A-Fraud

While we're on the subject of athletes on dope....

We have a fraud listed as the Home Run King in major league baseball. We have a fraud who has been called one of the greatest pitchers of all time and a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame. Now we have A-Fraud (thanks Joe Torre!), Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, admitting to steroid use from 2001-2003 when he was with the Texas Rangers.

I'm no longer surprised when I hear that a professional athlete is caught using steroids. Especially when they go from looking like a wide receiver to looking like a linebacker in the span of a few years. That's a lot of push-up's, man. Rodriguez admitted to the steroid use today, a few days after the story was leaked. Here is what he had to say in an interview with Peter Gammons:

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez told ESPN's Peter Gammons in an exclusive interview in Miami Beach, Fla.

"Back then, [baseball] was a different culture," Rodriguez said. "It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive. And I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time."

Yep, there can certainly be a lot of pressure when you sign the richest contract in baseball - 10 years, $275 million. My Eau Claire public school math tells me that contract is worth $27.5 million per year over a decade. It's a hard life.

I'm sure those players with less God-given talent than Rodriguez, who didn't take steroids , felt no pressure. The players who "did it the right way" through hard work and without performance-enhancing drugs, felt no pressure. But, he had to be THE BEST. He had to be better than ALL of the rest - at any cost. The funny thing is - Alex Rodriguez probably had enough natural talent to be considered the best. Now, with this admission, that possibility is ironically thrown out the door.

Baseball has got two black-eyes, as far as I am concerned, when it comes to steroid use. On one hand, you have narcissistic players like Rodriguez who feel the need to cheat to "be the best." On the other hand, however, you have players who used steroids to simply "make the team." Such was the case with little-known Twins reliever Dan Naulty. I read this quote from Naulty a while back, and it really hit me:

Naulty, a former reliever for the Yankees and Twins, is haunted by his steroid use. He can't shake the thought of how many lives he affected with his choice to use the drugs. He thinks of the players whose jobs he took through his juiced-up performance.

"My choice has impacted hundreds of people," Naulty said in an interview with The Post.

The one person he thinks about the most is Mike Trombley. The two pitchers' lockers were next to each other in Twins spring training in 1996. They were competing for the last spot in the bullpen.

Near the end of spring training, Naulty was told he made the team, meaning Trombley was bound for Triple-A.

"He was the guy sitting there saying, 'Why is this happening?' " Naulty said. "I was throwing 96 [mph]. He threw 87-90, but they wanted 96 instead. There's no way I could have thrown 96 without drugs.

"When Mike Trombley gets sent to Triple-A, the dominoes fall all the way down to rookie ball where someone gets released. That's what has penetrated my soul."

The use of steroids has tarnished the game. It has thrown into doubt many of the records that have been set over the past 15 years. A-Fraud is just the latest case.

My hope is that The Grand Old Game can clean itself up and once again become the great game it was meant to be. Until then, we will always have Kent Hrbek .

Jeff

A Wild Question

I took my 6-year-old daughter to her first-ever Wild game against (hated) Nashville last night. It was a blast explaining the nuances of hockey to her, and watching her reactions as she experienced hockey in person for the first time. She had plenty of questions, of course, but nothing that a typical fan from Nashville wouldn't have asked. You know - "what is icing," "what is offsides," "how many points is a goal worth? " Unfortunately, the Wild didn't hold up their end of the bargain and lost 2-0. It was one of those games in which they go into an offensive shell and refuse to put the puck on the net. Nashville goalie Dan Ellis was named the "Player of the Game," but he realistically could have earned the shutout while sitting in front of the net in a lawn chair while reading the newspaper. Let's just say he didn't have to do too much. The Wild picked my daughter's first game to play one of their offensive "dud" games.

On the plus side, goalie Niklas Backstom was very good again last night. He let in one soft goal, but deserved to win the game. He has single-handily won many games for the Wild this year while appearing in his first NHL All-Star game. He is 25-17-2 this year with a fantastic 2.20 goals-against average after going 33-13 last year. So here is my question:

Why has the Wild not signed Niklas Backstrom, a free agent at the end of the year, to a long-term contract?

