Donovan

Art Donovan saw a lot of stuff during his 12 years in pro football, but as the grizzled Hall of Famer settled in to watch the Ravens' game Monday night, something flashed on the TV screen that gave him pause. "It was a picture of four players getting ready for the game by having their nails polished," Donovan said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I said to myself, `This is the beginning of the end.' " But that wouldn't keep Donovan, the former Baltimore Colts great, from watching the game.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- -- After Orlando got its man, after Billy Donovan got his millions, after Gainesville got its hug goodbye and after the media got two news conferences 90 miles apart, Adam Allen got the only thing coming to him. A phone call. "I was out and couldn't take it," the Milton High senior said. Donovan left a message. "He said what everyone from [Florida] is saying, that they're going to hire the best coach for the job, don't panic, everyone's going to be happy," said Allen, who is part of an incoming recruiting class that Rivals.

CHESAPEAKE BEACH -- Gerald Donovan remembers the way it was, back when crowds of summer folks came to ride the carousel, dance to local bands, throw change in slot machines and frolic in the Chesapeake Bay.Today, 30 years after this little honky-tonk town's luck ran out, Donovan is trying to bring back the boom times."

That Arthur J. Donovan was exposed to an avenue of higher academics at Boston College, under the jurisdiction of a faculty of Jesuits, considered among the most learned teachers in the world, served him with more value than he pretends.Don't ever make the mistake that Art is a one-dimensional buffoon. His knowledge is extensive, but he prefers to obscure it. Kind of a shtick, as used to be said about vaudeville comedians.Yesterday, at Boston College, his alma mater, he was thrilled to be part of an on-field ceremony in which his jersey was retired.

1 Keep rookie quarterback Donovan McNabb guessing with a series of tricky schemes and blitz so he can't get comfortable and get in a groove2 Control the game by running Stephen Davis, the NFC's third-leading rusher, against a Philadelphia rush defense that is ranked 27th.3 Contain Duce Staley, the NFC's second-leading rusher, to force McNabb into passing situations when the Redskins can blitz.

BaseballAngels: Optioned P Jarrod Washburn and P Scott Schoeneweis to Triple-A Edmonton.Astros: Traded C Marc Ronan to Phillies for future considerations.Devil Rays: Re-assigned OF Billy Ashley to minor-league camp.Expos: Optioned IF Trace Coquillette and IF Ryan McGuire to Triple-A Ottawa. Outrighted P Roberto Duran to Ottawa.Rangers: Named Jaime Garcia pitching coach of Single-A Charlotte and Fred Dabney pitching coach for Rookie-level Gulf Coast team.Red Sox: Acquired OF Jon Nunnally from Reds for P Pat Flury.

The U.S. Postal Service in the Baltimore area announced its "Harvest for the Hungry" letter-carrier food drive yesterday.Residents are asked to donate by leaving a bag of groceries by their mailbox tomorrow through March 20. The 10th annual drive is conducted in conjunction with the Maryland Food Bank. Officials hope to collect more than 50,000 pounds of groceries.Former Baltimore Colts players Art Donovan and Bruce Laird are leading this year's drive, which has the theme "Help Tackle Hunger Like a Pro."

1 Don't give the ball away. Quarterback Brad Johnson can't afford to commit five turnovers, the way he did in the loss two weeks ago.2 Confuse Donovan McNabb. The Redskins' defense, 30th in the NFL, held the rookie to 60 yards passing last time and needs to do it again.3 Tighten the coverage on special teams. They can't let Allen Rossum burn them again with two long kickoff returns.

S. Donovan Swann Jr., a theatrical impresario and artist who brought summer stock theater to Baltimore, died Sunday of heart failure at his Charles Village residence. He was 87.For two decades, until it closed in 1959, Mr. Swann's Hilltop Theater at Brooklandwood was a popular destination for those interested in summer theater productions, known as "straw hat."Mr. Swann, who acted as producer and general manager, brought to Baltimore stars such as Charles Coburn, Joan Blondell, Edward Everett Horton, the Gabor sisters, Julie Haydon, Gene Raymond and Elaine Stritch.

So, the moment is at hand. The Colts at Baltimore. The great grudge match, hon. Our past against our present. The horseshoe against, well, a logo under pending litigation.When the Ravens play the Colts on Sunday at Camden Yards, will it be a wrenching experience for the largest ex-Colt and continued unofficial soul of Baltimore pro football?"Are you kidding?" Art Donovan said yesterday. "What do I care?"Come on, Artie. You're going to root for your old uniform, right? Out of habit?"I'm going to cheer for the Ravens," he said.

MEXICO CITY - - The dream lasted all of 10 minutes plus a few seconds. It began with Charlie Davies' goal for the United States 8:44 into its World Cup qualifying match against Mexico at Azteca Stadium on Wednesday afternoon. It ended with Israel Castro's goal for Mexico 18:57 into the game that tied the score at 1-1. In between those goals, the American players and coaches - if they had had time to catch their breath - might have contemplated the first U.S. victory in history over Mexico in Mexico.

