You asked, didn't you?

Mike Burke
Cumberland Times-News

February 01, 2008 11:24 am

— Q: Baltimore Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has gone on the record as saying Orioles owner Peter Angelos did not block the proposed trade of Erik Bedard to the Seattle Mariners.
Don't you feel like a dope for saying he did?
A: That's not the reason I feel like a dope. Not at all. And as a matter of fact, I didn't say Mr. A blocked the trade. I said Orioles fans should not be surprised if Angelos did/does block the trade given his history, beginning in 1996 when his blockage of a Pat Gillick deal actually paid off for the Orioles.
It was a short-term payoff, mind you, but a payoff nonetheless. But, as so many of us feared it would, it opened the floodgates to the reign of terror Orioles fans have been living under for the past 10 years.

Q: I watched Super Bowl Media Day on the NFL Network, so I just have to ask: What is the dumbest Super Bowl question you ever asked?
A: "Dad, is Joe Namath really that stupid to believe the Jets can beat the Colts?"

Q: What is your worst Super Bowl memory?
A: "Trust me, son. There is no way the Colts will lose to the Jets. If I thought they would, I certainly wouldn't be inviting all of my friends over to the house for a party."
(Needless to say, the party was ... a mess. First time I ever saw 12 grown men cry, although the crying didn't start until after curses had been put on the heads of Don Shula and Earl Morrall. And they were good curses, obviously, as Shula left Baltimore after the following season, two years later trading for Morrall, who helped the Dolphins to Super Bowl VII and a perfect 17-0 season. Yeah, they were good curses. Bright guys.)

Q: What is your fondest Super Bowl memory?
A: Finding out my Uncle Mort did not jump off the top of the Orange Bowl as he said he would if the Jets beat the Colts.
My second fondest memory came the same day when I found out Uncle Mort's plane out of Miami was not hijacked to Cuba as so many airplanes were in those days.
I think my brother said it best when he said, "God help any hijacker who hijacks Mort's plane today."

Q: Have you ever been to the Super Bowl?
A: Only if you count Jamboree in the Hills, which they like to call the "Superbowl" of country music.
I understand I had a great time at every one I attended.

Q: What are your thoughts on this whole Rich Rodriguez thing?
A: For openers, I know in my heart we are far from hearing the last of it. Secondly, I don't believe the surface of the absurdity of it all has even been scratched yet. Neither side is distinguishing itself too well here.
As for Rodriguez leaving WVU, as a Maryland fan, I am happy he is out of my hair once and for all, even though the Terps and WVU will not play the next two seasons. But having said that, I hope Ohio State continues to beat Michigan like a drum, which is odd since I have actually never minded Michigan and since I still have two outstanding curses of my own on Ohio State: one in Greg Hare's name, and the other one in Lefty Bruce's name.
I credit at least one of my curses to Gary Williams leaving Ohio State to come home to Maryland.

Q: I see Miss Michigan was crowned Miss America 2008. Should we read anything into this?
A: Nah. Just a coincidence that Terrelle Pryor was told who would be crowned Miss America before any of the finalists were.
Probably.

Q: What do you know about Terrelle Pryor, this hotshot high school quarterback?
A: As I said, I understand he receives a lot of interesting phone calls, and I know he's from Jeannette, Pa.
If he's as tough and has half the mean streak that my former girlfriend Jeanette had, then somebody's getting themselves a football player.
And if you don't believe me, ask Bill Feeney.

Q: Who is Kevin Stewart?
A: Kevin Stewart teaches English at Potomac State College and is the author of "The Way Things Always Happen Here: Eight Stories and a Novella." He has agreed to periodically give the Times-News the points of view of one lifelong Mountaineer in his column, "Hot Couch Report."
By the way, Stewie, as he is called at the Mensa Cumberland meetings, came up with the name of the column. For as I've told my Mountaineer friends many times before, WVU is so behind the times in burning couches after big wins. In College Park, we burn down city blocks.
Mike Burke is sports editor of the Cumberland Times-News. Write to him at mburke@times-news.com.

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