, coach Frese has led the team to eight Sweet Sixteens, six Elite Eights, three Final Fours and in 2006, the NCAA title. The Terps are set to face off against the Oregon Ducks in Bridgeport, CT on Saturday, March 25.

The Book of Mormon
Nov. 3-15. Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Times vary. $58.50-147. 410-837-7400. Simply put, The Book of Mormon is not for the faint of heart, but we heartily recommend you see it. Hailed “the best musical of this century” by The New York Times, the nine-time Tony winner and Broadway smash hit follows two young missionaries on their quest to convert African citizens to the Mormon faith. Throwing politically correct niceties to the wind, it tackles religion, race, and sexuality through satire, song-and-dance, and a dash of explicit language. From South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, it’s a bold, witty show unlike anything on the stage before it.

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Zadie Smith
Nov. 3. The Johns Hopkins University, Hodson Hall, 3400 N. Charles St. 6:30 p.m. Free. 410-516-6286. When we look back, Zadie Smith—alongside the likes of Jonathan Franzen, Michael Chabon, and Junot Díaz—will be one of the authors who helped define the beginning of the 21st century. Born in London, the young writer graduated from Cambridge before penning her remarkable, award-winning debut, White Teeth, in 2000. Tackling topics of race, identity, history, and culture through elegant prose, acute wit, flirting plotlines, and magic realism, her social dissection of modern London inspired critical comparisons to Charles Dickens, Martin Amis, and Salman Rushdie. This month, hear Smith discuss her writings as part of the President Speaker Series at JHU.

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Baltimore Blast
Nov. 7-Feb. 2, 2016. Royal Farms Arena, 201 W. Baltimore St. Times & prices vary. 410-347-2020. Indoor soccer season is back, and its time to kick things off with our oft-overlooked hometown team, the Baltimore Blast, as they return to Royal Farms Arena at the beginning of the month. Starting with Saturday evening matches against Chicago, IL, Syracuse, NY, and Harrisburg, PA, see this year’s stellar lineup, with the top three point producers Tony Donatelli, Lucas Roque, pictured, and Pat Healey all back for another shot at the Major Indoor Soccer League championship.

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Jerry Seinfeld
Nov. 6. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. 1212 Cathedral St. 7 and 9:30 p.m. $65-155. 410-783-8000. What’s the deal with Jerry Seinfeld? In an era when it seems like every entertainer is trying to “expand their brand” and diversify into some kind of performer/diet guru/fashion designer/tech visionary/chakra healer, Seinfeld has, thankfully, kept it simple. Sure, he has made forays into film (the 2002 documentary Comedian; 2007’s animated Bee Movie), and yes, he can be found tooling around town with his funny friends in the delightfully idiosyncratic web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, but he has never strayed far from his core talent: He tells jokes and he does it well.

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Pearls on a String: Artists, Patrons, & Poets at the Great Islamic Courts
Nov. 8-Jan. 31, 2016. The Walters Art Museum, 600 N. Charles St. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 410-547-9000. thewalters.org. In this new exhibit at The Walters, explore the exotic treasures of the great Islamic empires with over 100 artworks dating back to the 16th century. Through three vignettes of paintings, ceramics, textiles, and luxuries, delve into their rich cultural history and discover the relationship between imagination, collaboration, and creativity.

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Charm City Fringe Festival
Nov. 8-15. Locations, times, & prices vary. Now in its fourth year, the Charm City Fringe Festival
returns to Station North to celebrate Baltimore’s diverse performing arts
community. Starting on Thursday with an opening party at Joe Squared, this
weeklong event features a medley of 20-plus performances by local and regional
talent, including Baltimore Improv Group, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, and
Gilded Lily Burlesque. See theater, comedy, improv, and dance at venues like
Terrault Contemporary, Mercury Theatre, Gallery 788, and Church & Company,
followed by after-parties with shows, music, and drinks at Liam Flynn’s Ale
House and Joe Squared each night.

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Waterfowl Festival

Nov. 12-15. 40 S.
Harrison St., Easton. Fri.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free-$15.
410-822-4567
. Head across the bridge
and celebrate the Eastern Shore for one fall weekend full of wildlife arts,
tidewater culture, and local activities in the historic town of Easton. Now in
its 44th year, the Waterfowl Festival attracts thousands for its esteemed
artwork, with paintings, photography, sculptures, and carvings on view and for
sale. Also, don’t miss its bucolic, bay-oriented activities, like goose- and
duck-calling contests, dock-jumping dog competitions, and retriever, live bird,
and fly-fishing demos, all of which you can observe or participate in.

