It's 2011. I'm Back. The Problem(s) with Facebook.

Ok, I know that it's been a while since I blogged. I can't even count the last few posts of 2010 as real blogging anyway. Some musings about the Vikes not doing so well (surprise!) and finally having the opportunity to get beat outside at home for a change. Nothing to deep or controversial. Nothing about the Sasquatch. I realize that last point alone probably caused some consternation amongst the readers. I am going to lie down on the psychologists couch right now and tell you what happened and why the blogging stopped. Here is why:

Facebook.

I finally broke down and joined Facebook. Blogging seemed so "2009." And blogging can be hard work. Hey - the characters allowed are "limitless!" Everybody seemed to be on Facebook and were conversing in short blasts and half-sentences that didn't require as much thought and effort. As my blogging decreased, it seemed like I had more time on my hands. I have now been on Facebook for about six months and have noticed some stuff about it. Here are the positives and negatives about Facebook:

Postives:

1. Facebook gives a person the opportunity to re-connect with some people that may have fallen off one's proverbial "life map." People they have not seen or talked to in years.

2. It's free.

That is all I can come up with.

And here are the Negatives:

1. Facebook gives a person the opportunity to re-connect with some people that may have fallen off one's proverbial "life map." People they have not seen or talked to in years.

2. There is a character limitation on Facebook. I have reached that character limitation many times before I have even BEGAN to enter the point of my posts. There is no room to rant or rage at all. It's the "road rage" of communication. Short bursts of fury rather than long, rambling dissertations of the in's and out's of why something sucks. It's sad, really.

3. Virtually nothing about The Sasquatch. Nothing. And I even "Liked" Sasquatch.

4. Posts are stored chronologically so they disappear as more "friends" post thoughts and stuff. They literally "fall off the page." Some of my best stuff (Sasquatch stuff or videos of the music I just got done listening to) literally disappear when other people post "where they are" or "the daily horoscope."

5. You find out that your teenage son thinks the same inappropriate stuff is funny that you do. That actually can be a positive. You also get to find out who some of your teenage son's "friends" are. This can also be a positive for "tracking" purposes but can also be horrifying as teenagers no longer look like teenagers. Many look like they are in their mid-30's but are not smart enough to avoid be photographed doing "teen age stuff."

6. The Packers won the Super Bowl after I joined Facebook. This was mentioned 6,098,324 times.

7. Lastly, and most importantly, there is a very strange combination of people on Facebook reading your thoughts. Extended family members combine with with guys you lived with in college combine with your children combine with people you go to church with combine with Dan Pederson and Charlie Russell combine with your wife combine with guys you drink beer with combine with the guy who sits two rows over from you at The Check. Whatever you say or post, half those people are going to think you are cool and the other half are going to think you are insane and wonder "what the hell is wrong with this guy I thought I knew??" Kind of like this blog, actually.

I will remain on Facebook because, I have to admit, it has been great getting in contact with some old buddies from grade school all the way through college. I've even re-kindled some old friendships.

I think it's time to start this blog thing up again, though. Sometimes a guy just needs a good rant with no character limitations.

And Then Again...

I guess the field was not too frozen for the Bears.

Too Frozen For the Monsters of the Midway??

Let me get this straight. The Bears - the Chicago Bears - are worried that TCF Bank Stadium's field will be "too frozen and hard" to play football on it Monday night. The so-called Monsters of the Midway - too frozen? We have obviously crossed over into yet another parallel universe. Here is some proof of the whining. Here is more whining from the Chicago Tribune.

What the hell is going on here? Check this out from Bears safety Chris Harris:

"Man, it's a dictatorship, so it is what it is," Harris said shortly before the end of an open locker room session. "If they say that's what is going to happen, then that's what's going to happen. Absolutely, we're going to have to be cautious out there," Harris said. "We will go out there and check the footing pregame and see what it's like. Hopefully, the field won't be frozen and you can get footing and traction on there; make cuts and things of that nature. And hopefully you can have a competitive game."

You don't say. This, from a franchise that brought us Solider Field, Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers and Walter Payton. Apparently, the Bears are concerned about the lack of heating coils underneath the TCF playing surface. Let me ask you a question: Were there heating coils underneath Lambeau Field in Ray Nitscke and Bart Starr's day? We're there heating coils underneath The Old Met's field in Alan Page, Carl Eller and Jim Marshall's day?

Hell, no.

We live in an age (here comes the Old Man Thompson part) that is so far removed from those days of Butkus, Page and Nitscke, it is literally a different universe. A parallel universe. These players are so coddled, it's embarrassing. Hey - I used to play in these conditions on the hallowed grounds of Manz School and not even think twice. And I am talking tackle football here, folks, not two-hand touch. I even had play while wearing glasses, for Cliff's sake! I broke more pairs of glasses by getting my face smashed into that "frozen" Manz turf than I can count.

