Kick

On paper, Sunday night's WrestleMania looked as if it could be one of the strongest installments in the event's 28-year history. In execution, it was anything but. I personally avoided Twitter and Facebook, so that the thoughts I would be sharing here would be as purely mine as much as possible. The show lacked the feel of WrestleMania; the first hour felt rushed and most of the matches seemed to be missing something. The show wasn't bad by any means, so I don't want people to misread what I am saying, but I expected more.

In an effort to make guests' experiences more "distinctive," the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J., is undergoing a $51 million face-lift that includes refurbishing poker and guest rooms. The Borgata opened in 2003, but hotel officials said it was time to freshen up. "Having such high customer volumes and almost 50 percent of the poker market share in Atlantic City, it was simply time," said Joe Lupo, the hotel's senior vice president of operations. Renovations to the poker room, which opened in 2006, include new carpeting throughout the 21,500-square-foot area and installation of 23 flat-screen TVs. The hotel also introduced The Boardroom, a high-limit poker lounge that requires a minimum buy-in of $10,000.

In the wake of WWE's Over the Limit pay-per-view, a new Intercontinental champion has been crowned, four other champions continue to hold onto their titles and John Laurinaitis remains employed. Sunday night's show delivered an evening of quality entertainment and good in-ring performances. On a non-major PPV event, WWE delivered a product that surpassed the expectations of many. Here's a match-by-match look at the show: Battle Royale This last-minute addition to the card was a means of crowning a No. 1 contender for one of the midcard titles.

The Catholic Church, embroiled in a dispute with the Obama administration over new health insurance rules, has chosen Baltimore to kick off a national campaign it says is aimed at promoting religious liberty. Archbishop William E. Lori is scheduled to celebrate mass at the Baltimore Basilica on June 21 to open the "Fortnight for Freedom," a two-week national campaign of special liturgies, prayer services and other events leading up to the Fourth of July. The Archdiocese of Baltimore is the oldest Catholic diocese in the United States.

In so many words, Billy Cundiff says he's not thinking about redemption. The game plan now is simple. Move on. Don't look back. What else can the Ravens kicker say? What else can he do? Shrivel up and die? Sit in the house with the blinds drawn and brood about that big miss? Re-play it over and over again in his head until it drives him crazy? You saw it. Hell, the whole world saw it. Cundiff sees it still, you can be sure. Closes his eyes and there it is: his pushed 32-yard field goal attempt that went wide left in the final seconds of January's AFC Championship, leading to the New England Patriots' shocking 23-20 win over the Ravens in the madhouse that was Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

David Reed was healthy and active for the first time since sustaining a left shoulder strain on Sept. 18, but the NFL leader in kick return average last season didn't get the nod to assume that duty Sunday. Instead, that honor went to Bryan McCann, who totaled 53 yards on two returns in the Ravens' 29-14 win against the Houston Texans. McCann, who had been signed by the team to a two-year contract on Oct. 4, was expected to back up Reed, but coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that lingering concerns about the strength and health of Reed's shoulder persuaded the coaching staff to go with McCann.

On July 27, 2005, ROBERT C. "Bobby" KICK, loving father of Heather, Sarah and Francis, dear brother of Milton Kick, Gloria Riggins and the late Francis Kick. A Memorial Mass will be celebrated at the Church of the Ascension, 4603 Poplar Avenue, Halethorpe, on Wednesday at 10 A.M. Interment to take place at a later date. Donations may be directed to the American Heart Association, 415 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.

It's been a long time coming, but finally at age 36, Glen Burnie kick boxer Cliff "The Hammer" McPherson is getting a shot at his first world title.McPherson, who also boxes professionally, will meet defending International Kick Boxing Federation light heavyweight champion David Manter of Michigan on Tuesday, Oct. 6. It will be the main event on an 18-bout card at the Michigan State Fair.Manter is putting his belt on the line as both the IKBF light heavyweight and middleweight champion in the scheduled 15-rounder.

The Baltimore Police Department kicked off its spring soccer league yesterday afternoon at a municipal park that was once a haven for drug dealers.More than 500 children packed Frank C. Bocek Park, on East Madison Street at the edge of some of East Baltimore's most dangerous neighborhoods. Provident Bank of Maryland donated $25,000 to pay for referees and uniforms."I came to have fun," said Shatel Veazy, 10, a fifth-grader at Frederick Elementary School. "I have no experience with soccer, but I like to kick things."

The TV Repairman:Back in 1975, when he was competing, Joe Corley took part in a kick-boxing show and he was convinced afterward that "we had something. I couldn't come up with any reasons why karate wouldn't become really big."Nearly two decades later and now in the role of spokesman for the sport, Corley's still spreading the gospel; only this time he has legions of believers."The biggest night in the history of kick-boxing," is the way Corley is describing PKA KarateMania VIII, which is no small claim considering the sport has been around for a thousand years.