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BSO Pulse: Wye Oak
Nov. 12. Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, 1212 Cathedral St. 5 p.m. $35. 410-783-8000. We have to hand it to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and WTMD for their cool new music series, Pulse. The pairing of BSO musicians with rising indie-rock bands creates one-of-a-kind concerts that connect the present to the past and takes another step in the symphony’s ongoing quest to evolve with modern times. In this second installment, see local duo Wye Oak perform a night of genre transcendence or listen live via 89.7 FM.

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Bazaart Holiday Art Market
Nov. 27-28. American Visionary Art Museum, 800 Key Hwy. Fri. 5:30-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free-$20. 410-244-1900. This holiday season, it’s time to boycott the big boxes and instead buy your loved ones some unique local gifts. At AVAM’s annual holiday market, browse original works by more than 40 regional artists and craftspeople, including paintings, sculpture, paper crafts, metalwork, jewelry, textiles, and apparel, with early-bird shopping at the First Dibs preview party on Friday.

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Miracle on 34th Street
Nov. 28-Jan. 1, 2016. 700 block of 34th St. Free. 5-11 p.m. Christmas comes early in Hampden again this month, just as it has for the past 67 years. Shortly after Thanksgiving, the festive neighborhood tradition of Miracle on 34th Street returns with the entire block decking their digs in bright holiday lights, sporting everything from illuminated Bohs and Miss Utz to crabs, flamingos, and the famous hubcap tree. Through New Year’s Day, join the throngs of locals and tourists alike to get in the holiday spirit with this Baltimore classic.

In your new memoir, Hale Storm, you disclose that you worked for the CIA for about a decade. How and when were you recruited?
I was recruited in 1992 by Buzzy Krongard who was the chairman of [investment bank] Alex. Brown at the time. I was chairman of the board of Bank of Baltimore and we happened to be in the same building.

What was Mr. Krongard’s relationship to the CIA at the time?
I’m not sure exactly. I don’t think it was official. But eventually, he became the number three person in the CIA under George Tenet, but at that time I don’t think he had any official position.

So, presumably, he had contacts at the CIA and they were looking for someone to do X, Y, Z, and he said, ‘I know someone who might be good for that.’
Yes, that’s correct. It was a position that they thought I would be a good person to get agents into foreign countries because of my business, which was pro-soccer, banking, and shipping.

So how did it work?
[The CIA] would either send me a resume or the handlers would come over with people who were to be given credentials by me—HaleTrans, Baltimore Blast—I would hand them shirts, hats, cards, and they were sent on their way. They were not [my] employees. They were, in fact, paid by the agency. That’s how their compensation was, so it didn’t get too complicated. I would just give them identities that these people were employed by me, as opposed to somebody who was a “military attaché” or a “cultural attaché” to an embassy over in Libya. Everybody knew you were a spy. In this case, it was undetectable. In fact, they were never, ever caught.

None of them were ever caught?
Nope. I was the only was who ever was.

How did you get caught?
I was in Israel with one of the agents, and he was on his way to other places in the Middle East. I was at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, and they came in and grabbed me out of a meeting and took me and interrogated me and let me go because I was not there for Israel, I was there shepherding somebody through into other countries, which I can not talk about.

When you say “they”, who is “they”? Israeli intelligence?
It was something called Shin Bet, which is the people who watched over The Mossad.

Do you remember what year this was?
I’m guessing around 1997, 1998, something like that.

So what? They just barged into a boardroom meeting?
They came in and politely asked me to come with them, and I did. I also had an office in Gstaad, Switzerland, and these same people, same agents showed up at my office in Gstaad like a week or two later just to make sure it was real.

Were you scared?
Not really. I’m not a fool, but I was not scared because I wasn’t doing anything. I have a great affection for the Israelis, and we were on the same page, and I think they figured that out and let me go.

Did Mr. Krongard or anyone else at the CIA ever explain why they picked you?
They could have gone to any number of people, and I’m not aware that they went to anybody else, maybe they did. But I was the one that was most plausible because I was in international shipping. I had tugboats and barges. They would go to the Mediterranean. They would go into Alexandria, Egypt, to Cyprus. They would go to all these, you know, maybe unfriendly countries, and there was a reason for me to send people to go and make sure that everything was being transacted properly, and that the vessels arrived on time, and things like this. So it was reasonable to expect that my people had a reason to be there, as opposed to somebody else in Baltimore who wasn’t in the shipping business, for example. That’s what made this work. Plus, the fact that I had a pro-soccer team, and I have foreign players. I think there was one time I had some Iraqis playing for me.