Here is my advice for the Chicago Bears - man up and play the game. You are one game away from clinching the NFC North, so it shouldn't matter if you are playing football in the Cub Foods parking lot. Geez. You are embarrassing yourselves.

And, hey, I am a Vikings fan. I know embarrassment when I see it.

Higher Powers Involved Here?

In what has turned out to be possibly the strangest season in their history, the Minnesota Vikings have announced they will play their final home game against the Chicago Bears at the Minnesota Gophers outdoor stadium, TCF Bank Field. This comes one week after the Vikings had to play the New York Giants and the Lions' Ford Field. How did we get to this bizarre point? Basically an act of Mother Nature - one of the top blizzards in Twin Cities history dumped so much snow on top of the Metrodome that it tore three holes and deflated the teflon roof.

And I thank Mother Nature for these events. Here is why:

A little over a month ago, I wrote that the Vikings need to do 5 things to regain their Karma. Basically there are:

1. They need to fire Brad Childress.

2. They need to strip their roster of over the hill veterans.

3. They need to draft a new QB.

4. They need to return to their old-school uniforms.

5. They need a new stadium, preferably outdoors.

Well, #1 has been accomplished. Numbers 2 & 3 will most likely happen this off-season. #4 may happen over time. Which leads us to #5.

I don't like the Metrodome. For baseball, it was not only a bad stadium, it was bordering on immoral. For football, it's antiquated and adequate at best. In the way a 1980 Chevy Chevette is adequate for a roadtrip to Vegas. The Minnesota Vikings need a new stadium. Now, the Minnesota politicians are not going to proactively realize this until the Vikings are packing moving vans. The majority of Minnesota citizens are most likely going to spout the "not on my dime!" or "What about the kids!?" mantras. (Then, by the way, if the stadium IS built, it will become the most popular place in the 5-state area and everyone will claim to love it. See: Target Field. See: Xcel Energy Center.) We all know these things to be true, and I have written about it a million times.

That is why it took the Forces Of Nature to help Minnesotans realize that the Vikings need to be back outside. It basically took nearly 20 inches of snow to deflate the dome and force the Vikings to play at TCF Bank Stadium. On a Monday night. Against the hated Bears. On a night they will honor the 50 greatest Vikings of all time. Think about it - this game HAD to be outside. The Forces of Nature have decreed it. It will be cold. It may even snow. But this is The Way It Should Be.

We all know this, in our hearts, to be true.

My Favorite Albums of 2010

Now that the current year is nearly "in the books," it's time for all of the "best of 2010" lists to be published. I thought I would beat the rush by providing my "top albums of 2010" list. I didn't really purchase a ton of new music in 2010, so I am going to limit my list to 5 albums. So, in case you are interested, here's the best of 2010 in my opinion:

1. The National - "High Violet." If you've been reading this blog, this will come as no surprise. I wrote a post about this album when it was released. I got to see the band play at First Avenue in August, and haven't really stopped listening to their music since that time. The National even released an expanded version of the album this month, with extra tracks, including a version of "Bloodbuzz, Ohio" recorded live on The Current. Great music that grows on the listener over time.

2. Arcade Fire - "The Suburbs." Kind of a concept album by this extremely large band hailing from Montreal. It's a running commentary on growing up in, you guessed it, the suburbs. This album is slightly toned down from their prior releases. I probably listed to this album more than any other in my walks around Como Lake this year. Whatever that means....

3. The Hold Steady - "Heaven is Whenever." Probably the best live band I have seen, The Hold Steady released another strong effort this year. The lineup changed a bit this time around, but the band retained their frequent references to the Twin Cities (Hennepin Avenue, Husker Du, 7th Street entry...).

4. Jeremy Messersmith - "The Reluctant Graveyard." I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this album by the Minneapolis musician. It's "poppy," with references to death and cemeteries throughout (sort of Smiths-like in that regard). The music, however, reminds me of Paul Simon singing Revolver-era Beatles. Good stuff.

5. John Mellencamp - "No Better Than This." Another album that pleasantly surprised me. Produced by T-Bone Burnett, Mellencamp recorded this album on an old reel-to-reel tape recorder in several historic locations throughout the U.S. "No Better Than This" is not a rock album. It's folk music and is basically Mellencamp channeling Hank Williams Sr.

There are my top 5 of 2010. How about you? What tunes helped you get through 2010?

