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Five Things – 28 January 2016

1.

Well, there’s this.

If this is how things are going to be, I want to at least play Father Flynn in Doubt.

Thankfully, there’s this:

2.

I was ready for baseball season before the Mets re-signed Yoenis Cespedes.

My hope is that the Mets are this year’s Royals. Year before last, the Royals lost a grueling series vs the Giants and Madison Bumgartner. Last year, with a year of postseason experience behind them, they came back to the postseason and finished. They really have to win it all before it’s time for all the young pitchers to get huge contracts. They will get them, but they won’t all be getting them from the Mets.

3.

On this date in 2001, the Baltimore Ravens won their first Super Bowl. I actually watched the game in Giants territory, so the celebration was muted until I got on the train back to Baltimore. I was ready to begin celebrating at halftime and after the Jermaine Lewis TD return.

That game, that season, especially with the accomplishments of the defense, are what began the mystique of the Ravens in Baltimore. It helped begin to put into the past another product of the NFL’s often cutthroat and shameful relocation process — it began to heal the anger from the 1984 event that would eventually lead to Baltimore being represented by the Ravens. These days, talk to younger fans and much of the passionate anger is directed towards teams like the Steelers and the Patriots. These are feelings borne of events that have taken place on the field, not because of shady back room dealings, which is how it should be.

Those of us older fans, who knows? I still talk to people about the original Gino’s and the old Golden Arm Restaurant on York Road. When I sing the fight song at Ravens games, I sing it with both the original Colts and updated Ravens lyrics. Plus, I’m planning on buying this one of these days.

4.

On this date in 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke up over Cape Canaveral. We watched at school like many other school children in the country. Even at that age, I could feel hope and excitement people all over felt because of STS-51. And in the aftermath, the pain and confusion and in some ways, the uncertainty.

It’s one of those events like the 9/11 and the 2008 Presidential Election Night that sticks with me and probably in the minds of many who experienced them.

5.

Found this the other day. Had to share.