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MASN's Maximum Festivus Blog: The MASN Event Crew will check in with us all summer long to give us updates on where they're going and where they've been. Check back here often for the latest on MASN events!

MASN's Maximum Festivus brings Fantasy Camp to Camden Yards
This was a busy weekend at Camden Yards as we watched the Orioles take on the Yankees. Although we didn't come away with any wins, Lindsay and I did get to enjoy our new MASN set-up this weekend!

It was definitely an upgrade from our usual tent! Our new set-up had three big screen TV's playing MASN commercials, and we were signing people up for MASN Fantasy Camp on laptops, so we even looked fancier and more expensive than usual! I think it also felt nice because we didn't have to set up or break anything down before and after games.

But all weekend we had people signing up for Fantasy Camp, MASN's new social network for sports fans. People jump started their online profile with us at our tent. I just joined this weekend too, and I'm already on it all the time, changing little things about my profile!

For signing up, fans got free MASN T-shirts, drink coolers, window stickers and magnets. Now, in case you missed us or if the free stuff wasn't enough, by signing up, you have a chance to win some pretty amazing prizes, like the chance to be a clubhouse reporter or play-by-play announcer for a game! In order to win the opportunity to be a part of a MASN broadcast, you have to get on Fantasy Camp and contribute your opinions, photos, videos, blogs, and other input as often as you can! The more you broadcast your skills, the better chance you have of winning a spot on the Fantasy Camp All-Star Broadcast Team!

We also had another milestone in Oriole history this weekend. On Saturday, Velma Greene was screaming with excitement as she became our 100 millionth fan.

She won $100,000, season tickets for five years and some other VIP goodies! I loved that she was so happy and screaming because she made me so excited for her! (Although, I am pretty sure I would have been even more excited had it been me that won the $100,000!)

If you missed us this weekend, you can still sign up for Fantasy Camp by visiting www.masnfantasycamp.com. We'll also be at Nat's Park this weekend so make sure you stop by our tent if you're there--look forward to seeing you!!

Kristen Connolly

Around the Yard
Not too much going on around the Warehouse today. Construction guys have been drilling all day outside my window installing a new right field foul pole. It almost makes me feel like I'm sitting in the dentist chair with all that grinding noise, but the new pole looks great; so maybe it's worth it.

The grounds crew, as usual, is diligently working on beautifying the field for the weekend series here against Texas. They had a crew of guys powerwashing the seats in the park
for a couple of days this week. I never knew that so much work went into keeping the stadium clean each time the O's set out on the road. No wonder the stadium still looks
so sharp for being sixteen years young.

I'll know for sure that the boys are back in town when the smell of charcoal and smoke reaches our fifth floor window from Boog's BBQ and when the crowds start rolling in to Eutaw Street. There's nothing like a summer Friday night at the park. That is what baseball is all about.

Don't forget, if you're coming to the park this weekend, you can meet MASN's Maximum Festivus crew at the MASN tent on Eutaw Street. They will have all sorts of freebies, so don't miss them!

Until then, or if you can't make it out this weekend, check out MASN Fantasy Camp. It is going to be a great community of sports fans. Get in early so you don't miss a thing!

Enjoy the weekend.

-Malinda

'83 Celebration was the place to be
Yesterday was a night to remember! The 1983 World Series Anniversary took place, and fans lined up for autographs, pictures, and many other exciting events at Camden Yards. With a forecast for rain, fans persevered through stormy weather to support our Baltimore Orioles.

MASN was giving out new goodies, including MASN bat bottle openers and air fresheners, Orioles mouse pads, and Orioles schedule magnets, and it was a huge success. Fans crowded the MASN tent in the hopes of grabbing some giveaways and ran from place to place to find the World Series alumni players.

Masn also offered free photos with the World Series trophy in the Camden Café, and people lined up around the corner to take a look and get their picture taken with the historical piece of memorabilia. In addition, down the way from the MASN tent was a line around the corner for autograph signings with renowned players like Rick Dempsey, Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, and various other O's.

You might say it was the celebration of the year, and the current Orioles players, fans, and World Series players alike took part in making this event a memorable experience. The MASN staff was very honored to be a part of such an exciting night and look forward to many more events like this one! Thanks for watching MASN and for checking out our blog on MASNsports.com!