Jeff

Vikings Uniforms - Old vs. New

In my last post, I noted one very important thing the Minnesota Vikings need to do in order to get their mojo back is to ditch their "new" uniforms and go back to the "old school uni's." Freealonzo asked a good question in the comments section about what the the difference is. Here you go:

"New (arena football, pajama-like) uniforms:"

"Old uniforms (currently worn twice a year):" As can be seen, the purple is darker, the facemask is grey and the stripes on the sleeves are old-school. The new uniforms, in fact, don't have stripes on the sleeves. Also, the stripes on the pants are old school instead of looking like a little purple tornado. The new uniforms are not progress, folks. I am only looking out for the best interests of the team. Basically, here is the look I am going for:

This, to me, is as important as a new stadium. Something needs to be done, and I know Zygi Wilf is reading this.....

What Has Happened to the Minnesota Vikings?

Don't worry everyone, I am still alive. I haven't been blogging too much and some have questioned my existence. My handsome and witty Canadian brother in law called me last night to check up on me. I am OK. I have to blame kid's homework, kid's swimming lessons, Facebook and general laziness for the lack of blogging. Not surprisingly though, it is the Minnesota Vikings that have given me the urge to rant once again.

I want to know what the hell has happened to the Minnesota Vikings. When I was growing up, the Minnesota Vikings stood for something. They played outside in the elements in Metropolitan stadium. They were coached by no-nonsense, steely-eyed Bud Grant. The players (many with crew cuts) were not allowed to use heaters during cold games for reasons of intimidation. Grant thought it took their minds off of the game and caused them to focus on "getting warm." Growing up in Eau Claire, we always subscribed to the St. Paul Pioneer Press and watched Twin Cities media so I was inundated with information about these Grant-coached teams. When my sister moved to St. Paul in the late-'70's, she bought us tickets and we started attending Vikings games at the Old Met, including the Hail Mary pass to Ahmad Rashad against Cleveland in 1980. My "Viking Fandom" was cemented at that point.

Since that time, the Vikings have moved indoors, have not participated in another Super Bowl, been owned by multiple entities, have hinted multiple times at moving, taken a boat cruise, drafted Randy Moss, traded Randy Moss, traded FOR Randy Moss, released Randy Moss, had a player with a Wizzanator, etc., etc., etc.

And I didn't even bring up Brett Favre. Or the 1998 choke. Or the 2009 choke. Or Les Steckle. Or Denny Green. Or Mike Tice. Or 41-doughnut. Or the new "Arena-football-looking" uniforms.

Really, what the hell is going on with this franchise? Personally, I believe this franchise has "sold it's soul to the devil" on several fronts over the years, which has led us to where we are today. These events might have made the team better in the short-term, but I believe each took away from the aura that was created through the first decades of their existence.

The first time they sold their soul is when they decided to move indoors, from the frozen tundra of the Old Met to the cozy, 70-degree confines of the Metrodome. This team simply lost their aura. The Vikings biggest ally in the '60's and 70's was the frigid Minnesota weather. Most visiting teams simply could not handle the cold and snow, and the Vikings generally won those games. In 1982, that ally left as the Vikings became in indoor football team. That is fine in Atlanta - not in Minnesota.

The second time the Vikings sold their soul is when they drafted Randy Moss. Now, I am not going to lie to you. I had some fun watching Moss play over the years, and will say that he is arguably the most talented wide receiver to ever play the game. He is also arguably the single biggest jack-ass to don football equipment, and a franchise-killer. The guy is bad karma. There are reasons that the Vikings let him go the first time, and Oakland traded him, and New England traded him mid-season. And the negative impact that he had on the Vikings in the last 4 weeks was immense. Lots of "Jack-assery." Moss will be in the Hall of Fame some day, but I guarantee he will never have a Super Bowl ring. Good luck, Tennessee.

The third time I believe the Vikings sold their soul may surprise you. It's when they acquired Brett Favre. I can't blame them for this move, mind you. When T-Jack is your starter, and Brett Favre is basically begging to play on your team, you pick him up. He is arguably the arch-rival Green Bay Packers most beloved player in history, for Cliff's sake. With Favre, however, comes Favre's ego and baggage. Along with his touchdown passes and late-game victories, come his off-season "I am retired" escapes and his soul-crushing interceptions. And now, a healthy dose of (alleged) penis photos sent to a female Jets employee can be thrown in. Much like with Moss, I fully admit that it's been fun watching Favre, especially in 2009. Something, however, just does not seem "right." That is because when you sell your soul, you get the bad with the good.