So you got out of the CIA when Mr. Krongard left. When was that?
I left in 2001. In 2001, the gloves were off after 9/11, and they didn’t really need me as much as they did before. I’m just surmising that. So, Buzzy was leaving. George Tenet had left, and then he had someone else come in that he didn’t really respect, so we left. I was asked several years later to do it again with people that I didn’t really know who. So I decided not to because I didn’t have Buzzy Krongard to fall back on it the event that something happened—and that’s no small thing that I just told you.

It sounds like your trust in Mr. Krongard was the deciding factor for you.
If somebody else asked me, I probably would have done it, but I wouldn’t have done it as readily as I had. But it was really done because of my trust in him. I knew he was a patriot and he would do things the right way.

So what does he think about you disclosing all this?
He’s not happy. He says I shouldn’t do it. I did it. I went down and visited the agency and told them I was doing it. They weren’t too happy with it either. So the actual chapter about this was sent to them, and I never got a response, so I’m going to take that as tacit agreement.

Well, there’s a lot more in your autobiography.
Yeah, you guys covered me. The name of the book is Hale Storm and two Baltimore magazine articles covered me back during my Baltimore Blast days and shipping days. The title of the story was “Hale Storm.” And then, a different publisher, a different time frame, in 1991 or 1992, when I did a hostile takeover of the Bank of Baltimore, which was a New York Stock Exchange bank, that was [called] “Hale Storm.” These guys that came up with the same title, Kevin Cowherd and [publisher] Apprentice House, came up with it independently, not even knowing about that. So there’s a recurring theme here—I don’t know why.

You started in shipping and moved into banking and you also own a sports team and did real-estate development as well. This all gets covered in the book, but you also talk about your personal life. Why did you want to do that?
Well, I was an absent father. I was not a good father. I wasn’t a good husband. I was just never around. And there were times when I wasn’t a good boyfriend. And [Fox 45 anchor] Jennifer Gilbert was my girlfriend for a few years, and it created a problem when I would just leave and not tell her that I was leaving. Now, she knows. She has been interviewed for the book. She understands why. I haven’t dated her for 10 years plus—I don’t even know how long it has been. She didn’t know about some of this. She knew that I had an interesting life. But when I was able to actually talk about this I did get with her and tell her. I got with my children. One of my daughters is 30, one is 27, and I have a son [who is] 47, so I got with them all and said, ‘Here’s what I did.’ I was not a good father. I wasn’t around as much as I really needed to be at the time. I mean, all three have turned out very well, extremely well, but at the same time, I wasn’t really good. I’m a much better grandfather than I was as a father. So now, I’ve filled in a lot of the blanks and that’s basically what I’ve done here.

What was the response from your kids? Did they understand? Did they forgive you?
I think so. [My daughters] were both interviewed. I think that my two daughters have forgiven me, and we’re very close. One is a speech therapist up in Philadelphia and got her master’s at Towson, and the other one is married, mother of a 1-year-old. I also have three grandsons, twins that are 10 and their older brother is 11.

I was not really a good father. When I was around, it was very frenetic. I’ll give you an example: I would fly in from Taiwan, stay here for a few days, and then I’d be off to Israel. So I would have like, 10-day absences, two-week absences. And I’d be upside down. When I’d get home I wasn’t the greatest of all company because I’d be jetlagged, not knowing what timeframe I was in. I’m not normal.

What do you mean by that?
I’ve done all these different things. At one point I’ve had my trucking company, barges, tugboats, ships, Baltimore Blast, real-estate development, I’m working for the agency, I took over Bank of Baltimore, and then I started 1st Mariner Bank, and all these things happened all at the same time. So just imagine juggling all those balls. It didn’t make for a good personal relationship with my children.

I have definitely slowed the pace down. It was almost impossible to keep that pace up. I did it for almost 25 years. The pace I kept was unbelievable. But, at the same time, I’m not complaining. I liked doing it. It was done by choice.

What drives you to do all that?
I really don’t know, but I’ve always had it. I’ve always loved to do different things, learn different things. It sounds very trite and cliché, but I like being challenged. I like learning new things. I’m very inquisitive. I’m curious about other people. It’s just my nature. It’s the way I’ve been.