Elizabeth Silber

1983 Turn Back the Clock Celebration
Can you believe that 25 years have passed since the Orioles won the World Series? I was in 3rd grade in 1983 and was allowed to stay up late every school night to watch the World Series. I'll never forget Cal Ripken leaping into the air to snag the final out. We ran out onto the front porch of our house and screamed like it was New Year's Eve!

Now, flash forward 25 years...Camden Yards, this Wednesday night with all of our childhood heroes returning to the field to commemorate the 1983 World Series. Ripken, Murray, Bumbry, McGregor and more will be on the field for a special pre-game ceremony.

The Orioles are also doing "flashback pricing" for upper deck seats on Wednesday night. Invite the friends who cheered with you during the World Series 25 years ago for just $5.50 a seat--no that is not a misprint, but the best bargain in town!

While you're at the game, stop by the Championship Cafe on Eutaw Street for a once in a lifetime opportunity to get your picture taken with the actual 1983 World Series Trophy. Then, just visit MASNsports.com when you get home to print out your picture for free. The folks at MASN will be there from 7:15pm - 9:15pm, so don't be late!

By now, all of the players from the 1983 team have since retired; I can now stay up as late as I want; and I'm a grown-up with a real job; but I still remember the excitement I felt that night 25 years ago, and I, for one, can't wait for the throwback celebration Wednesday night at Camden Yards.

A Weekend of Orioles Magic, Fireworks, Autographs and Giveaways
Morale was high at Camden Yards this weekend as the O's returned home from their extended road trip to face the Detroit Tigers. On Friday, the first several thousand fans received a DVD which featured a rendition of "Orioles Magic," starring Kevin Millar.

Friday's win finally gave us the fireworks show we've been waiting to see all season! This win fueled the drive to hopefully dominate Saturday's match-up and gave hopes that Sunday's 14-game losing streak would finally be over. After Saturday's huge comeback led by Luke Scott, fans were almost certain that the Sunday curse would finally be at bay. The organization even offered a sequel to the popular "We Win, You Win" promotion which promised two complimentary tickets to any non-prime game if the Orioles prevailed in breaking the Sunday losing skid. Hopeful fans even showed up with signs reading, "Pretend It's Saturday." Although the Orioles didn't end up winning the Sunday match-up, not all fans went home empty handed. The gates opened up early for all season ticket holders who were then admitted for an autograph session with their favorite O's players.

At our MASN tent, we gave away the ever-popular MASN lanyards, Orioles mouse pads and magnets. If you don't get a chance to stop by our tent at the O's games this week, be sure to head up to McDaniel College all this week and next for Ravens Training camp to receive Ravens giveaways!

Thanks!

Lindsay Rykiel
Kristen Connolly

Nationals host Hispanic Night at Nats Park
After working at Nationals games like I did this past weekend, there are a few things that can't help but stand out in my mind (besides how nice the ballpark is), which are the fireworks during the National Anthem, the race between the mascots in the middle of the game, the trivia questions, and the "Fan of the Game" award.

The noise from the fireworks always startles me, but I love seeing them during the National Anthem because they add an extra touch to the song. The race between the mascots is just plain fun to watch, and all the while you wonder how the mascots manage not to fall as they try to run in their outrageously disproportionate costumes; and I just love the "Fan of the Game" award because you get to see three people over the big screen that cheer and scream, make faces, and do anything they can to try and win the award.

Saturday night's game was really an enjoyable one because in addition to enjoying the usual festivities, the Nationals hosted Hispanic Heritage Night. Everything about this night revolved around the Hispanic culture, which created a really fun atmosphere and was appreciated by many. Right as you entered the main gate, there was a Latin Band accompanied by Salsa and Cuban rueda dancers. The music was really uplifting, and it was fun to see the dancers, especially the women, strutting around in their purple dresses and high heels trying to engage the audience. During the middle of the game, there were also dancers on the dugouts performing for the crowd.

Luciano Rodriguez, a Spanish broadcaster, also provided PA announcements in Spanish throughout the entire game. Pedro Biaggi, an El Zol radio personality, threw out the first pitch, and Vivan Mojica sang the National Anthem.

Saturday night was a very special night, especially for the Nats, who have ten Hispanic players on their roster, as well as three coaches, and the only Dominican manager in the Major Leagues. Before the game even started, they did a flag presentation ceremony for the hispanic players.

All in all, it was a great weekend at Nats Park, and I hope everyone enjoyed their time there as much as I did!

