Huddles

ESPN tries to take lacrosse fans behind the scenes during its coverage, but hopefully this weekend the network keeps the microphones out of team huddles during the final four in Foxboro, Mass. In may ways, ESPN is giving us more than we really want. Last weekend, you heard a lot of foul language from coaches and some players because those microphones were open. A lot of times, coaches forget they're being recorded on live TV, and it can result in some embarassing moments. Some of the strong words that came from the coaches I disapprove off, but I also know that emotions run deep among players, coaches and officials.

Having grown up in Annapolis, Bill Belichick remembers watching quarterback Johnny Unitas , one of the NFL's pioneers of the pass, drive the Baltimore Colts up and down the field with their version of the two-minute drill. At the time, no one did it quite like the man with the golden arm. Nearly four decades after Unitas retired, quarterback Tom Brady often forgoes a huddle, racing to the line of scrimmage to exploit reeling defenses. Some suggest his New England Patriots are pioneers of sorts with what they have done this season, but Belichick spikes that notion.

A Baltimore County grand jury yesterday indicted former County Councilman Gary Huddles in the alleged theft of $50,379 from his campaign treasury, which he used to cover stock investments more than a year after he withdrew from public life.Mr. Huddles, a four-term Democratic councilman who at one time considered a run for county executive, was indicted for allegedly taking the money in four separate withdrawals between Nov. 6, 1987, and Dec. 21, 1987, and depositing it in the Signet Bank account that he shares with his wife, Linda, according to the indictment returned by the grand jury.

It will be interesting to see how the Ravens' no-huddle offense holds up on the road against Kansas City on Sunday. When the Ravens played Philadelphia in Week 2 on the road, the team got away from the no-huddle partially because of the crowd noise and other communication problems. Kansas City has one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL, complete with throwback music from the 1960s and 1970s. Quarterback Joe Flacco has played well in the Ravens' no-huddle approach. He ran this offense in college at Delaware.

Former Baltimore County Councilman Gary Huddles is under investigation by the state prosecutor for the alleged theft of $50,000 in left-over campaign funds that he used to cover stock investments.The investigation is near an end and is expected to lead to Mr. Huddles' indictment by a Baltimore County grand jury, perhaps as early as today, according to Robert B. Schulman, Mr. Huddles' lawyer. Mr. Schulman said the charges probably would include theft of campaign funds, misappropriation of campaign funds and failing to pass the transactions through his campaign treasurer.

Just minutes after former Baltimore County Councilman Gary Huddles was acquitted of misusing campaign funds, his attorneys issued a press release.Huddles' attorneys, the release said, "left the courtroom victorious."The attorneys, Robert B. Schulman and Joshua R. Treem, were so confident of victory that they had prepared the press release before Circuit Court Judge Barbara K. Howe rendered her verdict yesterday after a two-day trial in Towson."We were correct when we originally stated that he was the victim of a vindictive, biased and ill-conceived prosecution by Stephen Montanarelli, state prosecutor," the statement read.

Attorneys for former Baltimore County Councilman Gary Huddles have charged that state prosecutors attempted to intimidate Lt. Gov. Melvin A. Steinberg to discourage him from testifying on behalf of Huddles, who faces a theft charge.But a Baltimore County Circuit Court judge yesterday dismissed a motion filed by Huddles' lawyers in which they asked her to admonish prosecutors. The judge said the prosecutors had not acted improperly in their dealings with Steinberg.Huddles, a 16-year councilman who left office in 1986, is charged with theft for using $50,379 of his leftover campaign funds in 1987 to cover personal losses he suffered in the stock market.

The attorney for Gary Huddles, the former Baltimore County councilman indicted on charges of using about $50,000 from his 1986 campaign funds to cover personal stock investments, says the prosecutor's action "suggests a vindictive, biased and ill-conceived prosecution."Huddles' lawyer, Robert B. Schulman, took the offensive after the indictment was announced yesterday afternoon. Schulman issued a news release that questioned State Prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli's motives in bringingup the case nearly five years after Huddles, whose political career was derailed by a link to the savings and loan scandal, retired from public life.

Legislators, lawyers, lobbyists and the lieutenant governor testified in Baltimore County Circuit Court yesterday on former county councilman Gary Huddles' motion to dismiss theft charges against him for borrowing about $50,000 from his campaign fund in 1987.Defense witnesses told Judge Barbara Kerr Howe that the law not only doesn't forbid such loans but that a provision that outlawed them was repealed.At least two legislators, Delegate Anne S. Perkins, D-Baltimore, who chairs the Constitutional and Administrative Law Committee, and fellow-committeeman Delegate John J. Bishop III, R-Baltimore County, said they had been frustrated repeatedly in their attempts to plug loopholes in the elections law.Ms.

