Tune Update - Black Rebel Motorcyle Club

My posts have been quite sports-intensive lately, so I thought I'd give that subject a break for a little while. And, I know quite a few of you fret endlessly about what music I am currently listening to. So it is a good time for a tune update. I have been listening to two albums almost exclusively over the past month (which my wife loves when I obsess over music like that): Wilco's new release Sky Blue Sky, and Howl by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Wilco's new release is not officially out yet, but my neighbor Dan was able to obtain a copy. I've already taken the time to write about Sky Blue Sky. It will be out in May, and I'd love to hear from people once they've heard it.
As far as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club goes, this is a band that I did not even like until the release of Howl in late 2005. Prior to this album, they sounded like a Jesus and Mary Chain rip-off band. If I wanted to hear Jesus and Mary Chain, I'd go buy one of their albums. However, BRMC changed their sound 180 degrees on Howl. The new sound was a mixture of folk, country and even gospel reminiscent of Bob Dylan and The Byrds. A more recent comparison would be The Waterboys. It's mainly acoustic, and the band utilizes extensive harmonica, organ and even a horn section on certain tunes. BRMC is not a "religious band," but the lyrics deal with many spiritual themes in gospel-tinged songs such as"Devil's Waitin,'" "Restless Sinner," "Gospel Song," and "Weight of the World." There are more hard-driving electric songs, too, including "Howl" and "Sympathetic Noose." In fact, there are so many different musical styles on the album that it is very difficult to categorize as rock, folk or something else.

Howl is one of those albums that grows on you with each listen. I highly recommend it!

Side note to Freealonzo: judging from some of your musical posts, I think you'd love this album.

Jeff

Back From EC

I just returned from Eau Claire and the draft extravaganza. You know, it's hard to find insight this wrong:

Vikes draft prediction: LaRon Landry, Safety, Louisiana State. They will not end up with Adrian Peterson, even if he is available.

That was my Friday draft prediction. Who did the Vikes draft? Adrian Peterson. I guess I fell for Brad Childress's denials all week. He is The Master of Deception, after all. That's why he covers his mouth with the play card while calling plays. Pure genius.

I never did claim to be an expert on the subject anyway. As far as EC went, a good time was had by all. Jase and I met Gilby, Johnny and some of the other guys. By the way, thanks again Jase, for arguing with those guys at Dooley's that Joe Mauer is the best player in baseball. Pretty good stuff coming from a Brewer fan!

Jeff

Going to Eau Claire

It is time, once again, to travel to the hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to meet Jase for the NFL draft. Jase is a huge Packer fan, and a draft guru. He knows what is going on, so I have to rely on him for inside info since I am more of a baseball/hockey guy. As you know, I am a Viking fan, so it's always interesting attending draft activities amongst the myriad of Packer fans, smattering of Viking fans, and Dools and Johnny representing the Lions.

Here are the plans for anyone who will be in the EC area on Draft Saturday(4/28/07). I am leaving St. Paul around 8:30 AM. I will call Jase at 9:45 from Oakwood Mall because I will have gotten lost in the "new developments." I will then meet Jase around 10:00. The plan is to go down to Ray's and watch the beginning of the draft, have a few brews and eat some of their outstanding food (Hot Beef sandwiches!!) After that, we'll head down to O'Dooley's for a good period of time. Anyone who wants to meet us - feel free!

Fast facts:

City of Eau Claire population: 64,000
Eau Claire County population: 93,500 (metro. pop.: 151,000)
City parks: 14
Bike trails: 4
Movie screens: 20 + 1 drive-in
Athletic and fitness clubs: 5
Performing arts: 8
Museums and galleries: 11
Restaurants: 288
Coffee shops: 12
Bookshops: 5
Houses of worship: 143
Travel to Twin Cities: Approx. 1.5 hours

Peace - and hope to see you on Draft Saturday!

Jeff

P.S. - Vikes draft prediction: LaRon Landry, Safety, Louisiana State. They will not end up with Adrian Peterson, even if he is available.

Update to Post Below

I finished writing the post below, which is basically a sigh of relief that everything looks "good to go" for the new Twins stadium. Then, I read Sid's column online, which stated:

Jottings:

Jerry Bell, president of Twins Sports Inc. and the team's point man for the new stadium, said everything is signed and sealed to start construction except for an agreement with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. "We thought everything was all set, but they came back with some other things," said Bell, who is still confident all will be worked out.

I guess that is good news, but for a paranoid guy like me, the "Stadium Door of Failure" still is cracked open a bit. "They came back with some other things..."

Blood-pressure going back up....

I've Been Waiting For This For 10 Years

From today's Hennepin County Web site:

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners today authorized several activities related to the financing and construction of a new professional baseball park in downtown Minneapolis, including approval of the project’s development agreement.

