CHAPTER 12: Buzz, Harry O & Miss Mar

A Roost & a Nest Make a Difference

After we DFA’d (designated for assignment) our radio program Gametime, I was invited on a few different sports talk programs on a regular basis. In-season, I joined Scott Garceau and Jeremy Conn from 105.7 The Fan on Monday afternoons and during the offseason, I was a guest on Fridays. Saturday mornings I spent time with Bill West and his Purple Pride Show on AM 1370. And then on Monday evening, there was The Coach’s Buzz on ESPN 1300.

Welcomed by Coach Buzz Battaglia on the Mobile One Hotline with his regular greeting, “How you doin’ paesan?”, those guest appearances were very much like pulling up a bar stool at your friendly neighborhood pub with Coach, Miles Goodman and Coach’s son John. It was a conversation amongst friends. Whenever one was “on assignment” (which meant they were probably vacationing in some exotic locale) the others would invite me in-studio for the full 2-hour program.

Coach Buzz left us in 2017. He’s now on assignment with his Maker. Buzz was sincere, selfless and genuine. He was Baltimore to the core and a friend to mankind. He and his signature Charm City accent are both sorely missed.

One of the things that my hobby turned livelihood has brought to my life, is connectivity to people I may never have met, including members of philanthropic groups such as the Ravens Roosts and Ravens Nests. You’re probably aware of them, maybe you even belong to one. But for those unfamiliar, these groups are very much like the old Colts Corrals. Their members are passionate, civic-minded, patriotic and fun-loving. They’ve collectively taken their love of the Ravens and parlayed it into a communal experience that not only brings enjoyment to their lives but also aids others in need. Their bull roasts, golf tournaments, Ravens road trips and many other endeavors help to raise money for those in need. Their efforts are a wonderful example of how communities can rally together to bring joy to the lives of those in need.

Over the years, I’ve been invited to be a guest speaker during several Roosts and Nests monthly meetings. These meetings have taken me from Carney to Ocean City; Pasadena to Hagerstown; Ellicott City to Bel Air; Jacksonville to Carroll County. Smiles, laughter, passion and devotion are among the many things experienced at such gatherings.

These purple-drenched gatherings also afforded me the opportunity to get to know some of the Roosts and Nests members on a more personal level. Those who come immediately to mind include: Mike Naused (Ravens Nest 14); Stan Simms (Ravens Nest 1) and Glen Nigrin (Ravens Roost 50).

It has been a while since I’ve met up with the Roost 50 gang. But early on, they were great supporters of what I was trying to build at Ravens24x7.com. They even made me an honorary member. I hope that still stands.

Back on September 11, 2002, the news broke that Johnny Unitas had passed. That hit me – it hit me hard. Although I never got to see Johnny play during his prime, he was a hero to me because of what he meant to our community – what he meant to my Dad. I remember showering the next morning. Tears flowed as the hot water pounded my head and back. And I thought to myself, “Where did you go Johnny U?”

After drying off, I sat down at my computer and composed a poem. I shared it with my buddy Mark Bullington.

Now around this time, I was working in a downtown executive suite as a Regional Sales Manager for Boeing Capital. On Fridays at Happy Hour, I would regularly meet Mark, his brother Jimmy and Pat Schroeder down at The Horse You Came in On to listen to Tony Sciuto play. Tony was well-known in the Baltimore area for his excellence as a songwriter, guitarist and keyboard player. He’s also a tremendous vocalist. Tony has performed as a solo artist, in local bands like The Pedestrians and he’s traveled around the globe as part of The Little River Band.

Knowing that I would never share my lyrics with Tony, partly out of fear of being humored and partly because I didn’t want to insult Tony, Mark shared them with Tony during one Friday Happy Hour that I couldn’t make. Eventually, I got a call from Tony. He said he liked the lyrics, was a big fan of Johnny U, and, would I mind if he worked with them.

Mind?

I was honored that he thought enough of them to give the “poem” any consideration.

A few weeks later, Tony called and wanted to play me what he came up with. He put the phone down and played.

I was speechless.

Tony initially took my silence as a sign that I hated what he’d done. Quite the opposite. In those moments when he played, he took this poem and breathed life into it. It was as if these words on a piece of paper found their magic and Tony was the magician. To paint a picture of how I felt, think of how the melted snow morphed into Frosty The Snowman.

There must have been some magic
In that old silk hat they found…

Some time went by before we could get the song performed, produced and ready for distribution. Before we knew it, it was the Fall of 2003. So I thought to go to Glen Nigrin and suggest that the proceeds of sales could go to a charity of Ravens Roost 50’s choice if they funded the recording and production. Glen agreed and earmarked The Ed Block Courage Foundation as the beneficiary.

When production was complete I emailed an mp3 of the recording to Sandy Unitas, John’s late wife. After listening, she called me in tears – tears of joy. She loved it, but her call wasn’t just to express her happiness. She called to warn me that the family was in a battle with John, Jr. over control of the use of the name “Unitas”. It was a battle that they could lose and if so, John, Jr. would probably place a cease and desist order on the CD, claiming copyright violations.