Gary Huddles' former campaign treasurer has testified that he believed the then-Baltimore County councilman was acting within the law when he withdrew money from his campaign fund in 1987 for his personal use."He told me he got a legal opinion, and I said 'OK, please, when you pay it back, payit back with interest,' " said Herbert Kasoff, 52, who testified for the state yesterday during the first day of the Huddles trial in county Circuit Court.Huddles, a 16-year councilman who formerly represented the 2nd District covering Pikesville and Randallstown, is charged with theft and misappropriation by a fiduciary stemming from his withdrawal of over $50,000 of his leftover campaign funds in 1987 to cover personal losses he suffered in the stock market.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Eagles have spent many hours this week preparing for the Ravens' no-huddle offense. But they only have to go as far as their own practice field to face one in person. The defense has been getting familiar with the no-huddle since offseason workouts and training camp, as the offense has been simulating that approach. So the Ravens' fast-paced philosophy isn't exactly shocking. “The good thing is that [we've been working on that],” defensive coordinator Juan Castillo said Thursday.

Wearing a sharp designer suit, Ravens running back Ray Rice exited M&T Bank Stadium late Monday night looking as fresh and content as he did at any point during his team record-breaking 2011 season. He had just scored two touchdowns and gained 93 yards of offense in the Ravens' 44-13 blowout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, and he did it while touching the ball only 13 times. That kind of workload for the Pro Bowl running back last year inspired finger pointing inside and outside of the Ravens' locker room.

One way or another, 2012 is a coming-out season for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Soon after the 2011 season, coach John Harbaugh told offensive coordinator Cam Cameron he wanted to test the limits of the offense and nothing should slow it down. The no-huddle has come to Baltimore: down, set and ready to go. "Oh, they're going to be running it in Baltimore?" asked former Colts and Ravens coach Ted Marchibroda, who installed the offense when he was offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills from 1989 to 1991.

Deirdre Diane "Dee" Huddles, a master gardener who was co-founder of a gardening services company, was killed Wednesday in an automobile accident near Butler. The Glyndon resident was 69. Baltimore County police reported that Ms. Huddles was driving north on Falls Road near Butler about 9 p.m. when her 2009 Subaru Forester was involved in an accident with a truck, which caused her car to overturn. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The accident remains under investigation by county police.

With time growing short to call a special General Assembly session on gambling legislation, House Speaker Michael E. Busch plans to huddle with his leadership team Wednesday as top Democrats assess whether there are enough votes to justify calling lawmakers back to Annapolis. Interviews with leading legislators suggest that Busch faces an uphill climb in trying to build a majority to back a measure that would allow a casino in Prince George's County and open the state to table games such as poker and craps.

ESPN tries to take lacrosse fans behind the scenes during its coverage, but hopefully this weekend the network keeps the microphones out of team huddles during the final four in Foxboro, Mass. In may ways, ESPN is giving us more than we really want. Last weekend, you heard a lot of foul language from coaches and some players because those microphones were open. A lot of times, coaches forget they're being recorded on live TV, and it can result in some embarassing moments. Some of the strong words that came from the coaches I disapprove off, but I also know that emotions run deep among players, coaches and officials.

Former Baltimore County Councilman Gary Huddles has asked the Circuit Court to dismiss charges that he stole $50,379 from his campaign fund to cover investment losses after the 1987 stock market crash.In the 33-page motion, Mr. Huddles' lawyer, Robert B. Schulman, accused State Prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli of a "vindictive prosecution."Mr. Huddles, 52, a former four-term Pikesville councilman, is charged with theft, fraudulent misappropriation of money for which he was responsible and violating state election law by not passing the transaction through his campaign treasurer.

A federal judge ruled yesterday that Gary Huddles failed to provide information about his income, loans and climbing debts while on probation for a money-laundering conviction and ordered that the former Baltimore County councilman serve an extra two years on supervised release as punishment. U.S. District Judge William M. Nickerson also ordered Huddles, once a rising star in Baltimore County politics, to spend 30 days on home detention and to perform 200 hours of community service for the probation reporting violations.

When the Patriots received the opening kickoff Saturday against the Broncos, it might have caught some fans off-guard, since it marked just the second time in 17 games New England opened on offense. Going no-huddle on the first series seemed to catch the Broncos off-guard, and showed how efficiently the Patriots can play an up-tempo game. A team that had dug early holes the last three games of the regular season - deficits of 16-7 at Denver, 17-0 to Miami, and 21-0 to Buffalo - and talked for two weeks about getting off to a faster start needed just five plays and 1 minute, 51 seconds to set the tone with a touchdown.

The Ravens had been looking for something to build on offensively, and maybe they found it in Sunday's 30-27 come from behind win against the Arizona Cardinals. While rallying from a 21-point deficit, the largest comeback in franchise history, the Ravens were efficient in running the no-huddle offense, and had success in the short passing game, as quarterback Joe Flacco completed 31 of a career-high 51 passes for 336 yards. The rally is somewhat tainted because it came against lowly Arizona, but the Ravens have an offense in search of an identity.