Klobuchar on Favre

There is a lot of crap being written right now on the Brett Favre saga, and rightfully so. Just for "fun" one evening, I checked out some Viking, Packer and Bear blogs online and was (surprisingly) amazed at the level of hatred, angst, insults and on the flip side love, adulation and praise being hurled at Favre and the Viking and Packer franchises. The odd part to me, as I wrote in one of my posts, to have much of the "love" being written from the Viking perspective and most of the "hate" coming from the Packer perspective - a complete 180. The Bear blogs, of course, hate everything which is no surprise.

Leave it to Jim Klobuchar, one of the finest local writers of all-time in my opinion, to write a piece on Favre that speaks in common sense rather than emotion. He wrote it for the MinnPost web site, and I think it's worth a read. Here it is. Let me know what you think.

Perhaps the oddest thing of all is that I have gone from mocking Brett Favre on this blog to (sort of) defending him. Why? My own bias. He's a Viking instead of a Packer - no other reason. It's going to be a strange season.


Jeff

Target Field Grass Installed - And A Controversy!

The new grass is being installed in Target Field this week, which is the kind of event that has me hyperventilating into a bag (seriously). After 27 years of playing baseball on a cement-like carpet, the Minnesota Twins will finally get to play baseball on "the real stuff" in 2010.

The installation of the grass is not without controversy, however. We all know that nothing - absolutely nothing- happens in this day in age without controversy. People are waiting and itching to be offended. You see, the grass being installed in Target Field was grown in.... (gasp!)........Colorado! The Twins decided to go with a Colorado company called Graffs which specializes in growing grass for stadiums. They have supplied grass for Wrigley Field, Busch Stadium, Coors Field and Norte Dame football, among others.

Virtually every media outlet in the Twin Cities today featured stories from pissed off Minnesota sod farmers claiming that they should have been selected to provide the grass for Target Field. From today's StarTribune:

Minnesota turf farmers are complaining that they were not given a chance to grow the sod locally. They have pointed out the added expense of contracting with Graff's and shipping the turf all the way from Colorado in refrigerated trucks.

"I think we could have done it certainly for less," said Gary Blocker, who farms sod 50 miles northwest of Duluth and is president of the Minnesota Turf Association. "They are getting a good product, but we wish it would have come from Minnesota."

Attached to this story in the Strib are, of course, numerous comments from assorted anonymous readers and wing nuts who are claiming that "the Twins don't care about Minnesota" and "haven't used Minnesota products on the stadium so why should we support them anyway."

OK. Let's everyone take a Valium, calm down (including "ukrbattle29" from the comments section, who apparently he, himself, had a hand in growing grass for Met stadium)and look at the facts. First, according to Dan Mehls, the Ballpark Coordinator for Mortenson Construction, 90% of construction costs will be spent on Minnesota materials and labor. For instance, all the limestone you see on the exterior of the ballpark is from Mankato. Minnesota.

Second, according to the article, the sod farms that were approached in Minnesota and Wisconsin had no experience growing grass for sports stadiums. None. Here's a quote from the Strib article:

"...the company and the team talked with sod farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin two years ago about getting them to provide the turf. But none of the local farmers had the proper growing sand or the expertise that the company was looking for as it created a professional baseball playing field, Mehls said Tuesday.

"They were willing to do the job, but it would have been their first time," he said. "That's not the place to take a risk. We're talking about the playing field of a Major League park."

I'll just say that, personally, I am glad the Twins decided to go with a company that has had prior experience growing grass for professional and college stadiums. I don't want the first real grass in a Minnesota MLB ballpark in 27 years to look like my backyard.

As I stated, this "non-issue" is just another reason for people to bitch and moan and find controversy and conspiracy.

Good thing I never bitch and moan and find controversy and conspiracy on this blog!

Peace,

Jeff

What Is Happening?

August 20th, 2009:

We live in a world in which Packer fans hate Brett Favre.

We live in a world in which Viking fans love Brett Favre.

We live in a world in which Packer fans are mocking Brett Favre and calling him a redneck.

We live in a world in which Vikings fans are calling Brett Favre the savior of their football team.

We live in a world in which Packer fans are burning Brett Favre jerseys.

We live in a world in which Viking fans are buying Brett Favre jerseys faster than stores can stock them.

I want to know what the hell is going on.

Jeff

Now Entering a Parallel Universe

First off, I have to give credit where credit is due. Jase (a die-hard Packer fan) has been right every step of the way with this crazy Favre thing. He has been the voice of reason, and 100% correct on each of Favre's next steps.

Secondly, regarding my July 28th Favre post: Nevermind.

I have to admit that I am a little giddy. As I have said, however, this has the potential to either turn this franchise around or backfire - big time. It's time to buckle up, folks. We're in for a very strange ride.

Jeff

It's Over. Thanks For Playing

August 13th, 2009. You can mark today down as the day the 2009 Minnesota Twins season officially ended. The Twins lost to the (horrible) Kansas City Royals, at home, to drop the series 2 games to 1. The Twins sit at 55 wins and 59 losses, 5 games behind the Detroit Tigers. Now, 5 games back in mid-August normally is not a death-sentence, but we're talking about the AL Central, the worst division in baseball. Even more importantly, if a miracle does take place and the Twins rally to win the AL Central, how do you think they would fare against the Angels, Boston or Yankees? They would get swept. So, with that in mind, it's time to admit that 2009 is a lost cause and start thinking about 2010, the first year at Target Field. Here are some things that the Twins need to consider in order to compete in 2010 (since I am sure Billy Smith is reading this):

1. Re-sign Joe Mauer. The Twins must realize that Joe Mauer is a goldmine to the organization. Local boy made good. He is the face of this franchise and they cannot afford to go into next year with his contract status unresolved. It would be a major distraction all year long. Speaking of re-signing Mauer, see #2.

