Echelon

Maryland learned Sunday that it will play in the Military Bowl at Washington's RFK Stadium — an outcome that seemed to puzzle and disappoint a school that believed it had earned the right to travel to a higher-level bowl game far from campus. The Terps (8-4, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) will be matched on Dec. 29 at 2:30 p.m. against East Carolina (6-6), which finished in a tie for fourth place in Conference USA. Maryland did not want to be disrespectful to the Military Bowl, which is in its third year — it was formerly called the EagleBank Bowl — and benefits the USO. But it was no secret that the Terrapins hoped and expected to be invited to an upper-echelon bowl game.

When asked about watching film, Terrell Suggs didn't deliver the expected answer, providing a spin he usually reserves for offensive lines. Instead of following the routine of breaking down opposing tackles, the Ravens' outside linebacker spends his free time analyzing fellow pass rushers like Tampa Bay's Simeon Rice, the New York Jets' John Abraham and Green Bay's Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. So, does he ever dissect tackles, even during a week in which he will face nine-time Pro Bowl lineman Willie Roaf?

A sweeping overhaul of Howard County's personnel system could mean raises -- or at least bigger paychecks down the road -- for the county's top administrators, including those crafting the plan.A chart of estimated salaries recently released to the County Council shows the top base salary as $123,323, with a possible performance bonus of $8,491. That totals $131,814 -- nearly 25 percent more than the current top salary.The salaries, still just estimates, would be higher than those paid to Howard officials' counterparts in the Baltimore area, but on a par with salaries in Maryland counties near Washington.

It's quite a short list of Johns Hopkins basketball players who have gone on to coach at Division I college basketball schools in the past 25 years. It's such a small list, in fact, that Florida State assistant coach Andy Enfield -- a prodigious college shooter who is the only player to score more than 2,000 career points at Hopkins -- commands half of the list all by himself. Mike Blaine, a UMES assistant, is the other occupant. "Not a lot of guys that played there went into coaching," said Enfield, who helped lead the Seminoles to 25 wins last season, tied for second-most in school history, and 22 this season.

At 19, Sarah Fisher still giggles. Not something you often hear from a race car driver. But she also drives fast, which is definitely something you expect from a race car driver. "I'm never going to have the life of a normal 19-year-old," she said the other day during a conference call. "That's just never been true for me." A little more than a year ago, Fisher was given the opportunity to drive an IRL car in Texas. Her engine blew and she finished 25th, but those who saw her - and even car owner Derek Walker, who didn't - decided she had talent.

Maybe a few games, months or years from now, people might look back at Sunday's Bengals game and point to it as the game that propelled Mark Clayton into the upper echelon of receivers, teammate Derrick Mason says. Mason and Clayton are good friends, and he definitely would like to see Clayton improve. But before Clayton moves up into the upper crust, I would just like to see him become more consistent week to week. Once that happens, we'll talk about him moving up in class. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.

The National Security Agency has incurred the wrath of some U.S. allies and triggered debate about increased global eavesdropping, thanks to a new report that accuses the agency of spying on European citizens and companies.With the help of a listening post in the moors of northern England, NSA for nearly a decade has been snatching Europe's electronic communications signals, according to a report for the European Parliament."Within Europe, all e-mail, telephone and fax communications are routinely intercepted by the United States National Security Agency, transferring all target information to Fort Meade," said the report.

Dr. William J. Weiner, a professor and chairman of the department of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine who was nationally known for his work with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders, died Dec. 29 of multiple myeloma at his Guilford home. He was 67. "Bill was a true scholar, leader and visionary. He was academically and clinically very strong," said Dr. E. Albert Reece, vice president for medical affairs for the University of Maryland and dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Williams will be inducted into the Hall of Legends next month. Williams' induction ceremony into the Hall of Legends -- a Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards creation -- is scheduled for Sept. 30 at the Hippodrome. Babe Ruth, Johnny Unitas, Art Modell, Jim McKay and Brooks Robinson are previous inductees into the Hall of Legends. "The Hall of Legends will be reserved for those individuals who have contributed above and beyond at the top echelon of state and national athletics," said Mike Gibbons, executive director of the Museum.

Connie Mason leads a double life.To neighbors and friends, Ms. Mason, a 63-year-old Lake County, Fla., grandmother, is best known for her prowess at duplicate bridge and line dancing.For millions of strangers, Ms. Mason is their passport to exotic worlds filled with passion, adventure and romance.As a top writer for Leisure Books, with 21 novels to her credit, she is one of the queens of supermarket romance. Check out these titles: "Tender Fury," "My Lady Vixen," "Desert Ecstasy," "Tempt the Devil," "Caress and Conquer," "Promised Splendor," "Ice & Rapture," "Wild Land, Wild Love," and "Bold Land, Bold Love."