And that’s exactly how it played out.

When I pleaded with Jr. and reminded him that the project was to benefit abused children and families in crisis via a national network of courage houses, it did nothing to change John, Jr.’s position. The message was clear. Kill the project or redirect all proceeds to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation, Inc.

The dream was over. The project died.

A few months passed and Jr.’s attorney reached out by email to say that he was willing to revisit the project and split the proceeds. I reached out to Glen to let him know. He was happy to hear that there was a change of heart and that something might materialize from the effort. What Glen didn’t know (nor did I until I did), was that Jr.’s idea of a split was 90/10 in his favor.

I didn’t even respond.

The good intent hit the floor. Again.

But this unfortunate outcome is an outlier when it comes to my experiences with the Nests and Roosts. For years, I participated in a banquet that was managed by Ravens Nest 1 – The Bud Bitzer Scholarship Award. This award was similar to that of The Ed Block Courage Awards, recognizing a football player in each of the 11 Harford County high schools for their excellence on and off the field. Some of the things these award winners did for their communities blew my mind, giving of their time in very uncommon ways, particularly for teenagers.

Ravens Nest 14 and Ravens Roost 44 also have been standouts. The two who made the biggest impressions upon me were Harry O’Sullivan (Ravens Nest 14) and Marlyn Pietruszka (Ravens Roost 44).

Harry was a member of Ravens Nest 14 in Sykesville, MD. I first became very aware of Harry through “Letters to TL”, a Q&A component of Ravens24x7.com that we once offered years ago. Harry was an avid participant in “Letters”. His unforgettable signature was “Harry O, Sykesville, MD”.

Harry loved his Ravens. When they won the joy overflowed. When the Ravens lost, it was a shot to the heart for Harry and it was during those times that he reached out the most through “Letters”. At times he needed to be walked down from the ledge. Other times Harry, to borrow from Field of Dreams, he just needed me to “ease his pain”.

Through the years Harry became a friend.

Our years together as friends were cut short. Harry fought a valiant and courageous battle against cancer. He once shared a conversation he had with his pastor, a chat intended to keep Harry strong during the most challenging moments of his battle:

“I thank the Lord every day, for the good things that come my way and just ignore the bad stuff. My Pastor, Fr. Joe Lacey tells me all the time, ‘Harry, when you wake up just grab the good stuff.’ And I do.”

Harry was the “good stuff”.

Marlyn Pietruszka was the “good stuff” too. I initially knew Miss Mar as a friend’s Mom but that all changed when I started visiting The Greene Turtle in Ocean City where our show, Ravens Rap was aired. It was also the home of Ravens Roost 44. Miss Mar attended the show every week. She regularly asked questions if we set aside time for audience Q&A, exhibiting the enthusiasm of a fan far younger than she.

On game days, Miss Mar would dye her brilliant white locks purple; her face, a landing spot for Ravens temporary tats and her outfit was a symphony of purple regalia. Her home was a shrine to her favorite team. She bled purple.

Back during the 2002 season the Ravens were coming off a Week 3 bye (can you imagine?) and prepared to host the (3-0) Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. The Ravens were 9-point home underdogs looking for their first win of the season.

During the game, Broncos quarterback Brian Griese appeared to be stripped sacked by Michael McCrary. The Ravens recovered. But after review, the officials ruled that the play was an incomplete pass. Miss Mar, in attendance as she was every home game, making the trek from Ocean City, lost it. Fueled by Coors Light, she went off on the ref and while doing so, lost her dentures as they tumbled through the air, seemingly in slow motion before they landed beneath the seats in front of her.

Miss Mar picked up the dentures, poured a little Coors Light on them, popped them back in her mouth as if they were a mouthpiece, and picked up where she left off, continuing to rip the refs up one side and down the other.

Over the years as I got to know her better, Miss Mar would offer her spare bedroom if I wanted to crash there instead of going to the hotel room where the kind folks from The Turtle had me stay. I preferred staying with Miss Mar. She was like a second Mom to me and when she passed the family asked me to do her eulogy. Of course, I proudly accepted.

So many times, being a bit of a procrastinator, I’d wait until my eastbound drive was underway, and then call her on my drive to Ocean City.

TL: Miss Mar?
MM: Yes!
TL: It’s Tony, how are you?
MM: I’m fine, how are you?
TL: I’m good. I was wondering if the Marlyn Motel had any vacancies tonight.
MM: You know as long as there is you are always welcome. Have a safe trip down and I’ll see you at the show.

I can hear this conversation play in my head as though it happened yesterday. I sure do miss her.

Maya Angelou, an American poet, entertainer and civil rights activist, once wrote:

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Harry O and Miss Mar made me feel important; they made me feel essential even though I’d never be so presumptuous to make such claims on my own. They made me feel loved. And perhaps most importantly, they gave me a greater sense of purpose by reminding me what we do at Ravens24x7.com makes a difference in people’s lives.

[Click Here to read chapters 1 thru 11]

(In Chapter 13 we’ll touch down on growing pains and an incident that could have proven to be devastating if not for the aid of a loyal site visitor.)