What’s more hazy, however, is our situation with much talked-about power hitter and first baseman Chris Davis. Just one day after ESPN reported that the Orioles offered Davis a seven-year, $150 million deal (which would be the biggest in franchise history), they subsequently reported that the team has taken the offer off the table. As we’ve discussed in the past, the signing of Davis is a risky move and the Orioles pulling back on the deal is likely a sign that the organization is concentrating on building its team for 2016—whether that includes Davis or not.

2. Everyone on the Ravens is injured—even our backups.
This season must be some cruel joke, right? The Ravens currently have 16 players on injured reserve, which doesn’t even include Dennis Pitta, Crocket Gillmore, Marlon Brown, and Eugene Monroe—who aren’t healthy either. In fact, yesterday’s practice was filled with backups to the backups like, like QBs Jimmy Clausen and Bryn Renner. Players who thought they’d have no chance of game time have been suddenly thrust into the limelight. “You go into the huddle and you have to do a second look to make sure you’re in the right one,” Ravens fullback Kyle Juszczyk told The Sun. Matt Schaub, who has filled in for Joe Flacco the past two games, hasn’t been practicing due to an injured shoulder and knee, but isn’t expected to play this Sunday against an extremely competitive Seattle Seahawks defense. Like the scary movie analogy we posited a few weeks back, we may just have to cover our eyes.

3. Ravens changing from turf to real grass.
One thing that might help prevent more injuries? The Ravens announced that M&T Bank Stadium will transition from from artificial turf to natural grass for the start of the 2016 football season. The team has been playing on the artificial stuff since 2003, when it was decided that natural grass couldn’t hold up throughout the season. But, with some technological advances in agriculture, the Ravens have decided to return to the natural route after 13 years.

“To me, it’s Baltimore,” coach John Harbaugh told BaltimoreRavens.com. “It epitomizes what Baltimore is all about, the history of football in Baltimore. A Baltimore football team should be playing on a grass field, ultimately. It’s a recognition of that.” In all,17 out of the 32 NFL teams play on natural grass. The transition, of course, comes at a particularly injury-riddled time for the team (see above), and three of the major starters out—Flacco, Steve Smith Sr., and Justin Forsett—suffered injuries on artificial turf. “Last week, I hit my head pretty hard on the grass in Cleveland,” Gillmore said. “I actually saw my facemask print in the grass. If I hit my head that hard on turf, it would have been lights out for a couple days.” Let’s hope the removal of the artificial turf also uproots this season’s bad juju.

4. Will Likely gets top honors for USA Today.
Though the Terps football season has also been pretty lackluster, the consistent shining light was junior defensive back Will Likely, who was just named a second-team all-American returner by USA Today. And we can see why. He finished the season with 1,197 total return yards, the most in the country, and lead the Big Ten in punt-return average (17.7). Should he not declare for the NFL Draft, Likely will be the most experienced Terp on the team next year, and that includes brand new coach DJ Durkin.

He is WILL LIKELY. He WILL be back at it tomorrow. #IWillLikely http://t.co/1EafiMpJjK
— Maryland Terrapins (@umterps) September 11, 2015

5. Terps women’s basketball continues to be amazing.
While other local sports continue to struggle, the Maryland Terrapins women’s basketball team has quietly been putting together a record-breaking season, and the undefeated team (9-0) had yet another stellar week. The team dominated Central Connecticut State on Saturday 86-43 and then, on Tuesday, they beat Loyola by a staggering 50 points. In that game, junior guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, who had just been named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, led the way with 21 points and redshirt senior Brene Moseley contributed 15. As far as the season as a whole, the Terps are second in the country in scoring margin, field goal percentage defense, and rebounding margin (behind Mississippi State). The Terps were picked to win the Big Ten this year by both the league’s coaches and the conference’s media panel, and the team’s impressive performance continues tonight as they host Southern (2-4) at 7 p.m.

Honorable mention: The Oriole Bird is now on Twitter!
The Oriole Bird officially joined Twitter yesterday and there’s been some great stuff so far. We especially enjoy his smack talking to fellow mascots. Stay hungry, Orbit!

Thx @OrbitAstros! I don’t care what anyone says, your bake sales are out of this world #StayHungry #SeeWhatIDidThere pic.twitter.com/GeUgd1kar8
— The Oriole Bird (@OrioleBird) December 10, 2015

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2. Annapolis is home to possibly the most underrated college football team in the country. We hope you’re reading this early enough to catch today’s Navy-Houston game. The Midshipmen are 9-1—their best start since being led by Roger Staubach in 1963—and ranked No. 16 in the current AP Poll. This year’s squad is led by another pretty good QB, Keenan Reynolds, who has already broken the collegiate career rushing TD record, but they will have their hands full with the 10-1 Cougars. Game starts at noon on ABC.

3. The head coach of Maryland’s “other” basketball team picks up her 400th career win. Let’s not forget with the hoopla around the men’s squad this year, the Terps’ women’s team is one of the elite programs in the country year in and year out thanks to Brenda Frese, who recently picked up her 400th career win. Already a two-time Big Ten coach of the year, Frese has led the No. 6 ranked Terps to five conference titles, two Final Fours, and 11 NCAA tourneys in 14 years. Did we mention that Frese also recruited what might be the top freshman class in the country?