Now, one of the biggest misconceptions of the Wild is that they don't spend money. They do. They are always near the salary cap on a yearly basis. They should be, after all, considering they play to sell-out crowds in arguably the best arena in hockey. They just don't spend it on top free agents - EVER. The Wild will spend money to retain their homegrown talent (i.e Mikku Koivu, Brent Burns, Nick Schultz, Pierre-Marc Bouchard), but they simply do not bring in top notch free agents. This makes it more important than ever that they retain their all star goalie.

They are going to save about $7 million a year by letting Marian Gaborik leave via free agency because of injury and hackey-sack concerns. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that he is gone. Now, more than ever, the time has come to sign Niklas Backstom.

The longer this gets delayed, the more money Backstrom is going to demand. With each shutout, his contract demand will grow. General Manager Doug Risebrough has been eerily quiet about the negotiations, even as the fans grow restless. I think Mr. Risebrough has been taking queues from Twins General Managers Terry Ryan and Billy Smith. There are a lot of similarities between these guys.

I normally don't get too concerned as a fan about this stuff. (Plus, I'm too busy helping with homework to think about it too much). I figure that the GM's know more than I do, and I let them do their jobs. I can't figure this Backstrom situation out, however. He's an All-Star goalie on a team that can't score, for God sakes. He's not a free agent, he is "home-grown talent." I'd hate to see their record without him.

Maybe next year, we will.

Sign him.

Jeff

Thoughts On The Michael Phelps Deal

People have been asking me what I think about this whole Michael Phelps deal in the news. In case you haven't heard, 23-year old 8-time gold-winning Olympian and international superhero Michael Phelps was caught smoking marijuana at a recent shin-dig he attended. Pictures were taken and published in a British tabloid. (And by the way, that picture doesn't leave anything to the imagination. He can't claim "that was merely a cigarette). Now, Phelps not only risks losing his superhero status, he will most likely lose millions of dollars in endorsement money and may even be banned from Olympic competition. I've had a few days to digest this, and I have a few thoughts.

First, it's a dumb move on Phelps' part. Here is a kid who is on top of the world. Everyone loves him. Endorsement money is thrown at him. Couldn't he just lay off the hooch for a bit? I guess not. He is 23 after all, and most 23 year old kids make mistakes. Usually not this big, however.

Second, I have heard that Phelps could be banned from Olympic competition because marijuana could be deemed a "Performance Enhancing Drug. This is laughable. Anyone who thinks smoking the ganja is going to help Phelps in the long-distance relays is delusional. If he keeps this up, he'll be too busy eating Doritos and watching Scooby Doo to be bothered by any Olympic trials.

Third, anyone who is flabbergasted that an athlete gets caught smoking pot simply has not been paying attention. Just check out any NBA game. I defy anyone to point out a player on the court who DOESN'T look like a pothead.

Fourth, and most important. I have finally come to realize that ANY stupid move a person makes in public has a better than average chance of ending up on the World Wide Web for God and all creation to witness. Let what happened to Phelps be a cautionary tale for anyone out there reading this. ANYTHING stupid that you do will most likely end up on the Internet. Between camera phones, You Tube, paparazzi, etc., you're going to get caught in the act.

Look here is a case in point. All I have to do is go to You Tube, search on my alma mater of the University of (Leinenkugels) Eau Claire WI and you get this. My Lord. None of those people will ever hold political office. None of those people will be endorsed by a brand or company. (By the way, I know that they would never, ever hold office or be endorsed even if this video didn't exist). It's over for them. Kind of scary.

So be careful out there, people. Remember - in this day and age, anything stupid you say or do could end up on the Web for all of the world to see. Geez, just look at this blog.

Peace,

Jeff

Olson & Louris - Ready For The Flood

The seminal Minneapolis alt-country band the Jayhawks was both blessed and cursed to have two capable songwriters and lead singers. While the combined talents of Gary Louris and Mark Olson made the Jayhawks a fantastic band, their destiny was to part ways. As we know, this usually happens to bands with multiple songwriters (Lennon/McCartney, Strummer/Jones). Mark Olson left the Jayhawks in 1996 to join his wife Victoria Williams with The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. Gary Louris carried on with the Jayhawks as thier main songwriter and changed their sound from album to outstanding album.

