Coffee Companion (9/7): When it rains, it pours for the Orioles

Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine. 

 Running it back:

The Orioles and Yankees waited more than four hours for the rain to relent late Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. The game started after 11 p.m. and the Yankees won. ... Brian Matusz has been removed from the starting rotation. ... The Ravens gambled on players with troubled pasts, but they did their homework as far as background checks. ... One game into the season, there is a sense of excitement surrounding Maryland's young team after the win over Miami. ... Randy Edsall likes the buzz about Maryland's new football uniforms. ... The inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix boosted some businesses while disappointing others.

Hitting the links:

1. The Steelers game is not Armageddon [Ravens.com]

2. Let the trash talk begin [Shutdown Corner]

3. Ravens-Steelers is Week 1's best matchup [ESPN]

4. The Ravens should be angrier than the Steelers on Sunday because they can't beat them [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

5. Which team has more to lose? [Nice Pick, Cowher]

6. The revamped Ravens are a cause for concern [Pittsburgh Tribune Review]

7. Vonta Leach is ready to bang heads with the Steelers [Ravens.com]

8. The Ravens will reveal their new secondary against the Steelers [Pro Football Talk]

9. Todd Heap and Joey Porter are buddies now [Arizona Republic]

10. For LaQuan Williams, earning a spot on the active roster is just one stage of his mission [Baltimore Sun]

11. Might David Garrard land in Baltimore? [ESPN]

12. Which Michael Jackson song does Joe Flacco best represent? [Midwest Sports Fans]

13. Chris Davis is eager to play third base down the stretch for the Orioles [Baltimore Sun]

14. The Matusz mystery [MASN]

15. Those tacky Terps jerseys were talked about on CNN and "PTI" [D.C. Sports Bog]

16. Alex Ovechkin is switching equipment companies [Russian Machine Never Breaks]

17. Kevin Durant got a huge "Maryland" tattoo on his back [Black Sports Online]

Video of the morning:

Remember when the Ravens' entire O-line got called for a first start? It happened to TCU, too [via Hot Clicks]

Send me your funny and/or interesting links, photos, YouTube videos, blogs, Tweets, comments, emails, ideas, etc. and I’ll give you a plug. You can reach me at [e-mail] and twitter.com/mattvensel.