4. McDonogh girls finish as the top-ranked high school team in the country. McDonogh ran their undefeated streak to 34 games with two goals from Kia Rankin, headed to N.C. State next year, in their 4-0 Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A final over Notre Dame. The Eagles averaged more than six and a half goals a game this year, besting a few other elite programs from New Jersey and Ohio this season, on their way to the top national ranking. If you want catch some great soccer, check these girls out next fall.

5. Amish man posts 3:05 marathon running in traditional garb. Okay, not technically “in Baltimore sports.” But there’s a lot of runners in Baltimore and a lot of Baltimore folks who enjoy visiting Southeastern PA’s Amish country and, bottom line, we couldn’t resist this story, which is actually inspiring. Leroy Stolzfus, a 22-year-old from Gordonville, PA, hit the tape at the Harrisburg Marathon earlier this month in 3:05:45. For starters, Stolzfus, who ran in long pants, a button-down shirt, and suspenders, barely missed qualifying for the Boston Marathon with his time, but didn’t blame it on a lack of better running gear. Just needs to train more and pace himself better, he said. Stolzfus also said he took up running after he got “involved with some stuff” he shouldn’t have and his brother-in-law suggested he take up running as a healthy outlet to ward off temptation. We’d love to see him to come to Baltimore and run our marathon next year.

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The state’s new chief executive bet Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam that the Maryland women’s basketball team would defeat the Lady Volunteers last night in their NCAA Elite Eight match-up, wagering a bushel of blue crabs (what else?) against ribs from Memphis’ famous Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous (www.hogsfly.com).

A tight, hard-fought game throughout, No. 1 seeded Maryland rung up its 28th straight win with a 58-48 victory—the final score no indication of how close this game was—over No. 2 seeded Tennessee. Brown, a sophomore point guard, scored 10 of her 15 points down the stretch, including a couple of clutch three-pointers and free throws.

Terps center Brionna Jones, from Aberdeen High, contributed 14 points and nine rebounds. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, named the Spokane Region’s most outstanding player, scored 12, and Lauren Mincy chipped in with 10 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

Although Maryland made it to the Final Four last year, not much was expected of this unsung band of young women after star Alyssa Thomas, the all-time leader in scoring, rebounding, and double-doubles for both the women’s and men’s programs, graduated and left for the WNBA.

Did we mention that these women went undefeated in their first Big Ten season?

“You know, it’s still pretty surreal, just the fact that we’re going to back-to-back Final Fours,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese told reporters afterward. “Couldn’t be more proud of this team when you talk about going into this year and the expectations. They set the bar really high. Just really excited about going to Tampa.”

Next up: top-ranked and two-time defending champion Connecticut, this Sunday at 9 p.m., which we’re not going to miss.

The Terps will be underdogs this weekend, but let’s not forget Frese and Maryland have been down this road before, winning a national title in 2006.

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The team went virtually undefeated during the regular season, won the Big 10 Championship, and just beat the untouched Princeton Tigers on Monday to advance to the Sweet 16.

The thrilling matchup was a close back-and-forth in the first half, but the Terps exploded at the beginning of the second, going on a triumphant 17-2 run and, in the end, winning by 85-70, missing just one three-point attempt in the second half.

“Just a tremendous game, a really fun game,” Frese told reporters after the defeat. “This is what you see come this time of year.”

What should also be noted was the passionate crowd of almost 8,000 representing both sides at Xfinity Center Monday night. Absent from the audience was President Obama whose niece, Leslie Robinson, plays for the Tigers. The President did attend the Tigers’ first-round game.

However, the Terps did have a little fun with the executive office connection after the game, slipping a Maryland jersey on a cardboard cutout of the President:

For the record, we ❤️ our President! We gave him a new jersey to wear!
@ESPN_WomenHoop @espnW @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/iJttJ5W0yI
— Maryland WBB (@umdwbb)
March 24, 2015

The excitement and antics will continue Saturday night as the Terps travel to Spokane, WA, to take on a familiar ex-rival in the Duke Blue Devils, a fourth seed in the region.

Though no longer apart of the ACC, Maryland has a long history against Duke and, since Frese came to Maryland, the Terps are 8-22 against the team. The game should be particularly interesting for senior Laurin Mincy, who has faced the Blue Devils five times.

“Obviously, it’s going to be a little redemption there, but Duke, they’re just another opponent in our way,” Mincy told The Washington Times. “So we’re going to have to do anything in our power to get that win.”

For Saturday’s game, that means relying on players like Mincy and Lexie Brown who scored 27 and 23 points, respectively, in Monday night’s matchup. Hopefully that results in Maryland’s first victory over Duke since 2012.

As a Maryland alum, that hatchet-faced, cobalt logo (and the recent 30 for 30 about Christian Laettner) still incite rage. There will always be something incredibly satisfying about a Blue Devils defeat.

Catch the Sweet 16 game on Saturday, March 28, at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN.

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