The development agreement legally binds Hennepin County, the Twins organization and the Minnesota Ballpark Authority, which will own the ballpark, to the process for constructing the ballpark and nearby infrastructure. It also addresses the financing obligations of the parties and the use of the ballpark, related facilities and infrastructure.

“The development agreement is essentially the framework the county, the Twins and the Ballpark Authority will follow as we go forward with building a great new urban ballpark,” said Commissioner Mike Opat, the county’s lead negotiator on the ballpark project. “It’s a very lengthy, complex document that deals with everything from design and construction matters to indemnification and dispute resolution. But it protects the public interest and ensures that county funds are used responsibly to build an asset that will pay dividends to the region long into the future.”

The development agreement also includes a signoff by the county on the lease and use agreements between the Ballpark Authority and the Twins organization. Those legal documents provide that the Twins will play major league baseball in the ballpark for an initial term of 30 years. (Jeff's note: That means I'll be 73 when this lease is done.)

Under the 2006 state law authorizing the Twins/Hennepin County ballpark project, the county's share of financing is $350 million for construction and infrastructure, while the Twins are contributing $130 million. The law further states that the county can use only $90 million for land acquisition and ballpark infrastructure, such as bridges, roads and walkways.

The board also approved – with some minor changes – the schematic-design documents for the outdoor ballpark that were presented to the public earlier this month by the Twins organization and its architects. The 1-million-square-foot ballpark, to be constructed on an 8-acre site near the Target Center, will have approximately 40,000 seats. It is scheduled to open in April 2010.

Some of the other ballpark matters approved by the board:
--Approval of the grant agreement between the county and the Ballpark Authority for ballpark construction and infrastructure costs and the operations of the authority.
--Authorization of additional county activities necessary for financing and construction of the ballpark and infrastructure.
--Approval of the interim site-plan recommendations of the Ballpark Implementation Committee, a 10-member body appointed by the county and City of Minneapolis. Delegation of authority for several ballpark-related tasks to the county administrator.
--Approval of an interfund loan to pay for ballpark actions authorized by the board – to be repaid from revenues from the sales tax and/or proceeds from the sale of bonds.

Hennepin County levied a 0.15-percent sales and use tax within the county, effective Jan. 1, 2007, to finance the county’s obligations with respect to the ballpark, infrastructure and operations of the Ballpark Authority. In a separate action today, the board, on a vote of four to three, authorized the sale of $350 million in sales tax revenue bonds for the ballpark project. The initial bond sale of $150 million is scheduled for mid-May.

Opat said the county hopes to begin clearing the land on the ballpark site in early June so construction can begin this summer.

Let's get digging!

Jeff

More thoughts...

You may have noticed that I've been writing lately about "feeling my age." Feeling like Red Forman, not understanding "saggin," etc. I don't know if it's the "BIG 40" or the Zocor or what, but something is there. I think, partly, it's that I am starting to lose touch with youth culture. As I have written, I am particularly put off by the Hip Hop/Rap/Gang culture. Now, it's not odd for one generation to look at other generations in a negative light. For instance, the World War II generation looked at the Hippie culture of the Baby Boomers with much disdain. I'll tell you what, though. I'll take long hair, beads, and naive thoughts about peace and love over the hate and violence of Rap culture any day. And, the hippie music was 1000 times better.

What set me off tonight? Well, a few things. I took my daughter, in her pink tights, over to Arlington High School in St. Paul for dance class. As I neared the High School, the streets seemed to be lined with Hip Hop Hoodlums. As I've always stated, this is not a race thing. It's the culture. Believe me, I saw plenty of Eminem want-to-be's. The look on everyone's face went beyond anger into fright. It seemed to be saying "Mess with me and I'll kick your ass because I'm frightened to be here too." Then, when I returned home, I read this on the Pioneer Press web site:

Officers arrested seven teens at Arlington high school this morning after a feud that police said led to a teen being killed on a Metro Transit bus Sunday boiled over again. Also today, Ramsey County prosecutors charged a St. Paul teen with murder, accusing him of gunning down Earl Freeman, 16, during a melee on a bus. Jerome Pablo Cross, 17, was charged in Ramsey County juvenile court with second-degree murder for Freeman's death on a Route 74 bus in downtown St. Paul. Prosecutors are seeking to have Cross certified as an adult.

Family and friends of Cross gathered outside the juvenile courthouse on East Seventh Street at midday, chanting "Free Ro-Ro," which is the teen's nickname, and holding signs that said, "Innocent." This morning, police were called about 8:35 about a fight at Rice Street and Arlington Avenue, off school grounds, but near Arlington Senior High School. Police broke up the fight, which was part of an ongoing gang dispute, according to a police report. The fight was a continuation of a "longstanding feud" that figured into the homicide, said Tom Walsh, a police spokesman. Police aren't commenting about what the feud involves and whether it's gang related.

