And so this is Christmas …

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports ’Tis the season and everywhere we turn — restaurants, the market, the stores, the radio — we hear Christmas songs and songs of the season, and we also hear some folks complaining about it, which I don’t get, but you gotta do what you gotta do. The only complaining about…

No, Virginia, this ain’t Santa Claus

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports­­ So, the Washington Wizards and the Washington Capitals are moving again? That’s what the teams’ owner Ted Leonsis and Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin said on Wednesday when they announced plans for the NBA Wizards and the NHL Capitals to move to a state-of-the art arena and entertainment complex in Alexandria,…

A tale of two beltways

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports It was December football at its finest in old Bawlmer, hon, with steady rain falling under increasingly darkening skies, with the only consistent from the hometown Baltimore Ravens being head coach John Harbaugh’s trademark mismanagement of timeouts and play challenges. But then quarterback Lamar Jackson led a brilliant late-game drive…

This whining is so unbecoming, champ

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports­­ The Pittsburgh Steelers began the weekend with their second-straight horrible loss, the Baltimore Ravens concluded it with a not-pretty, but gritty victory on a dreary, rainy day when not much went right until the very end, and the Washington Commanders were mercifully given the weekend off following last week’s blowout…

Sleep tight, Stadium; we miss you

Sleep tight, Stadium; we miss you MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports All these years later, particularly given where I’ve lived or occupied for most of my life, the summer and fall seasons have always been such an important part of the being of the neighborhood. Living just two blocks from Greenway Avenue Stadium for much…

Clearly four teams are not enough

Clearly four teams are not enough MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports Florida State is the first undefeated Power 5 Conference champion not to be selected for the College Football Playoff and now national selection committee chair Boo Corrigan is getting the attention of the Lindbergh baby kidnapper, when he’d much rather be getting the attention…

These Sentinels are in the discussion

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports­­ It was 45-21 in the end, thanks to a Cooper Silber second-half field goal, which added an unintentional nice touch to the day for the Fort Hill Sentinels on Saturday, as they wrapped up their school’s 10th Maryland state football championship with their commanding victory over Mountain Ridge in Annapolis.…

The good times will roll in old D.C.

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports­­ The good news after the Washington Commanders’ 45-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys was that those who chose not to won’t be eating turkey for another year. The news wasn’t so good for Jack Del Rio (well, maybe it was), as he was fired by head coach Ron Rivera as…

AFC North: You never know

MIKE BURKE Allegany Communications Sports We won’t have Matt Canada to kick around anymore. Wanna bet? Canada’s going to be kicked around every week the Pittsburgh Steelers even get a sniff of 400 yards of offense in a game, as less than a week after firing him as offensive coordinator, the Canada-less Steelers did, in…