-Kristen Connolly

MASN brings you the Riverfront Reel every Wednesday in DC
Throughout the course of the summer, MASN will be sponsoring a ton of cool events. One of my personal favorites is the weekly Riverfront Reel - Outdoor Baseball Movies, which takes place every Wednesday evening at the Capitol Riverfront in DC.

I can't think of anything better than watching a movie under the stars with close friends, except maybe the fact that it's FREE! Pack a picnic, bring a blanket and make the most of the beautiful summer weather. If you run out of time to pack your own grub, you can buy tacos, chili or salads on-site. They even hand out FREE Sobe Lifewater--I'm digging all of the "free" going on at this event!

And because of the bad weather Wednesday night (July 9), they are rescheduling the movie "Major League" with Charlie Sheen for this evening, July 10. Next Wednesday, "Eight Men Out" will be featured.

Check out the Capitol Riverfront website for Riverfront Reel times and the movie schedule for the rest of the summer.

Nats wrap up six-game homestand leading up to All-Star break
Hey Everyone!

We just wanted to let you know that we will be at the Nationals' stadium this Friday and Saturday night to watch our Nats take on the Houston Astros.

We will be out in center field (with perfect view of the game) at our MASN tent. We will be giving away some free goodies, so make sure you stop by!

Don't forget to wear your Nats gear, and we look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Go Nationals!

Battle of the Beltway brings Birds to Nats park
The Battle of The Beltway is finally here! The three-game series between the Washington Nationals and the Baltimore Orioles has put the rivalry between the two teams and their respective fans into high gear.

It will be interesting to see who will win this series, as the Orioles took two out of the three games in the last match-up in May. The Birds, who are currently 39-37, are only a few games out from the wildcard race and are looking to snag a few wins on the road before returning home on Monday to face Kansas City. The Nats look to dominate the series in hopes of improving on their current record of 31-49.

We have to admit, we might be partial to the Orioles, due to working at the Warehouse and being able to watch them from our window; but we can't wait to see the Nats play in their new ballpark.

Sadly, with this match-up ends the Battle of the Beltway Contest and your chance to win free gas. On the other hand, we would love to congratulate Mr. Elwood Harris for winning the Grand Prize of a $100 gas gift card, a 42" HDTV, and MASN Fantasy Camp Tickets! Way to go!

We are excited to be a part of the Battle of the Beltway, and we look forward to seeing you there! Come find us at the MASN tent where we'll be giving out some free goodies!

Lindsay Rykiel and Kristen Connolly

Maximum Festivus Lands at the AST Dew Tour

Excitement peaks as last day of Dew Tour arrives
On the last day, June 22, of the AST Dew Tour 2008, people were pumped for the final day of events. From the FMX Motorcross to the Skate Park, fans and vistors alike were ready for action.

The water and Mountain Dew of the AST Dew Tour were definitely flowing as visitors flocked to the last day of events in preparation for seeing these professionals show off their skills. However, the FMX Freestyle Motorcross bike finals were the place to be. With professional bikers performing an awesome array of tricks, everyone was able to be a part of the true Dew Tour experience.

The final standings gave Blake Williams 1st place with his unbelievable score of 95.42. Nate Adams took 2nd place and Mathieu Rebeaud 3rd.

At the conclusion of this event, fans rolled on in to the MASN Tent, where we were giving out blue MASN signature coolers and lanyards. Obviously due to the heat, signing up for our Maximum Access Newsletter wasn't a hard sell for fans of MASN interested in keeping their drinks cool!

Speaking of "cool," fans weren't just enjoying cold water! There were appearances by our famous Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders who were signing autographs as well. Free giveaways were flying as this awesome experience began to come to an end; but of course the MASN tent was where the action was, with people loving our gear and racing to get their last bids in for our Mongoose Bike Giveaway.

Maximum Access Newsletters were running low, as most of them were filled out by the end of the day, and enthusiasts looking to win our Mongoose Bike began to get more and more excited as the drawing on Monday grows closer!

As the day came to a close, feelings were bittersweet as the AST Dew Tour will be sadly missed when they move on to Cleveland, Ohio for their next stop after leaving Baltimore.

MASN will sorely miss the fans and visitors who attended this fun event, as well as the excitement that came with it. Thanks to all the fans, visitors, MASN staff, Professional Panasonic Open athletes and everyone else who made this event possible.

Thanks for reading and be sure to stay tuned for more contests, events, and upcoming news from MASN!