On August 5, 2009, VERONICA K. SWEENEY; loving wife of the late Dr. John Albert Sweeney; mother of Peitra Donovan, Dereck Donovan and his wife Dawn, Mohammed Khan "Allan Donovan" and his wife Alter Khan; dear sister of Joseph Khan, Stanley Khan, Vibert Khan, Jean Hamilton, and the late Clarise Nunes, Enid Edwards, and Carmin Khan; cherished grandmother of Patrick, Kristen, Brittney, Christopher, Dylan, and Jenaya; and great-grandmother of Aspyn Beck The...

It matters not that their gaits are slowed and frames stooped, the result of ancient wounds and the passing of decades. These former Baltimore Colts - the 1958 Baltimore Colts - are arrested in the collective mind's eye of generations of football fans in the flower of their strength and swiftness and fortitude. And last night, some of them gathered once again as they did nearly 50 years ago at frozen Yankee Stadium, where they won the NFL championship, 23-17, in sudden-death overtime. But instead of preparing to take on the New York Football Giants - as their foes were often called back then - in a struggle none of them could have imagined would come to be known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played," these old Colts were assembled in the club level at M&T Bank Stadium in a warm spirit of fraternal bonhomie known only to those who have joined together in a great struggle.

WASHINGTON - A Harvard-educated architect is Barack Obama's choice to head his housing agency, one which the president-elect says will play a key role in tackling the mortgage crisis in his administration. Shaun Donovan will bring "fresh thinking" to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Obama said yesterday, pledging that his nominee will abandon "old ideology and outdated ideas" that have stymied some of the agency's past efforts. "We can't keep throwing money at the problem, hoping for a different result," Obama said in his weekly radio address.

Schmidt, of Troop 375, attains rank of Eagle Thomas Schmidt Jr., a member of Boy Scout Troop 375 from Churchville, recently attained the rank of Eagle Scout. His Eagle project was to build a Veterans Memorial Garden, which was dedicated last Veterans Day. The garden is at Camp Wo-Me-To in Jarrettsville and features cement benches, two large cement eagles and a bronze plaque containing a prayer honoring soldiers in a landscaped setting. A flag flying in the garden was donated by the family of a World War II veteran.

Ravens rookie Joe Flacco gave Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb a shout-out. Flacco said he was aware a game could end in a tie but said people were making far too much of a deal out of McNabb's not knowing. I agree with Flacco. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/ravensinsider)

Word from Westminster is that this is the toughest Ravens training camp in years. Contact drills are up. Rest time is down. In "Camp Hardball," even the team's golf cart has been overworked, hauling off players hobbled by shoulder, knee and ankle injuries. What do the old Baltimore Colts say about that? Ha! "I remember one training camp when we never got water breaks," said Ordell Braase, an All-Pro defensive end who played for the Colts from 1957 through 1968. "There were no liquids on the field.

When Jeffrey Donovan first auditioned for the role of Michael Westen, a new TV spy, he didn't go for the intense, Kiefer Sutherland-on-24 sort of thing. Donovan's take was more laid-back. Sarcastic. Been there, done that. In an instant, Burn Notice creator Matt Nix knew he'd found his star. The last thing Nix wanted was for his hero to be, well ... "spy-ish." He envisioned something un-Alias, a non-24. "Those shows [depict] a very dramatic world," Nix says. "People run around saying" - he adopts a deep, basso acting voice - " 'You don't understand!

On June 11, 2008, JOHN T. PRYOR of Bel Air, MD. Beloved son of Thomas George Pryor and Alice Marie Burgan DeMonte. Devoted father of Donovan D. Pryor. Loving brother of Daniel F. DeMonte, Michael V. DeMonte, and Lisa M. DeMonte, half-brother of Max Pryor. Stepson of Vincent A. DeMonte. Also survived by grandparents, Patricia A. Burgan and Rose J. DeMonte; great-grandfather, Frank J. Fico; aunts and uncles; and fiancM-CM-)e, Brandy Huddler. Services will be held at the family owned McComas Funeral Home, P.A., Bel Air, MD on Monday, June 16, 2008 at 8 p.m. Friends may call at the funeral home in Bel Air on Monday, from 6-8 p.m. prior to the service.

It may be of little consolation for Maryland basketball fans who watched the men's team stumble and bumble its way to the finish line and play its way out of the NCAA tournament, but two-time defending national champion Florida was just as sorry down the stretch. The Gators lost eight of their final 11 and received the same consolation prize as the Terps, a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. But Florida coach Billy Donovan had a further message to send to his team, so he banned his players from their locker room and the rest of a swanky practice facility that includes the practice court and the weight room.