In so many words, Billy Cundiff says he's not thinking about redemption. The game plan now is simple. Move on. Don't look back. What else can the Ravens kicker say? What else can he do? Shrivel up and die? Sit in the house with the blinds drawn and brood about that big miss? Re-play it over and over again in his head until it drives him crazy? You saw it. Hell, the whole world saw it. Cundiff sees it still, you can be sure. Closes his eyes and there it is: his pushed 32-yard field goal attempt that went wide left in the final seconds of January's AFC Championship, leading to the New England Patriots' shocking 23-20 win over the Ravens in the madhouse that was Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

John Waters opened his audience's eyes to a kind of film experience they'd probably never had before. Another writer-director raised in Maryland scared a late-night crowd silly. A movie about a sexual assault left some viewers heading for the exits early. Such were the pains and pleasures of the first two days of this weekend's 14th Maryland Film Festival. Running through Sunday night in and around the Charles Theatre , the festival showcases more than 100 films, including documentaries, short subjects and feature-length narratives.

Five short narrative films, on themes ranging from a modern-day urban cowboy to a scamming extraterrestrial, kicked off the 14th annual Maryland Film Festival at MICA's Brown Center Thursday night. Maryland's festival remains the only one of its kind to devote its opening night to short films — works the evening's host, salon.com film critic Andrew O'Hehir, praised as a way for filmmakers to hone their craft. The evening's fare kicked off with MFF alum Christina Choe's "I am John Wayne," a cryptic modern take on the cowboy tradition, complete with a horse, a laconic hero and a two-timing woman, all set against a Coney Island backdrop.

Baltimore's two-year commemoration of the War of 1812 began dramatically Saturday at the site of the British bombardment of Fort McHenry. Students from the Baltimore School for the Arts chose the fort for their open-air staging of "Fighting for Freedom," a three-scene play that looks at the war's impact on everyday life. They delivered thought-provoking plots to an audience of several hundred who spread across the grass, where a moat had once helped protect the fort. The sun shone on the actors and the sound crew adjusted quickly to the brisk winds.

News Roundup •••• It was a busy week down in Bethesda, with the “Skyrim” developers trademarking the game's signature “Fus Ro Dah” shout. Crap, now I owe them $17. More pertient to gamers is the announcement that over 200 voice commands will be added via a free Kinect support download for Xbox 360 users later this month. [ PC Ga mer , PC Mag ] •••• ... but the National Academy of Video Game Testers and Reviews says “Minecraft” is better.

Plague The Pitch: "You play as the plague, trying to spread sickness to as many inhabitants of each level as possible - but in a fun way!" Goal: $20,000 Status: 5% funded, ends April 29 There's a contingent of people who hate playing as the good guys in video games. Then there's people who wish they could control a continental pandemic and wipe out half of Europe. Credit where credit is due for originality, as there is no major game studio right now scratching this concept off their list.

PALM BEACH, FLA. -- NFL owners approved the proposal making field goals and extra points subject to replay review, something that brings up bad memories for the Ravens. In an overtime loss to the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 18, the Ravens were tied in regulation on a controversial field goal by Phil Dawson, whose kick hit the left upright, bounced over the crossbar, struck the support post and bounced back over the crossbar toward the field. An official below the upright at M&T Bank Stadium initially signaled that the kick was no good.

For previous bizarre incidents on the basketball court, Chicago Bulls forward Dennis Rodman has faced fines and suspension. For his latest incident, Rodman may face criminal charges.Prosecutors in Minneapolis were considering assault charges against the Bulls forward yesterday, after Rodman kicked courtside cameraman Eugene Amos in the groin during the second half of Wednesday's win over the Minneapolis Timberwolves.Amos lay on the baseline for seven minutes, before being carried xTC away on a stretcher.

There's a new game in town.  Or, actually, there's not. But judging from the enthusiasm with which Gov.Martin O'Malley has embraced his latest catchphrase, you could see why someone might think so. The governor doesn't want to play kick the can. Anyone even casually following his Twitter account (@GovernorOMalley) knows it, what with his dropping the hashtap #Can'tKickCan into dozens of Tweets -- sometimes nearly a dozen in one day. Stop kicking the can down the road is the theme for his proposal for a statewide gas sales tax. As in, we can't keep putting things off, kicking the can down the road, we need money from a gas tax right now. (Or as in this, one of his actual Tweets: "Everything has a cost.

Randy Edsall wished the wait had been only a few hours. A.J. Francis said it absolutely needed to be a couple of weeks. Ultimately, 105 days' worth of coaching-staff makeovers, recruit welcomes and player departures separated Maryland's bitter final day of the 2011 season and its opening practice of its 2012 calendar Saturday. Receivers dropped passes, defensive ends veered away from unprotected quarterbacks and shoulder pads sat somewhere in an equipment room inside Gossett Football Team House, but the Terps were at least back out playing.