All of this has led to the place the franchise is in today. A 2-5 record, players arguing with the much-disliked coach and a expiring stadium lease after the 2011 season. Something has to give with this team. This reminds me, to a certain degree, of where the Minnesota Twins were back in 2001-02 with no stadium and talk of being contracted. The Twins, of course, did not have the baggage the Vikes have, and they had two World Championships under their belt. As we know now, everything worked out fine for the Twins. The spot the Vikes are in right now is not good. In order to restore any type of order and attempt to regain their aura, I believe the following must happen (and it's not easy stuff):

1. They need a new stadium, preferably outdoor. I realize that the outdoor part is a pipe-dream.

2. They need a new coach. They really missed the boat (bad analogy) by not hiring either Tony Dungy or Mike Tomlin when they were Defensive Coordinators. Is current Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier in the same league?

3. They need to strip the roster of high-priced veterans and start over. Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin are the only "untouchables" in my book.

4. They need to (somehow) find a young QB, preferably through the draft, and stick with him. This really hasn't happened since Tommy Kramer.

5. They need to return to their old-school uniforms. This may be the most important of the 5 points.

I don't know if any of these 5 points will happen in reality. For all I know, this team will be in a different city in 2012. I do know this - a lot of the enjoyment that I derived from watching the Vikings as a youth is gone. I hope that it comes back some day.

Until then, I am looking forward to baseball season.

Epilogue: 2010 Twins

This has been a fun year. The return of outdoor baseball in Minnesota. I was lucky enough to attend the first-ever exhibition game at Target Field, the Season-opener against Boston and the first-ever playoff game against New York. In between, I had the opportunity to attend games that ranged from 35 degrees to 95 degrees - all an absolute blast. I even had tickets to the first rain out. I had a great time attending all of these games with friends and family. Now that the season's done, I can't help but be a bit bummed. When the Vikes lose in the playoffs, I get mad. When the Twins lose, it just bums me out. The Twins are the one professional team that I have a real fondness for, odd as that may sound.

The 2010 Twins team was a good team. Not great, as we just found out. Good enough to win the AL Central. But, as we've seen all year, they tend to fold when they play quality opponents. This tells me that their talent level is simply not up to the Bostons and (of course) New Yorks of the world. Luckily, Target Field suggests a bright future for the team in which they will continue to compete. Whether or not they reach that "World Series level" again hinges on not only what the Twins front office does in the future, but what happens in Major League Baseball. More on that later. Here are a few observations about the 2010 Twins and the future of the team:

1. The Twins lack "fire." I've written about this before (a few days ago) so I am not going to belabor the point. I'll just say that, most times, teams tend to take on the personality of their superstars. Mauer, Morneau, Span, Kubel, etc. They are all mellow to the point of being comatose. I don't think you can underestimate the impact this has on the team, especially during the playoffs. How do you obtain "fire?" I don't know.

2. The Twins lack "a stopper." I've also written about this. In the playoffs, I'd rather pitch Viola and Blyleven on two days rest than anybody they have on today's roster on five days rest. This is why they were able to win in 1987 with a worse overall lineup than this year's team. They were set up for short, best of 5 or best of 7 series. They were, however, very lucky to be in a bad division otherwise they wouldn't have had to worry about being in the playoffs. The Twins may have to make a trade to obtain a stopper, but this will not come at a cheap price. They may have one in Kyle Gibson in the minors, but this will not help for a couple more years.

3. The Twins are inching closer to "Vikings Syndrome." Whoa, this one is scary. The Vikings are now considered failures if they fail to at least make the Super Bowl. Miss the playoffs? Failure. Lose in the first round? Failure. Lose in the NFC Championship? Big-time failure. And so on. Meanwhile, the Twins have always been considered overachievers and underdogs. Up to this year, they were always consider "The Little Engine That Could" even if they MADE the playoffs. This year, with a new ballpark and the added revenue that goes with it, the expectations just rose. Winning the division, while nice, is no longer good enough, I got the feeling that the Twins were expected to win at least one series. What will the expectations be next year? What happens if they lose in the first round - again?

4. It actually isn't Ron Gardenhire's fault. There is a lot of talk in the media and "blogdom" about firing Ron Gardenhire. He is being compared to Denny Green (great regular season - horrible postseason). I actually believe his legacy is closer to Flip Saunders. If you remember, Flip's Timberwolves teams had great, 50-win seasons and then lost in the first round of the playoffs - all the time (except once). The difference is that Flip's teams, much like today's Twins, always lost to a superior opponent. They always managed to draw the one team that was on paper, and on the field (or court) vastly superior. For the Wolves, it was the San Antonio Spurs or Lakers. For the Twins, it's the Yankees. Always. In each case, I give the manager credit for consistently getting his team to the postseason. Many times, they didn't even necessarily deserve to get that far. Lastly, I'd caution against firing Ron Gardenhire. If you remember, I was a big advocate of firing Glen Mason because he couldn't get the Gophers "to the next level." Well, Mason WAS fired and Tim Brewster was hired. All we all know what happened next. Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know. How long this will last, however, is anyone's guess - see #3.

