Hail Mary

Master Mixologist Brendan Dorr over at B&O American Brasserie has created a Ravens-inspired cocktail, just in time for the divisional round. The Hail Mary 1 1/4 ounce Hangar One Mandarin Blossom Vodka 1/2 ounce cassis syrup 3/4 ounce Lemon Juice 3/4 ounce Pomegranate Juice   Shake with ice. Stain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a spiral twist of lemon. Enjoy! "Penalty," you're saying. "It's not purple!" No, it's not. That's why playoffs mixololgy is best left to a master mixologist.

Tonight's "American Idol" in Baton Rouge was the best episode thus far. We actually got to see more authentic talent than squabbles between the lady judges and misfits. It was awesome.  In the very beginning, we were introduced to Miss Baton Rouge herself, Megan Miller, who opted to postpone surgery on her leg to not miss her audition. Megan did us all a huge favor, siding with singing versus going under the knife. "I would let my leg fall off before I missed this audition," Megan said.

WASHINGTON -- Cowboys wide receiver Alvin Harper called the shot on his "Hail Mary" catch for a touchdown at the end of the first half of the Washington-Dallas game yesterday.With 13 seconds left in the first half and the Cowboys on the Washington 34, Harper said he told his teammates in the huddle, " 'Watch this, I'm going to catch it and get the touchdown.' I have a lot of confidence in my jumping ability."He then out-jumped four Redskins in the end zone to catch Troy Aikman's pass.A first-round draft pick from Tennessee, Harper is noted as a good jumper.

B&O Brasserie is amping up its Ravens love with playoff week specials. The bar will be serving 50-cent National Bohemians and the Hail Mary, a purple cocktail concocted by Head Bartender Brendan Dorr. Thomas Dunklin is bringing bar snacks like candied bacon deviled eggs, pork belly sliders and Gulf shrimp corn dogs. The specials are in effect all day long on Purple Friday (Jan. 4) and game-day Sunday. Midtown BBQ & Brew is promoting a free halftime buffet for Sunday's game along with beer and shooter specials.

Everything was proceeding nicely Sunday until the final minute of the Bills-Patriots catastrophe. Washington, Houston and Denver all had covered. New England, the week's fourth major pick, didn't appear likely to do so until a miracle happened with less than a minute left.The Patriots, favored by four points, had just scored to regain the lead at 21-18, only to see Adam Vinatieri miss the extra point by a mile to the left. Wonderful!But Jim Kelly wasn't through. The Buffalo quarterback put up a pass in the right flat that defensive end Willie McGinest intercepted and returned 46 yards for a touchdown, at which point referee Dick Hantak became the most confused person in the stadium.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame barely escaped a miraculous last-second finish by the Navy football team yesterday and extended its NCAA-record winning streak over the Midshipmen to 34 games, but this 21-17 victory before a stunned crowd of 80,225 deserved several asterisks.A Hail Mary pass with three seconds remaining by Navy quarterback Chris McCoy bounced off the fingertips of safety Deke Cooper near the Irish 25. Slotback Pat McGrew scooped the ball out of the air before it hit the ground and made a mad dash for the end zone.

B&O Brasserie is amping up its Ravens love with playoff week specials. The bar will be serving 50-cent National Bohemians and the Hail Mary, a purple cocktail concocted by Head Bartender Brendan Dorr. Thomas Dunklin is bringing bar snacks like candied bacon deviled eggs, pork belly sliders and Gulf shrimp corn dogs. The specials are in effect all day long on Purple Friday (Jan. 4) and game-day Sunday. Midtown BBQ & Brew is promoting a free halftime buffet for Sunday's game along with beer and shooter specials.

Hail Mary Falcons IIFormer NFL star Billy "White Shoes" Johnson enjoyed seeing the Atlanta Falcons get a 17-14 victory over the San Francisco 49ers with a Hail Mary pass Sunday.Johnson, who as a Falcon figured in a similar play against San Francisco eight years ago, was watching on television this time, when receiver Michael Haynes caught Billy Joe Tolliver's pass."When Mike caught the ball in the crowd, I said, 'What? Not again,' " said Johnson. "It's ironic that it happened on the same field to the same team.

A long-simmering debate over the competence of officials reached the boiling point in the NFL in Week 13, when everything from coin tosses to Hail Mary passes came under intense scrutiny.It started on Thanksgiving in Pontiac, Mich., well before the controversy that flared on national TV with the overtime coin toss between the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers.The Lions were angered by two highly questionable calls that denied their defense of turnovers. Neither call was supported by television replays.

COLLEGE PARK -- Maryland senior wide receiver Marcus Badgett walked out of the football building yesterday and into an array of lights, cameras and reporters."

Master Mixologist Brendan Dorr over at B&O American Brasserie has created a Ravens-inspired cocktail, just in time for the divisional round. The Hail Mary 1 1/4 ounce Hangar One Mandarin Blossom Vodka 1/2 ounce cassis syrup 3/4 ounce Lemon Juice 3/4 ounce Pomegranate Juice   Shake with ice. Stain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a spiral twist of lemon. Enjoy! "Penalty," you're saying. "It's not purple!" No, it's not. That's why playoffs mixololgy is best left to a master mixologist.