Elizabeth Silber

The Heat was no match for MASN and the Dew Tour...

As we rolled into day three of the AST Dew Tour, there were doubts about whether or not the intense heat would chase away many of the action sports devotees from Saturday's events. But the weather proved to be no match for the loyal Sheckler fans, as their numbers seemed to almost double from the previous day; and the sunblock we handed out for people who signed up for our Maximum Access Newsletter was gone in less than two hours!

The day was filled with exciting events including Ryan Sheckler securing the season opener with a first place finish over newcomer Chaz Ortiz and Paul Rodriquez. At the end of the event, Sheckler signed autographs for his devoted tweens who had been waiting in line for over four hours! Even his father and younger brothers got in on the autograph and photo action.

Day two of pictures at our MASN tent went exceptionally well, as families and amateur skaters flocked to the green screen for their big photo ops, while striking their best Bucky Lasek poses. One five-year-old boy really gave the Baltimore Native a run for his money!

Later in the afternoon, Rodney Jones and Carlos de Andrade stopped by the tent to sign autographs for fans who waited patiently for the pro skaters for over half an hour prior to their designated time of arrival. The guys seemed to be in good spirits and attracted quite a crowd to our MASN table!

The number of forms filled out for our Maximum Access Newsletter and Mongoose Bike Giveaway proved to be significantly higher than the number of forms filled out from the previous day. I began to wonder if maybe people were signing up more than once in to increase their chances of winning the trick bike!

Overall, the Dew Tour seemed to have packed just as much energy and excitement as it had over the past two days. With that said, the final day of the Action Sports Tour should not disappoint! If you have not yet made it downtown to see the Pros in their element, make sure you head down for the final day (tomorrow) and join us while we watch your favorite athletes compete for their respected places in the Panasonic Open.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more Maximum Festivus blog posts on this weekend's events!

Lindsay Rykiel

AST Dew Tour '08 kicks off in Baltimore
The AST Dew Tour '08 has hit Baltimore!! Thousands were out to watch their favorite skateboarders, bikers, and BMX riders try their extreme tricks in front of all of their crazy fans.

This event has been full of life and energy. Where else do you find girls with signs offering free hugs? They were good huggers too! People were excited to get as many autographs, free goodies, and Wendy's free hamburgers as they could.

Ryan Sheckler took the prize for having the most fans, mainly girls screaming with their I LOVE RYAN T-shirts on. His brothers were also in the spotlight, as girls swarmed to take pictures with them.

At our MASN tent, we had famous skaters, Andy Macdonald and Sandro Dias, signing autographs. The fans were going crazy, taking pictures and getting the professional skaters to sign anything and everything they had in hand, including their bodies.

Besides Ryan Sheckler's fans going crazy, we had our own hometown hero, Bucky Lasek signing autographs at the Wendy's tent. I couldn't help but get a picture with him and collect my free cheeseburger!

We also took pictures of people doing their best impersonations of their favorite bikers and skaters. We even had our own Maximum Doer Winner, Richard Krause
on hand to enjoy the event.

I think the main things that led people to our tent were the free Mongoose bike that we will be raffling off and the chance at winning some free gas! It was a win-win situation for everyone in the family!

Right next to our tent, we had the NowWhat tent, which had the climbing wall. People were racing each other to the top as fans screamed for their favorites to win. Many kids were also going crazy trying out the mongoose bikes and using the built-in skate park with ramps and hills. Everyone seemed out to show their best moves, even if it meant taking a few spills. The little kids were even trying to show their moves on their new skateboard key chains.

Everyone was having a great time cheering, screaming, and even showing off their favorite dance moves. We had a few of our MASN fans win the worst dance competition. They threw out moves like the lawn mower, towel dance, sprinkler, and anything else they could think of. They did look pretty fancy in their winning gold glasses and I was impressed with some of their moves!

We even had Nike going Green! They created a shoe ice sculpture with their own shoes hidden inside, as they collected people's old Nike shoes to reuse for discounted Dew Tour tickets.

It is just the beginning of the Dew Tour and people are already going crazy and enjoying this amazing event. If you haven't made it here yet, you still have time!! Come join us and watch your favorite athletes as they compete against the best in the world.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more Maximum Festivus blogs from this weekend!

Don't forget to visit our MASN tent and get your free autographs and pictures tomorrow!

Kristen Connolly

For more info on the AST Dew Tour visit www.AST.com.