An Arlington High School assistant principal told two of the students involved in the fight to not come to school that day, but one of them showed up at the school at 1495 Rice St. about 9:20 a.m. and brought other students along, said district spokesman Casey Mahon. Officers went to the school and arrested six juveniles on suspicion of trespassing and another student, 18-year-old Erik Terell Jackson, on suspicion of possessing ammunition by an ineligible person. Jackson didn't have a weapon and Walsh didn't comment on what type of ammunition the teen allegedly had.

Nice. Right where my daughter has dance class. Luckily, this is NOT the high school by kids will be attending. Does it really matter, though? These thugs are everywhere, even in rural areas.

I felt a little better, however, when I read the following article by Joe Soucheray. I agree with this 100%, and only wish I could "put my words on paper" like this. Please take the time to read it:

http://www.twincities.com/soucheray/ci_5742935

Amen, Joe. Remember (the "good old days") when scores used to be settled with fisticuffs out in the parking lot? Now, scores are settled with weapons. As long as the Rap/Hip-Hop culture continues to glorify violence, guns, gangs and drugs, we're going to have incidents like what happened on the St. Paul bus. I fully realize there are many other factors that contribute to this violence in society. Parenting (or the lack of it)and poverty are two of these factors. To say these factors lead all people who experience them to violence, however, is a discredit to all of the people who grew up poor, in the inner city, or without parents who don't give in to violence as a way of life.

I don't have any answers here, and I just want my kids to grow up in a world in which they are not intimidated by these thugs and hoodlums. Hip Hop and Rap will probably go the way of other crap forms of "art" and disappear. I hope that whatever replaces it will have a little more positive message. Hell, I'll take a resurgence of disco over this crap.

Peace,

Jeff

This Is Not Good

This just hit me:

Barry Bonds is going to break the all-time Home Run record. This year. 2007.

The baseball record that I thought would stand forever, 755 Home Runs by "Hammerin' Hank Aaron, is going to be surpassed by Barry frickin' Bonds.

Hank Aaron is the picture of class and civility. Aaron, much like Babe Ruth, hit his home runs with God-given skill and plenty of red meat. Ruth threw in some bourbon and cigars, too, but what the hell. Hank Aaron even has a statue dedicated to him at Eau Claire's Carson Park, for God's sakes, where he played one season of minor league ball before being called up to the Milwaukee Braves.

Barry Bonds, currently playing for the San Francisco Giants is reportedly a world-class Jack Ass. The last I heard, Bonds has no statue of himself in Eau Claire, or any other place (maybe he put one up in his own home, you never know). While Bonds is a gifted baseball player, he started as a skinny singles hitter (see above). After years of steroid abuse, however, he turned into the Incredible Hulk and started swatting Home Run after Home Run.

740 of them to date, in-fact.

I got out the calculator, and determined that this leaves 15 home runs to tie Hank Aaron and 16 to break the record. This, friends, may be a sign of The Apocalypse. The Four Horseman are mounting their steeds.

The one thing that I'm interested to see is the public reaction when he hits #756. Bonds better hope that he is at home in San Francisco. If he's someplace like Philadelphia, it could cause a riot. It would be really interesting if it happens in Atlanta or Milwaukee.

Anyway, be sure to reserve 4 tickets for The Horseman of The Apocalypse.

Peace,

Jeff

Question

Am I the only one that feels more and more like Red Foreman from That '70's Show with each passing day?

It Was A Nice Run

Well, the Wild succumbed to the Ducks in the playoffs, 4 games to 1. I believe they lost to a better team. All in all, it was a great year. They finished in 2nd place in the tough Northwest Division with 104 points. I got to attend some great games. And, as I've stated previously, it was a bad draw for the Wild, probably the worst match up possible. So, congratulations to the Disney Ducks.

I will say this, however (you knew there was going to be more). I believe one huge reason the NHL is having problems is something they cannot do much about: teams in non-hockey markets continue to do well while teams in traditional markets struggle. Proud Canadian teams like Toronto, Calgary & Montreal have gone years, if not decades without a Stanley Cup. Vancouver has never won a Cup. Teams from Northern American cities with long hockey traditions such as Chicago, Minnesota & Boston have not won a Cup in decades. However, teams from Carolina and Tampa frickin' Bay have won Stanley Cups within the last couple of years. Now, Anaheim could quite possibly win a Cup in 2007. Now, I am a big hockey advocate, and I'm glad the sport is doing better in some of these southern and sun belt cities. And, this is not meant to be a knock on these teams. They have done a great job.