Does it have anything to do with wanting to transcend your working-class background?
Well, at the beginning I had something to prove. And then, after a while, I stopped thinking like that. I was in my 30s. I just said, ‘I’ve already done more than most people have in a lifetime’. After that, it was just the thrill of doing something different—and I consider it a thrill.

Would you say you’re a little bit of an adrenaline junkie?
A little bit, but I’ve always used this line, ‘There’s a fine line between risk-taking and thrill-seeking,’ and I would bump up on the thrill-seeking part every once in a while.

And was the CIA assignment part of that?
A little bit. At the end, yes.

At the end? What do you mean?
Uh, I was asked to do certain things that I can’t talk about where I would go, I would actually go places.

So you were an operative at a certain point?
I was asked . . . I can’t even talk about that.

International man of mystery.
Well, I’d prefer to be like the Dos Equis guy [The Most Interesting Man in the World], ‘cause I’ve got gray hair. I’m an old dude.

Is it true that when you told your mother about working for the CIA she said, ‘pass the broccoli’?
That’s correct. And I said, ‘You don’t have any questions?’ And she says, ‘You’ve done so many interesting things. It’s just more stuff.’

For a split second, Lucas Roque seemed suspended in mid air, his back parallel to the green artificial turf, his eyes focused on the soccer ball he was about to rocket off his right foot.When Roque’s circus-like flip kick improbably—impossibly, really—sailed past the stunned Missouri Comets goalkeeper, delivering the Blast the decisive blow in March’s final Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) championship game, he became the latest legend in the storied franchise’s decade of dominance. Most Baltimore fans know the Joe Flacco-to-Jacoby Jones play in Denver much better, but Roque’s bicycle kick, as the rare soccer feat is known, was a sports “miracle” materialized from skill and luck. And for Blast fans—a decidedly smaller, yet no less passionate bunch than their NFL or MLB counterparts—it’s every bit as significant.

“It couldn’t be a better ending,” says the Brazilian forward, who is entering his second season with the team. “I couldn’t say we were going to win after the goal because there was still a lot of time left. But I was praying it would be the winning goal.”

You’ll have to excuse Baltimore sports fans if, after a 2012-13 season that saw them celebrate a Super Bowl win, baseball resurrection, and the Blast’s title, they truly believe that God’s ears were attuned to Charm City.
Call the Ravens run dominant and the Orioles rebirth overdue. There’s only one way to characterize the Blast, a team that has won six championships in 11 years.

As a dynasty.

This season, which began this month with the Blast hanging its latest championship banner from the Baltimore Arena rafters, marks the 34th consecutive year of professional indoor soccer in the city. The sport essentially is an Americanized version of the so-called “beautiful game”—soccer with amped up speed and scoring.

Six men per side play balls off the boards and substitute on the fly, hockey-style. As in basketball, goals count for two or three points, so leads can turn into deficits in the blink of an eye.

“Indoor soccer is definitely end-to-end,” says defender Pat Healey, a Calvert Hall grad. “There’s a lot of action, a lot of goals, and the game can transition very quickly. You’re never really out of a game.”

Like its pro-football history, Baltimore’s indoor soccer lineage includes several franchises playing in various leagues. The current iteration dates to 1998, when developer and former 1st Mariner Bank CEO Ed Hale reacquired the team (he previously owned it from 1989-1992) and changed its name from the Spirit back to the Blast.

While the Blast’s fortunes rose, the vitality of the sport itself wavered. Indoor soccer enjoyed its heyday in the ’80s and early ’90s, when crowds in Baltimore and cities like Dallas and Cleveland threatened five digits. But as the economy shifted downward, sponsorships and ticket sales, which along with merchandise and summer camps encompass virtually all of an indoor-soccer franchise’s revenue, fell. Last year, the Blast averaged about 6,000 fans per game. The MISL, which at one point dropped to just five teams, will include seven this season.

Earlier this year, the team moved its headquarters from Du Burns Arena in Canton to a nondescript office park in Rosedale. It practiced at the Northeast Regional Recreation Center in Baltimore County. Unlike after previous title-winning seasons, Blast players, who earn between $1,500 and $4,000 a month, did not receive championship rings. (Many coach soccer or work at summer camps to supplement their income.)

“Let’s face it: We went through a very tough time in our country with the economy, and I’m proud to say that our Baltimore franchise and the league were able to get through it,” says Blast president and general manager Kevin Healey (and Pat’s father), who was among Hale’s initial hires in 1998. “The overall health of the league is trending upwards.”
After taking over, one of Healey’s first moves was to sign native New Yorker Danny Kelly to play midfield.