5. Baseball's payrolls. Baseball is the only major league sport with no salary cap. It's becoming a joke. There is a reason that New York continues to dominate each and every year in baseball. This is not a free-market, folks. The Twins, Brewers or Royals cannot pick up and move to New York to compete with the Yankees, with a level playing field and see who comes out on top. Major League Baseball NEEDS teams in different-sized markets spread out throughout the United States to thrive. With no salary cap, in today's world, the Royals have no shot at consistently competing. Football, Basketball and Hockey have figured this out. Baseball has not. I would actually advocate moving to a high salary CAP (say, $175 million) but also to a salary MINIMUM (say, $50 million). This would help level the playing field so teams like the Yankees could not outspend other teams by literally 100 million dollars (the Yankees 2010 payroll was $207 million) . It would also level the playing field so that teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn't force their cities to pay for stadiums and then field a team with a $34 million dollar payroll - and turn a profit. I am not going to hold my breath on this one, however. The MLB players union is far too powerful to ever stand for something like a salary cap.

So all in all, it was a good year. I had a blast.

Here's looking to 2011.

Jeff

The Fat Lady Is Approaching the Stage...

In my 43 years (almost 44) on this earth, I have never witnessed a professional sports team that is as emotionally intimidated by another team as the Twins are by the Yankees. That is not to say that the Yankees aren't a more talented team than the Twins - they are. But let's not mince words - when the Twins face the Yankees, they are beaten before they even step on the field. You can see it in their eyes. They are 2-11 against the Yankees in the postseason, and have now lost 11 straight playoff games.

I will say it again. This Twins team, while very good, lacks a guy with killer instinct. A Gaetti. A Hunter. Hell, a Pierzyski. Somebody who'll run over a catcher. They lack a pitcher who will move a guy off the plate, or bean him if necessary. I love them, but the Twins are a team of boy scouts.

One more game to go in New York, and it's time to pack it up for another season. It's been a good season, the first in Target Field. But I do know this, having yet another Twins season ended by the Yankees is getting really old.

Superbowl, Homeboy

We have now, without question, entered (yet another) parallel universe. Strap yourself in and hold on for the ride.

Jeff

Twins-Yanks. Let's Go!

Win it for Thome, for God's sake......

Twins Draw the Yankees..........Again.

And you know how I feel about that.

Jeff

Timberwolves to put up Advertisement on Target Center

From the vantage point of my seats at Target Field, I have a beautiful view of downtown Minneapolis. Contained in that lovely view and centered amidst the lights of the skyscrapers is Target Center, where the Minnesota Timberwolves allegedly play basketball.

Well, just in time for the 2010 MLB playoffs and a national TV audience, the Minnesota Timberwolves have decided to erect an advertisement for Sanford Health, an outfit out of South Dakota, on their arena. That advertisement is giant and ugly. Hideous, even.

The Twins worked hard to build a downtown ballpark with outstanding views of the city. They built a plaza with plants and art and a wind veil. There is only one entity in the entire world that could single-handily cheapen that outstanding view from the Twins ballpark and the nearby plaza.

And, folks, that one entity is the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jeff

Observations and Complaints

Sorry I haven’t been blogging too much lately. You see, I’ve kind of gotten into this Facebook thing. I have to admit that Facebook is a strange, oddly addicting phenomenon. On the positive side, it’s a great way to reconnect with people that you share a past with. I’ve been in touch with friends from elementary school all the way through the University of Leinenkugels and after. Facebook is also a place to post cool music and Young Ones videos for people to comment on. On the negative side, you are provided with quite a bit of information regarding trips to the grocery store, visits from aunts, etc. You have to take the good with the bad. Of course, a big difference between blogging and Facebook is the average length of the communication. Blogging is usually longer chunks of crap that is not well thought out compared to Facebook, which is shorter bits of crap that is not well thought out. Blogging certainly takes more time.

Anyway, I do have some topics that I need to get off my chest (mostly complaints). In the spirit of Facebook, I am going to try and keep these short and sweet:

1. Twins win division, completely forget how to pitch and then the whole team gets injured. I am really not too concerned that the Twins cannot win a game since they clinched the division. The fact that no starting pitcher can get through 3 innings is a little disheartening, but this has been known to happen. Remember in 1987, the Twins lost all 6 remaining games in the season after clinching the division – and they weren’t even close. And we all know what happened after that. I am more concerned that the entire team is now injured. Every one of them. J.J Hardy even injured his knee in his sleep. I am not making this up. For the Twins to finally compete in the post season, they need a healthy team. We all know Morneau is out, but they need Mauer, Hardy, Thome, etc. They cannot compete with the Rays or Yanks with the likes of Butera, Tolbert and Casilla in the starting lineup. Don’t get me wrong, all of those guys have played a major part in the Twins winning the division. They just need their best lineup to beat the AL East. I am not going to get nervous yet. Well, I already am nervous, sort of….