What upsets me is that fans from Canadian cities and many northern American cities (St. Paul) grow up playing the game of hockey, watching it consistently and selling out their arenas. These sun belt teams play to 50-75% capacity, and then show up when the team makes the playoffs. When team like Anaheim plays in the Stanley cup finals, nobody cares. Their cities do not have the understanding of the game and the long-term following. Brian Burke, GM of the Ducks, was on Sid's radio show last Sunday, and admitted that they are behind the Dodgers, Angels, Lakers, Clippers, UCLA Basketball and Football, and USC Basketball and Football in coverage in the LA market. Nobody cares. And next year, if the Ducks fall in the standings, they will play to 50% capacity. Overall, that is bad for the NHL.

Oh well, it's probably just sour grapes on my part. I needed a little bit of a rant, which was fueled by emotion and the couple of beers I had during the game. Like I said, it was a nice run for the Wild.

Now, I'll just sit back and wait for the Anaheim - Tampa Bay Stanley Cup final.

Jeff

Game With Son - Priceless

Every so often, I am lucky enough to attend a sporting event that falls into the category of "I Will Remember For The Rest Of My Life." For me, this category includes the 1980 Kramer to Rashad hail-mail pass at the Old Met that sealed the Central Division for the Vikings, mid '80's North Stars - Blackhawks playoff games, Twins playoff games, and Cal Ripkin's 3000th hit at the Dome. The Wild made also made my list when I attended my first-ever playoff game at the X in 2003, a 5-1 victory over Vancouver in front of a frenzied crowd. Now there is a new chapter to my "Remember Forever" list:

April 17th, 2007. Xcel Energy Center. Game #4 - Stanley Cup Quarterfinals. Wild 4, Ducks 1.

I attended the game with my eldest son, a 5th grader who loves hockey and the Wild. Admittedly, the Wild were in a bad position, down 3 games to 0 against a foe that seemed to be playing at a higher level. The Wild could have laid down for this game, and gotten out the golf clubs for the summer a little early. However, they showed some cahones and came out flying and gave the standing-room only crowd of over 19,000 their best effort of the year. The Wild came out and whipped the Ducks 4 - 1. True, they are still down 3 games to 1, but at least they gave the Ducks something to think about as the series moves back to hockey tradition-rich Anaheim, California.

But, back to the game. The atmosphere in the arena was more like a high school game between bitter rivals. I won't give you the play by play of the entire game, because that is available in any newspaper. What made this game so special is that I was able to experience it with my son, and see the look on his face throughout the contest. It reminded me of the MasterCard commercial:

2 Wild Playoff Tickets: $120
Nachos, pop and a beer: $15
Program: $2
Experience the game with your son: Priceless

I heard my son yell and scream at the Ducks like I've never heard him scream before. Pronger was "The Sasquatch." I heard him yell encouragement to the Wild players. He waved his "Wild Towel" throughout the game and out the window on the car ride home. And, I found out that he really doesn't like refs (don't know where that came from?!). After a Wild goal was disallowed by a mythical "in the crease" penalty (one of the many truly horrible calls in the game) I heard my son chant the following word, in unison, with over 19,000 people:

BULL - SHIT, BULL - SHIT, BULL - SHIT, BULL - SHIT

I have never heard him swear before. If he would said these words at home or at school, I would have been very disappointed, and given him a long-winded lecture. However, at the X with 19,000 other people? I don't see a problem (sorry mom!). Plus, let's face the facts, it was a bull-shit call.


I hope my son can now start his "I Will Remember For The Rest Of My Life" game list and his brother and sister will follow later with their lists. I am proud, however, that we will share this game on our respective lists, and I am part of his life-long memories.

Peace, and Go Wild!

Jeff

Sagging

In keeping up with the proud history of the Minnesota Vikings, yet another player was arrested early Sunday morning in downtown Minneapolis. This time, it was Cornerback Cedric Griffin who was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. Here is the story from today's St. Paul Pioneer Press:

Vikings cornerback Cedric Griffin has a Friday date in Hennepin County court after being arrested early Sunday in downtown Minneapolis on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. According to the Hennepin County Sheriff's jail roster, Griffin was booked at 2:05 a.m. and released at 4:45 a.m. after posting $50 bail. Two witnesses told KSTP-TV that Griffin was thrown out of the Spin nightclub for not pulling up his pants. The club has a dress code requiring that pants not sag below the waist. The witnesses said Griffin then scuffled with bouncers and police before being taken away in handcuffs.

Griffin, 24, came to the Vikings last season as a second-round draft choice out of Texas and started seven games. He made 42 tackles and intercepted two passes. He replaced Fred Smoot at right cornerback for the Nov. 12 game against Green Bay and is expected to open the 2007 season at that position. Griffin's agent, Brian Overstreet, said he had no knowledge of the incident. A Vikings spokesman said the team had no comment. Because this is Griffin's first arrest since entering the NFL, he likely will not face disciplinary action under the league's new personal conduct policy until after the case is resolved.