Now, thirteen years after their musical breakup, Louris and Olson have reunited to release an album together called Ready For The Flood. Listeners might be surprised to find out that the album is more "Simon & Garfunkel with Gram Parsons thrown in" than "Jayhawks." The "cry-in-your-beer twang" is still present, of course. But the mellow, acoustic guitar combined with the vocal harmonization of Louris and Olson hearkens back to the late 60's days of folk singers Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. Gary Louris plays the part of Paul Simon, by the way, with Mark Olson serving as Art Garfunkel. I have always believed Gary Louris is the more talented songwriter of the two, and has the stronger voice. I really couldn't stand The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. The two voices compliment each other so well, however, that the whole is better than the sum of the parts, or whatever that saying is.

Ready For the Flood is really is a mellow, melancholy album that grows on you with each listen. I wouldn't say that I would play it at a party. It's what I like to call a "headphones album." It's basically the two musicians with acoustic guitars and outstanding vocal harmonization. To continue the Simon & Garfunkel comparison, the best songs on this album "Bicycle," "Saturday Morning On Sunday Street," & "Black Eyes" would sound at home on S & G's 1968 classic album Bookends.

When all is said and done, it's probably better that Louris and Olson recorded a mellow, reflective album such as Ready For The Flood rather than try and recreate the "country rock sound" of the Jayhawks. It can be dicey and somewhat embarrassing when musicians part ways and then reunite years later to "recreate that old magic." This is most likely one reason the surviving Replacements have resisted reuniting. That sound for was for a different time and place.

So, for now, we have the latest incarnation of Gary Louris and Mark Olson. And, much like the last incarnation, I heavily recommend listening to it. My wife and I will be attending the duo's February 21st concert at The Varsity in Minneapolis. Should be a good time.

Jeff

Super Bowl Weekend - The List Of Fifteen

Super Bowl forty-three will take place this Sunday, as the juggernaut Arizona Cardinals take on the heavily-favored Pittsburgh Steelers. I have nothing against the Cardinals. Kurt Warner is a good guy and Larry Fitzgerald is fun to watch. But if the very mediocre Cardinals, a team that has moved from Chicago to St. Louis to Arizona over the past few decades, wins the Super Bowl before the Minnesota Vikings, I think I'm done with football. I realize this make me appear to be quite bitter. That is because, when it comes to football, I am quite bitter. Let's break this down:

Did you know there were only six NFL teams to never make it to the Super Bowl? They are the Detroit Lions (sorry dools), Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and (before now) the Arizona Cardinals. With the Cardinals making this year's Super Bowl, that leaves five teams to never make the big game. Two of these teams, Houston and Jacksonville, are essentially expansion teams and have not been in existence for too long. And the Cleveland Browns technically disbanded as a franchise for a few years as the team moved to Baltimore (and WON a Super Bowl). The Browns history, colors and "lore," however, stayed in Cleveland until they were awarded another expansion franchise. That leaves the true futility to Detroit and New Orleans.

The other side of futility, however, are the teams that have been to the Super Bowl but never WON. There are fifteen. Starting with the aforementioned six teams to never make the game, we can add the following nine teams who have been there, but never won: the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks. Which of these teams has had the longest draught since their last Super Bowl appearance?

The Minnesota Vikings - 1977 (1976 season).

This is why I am always a little vaklempt around Super Bowl Sunday. These lists continue to whittle down as years go by, but the Minnesota Vikings certainly retain their spot on an annual basis. Hey - if the dominant 15-1 Vikings of the 1998 season couldn't get to and win the Super Bowl, it may never happen. Now, if a mediocre bunch like the Arizona Cardinals (who, by the way, the Vikings beat 35-14 in December) wins on Sunday, there is one more team off of that list that nobody wants to be a part of. After all, misery loves company, and the miserable company the Vikings keep is dwindling.

So, I am sure there will be plenty of people who will be cheering for the feel-good Cardinals. But I, in my football misery, will be cheering for the Steelers, hoping that Arizona stays on that miserable List Of Fifteen. Petty and bitter, I know.