2. Vikings beat Lions; Bears beat Packers. So the hated Bears are 3-0. I remain unconvinced that they will compete for the NFC North division. I still believe the Bears are frauds and Jay Cutler will implode. The Bears, for all intents and purposes, beat the Lions on a head-scratching, mystical call and the Packers required 18 penalties to lose by 3 to them in Chicago. I still say 7-9. Once they lose their first game, Cutler spontaneously combusts. This division will still come down to the Packers and the Vikings.

3. Cities 97. What has happened to Cities 97? I remember when the Cities 97 used to play decent music. The station has always been known as “mellow alternative” or even “mellow alt-country.” A guy could hear some older mellow Tom Petty or Neil Young mixed in with some U2. So what the hell has happened? The muzak played at THE CHECK is more cutting edge than the Cities 97, for Cliff’s sake. If I had $1 for every time they played Matchbox 20, I’d retire, buy my own Caribbean island and build an airport on it so I could fly my own private jet in and out whenever I wanted. When I am driving around, I have a little game I play. I try and guess whether or not John Mayer, Matchbox 20 (or Rob Thomas – same thing) or Five For Fighting will be on the station. You have a 95% shot of being right. I don’t know what to make of this. Hey, we don’t need another KS95.

4. Tim Brewster still employed. Now, look. I understand that it is difficult to fire a head coach of a football team in the middle of the season. But not many head coaches of a Big Ten football team (none, actually) can manage to lose to South Dakota and Northern Illinois in consecutive weeks – at home. This is beyond bad. This is hurting recruiting for the next decade. What does Tim Brewster need to do to get fired? Steal Robert Bruininks car? Burglarize and toilet paper Bruininks’ house?? What, really, is going on here?

5. No Sasquatch sightings lately. Not for long. It’s fall. Something will happen.

That is all I have. Back to Facebook.

Jeff

The South Dakota Coyotes.

The Minnesota Gopher just lost 41-38 to something called the South Dakota Coyotes. The incompetence of Tim Brewster as Head Coach of the Minnesota Gopher football team has now reached epic, almost legendary proportions. This guy makes Les Steckel look like Bill Walsh.

If Brewster is not fired immediately, there should be an investigation. Who should replace him? Anybody. Have a contest on a radio station. It doesn't matter.

I now offer my sincerest apologies for calling for the firing of Glen Mason. I was 100% wrong. Mason was Tom Landry compared to Brewster.

So much for the Rose Bowl, huh? Good luck against USC.

Prognostication Time Again

It's that time of year again. The Vikings season starts tomorrow night where it ended last year - New Orleans, Louisiana (already starting to feel sick). This Vikings season feel different, however. I believe that there is more pressure on this year's team to win than ever before. Why? The 2010 Vikings are loaded with older talent. Many of these players will be gone after this season. The Vikings also happen to have a stadium lease that will expire after the 2011 season, and they need to convice skeptical politicians and residents of Minnesota to build them a new stadium in the worst economic times since the Great Depression. Winning would help the cause and an underachieving, losing season may doom the cause. Let's just say there is some pressure on this year's squad.

That being said, here are my predictions for the 2010 NFC North. We all know that I am spot-on with my predictions (deep sarcasm), so I might as well put a hex on the Pack (sorry Jase).

Here we go:

1. Green Bay Packers (12-4). Might as well join the national love-fest. Aaron Rodgers may be the greatest football player of all time.

2. Minnesota Vikings (9-7). Too old. Too many injuries. Not enough cornerbacks or receivers. Doesn't bode well for the future.

3. Chicago Bears (7-9). Jay Cutler is not the greatest football player of all time. So long to Lovie.

4. Detroit Lions (5-11). Better than last year, but still last place (sorry dools).

So there you go. Written in stone (even though that stone might be sandstone!).

Jeff

Some Fleeting Thoughts

Here are a few things on my mind today:

1. Yes, I am now on Facebook. I put it off for a few eons, but after I attended my High School reunion, I realized it would be a good thing to do since most of my pals from back home are on there. Plus, it gave me another place to post the cowboy picture. So there.

