Angelos

As one of the Ravens' eight picks in April's NFL draft, DeAngelo Tyson knows that he performed well enough at the University of Georgia to draw the organization's attention. But the 23-year-old defensive end dismissed any notion that being a seventh-round pick assures himself of a spot on the team's active 53-man roster. “I know I've got to work for everything that I want,” he said after Monday's practice at the Ravens' headquarters in Owings Mills. “That's what I was taught since I was little.

College lacrosse Towson women to celebrate CAA title Oct. 26 Towson will hold its Colonial Athletic Association title celebration Oct. 26 at the Sheraton Baltimore North. Hosted by Towson Athletics and the Tiger Club, the "Night of Champions" will include the presentation of the CAA championship rings. The social hour begins at 6 p.m. with dinner and awards at 7 p.m. Tickets for the event can be purchased for $50. A portion of the ticket cost will be credited as a tax-deductible gift to the women's lacrosse program.

The Ravens continued to get draft picks signed ahead of Friday's start to a three-day rookie mini-camp as they not only agreed to terms today on a four-year deal with fourth-round pick Gino Gradkowski , a guard/center out from the University of Delaware, they also reached an agreement with seventh-round pick DeAngelo Tyson , a defensive tackle out of Georgia.   Tyson, a 6-foot-2, 315-pound run stuffer, was selected with the Ravens' final pick of the draft at No.236 overall.

There is no Red Sox- or Cubs-style curse on the Orioles - nothing involving Babe Ruth, “No, No, Nanette” or a malodorous goat. At least not that I know of. But we all know the Orioles haven't won since 1997. That sure was an eventful season for the franchise. The O's went wire-to-wire, winning the AL East and advancing to the ALCS before falling short of the World Series. Manager Davey Johnson and owner Peter Angelos had a stunning baseball divorce after the season was over, and Johnson stepped down before completing his third and final contract season.

Davey Johnson hadn't owned a home in more than a decade. But soon after being hired by the Orioles in 1995, he defied baseball managers' conventional logic by buying - rather than renting - a ranch house on the north side of Loch Raven Reservoir. It was the sort of decision he would never make in a game - allowing his heart to triumph over his head - but Johnson was as smitten with the Orioles franchise from his playing days as he was with the Baltimore County property, which had a pool, a stream and plenty of rustic charm.

The Ravens addressed another need with their last pick of this year's NFL draft, selecting Georgia defensive lineman DeAngelo Tyson at No. 236. Tyson, who is 6 foot 2 and 306 pounds, started 11 games and made 20 tackles last season. The Ravens lost Cory Redding and Brandon McKinney in free agency.

Maryland's highest court has cleared the way for the city to move forward with its plans for the long-delayed $152 million Superblock project. The Maryland Court of Appeals dismissed Friday a lawsuit by Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos that challenged the project. In a 4-3 decision, the court said Angelos did not have standing to sue, affirming a Baltimore Circuit Court ruling to dismiss the complaint. Long stymied by legal challenges, the project involves construction of a 269-unit apartment building, a 650-space underground parking garage and shops called Lexington Square near Lexington and Howard streets.

It is difficult to fathom that 20 years ago the crown jewel of Major League Baseball opened its gates to the eager crowds of Baltimore. Camden Yards is the gold standard when it comes to baseball stadiums, offering the look and feel of days gone by while providing an up-to-date experience for today's fans. It is equally difficult to fathom that the Baltimore Orioles have been perennial losers for nearly as long. As a lifelong baseball and Orioles fan, I am continually amazed, sickened and depressed by the path the organization has taken.

By now, you've heard the news: The Miami Marlins on Tuesday suspended Ozzie Guillen for five games for telling Time magazine he loves and respects Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. I wrote earlier that while I find Guillen's remarks stupid and insensitive -- and completely understand why many people were offended by them -- I thought it was wrong to punish him for them. The Marlins decided to suspend Guillen anyway, and trying to appease the outrage felt by much of the Cuban-American portion of the team's fan base certainly had something to do with that.

It is always difficult to write about fans. Well, that is not true. It's actually very easy to write about individual fans. They have wonderful, meaningful memories of how they fell in love with a team. They speak eloquently about what their favorite sports and players mean to them. It is difficult to write about fans as a group. About a "fan base. " Because, really, there is no such thing. Each person's feelings about say, the Orioles, are as unique as their fingerprints.