Arrested for "not pulling up his pants." Think about that. What we have here is an adult male (reportedly) who refused to pull up his pants in a public place of business. I learned today on the radio that this practice of wearing your pants low, halfway between your waist and knees is called "sagging." This exposes the boxers, which the chicks apparently dig. Now, I am not really up the latest hip-hop jargon or fashion, and I have always thanked God that I was too old for "sagging." Now, I lived through feathered hockey hair (some people call them mullets), preppy boat shoes, Member's Only jackets (I had a tan one), huge 80's glasses, etc., but "sagging" takes the cake. Sagging is generally associated with the inner-city urban hip-hop crowd. I wouldn't say it is race specific, or even location-specific. I've seen plenty of white kids from Woodbury with their North Carolina hats cocked sideways, slumped over while driving their mommy and daddy's $45,000 car trying to look "gangsta." That is nothing short of pathetic. So while it is not race or location specific, sagging is "stupid specific." But, I digress. Let's get back to Mr. Griffin.

The Vikings are living under the misconception that there is a "new code of conduct" on the team. Gone are the thugs like Randy Moss, but are things getting better? Where are the Vikings and the rest of the NFL, for that matter, finding their "talent?" It is a belief of mine that the NBA has gone insane, and the NFL is trying it's best to catch up. Check out the Vikings, ALL of the Bengals, Pac-Man Jones, etc. etc. etc. Speaking of Pac-Man Jones, he is Exhibit A1 of what happens when you actually combine players from the NBA and NFL. Pac-Man (NFL guy) was in Las Vegas for the NBA all-star game, and he almost burned the town down single-handily. Add the NBA players and their posse's and I surprised there is a building left standing in Vegas. Anyway, I'm digressing again.

Why, on average, are NFL and NBA players getting in so much trouble compared to the NHL and Major League Baseball? Not to say players from those sports are 100% innocent. However, hockey and baseball players are getting into trouble FAR less than the NFL and NBA. Well. here is one thing that I don't see as a major factor - race. Race is far too convenient an explanation, and discredits all of the outstanding minority individuals in sports who provide an excellent example of character for today's youth. Torii Hunter, Dave Winfield and Alan Page are great examples of this in Minnesota. There are good and bad people of all races. Then what is it? Why are NBA and NFL players getting in so much trouble compared to the other sports. Here is what I think:

1. The hip-hop and rap culture. This is not just "music," it's a lifestyle. Many of these players in the NFL and NBA are raised in this lifestyle. Rap glorifies violence, guns, drugs and crime. Live fast, die young. Why, I'd even go so far as to say that rap is more dangerous and detrimental to inner city youth (and whoever else subscribes to this lifestyle) than Don Imus (sarcasm). What happens when you give a 21-year old from the rap lifestyle millions of dollars overnight? Pac Man Jones happens.

2. The instant gratification of the NFL and NBA. Kids realize early on that to reach the NHL or Major League Baseball, you most likely have to go through the minor leagues. You get to play in Iowa, or Nebraska, ride buses, and you get $9 dollars a day meal money. And, you play in front of a couple hundred people each night. Television? Probably not. In the NFL, "kids" are drafted earlier and earlier and given immense signing bonuses right off the bat. Many basketball players stay in college for a year or two before turing pro, or just go straight from high school. The minors? Hell, no. How about starting on opening night on national television! The trouble is, many of these kids don't live up to the hype and fail miserabley (J.R. Rider). They have quite a bit of money to blow, however. What happens then? Pac Man Jones happens then.

3. Now, I realize that an easy answer to this is that hockey is a very expensive sport to play, and generally not played in the inner city. However, baseball is not that expensive. Why aren't inner city youths playing baseball like they used to? This is an ever-growing question that is the subject of a book by Dave Winfield. Once again, baseball is not as sexy or high scoring as basketball. Why not as sexy? See # 1 and #2.

To me, these are the biggest reasons for the issues in the NBA and NFL today. They are not the only reasons, however. Let me know what you think. In short, the older I get, the more I find myself moving away from pro basketball and football. It has nothing to do with wins or losses - I can't identify with the players anymore. Maybe if I bought me a North Carolina hat and started sagging.......