I will save my healthy "sports feel good thoughts" for baseball. After all, the Minnesota Twins are on "The Good List" of teams that have actually WON a championship.

Peace.

Jeff

OK. I'm Back.

I have returned from my week-long excursion to Massachusetts for THE CHECK. (Side note to Phil: sorry I didn't look you up - they kept us pretty busy out there). I must say that there are some great people out in our CHECK plant in Townsend, MA. We had a good time laughing at each others accent (Them - "paaaak the caaaa." Me - Min-ne-sooooooo-ta"). One of the managers in Townsend actually had me call her Massachusetts-born son and "just talk" because he loves Midwestern accents so much, probably after viewing Fargo. Overall, the trip was great, but I am glad I don't have to travel for work very often, especially when you see this image three days before you leave:

That image was on my mind a little as the plane was being de-iced before takeoff on Monday morning. I was even flying US Airways. But I digress.

One last thing about Massachusetts - Dunkin' Doughnuts is the Epicenter of the Universe. I am not kidding. Dunkin' Doughnuts is to Massachusetts what Target is to the Twin Cities. One can be found every half-block. I think the coffee sold there is as important to the people as the doughnuts themselves. (Phil - maybe you can clue me in on the reason for this phenomenon.) The Twin Cities had a few Dunkin' Doughnuts years back, but they all went out of business. Apparently, however, the franchise will make it's triumphant return to the area very soon. If one is built near THE CHECK, I could reach 300 pounds in the future.

Hey - speaking of coffee - did you see this article about a study of heavy coffee drinkers and possible hallucinating? According to the study, those individuals who drink seven or more cups of coffee a day are more prone to "hallucinating and hearing voices." I have a couple of questions:

1. What constitutes "a cup" of coffee? Is it 12 ounces? So, a Caribou or Starbucks "large" coffee may constitute "3" cups?? So, if a person has a couple of these, are they dangerously close to the "hearing voices level."

2. Does caffeine in other food and drink count? How about pop and chocolate?? Will this put a person over the edge?

Let's just say, I know plenty of people who have multiple large coffees a day, along with chocolate, pop, etc. This actually explains A LOT.

That's all for now. I have some thoughts on The World of Sports, particularly the spending patterns of the four professional Minnesota sports teams, that I will share later this week.

Peace,

Jeff

Bigfoot Autobiography - Outstanding

I was at my sister's house last night for our traditional "late Thompson Christmas" and received the gift of literature from her. It was a book that, surprisingly, I had never heard of entitled "In Me Own Words - The Autobiography of Bigfoot." It is written and illustrated by Graham Roumieu, whose work has appeared in the New York Times. This book, in it's entirety, can be read in about 20 minutes.

And let me say, it is a pretty damn funny 20 minutes.

I was laughing so hard at parts of this book that I was tearing up. Now, I am a Sasquatch aficionado (no question), so I am apt to love any piece of work involving The Beast. I think even the Sasquatch novices out there will find it hilarious. The book is written in first-person by the legendary creature, complete with illustrations that were also created by him. He explains to the reader, among other things, why he lives in the woods, why he hates Chewbacca, details on his short-lived political career, his "lost phase" in Vegas with Koko the gorilla and explores the meaning of his dreams.

Here is an excerpt from the book, in which Bigfoot openly addresses his many stalkers (I hope he is not talking about me):

"If you going to chase, please NO spray with holy water. OK listen. I not know where all you morons come from but holy water no hurt Bigfoot. Garlic and Crucifix also no. Fire, pitchfork, silver bullet OK. Cryptonite do nothing. It not even real. Please stop sending letters asking "what you vulnerability? What Bigfoot?" Like I tell.

What next me bank account number? Why not you invest time in moving out of parent basement? Maybe have sex or something. Yes I be talking about you Steve. YOUUUUU! Stalking a crime Steve."

Fascinating. I wouldn't say this book is necessarily for young kids, as there is insight provided into Bigfoot's violent tendencies like eating people (not true!) and an episode with his friend Denis the squirrel that goes horribly wrong.

Overall, a very funny, quick read. I heavily recommend the book.

Peace.

Jeff