That trio of leadership—Hale, Healey, and Kelly—remains intact today. Kelly, now the head coach, has won three titles with the Blast, two as a player and one as a player-coach. He understands that Hale and Healey’s expectations never change.

“Our goal is to reach the championship every year,” Healey says. “If we reach the final and don’t win it, we don’t feel like we had a great year.”

Devout Blast fan Kathy Reynolds was in some serious pain. She had just undergone emergency surgery to correct a bowel blockage and remove a gallstone. Doctors released her from the hospital three days later—Friday night at 7:30. The next day, she went to see her beloved team play. Since attending her first game eight-and-a-half years ago, Reynolds has only missed two, both for “really big” church events.

“My husband and I got married on a Friday before opening night,” she says. “We gave each other season tickets for our wedding gift. We went to the game the night after our wedding and had T-shirts made that said, ‘We celebrated our honeymoon with the Baltimore Blast.’ We won.”

In an era of $40 parking and $10 beer at sporting events, Blast games remain a bargain. Tickets range from $16 to $22 for this year’s 10 home dates. Fans are treated to performances by cheerleaders, contests between quarters, and autograph sessions after the game. Reynolds has been president of the Blast fan club for six years. Last year it had about 250 members, who establish real and lasting relationships with the players at events like bowling nights and season-ending banquets.

“It’s very intimate,” says Paul Kram, who has been going to games with his wife, Sheree, for decades. In 2009 they began attending all the road games, as well. “The players come as rookies, and you watch them develop. You get to know them and their families. If the Ravens or Orioles lose, I’m disappointed as a fan. When the Blast lose, I’m really disappointed for the players.”

A little more than a year ago, Kram’s mother passed away. At the viewing in Dundalk, his wife noticed Ed Hale’s mother make her way into the funeral home.

“A few minutes later Ed Hale came by to pay his respects,” Kram says, his voice cracking. “Neither of them knew my mom. Later that evening Danny Kelly came. They had just found out from somebody and made it a point to come. That was stunning to me.”

“We have the best fans in the league without a doubt,” says forward Marco Mangione, whose father, Nick, also played for the Blast. “They support us through the good times and bad times, and we try to give back to them as much as possible.”

The Blast started last season looking up at rival Chicago in the standings before eventually securing the best record in the league and home-field advantage for the four-team playoff. The team advanced to the final, where it defeated Missouri in Game 1 of the best-of-three series (if needed, the decider would be a 15-minute mini-game played immediately after Game 2). Back in Baltimore, the Comets took a 4-0 lead into halftime.

A power play goal got the Blast on the board and energized the crowd. A few minutes later, Roque electrocuted it. A first-year member of the team who was signed after a tryout, the 25-year-old from São Paulo grew up playing a sport called “footvolley” on the beaches of his homeland.

“We do a lot of bicycle kicks, so I always had the ability to hit the ball in the air,” he says. “When I saw the ball coming off the wall it was high; a bicycle kick was the only way. I couldn’t believe I scored that goal in such an important moment.”

Neither could anyone else in the arena. Roque popped up off the turf, started pulling on his red-and-yellow jersey, and ran as a mob of his teammates chased him. Fans behind the goal reacted as if they’d just seen Muhammad Ali knock out George Foreman.

“I was on the bench, and my jaw just dropped,” says defender Pat Healey. “The place went crazy. You couldn’t ask for a better picture.”

The title wasn’t officially secured until a Missouri free kick was cleared away in the final seconds, but after “The Goal,” victory seemed fated.

When the final horn sounded, Kelly allowed himself to exhale.

“It’s an indescribable feeling, because everything you’ve worked so hard for you’ve accomplished in one moment,” he says.

After the arena finally emptied, a group of players, coaches, and fans walked a few blocks to Pratt Street Ale House, where they kicked back a few pints and celebrated winning another championship. Together.

Will the champagne (and beer) flow in Baltimore for an eighth time when the season’s champion is crowned in March?
“I’m expecting this group to compete for a title,” Kelly says. “We have most of the pieces back. Things look good, but can we put together the same kinds of performances and gel like we did last year? That remains to be seen.”

For fans of Baltimore’s winningest professional sports franchise, finding out will be a blast.

Mike Unger is a senior contributing writer for Baltimore.