Happy Monday Rioters! I hope all you mother’s out there had a great Mother’s Day and all of you who aren’t mother’s did right by your mom (they deserve it). Enough of a prior holiday, it’s Monday, so let’s look at some blogs. This week we’re going to look at a city that’s close to my own heart. No, I’m not talking about Philadelphia; I’m talking about Baltimore.
People who have known me for a while know I’ve been a die-hard Orioles fan since childhood. I remember the good and bad days in the 80’s, and the good and bad days of the 90’s. Most notably I remember the past 14 years of absolute futility (which my friends have no problem giving me shit for). Well this year the Orioles have taken the league by storm and currently lead the AL East by one game. (SIDEBAR: Yesterday I was walking to the store to buy a pack of cigarettes and I was wearing my O’s Miguel Tejada jersey. The clown behind the counter at the corner store asked me if I jumped on a bandwagon. I explained to him there’s no such thing as an Orioles bandwagon.) Being an Orioles fan and also a skeptic I figured I’d strike while the iron is hot and give some Charm City websites some love.
Oriole Post – This website is dedicated to the Orioles (duh), and as a fan of the birds I’m going to start reading daily. The writers give good recaps and analysis of every game as well as any breaking news coming out of the organization (in which they are kind enough to also give the official press release). They also sell an orange “Believe” tee shirt. I’m going to have to procure one in the near future. If you’re an Orioles fan, this website needs to be bookmarked.
The Purple Chaos – Baltimoreans love the Ravens and this is a site they should definitely keep in their daily rotation. TPC is updated frequently (they get that even though the Ravens aren’t playing Sunday the NFL is a 12 month sport), and full of well written articles. If you’re looking for any type of humor, I didn’t find that here, but not all sports bloggers have to sound like idiots (much like myself). They get to the point and report the information that every Ravens fan needs.
Dempsey’s Army – Any blog dedicated to the 1983 World Series MVP deserves some face time. Although I wish it was updated a bit more frequently, the writer also writes for MASN Sports and provides links to his articles. On Dempsey’s Army, punches aren’t pulled, but while he gives his view it’s well thought out. Between the articles on the website, along with the links to his MASN pieces, it’s a good balance of opinions and insight.
Baltimore Sports Report – The title of this website is exactly what it is. Instead of focusing on one team, they cover the O’s, Ravens, Terps, and Capitals (DC isn’t all that far away). The articles I’ve found are news, but mostly opinion with a healthy dose of humor. One thing that I found to be fantastic is they got into a Twitter war with Evan Longoria after be tweeted a stupid comment about Orioles fans (Chris attempted the same thing with Jose Canseco, but Jose was a chickenshit). If it’s good for Evan, it’s good for you. With the funny opinions and articles, this is a site you must check out.
The Wayward Oriole – Based on the name alone I wanted to read this blog. Some years ago I had a Phillies blog called “Steve Carlton Can’t Fish” (now defunct), so any blog with a name that catches your attention I want to read. I’m glad I did. The website is full of pictures and is funny observations. These guys get the joke and it’s something TSR! can stand behind. I’ve already added the Wayward Oriole to my daily reads. I think you should do the same.
Ravens 24×7 – Ravens 24×7 is everything a Ravens fan needs in one place. The articles are informative and updated multiple times a day. There’s also a healthy dose of videos featuring some good interviews. They have a message board attached to the site and it’s fairly active and the posters aren’t the normal nitwits who talk out of their ass. These posters know what they are talking about. If you’re a Ravens fan and haven’t checked out Ravens 24×7 give it a read. I guarantee you’ll come back daily.
Baltimore! I want to hear from you. You have a top notch football team and a young baseball team that is finally showing it can be competitive. Email me at jay@thesportsriot.net, show your fandom, and let me know what your favorite websites are. Also follow us on Twitter @TheSportsRiot and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheSportsRiot.
