Shallow Thoughts

- If I make it to Punxsutawney, PA, before the present groundhog becomes the late groundhog, I plan on speeding up that process due to the "six more weeks" of the 2010 winter. Just gives me more reason to move to San Diego.

- At least it's spring in Sarasota, the new and hopefully permanent home of the Orioles for both their spring training and minor-league operations. There even seems to be more upbeat news coming out of the camp so far this spring, although that may just be that famed eternal spring of hope clouding my vision.

- I think that we need to get Nielson "people-meters" attached to as many TVs as possible. I find it very, very hard to believe that so many more people want to watch ice dancing than ice hockey that NBC feels the need to show the former on the main network and the latter on a cable channel at the same time.

- Speaking of the Olympics, I am very glad for the inclusion of Stephan Colbert into the coverage, both on NBC and for his own show. It isn't just for his own comedic brilliance. In the time he spent with Bob Costas in both settings, he managed to bring out the Bob Costas that I love to watch and listen to*, and that NBC has managed to beat into submission.

*That he managed to do so without hitting "You're excited! Feel these nipples!"-level ridiculousness** is testament to his abilities.

**Though the moose-riding thing was close.

- Say what you will about Ralph Freidgen*, his coaching and his ability to recruit, but there's one thing that can't be denied: he knows how to develop athletes for the NFL. Since Bruce Campbell is being projected as a likely late-first-round pick, if he goes as expected the Terps will have had a player picked in the first two rounds in every draft under Freidgen since 2003, except 2008.

2009 - Darrius Heyward-Bey (First round, seventh overall)
2007 - Josh Wilson (Second round, 55th overall)
2006 - Vernon Davis (First round, sixth overall); D'Qwell Jackson (Second round, 34th overall)
2005 - Shawne Merriman (First round, 12th overall)
2004 - Madieu Williams (Second round, 56th overall)
2003 - E.J. Henderson (Second round, 40th overall)

*I will have the decency to not repeat much of what has been said about him.

- Has the University of Maryland ever had a basketball player like Greivis Vasquez? Usually he's the kind of guy who ends up playing for Duke and getting things thrown at him after games at the Comcast Center. I like having one of "those guys" playing for my team for once, and I honestly think the fact that I've rooted against those guys for so long makes me appreciate him more.

- As a side thought, there's no doubt in my mind that Vasquez deserves his name and number in the Comcast Center rafters. I don't want to get into one of those "Well, if *insert questionable name* is in, so should *other questionable name*" debates, whether in retired numbers or Halls of Fame or elsewhere. So, I'll just say that I'd gladly take down Steve Francis' number if they need the space.

- The Orioles are going to win 84 games this season. The Ravens will draft  Demaryius Thomas with the 25th pick in the draft, Rob Gronkowski in the second and Nate Allen in the third rounds. And the Terps will make the ACC Championship game and the Elite Eight.