Wa-aay behind in the polls, the Republican who's trying to unseat Democrat Sen. Barbara Mikulski has resorted to a most unusual Hail Mary pass. Dr. Eric Wargotz has posted a video of his three kids — Jacob, 13; Samuel, 11; and Leila, 9 — singing a campaign rap song. ( See it on YouTube under "Wargotz-Mikulski Rap. " ) Here's a snippet: "Yo, what's up now, my brothers and sisters / Let me tell you 'bout a very smart mister / His name is Eric Wargotz and he's running for Senate / U.S., that is. And he's in it to win it. " Maybe this is part of that hip-hop makeover RNC chief and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele vowed to bring the GOP. It is certainly, as Steele promised, "off the hook.

The Ravens were on the brink of a historic upset. Instead, they had to deal with one of the most heartbreaking defeats in their history. Hurting themselves in the fourth quarter with questionable decision-making, the Ravens fell short in a painful 27-24 loss to the unbeaten New England Patriots last night at a blustery M&T Bank Stadium. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady capitalized on the Ravens' mistakes, throwing an 8-yard touchdown to Jabar Gaffney with 44 seconds remaining.

A long-simmering debate over the competence of officials reached the boiling point in the NFL in Week 13, when everything from coin tosses to Hail Mary passes came under intense scrutiny.It started on Thanksgiving in Pontiac, Mich., well before the controversy that flared on national TV with the overtime coin toss between the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers.The Lions were angered by two highly questionable calls that denied their defense of turnovers. Neither call was supported by television replays.

No intercollegiate football series has been more one-sided than Notre Dame vs. Navy, a rivalry that began in 1927 and continues 3: 30 this afternoon at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium.The Fighting Irish hold a 61-9-1 lead and have won the past 34 since 1963, when Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy and led the Midshipmen to the Cotton Bowl.Notre Dame has dominated the series with its superior talent, speed and size. But sometimes, as in last November's 21-17 scare in South Bend, you get the feeling that even the leprechauns are working on behalf of the Irish.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame barely escaped a miraculous last-second finish by the Navy football team yesterday and extended its NCAA-record winning streak over the Midshipmen to 34 games, but this 21-17 victory before a stunned crowd of 80,225 deserved several asterisks.A Hail Mary pass with three seconds remaining by Navy quarterback Chris McCoy bounced off the fingertips of safety Deke Cooper near the Irish 25. Slotback Pat McGrew scooped the ball out of the air before it hit the ground and made a mad dash for the end zone.

No intercollegiate football series has been more one-sided than Notre Dame vs. Navy, a rivalry that began in 1927 and continues 3: 30 this afternoon at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium.The Fighting Irish hold a 61-9-1 lead and have won the past 34 since 1963, when Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy and led the Midshipmen to the Cotton Bowl.Notre Dame has dominated the series with its superior talent, speed and size. But sometimes, as in last November's 21-17 scare in South Bend, you get the feeling that even the leprechauns are working on behalf of the Irish.

Eighth-seeded Meade stunned top-seeded Arundel, 14-7, on two Malwan Johnson touchdown passes in the final 2:38 in a state Class 4A quarterfinal in Gambrills last night.It was third-ranked Arundel's first loss after 10 wins.Willie Thomas hauled in the game-winner, a wobbly "Hail Mary" ** pass down the sideline with 1:10 remaining. Arundel defensive back Brian Bayne appeared to be in position to intercept the pass, but slipped and fell as Thomas went up around midfield and gathered it in.There was no one left to catch Thomas, who raced the rest of the way as Damion Moss had on an 88-yard hook-up with the Mustangs' sophomore quarterback with 2:38 left.

Everything was proceeding nicely Sunday until the final minute of the Bills-Patriots catastrophe. Washington, Houston and Denver all had covered. New England, the week's fourth major pick, didn't appear likely to do so until a miracle happened with less than a minute left.The Patriots, favored by four points, had just scored to regain the lead at 21-18, only to see Adam Vinatieri miss the extra point by a mile to the left. Wonderful!But Jim Kelly wasn't through. The Buffalo quarterback put up a pass in the right flat that defensive end Willie McGinest intercepted and returned 46 yards for a touchdown, at which point referee Dick Hantak became the most confused person in the stadium.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thousands of Baltimore football fans circled the date after peeking at the NFL's 1996 schedule last spring. But here, where the heartland welcomed the Colts after they ditched their old home nearly 13 years ago, tomorrow's Ravens-Colts clash has sparked an emotional response that measures somewhere between a yawn and a raised eyebrow.Don't get the Indianapolis fans wrong. They want the Colts to rebound from their first loss last week, an overtime defeat in Buffalo. After last year's improbable run through the AFC playoffs, they would hate to see their Colts come up another Hail Mary pass short of the Super Bowl.