2. Some friends of ours gave us two free tickets to the Vikings game last night (thanks Kim and Paul!), so I took my son The Graminator because it's his 11th birthday. First, the pleasantries. It was his first-ever Viking game, so that was a lot of fun. He really enjoyed a live NFL game. And the Vikings scrubs beat Denver's scrubs. Now, let's dispense with the pleasantries.

The Metrodome (sorry - Mall of America Field) is an absolute dump.

Look, I know that I have been spoiled by Target Field and the Xcel Energy Center. But, my God, the Dome has become worse than my basement. This is not 1984 anymore. Dark, dingy, smelly. The roof looks like the curtains in a chain-smokers house. And the new turf looks like something from a 1970's miniature golf course. I am surprised the MOA folks wanted their name on this monstrosity. Let's not mince words here. This should be called Apache Plaza Field.

Something has to be done about this. And fast.

3. Speaking of my son's birthday, we bought him a replica of the 1970's Evel Knievel motorcycle toy that you wind up and it does jumps and stuff. I had one of these back in THE DAY. Man, did I love that thing. My son saw some video clips on You Tube of the original in action and he was hooked. We bought one on line and it arrived yesterday. I must say that it's a pretty good replication of the '70's toy. There is only one difference - the 2010 version is louder than a jet plane. It's louder than the Metrodome during the '87 World Series. But don't get me wrong, it's still hours of fun.

4. How the hell is it already September?

5. Lastly, just a few short days ago, there was an article in the Pioneer Press about how the Twins could possibly employ a 6-man rotation when Kevin Slowey comes off the disabled list. That is how well their pitchers were doing. Then, last night, Scott Baker complains of elbow pain after 2 innings and the Twins use EIGHT pitchers in an extra-inning loss to Detroit.

Forget the 6-man rotation.

Now the Twins have to bring up some guy named Matt Fox from AAA ball to start tonight's tilt with hated Texas. That, my friends, is how fast things can go down the toilet in Major League Baseball. Matt Fox? He was a reliever/starter who has not gone more that 6 innings in a minor league game this year. I am actually going to be attendance at tonight's game with my kids, so I get to witness Mr. Fox's debut. Too bad we don't have seats in the Home Run porch. Something tells me we'd get a few baseballs. (Editor's note: My apologies to Matt Fox. He pitched a great ballgame. He went 5 2/3, only gave up 2 runs, and allowed the Twins to rest most of their bullpen. Nice work! That will teach me to be sarcastic).

I don't want to sound too negative,, however. The Twins still lead their division by 3 1/2 games over the White Sox. And, on top of that, the Sox just picked up noted nut-case and locker-room killer Manny Ramirez. The Twins should still win the division, so things are looking up.

Have a great Labor Day!

Time Marches On

Editors Note: You might be expecting a post about Brett Favre returning to the Vikings or something like that. But what else can really be said? So......

Every Saturday morning between 8:00 and 10:00 AM, I like to listen to a show on 89.3 The Current called "Teenage Kicks." Teenage Kicks is a show that features so-called "alternative" music from the late 1970's through the early 1990's. Basically the Clash through Nirvana. In the middle, there is lots of Jesus and Mary Chain, Echo and the Bunnymen, Replacements, Bauhaus, etc. This is the music that I grew up with. I also like the fact that they find a lot of "B-sides" and play little-known music from these bands. What freaks me out is when they play a song and announce the year it was released and how old that is. For instance, The Replacements "I Will Dare" was released in 1984. For some reason, I still associate The Replacements and a lot of music from that era as "new and cutting edge." But, folks, "I Will Dare" is..................26 years old.

This radio show, along with other life events, has got me on this "time-space continuum kick." This fall, my oldest son wil begin his Freshman year in High School. He's already my height and wears 11 1/2 shoes. My middle son will be in 5th grade and my "little daughter" just turned 8 and will start 2nd grade. On top of this, next weekend I will be attending my 25th High School reunion in Eau Claire, WI. How the hell did all of this happen? Now, don't get me wrong. I don't look at these things with a sense of foreboding or trepidation. I have had a blast at each of my HS reunions. In fact, at my 20th reunion gathering, Pedo and I sang a pretty mean Karaoke medley of Journey's "Faithfully" (which, by the way, contains one of the greatest scenes EVER in a video in which Steve Perry forlornly ponders shaving his moustache in front of the bathroom mirror) and "Don't Stop Believin'. (Editor's 2nd note: For some reason my wife, who was in attendance at my 20th reunion, has decided not to attend my 25th. Not sure why. I guess my date will be Jase. But I digress). Back to the time-space continuum.