Peace,

Jeff

Google 2084

I was reading The Greet Machine this morning, which is a daily event for me. There is no better source for stadium updates, ballpark conversation, etc. There's a few anti-stadium wing- nuts that barge on to the site and provide some good humor, too, through their anger and bitterness. That is not what I'm going to talk about today, however. Shane put a link to a New York Times cartoon entitled Google 2084 on his site. I thought it was pretty funny, and possibly quite accurate. Now, I will probably not be around in 2084 to see if this comic comes true (unless the Zocor really does the job!). I'd be 118, for God's sakes. Anyway, here it is. Let me know what YOU think:

Crap

A couple of weeks ago, Lou Nanne was asked on a local radio show for his opinion on what team would be the worst match-up for the Wild in round 1 of the NHL playoffs. His answer was "The Anaheim Ducks." Among the reasons are the Ducks outstanding defense, goaltending and overall size advantage. Go figure that the Wild has their best season in their brief history, and draw - The Ducks. Now after 2 late night games, the Wild return to St. Paul down 2 games to 0. Not where they want to be. The games have been fairly entertaining and the Ducks fans seem into the games now that they have been alerted that a hockey team plays in the area. I'm sure that hockey instruction books are handed out to the fans as they pass through the gates so they call learn what icing, offsides and other rules mean. Enough said about that (for now).

The Wild have gone toe-to-toe with the Ducks, and Niklas Backstrom has been outstanding in goal. He has had to stand on his head at times to keep the Wild in the games. The Wild have only managed 3 goals in the 2 games but has only given up 5. Here is the tell-tale statistic, however, of why the Wild are in a 0-2 hole:

They are 0 for 10 on the power play.

Special teams often decide a playoff series, and when you don't score with the man-advantage, you're not going to win. Meanwhile, the Ducks haven't been a scoring machine either, but they have been able to convert on a couple of important power plays.

Now, the series shifts back to St. Paul and the Xcel Energy Center, where hockey is actually played and understood. I will be attending game #4 on Tuesday with the eldest son. He's fired up. I certainly hope that the Wild is not down 0-3 by that time. They are going to have to start scoring more than 1 or 2 goals a game, however.

Peace,

Jeff

Twins Stadium Designs

Today was a Big Day. Now that the land has been secured for the new Twins stadium, the designs of the ballpark were made public. I have been waiting for this for 10 LONG years. Now, I'm not going to get too giddy yet because there is a "small issue" with moving some railroad tracks, so nothing is OFFICIAL. And I fully expect Chief Hiawatha's bones to be discovered while excavating the site, and the land will be declared Holy and untouchable. So, until I see a hole being dug and metal beams being hoisted, I will remain paranoid. However, things are looking good. Even Sid says so.

The Twins unveiled several new designs of the stadium today, and put them on display at the Government Center in downtown Minneapolis. Here are some of those designs. Just the mere fact that there is not a teflon roof over the place is wonderful. And, rumor has it, the seats will actually face the infield, unlike the Metrodome!

The ballpark will be intimate with a 40,000 seating capacity. The design has been compared to Wrigley Field and Fenway Park in size, feel and urban setting. There will also be a "Minnesota feel" with rows of pine trees behind the center field wall and a limestone exterior. Gates will be marked with famous players numbers such as "34, 3, 14 & 29," with life-sized statues of those players near the entrances. There will be many more updates to come. It's off to a great start, however. Ok, I'm a little giddy. Here are some of the other initial designs:

And One More Thing....

I have not formulated an opinion on the whole Global Warming controversy. I'm not convinced that "it's the real thing (Al Gore)" and I'm not convinced that it's the next "killer bee's are coming (remember in the '70's?)." However, this is one of the best letters to the editor that I have seen in a long time. From today's Star Tribune:

Global Warming - Flawed Science

It's a bit puzzling that Tuesday's fire-and-brimstone editorial ("Global warming: It's here, it will get worse"), replete with detailed predictions for the expected effects from global warming years and decades from now, is based to a great extent on the same science and technology that we have seen to be at times incapable of accurately predicting local conditions just hours into the future.

MYRON PAPIZ, ST. LOUIS PARK

Good night,

Jeff

The Playoffs!

One of my favorite sporting events is the NHL playoffs. Playing a team in a best of seven series builds bitterness, hatred, rage and all of those other healthy emotions. It also builds rivalries. Some of my fondest memories of youth were of watching the North Stars play the hated Chicago Goonhawks year after year in the post season. There was nothing like watching Bobby Smith, Neal Broten and the boys taken on Al Secord, Dennis Savard and Company. Win or lose, you knew it was going to be a war. I lost touch with the NHL for a few years after the North Stars left Minnesota for the hockey hotbed of Texas (Norm still sucks!). I never really missed the NHL until that time each spring when the playoffs were slated to begin. Then, hockey depression set in. Minnesota eventually was awarded the Wild, and one of my first thoughts was "I can hardly wait until they are in the playoffs!"

