Press Box

• SOCCER: U.S. forward Landon Donovan is in talks about a loan move to Everton that would give him experience in the English Premier League in the run up to the World Cup. The loan would put the Galaxy star on the same team as U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard and allow him to play against many of the England players he will face in South Africa next June. ... AC Milan's Ronaldinho has been selected soccer player of the decade by World Soccer magazine. Ronaldinho finished ahead of Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo in the voting.

It's a little chillier than the Opening Days I grew used to down in Florida. I never had to wear a coat at Tropicana Field. But it's great to be back home. This is my first Opening Day as the Orioles beat writer for the Baltimore Sun. Ever since I stepped into my first newspaper class my sophomore year at Howard High School in Ellicott City, this was the job I always dreamed of having. And after 47 days of Sarasota sunshine -- and hopefully you enjoyed our spring training coverage -- I'm back in Baltimore.

Seneca Wallace will "more than likely" be the starting quarterback again for Browns in Baltimore. Twelve days after the Browns lost in Pittsburgh, 14-3, the effects of that game are still reverberating -- in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, in the AFC North and throughout the NFL. Colt McCoy still has not returned to regular work since suffering a concussion on the helmet-to-facemask hit by Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison on Dec. 8. That means...

N o matter how much Sylvester Stallone has tried, some things in boxing you just can't make up. It was enough late Saturday night that a 27-year-old man from Southeast Washington, homeless before a boxing trainer took in him and his little brother when the boy was 10, rocked the fight world by winning his first major world title over the prohibitive favorite. But when the HBO ring announcer, Michael Buffer, hollered the words, "And … NEW SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD … " and Lamont Peterson smudged his joyful tears against the arms of Barry Hunter and his handlers — and Amir Khan shook his head in disgust after the sport's umpteenth controversial decision — the night was just beginning for the combatants.

If you have tickets to the Harbaugh Bowl and like tagging yourself on Facebook, then I've got a news item for you. The Ravens will debut a cool piece of technology called the Ravens FanCam at Thursday night's game at M&T Bank Stadium. Before the game, a 360-degree, high-definition camera will snap a photograph of the crowd at the stadium. It has a resolution of 10 billion pixels, so every person in attendance can be found in the photo. The Ravens will put the photo on Facebook so fans can find themselves and tag appropriately on Facebook.

From the press box at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh and probably on television, it was pretty apparent that rookie wide receiver Torrey Smith had hauled in the 26-yard pass from quarterback Joe Flacco to propel the Ravens to a 23-20 victory over the Steelers on Sunday night. Apparent to almost everyone but Flacco. “I didn't even know Torrey caught the pass,” Flacco said after the game. “I thought it was pass interference. Then when I found out he caught the pass, I almost lost it.” Flacco was asked when it dawned on him that Smith had made the catch.

What was going on with ESPN's “Monday Night Football” during the first quarter? The primary camera shot was so far back and wide, I thought I was looking at high-school game film shot with a Kodak from atop press box - in 1967. OK, I am exaggerating, but not by much. Really. Meanwhile, the audio had an echo on it as if play-by-play man Mike Tirico's voice was also being piped over the stadium PA system. I don't want to sound superficial, but this is, after all, the look and sound of a prime-time telecast.

In the months since his retirement, former Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Williams has been deployed by the university as a fundraiser and high-level salesman. For his work - and perhaps also in deference to his 22 years of service - Williams is being well compensated. Three sources familiar with his deal have said in recent weeks that Williams is earning an annual salary of $400,000. Maryland isn't apologizing for the longtime coach's contract. The athletic department - which must weather the sour economy as it pays off the debt required to modernize Byrd Stadium's Tyser Tower - is eager for new donors and increased revenue.

This year's Ripken World Series has been pretty standard, from my perspective at least, meaning my week has been equal parts grueling and exciting. Covering four or five games a day is certainly taxing on the brain and spirit, but watching the top 12-year-old teams in the country and world battle it out makes it worthwhile. It's the 20-0 blowouts that tend to make those souls in the press booth a bit restless. Thankfully, the majority of the contests I've covered have been evenly contested, with the pinnacle being Monday night's Mexico and Dominican Republic showdown, which featured some of the best pitching I've seen at any tournament.

It wasn't too long ago that Trevor Bayne was the refreshing face who would re-energize NASCAR. He had the wholesome personality, the gracious demeanor and, of most importance, the talent to become a rising star. The cheering in the press box after he won the Daytona 500 reflected the deep connection Bayne made with everybody, even folks who mistook their media credentials for pom-poms. Brand Affinity Technologies, a sports marketing firm, named him the top rising sports star in March, noting his popularity had risen 352 percent.

Former Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller never came close to touching the lofty expectations that came with being one of the team's first-round picks in the 2003 NFL draft, which is why last month I labeled him as the biggest draft bust in franchise history . Matt Zenitz, a writer for PressBox , recently tagged Boller as an all-time bust , too. But one man is willing to stand up on a soapbox and defend Boller: Joe Platania. In a response to his PressBox colleague, Platania wrote a lengthy post in defense of Boller , who is still in the NFL today as a backup quarterback for the Raiders.