High School, College, etc., just does not seem like that long ago. But it was. Music has always been a "barometer of time" for me to measure these types of things. When I listen to the music played on "Teenage Kicks," I am flooded with memories. I cannot believe that I was much closer to my son's current age when most of this music was released compared to my current age of 43. Time Marches On.

I have told my wife many times that I feel I made a good "young guy" and I feel I will make a great "old guy." I have to admit, however, that this "middle-age stuff" has me a bit perplexed from time to time. Don't get me wrong - I am very lucky to have a wonderful wife and fantastic kids and great friends. It's just that this time in life is supposed to be for "achieving" and having all of the answers. And sensibility. Middle age is the time for "eating right" and exercising an hour a day. Mortgages, car payments and 401K's. It's not that I cannot handle these things or do not accept the responsibility. I just feel that I make a better Court Jester than King. A guy can be a Court Jester when he is young and when he is old. This middle age stuff begs for a guy to be a King.

I guess that I am not really sure what point I am trying to get across other than music, above all else, brings me back to certain wonderful times in life. I suggest you check out "Teenage Kicks" on 89.3 The Current on Saturday mornings from 8-10. If you grew up in the same time I did, I bet you'll hear some music that will bring you back to your school days.

So, lastly, I will gladly attend my 25th High School reunion and maybe they will play our class theme song - Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me." (Kind of Cliche', I know) I just hope I can remember everyone's names....

Viking Training Camp Opens. Are We Really Up For This?

Training camp for the 2010 edition of the Minnesota Vikings opened yesterday in Mankato, Minnesota. In my youth, I used to look forward to the opening of training camp because, even though it signaled the end of summer, it also signaled the beginning of another football season. Now, in my 40's, I have come to dread the opening of training camp simply because it signals the beginning of another football season.

Folks, I am not up for this anymore.

The state of Minnesota is experiencing a wonderful summer at a brand new outdoor baseball park. The Twins have slightly underachieved, but they are only 1 1/2 games out of first and there will be a pennant race. As I have stated ad nauseum, baseball's marathon-like pace brings be peace and enjoyment. This pennant race, however, will be rudely interrupted by "daily Brett Favre watches," frantic over-analyzation of all aspects of the upcoming NFL season from every level, and probably some stadium threats.

The Vikings will be celebrating their 50th year in existence this fall. I have to say that, personally, I took the end of the 49th season the hardest of all. Most Viking fans say that the Choke of 1998 was the hardest to take, but for me it was the loss in New Orleans last January. The way I see it, the Minnesota Vikings crossed into a parallel universe to obtain Brett Favre to QB the team in 2009. And if Brett Favre cannot lead the team to a Super Bowl victory, it simply cannot happen. It is cosmically impossible. After the New Orleans loss, I felt physically ill for a week. I allowed myself to drink the Favre-induced Purple Kool-Aid and I was duped, once again.

So as another year begins, I hear grown adults proclaim that "this will be the year." Even Strib columnist Patrick Ruesse is proclaiming this to be the year the Vikings win the Super Bowl. Are people not paying attention to the Cosmos? It just ain't possible.

Now, children I can understand. They do not have the benefit (?) of experiencing history. But if you are over 10, it's time to let go of the dream. It's just healthier that way. My 11 year old son was officially indoctrinated in the Viking Club during that Saints game last year. He "gets it" now after a good cry last January.

So I am not going to get wrapped up in this pre-season stuff (although I see Percy Harvin was already carted off the field with an unknown injury). It's still baseball season, and we have a pennant race on our hands.

By the way, when IS the Vikings first regular-season game? Wait - never mind.......

Credit Where Credit Is Due

There was a time that Twins left-fielder Delmon Young was killing me. I wrote about that. He was the guy who supposedly was the best-batting practice hitter of all time, hitting absolute bombs to the outer reaches of the ballpark during warm-ups. Then when the game started, Young became an opposite-field slap hitter who usually grounded out to the second baseman in critical situations. To make matters worse, the Twins gave up Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza to acquire him from Tampa. And, lastly, he remains the only player I have ever witnessed in Major League Baseball to charge his own bench after he was beaned by a pitch.

But things have changed. Delmon Young reported to camp 30 lbs. lighter this year, and with a new attitude. The results have been incredible. So far this year, Delmon Young is hitting .325 with a .525 slugging %. He has 12 Home Runs and 73 RBI's. He is batting nearly .400 in July, and .463 since the All Star break. And, most importantly, he is batting an incredible .395 with runners in scoring position, something he really struggled with in the past. All this while Mauer, Span, Kubel, Hardy and Cuddyer have struggled for parts of the year. SO I WILL SAY IT:

Delmon Young is no longer killing me. Delmon Young is carrying this team!

Credit where credit is due.