Well, as it does with most expansions teams, it took a couple of years for the Wild to qualify for postseason play. I caught playoff fever once again, however, in 2003 when the Minnesota Wild surprised the NHL by upsetting Colorado and Vancouver. They eventually bowed out against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks of Los Angeles, or whatever they happened to be called back then. It was a nice run.

Now, it just so happens that the #7 seed Wild have drawn the #2 seed Anaheim Ducks (no longer Mighty?) again for the first round of the playoffs this year. It's not exactly North Stars - Blackhawks, but it should be an interesting series. This will mark the 4th playoff series out of 4 in Wild history in which they play a team from the Pacific time zone. This means that away games start at 9:30 Central, which is nearly this 40-year old's bedtime. I'll be watching until the end, however, meaning all games are virtually guaranteed to go into double overtime. This also means zombie time at work the next day. I much prefer "happy zombie" after a win rather than "enraged zombie" after a triple overtime 2 AM loss. THE CHECK likes "happy zombie" too.

Anyway, there will be no predictions from me. I already tried that with Gophers hockey and the Twins and failed miserably. (Gilby - how about you? You seen to have "the touch.") I believe the Wild-Ducks series will be physical and low-scoring, meaning overtime games are a real possibility. As always, the series will probably be determined by goaltending and "lucky bounces."

Go Wild - and bring on the coffee!

Jeff

The (Really) Big Guy Pitches tonight!

It all starts tonight! The Twins debut of Sidney Ponson vs. the Hated Yankees!

Tune in later for an updated linescore. Here's my prediction:

5 1/3 IP, 9 hits, 5 ER, 5 K's, 6 BB, 1 HB. And....a WIN, baby!

UPDATE (7:49pm): Well, how did Sidney do? Here are the actual totals:

5 2/3 IP, 10 hits, 8 ER, 2 K's, 3 BB, 0 HB. And......the Twins are losing 8 - 1. Forget about that win I predicted. I thought the Twins would score a little more against The Evil Empire's rookie pitcher. I don't feel too bad about this one, however, folks. One or two more of these starts, and the Twins will call up Garza, Perkins or Slowey - one of their pitchers a little more deserving to be on the squad than Ponson.

Go Twins!

Jeff

The Yarn Harlot

If you are reading this post, there is a 95% chance that you did not know that there are knitting celebrities. The other 5% of you realize this, and probably got to this blog through a link on my wife's blog, The Kilted Cafe (see Links to Love). My wife, you see, happens to work for The Yarnery on Grand Avenue in St. Paul and is quite the knitter. She has knitted some pretty sweet felted slippers for the entire family, which I happen to be wearing right now as I type this. (I am wearing slippers in April, by the way, because the temperatures outside are more like mid-January. As Joe Soucheray would say, "more proof of global warming.") Anyway, my wife has been working hard to bring a knitting celebrity to St. Paul. She hit the jackpot by signing up Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, THE YARN HARLOT, in for an appearance. Pearl-McPhee is the Mick Jagger of knitting (and a successful author), you see, so she's quite a catch.

My wife worked quite hard, with the other members of The Yarnery, to plan the event. She served as Event Coordinator. There was a lot of fretting and gnashing of teeth during the preparations. Creating and maintaining the sign up list (400 strong!) and the waiting list were a lot of laughs for my wife. Apparently, some people were a little bummed when the list of 400 was full, and their hopes to "just show up" were dashed. (By the way, The Police are playing a concert at the Xcel Energy Center on July 3rd. I plan on "just showing up" for this. Do you think there will be a problem getting in? If there is, I am going to be pissed.) Anyway, the Big Day came on April 4th, and the event went off without a hitch. THE YARN HARLOT showed up, everyone got a seat due to some cancellations, Oh Canada was sung by the crowd, and autographs were signed. All of my wife's hard work paid off.

The event was so big, in fact, that THE YARN HARLOT appeared on Kare 11 and Cities 97. The Star Tribune sent in a reporter to cover the whole thing and get some quotes. And who was interviewed? My wife! Here is her quote from the story:

The Yarnery, a Grand Avenue mainstay for 22 (which is incorrect, by the way) years, has knitting classes every night and had to place 60 yarners on a waiting list for Pearl-McPhee's appearance. The store's event coordinator, Maura Thompson, said a surge of interest in knitting began "four or five years ago, not long after 9/11, although we're not sure how much of a factor that was." The day of the gathering, the store was packed from midday on.
"A lot of people made this a knitters' day off," said Thompson. "For us, it's like if George Clooney was going to be on 'Prairie Home Companion.'

Clooney? What does he have to do with knitting? Now, my wife is the one in the family with the smarts and good memory. But every time we see a movie with George Clooney she gets this glazed, euphoric look on her face and I have to explain the whole plot to her once the flick is over. It seems, you see, that she doesn't seem to pay as much attention to the details of the plot when Clooney is involved. Oh well. You know, I'll probably be interviewed on the day that the new Twins ballpark opens, and I've already got my quote down. It will sound something like this:

Star Tribune, April 12th, 2010:

The crowd didn't seem to mind the temperatures in the low 50's for the first outdoor Twins game in Minnesota since 1981. Jeff Thompson of St. Paul had this to say from the standing room section in left field: "This new ballpark is outstanding, and I'm glad it finally was built. The whole process nearly killed me back in 2007, you know. The only thing that would make this day better is if Halle Berry was sitting right next to me."

And there you go. Halle Berry. You heard the quote here first, three years before it will occur. Actually, all joking aside, I am quite proud of my wife for her efforts in planning THE YARN HARLOT event and had no doubts that it would go off without a hitch. She is definitely "the brains" of the family, and I think she has a future in Marketing or Events Coordination if she so chooses. Super job Maura!

Peace,

Jeff

No Green Eggs & Ham. Egg Beaters and Tofu Burgers Maybe

As I have written in the past, I believe we live in an increasingly humorless society in which there exists a growing portion of the population that is just itching to be offended. Offended by almost anything, it seems, just to have a chance to bitch and moan and "be heard."

Now, 2007 happens to be the 50th anniversary of the Dr. Seuss classic "The Cat In The Hat." I came across an excellent editorial by writer Peter Mandel in the Star Tribune today explaining why this particular book never could be written in the year 2007. As we all know, if "The Cat In the Hat" would have been written this year, somebody out there would have been offended. And I'm not even going to bring up "Green Eggs and Ham."

It's a quick read, pretty funny, and 100% true. Please take a look and let me know (as always) what you think.

http://www.startribune.com/562/story/1098548.html

Peace.

Jeff

2007 Prediction - Wild Card

By the way, here is my prediction for the AL Central this year:

Detroit: 98-64
Minnesota: 91-71 (Wild Card)
Cleveland: 88-74
Chicago: 86-76
Kansas City: 74-88

Detroit has too much starting pitching for the Twins and the rest of the AL Central this year. All in all, the AL Central has become one of the best divisions in baseball. It'll be a great race.

The rest of MLB? I have no idea, because I haven't paid that much attention. Let me know what you think. Jase - Brewers??

Jeff

So Long To The Voice of Summer

On the eve of Opening Day of the Major League Baseball season (a blessed day in my world), it was announced that long-time Minnesota Twins radio broadcaster Herb Carneal passed away of congestive heart-failure at age 83. There was actually an article this very morning stating that Herb wanted to broadcast the Twins opener against Baltimore on Monday, but he wasn't feeling up to the task. His plans, however, were to get back in the broadcast booth as soon as he felt up to it. That is why his death took so many by surprise. Mr. Carneal had been broadcasting Twins games since 1962, only their second year in existence.

Baseball is the only sport that I enjoy listening to on the radio as much as attending or watching on TV. A baseball game on the radio "in the background" is part of Americana. I remember growing up playing tennis ball baseball (TBBB) in the Trinity Lutheran parking lot with Jase, Jon, Al, Jim, Pedo, Cub, etc., listening to Twins games on the radio "in the background" whenever possible. Eau Claire is 80 miles from the Twin Cities, so we often had to listen to WCCO through static. I remember listening to Carneal while playing ball one day in 1984, and he was talking about a new rookie on the Twins by the name of "Kirby Puckett." Kirby Puckett sounded like a tall white guy to me. Turns out I was wrong about that. I also vividly remember Carneal's call on Willie McGee's ground ball to Gary Gaetti and throw to Kent Hrbek to seal the 1987 World Series. I have many, many fond memories of growing up in Eau Claire, driving around in shitty cars like The Batmobile, Radical Red Ramblin' Road Rat, and The French Ride of Luxury (LeBaron), all tuned in to the crackle of 'CCO listening to Carneal broadcast the Twins. Then, I moved to The Cities and WCCO and Carneal came in loud and clear. It was a little strange at first.

Herb Carneal was a consummate professional, and a calming voice for the Twins fans in the Upper Midwest. Perfect for the grand old game of baseball. Today, on WCCO, I listened as many former players, fans and co-workers explained how Carneal was not only a great baseball announcer, but a wonderful man with almost no ego. I never knew him personally, but he certainly kept me entertained over the past few decades and increased my knowledge of baseball. He certainly had an impact on my life. Hopefully, in that Big Baseball Field in the Sky, there's a game being played right now that needs an announcer. I can just hear Bob Casey announcing Kirby Puckett coming to bat, and Herb Carneal's call: "...And there's a long fly ball to center field....."

R.I.P Herb Carneal.

Jeff