2. New stadium - Increase the Payroll. The Twins needed a new stadium in order to compete with the rest of the league. And to compete with the rest of the league, they must increase the payroll by resigning their own stars and attracting free agents. They have always hovered in the $50-70 million range with their overall payroll. They had the Metrodome to blame for this. Now, they have their new stadium and have no excuses NOT to be in the $90-100 million range.

3. The Metrodome turf will be gone. This means that the "piranha" game plan should also be gone with that turf. The Twins need to build a team to play outside on real grass, not one that relies on beating out turf singles. This means that Alexi Casilla and Nick Punto most likely will no longer have a spot in this organization next year. Speaking of Casilla and Punto, see #4.

4. Figure out Second and Third Base. My guess is that Joe Crede is a one-year experiment due to his myriad on injuries and that Danny Valencia will be the Twins third-baseman next year. Valencia is hitting .287 in his first year at AAA, and has some power. The Twins, however, do not have a second baseman in the organization right now who can fill this major hole. My hope that they would pick up Freddy Sanchez this year was dashed. They need to go out and find a free agent at second base or make a trade. Speaking of free agency, see #4.

5. Find a veteran starting pitcher. The Twins 5 starting pitchers are all in their mid-20's. Even though most of them have taken a step back this year, I wouldn't necessarily give up on any of them. I wouldn't necessarily consider any of them "untouchable" in the trade market either (see #4 and #5). The team needs to find a veteran starter who can eat up innings and teach the young guys about "how to pitch."

6. Back-up Catcher. I love Mike Redmond and what he brings to the clubhouse. The time has come, however, to give the back-up job to Jose Morales, a improving defensive player and much better hitter, and find a place for Redmond on the coaching staff.

7. Figure out Delmon Young. Good luck with that.

8. Find an 8th-inning relief pitcher. An adequate 8th-inning bridge from a starter to Joe Nathan has been an issue ever since Pat Neshek was injured. The Twins have tried a few players without much luck in this spot and squandered some late-inning leads. There has to be a pitcher available via free agency that can fill this role.

So there. Those are the top 8 things that I can come up with to ensure the 2010 Twins will compete. The good news is they have a great base with Morneau, Nathan, Mauer and Kubel, and should have a sold-out new stadium with great revenue streams. We'll see what happens.

Jeff

Wolves Hire Kurt Rambis as Head Coach

You know, this might be just crazy enough to work out.

Beer Summit - A Very Underrated Idea

I have been thinking quite a bit lately about the recent "beer summit" held by President Obama at The White House. As I am sure you have heard, there was a little flare-up in Massachusetts between Harvard Professor Henry Gates and Cambridge police officer James Crowley. Officer Crowley basically arrested Gates, who is black, at Gates own house in Cambridge, MA after receiving calls about a possible break in. Gates, a highly-touted Harvard professor, cried racism by saying the arrest would have never happened if he happened to be white. Obama got involved when asked about the incident by the press, and stated that while he lacked facts about the case, the police appeared to "act stupidly." The whole thing blew up in the press, which led to "The Beer Summit." Obama invited Gates and Crowley to The White House to talk about the incident - face to face and man to man - over a beer.

Now, I happen to believe that most of the world's problems could be solved if more guys (and gals) would adopt this "beer summit" idea. This is a very underrated, and totally under-utilized idea. Grab a few beers, sit down face-to-face and talk it out. There might be some yelling. There might be some crying. But I am willing to bet that, most of the time, the conversation ends with a handshake and a solution. Hey - it worked for Crowley and Gates. The word is that their families might even go out to dinner together soon. That is what I am talking about! More world leaders need to hold beer summits. There are a few issues, however. Here they are:

1. I don't think one beer will suffice in most situations. To resolve most tough issues, at least a 12-pack may be required. Possibly even a case if the problem is really bad. The Russians could even drink vodka if they wanted to. My God, if Kennedy and Khrushchev would have held a beer summit during the Bay of Pigs crisis, they would have not only solved the missile crisis (and the cold war in general), they would have ended the day with a game of pool. Probably cried a little over how they were treated by their dads.

2. It is also important to not drink too many beers. If the parties involved knocked back too many toddies, they might solve the initial problem at hand but end up in World War III over which Led Zepplin album was the best.

3. I don't think this idea would work with the jihadists because they don't drink. Yet another reason not to trust this group. Personally, I think the jihadists could use a few beers and some shots of Yagermiester to mellow out a little bit. They need to laugh a little more - or laugh in general. Too much beheading and stuff going on. Mellow out, guys. If the jihadists wanted to bring bring a hooka or something, that would be OK but I don't know if that would end up solving problems. Pizzas would certainly be ordered, but nobody would remember the solution (or the conversation) the next day.

4. Lastly, the type of beer that is picked is very important. Obama made a crucial error in selecting the worst beer ever brewed - Bud Light. Horrible, and not even American-owned any more. Bud Light and it's spawn - Bud Light with Lime - are so bad that their badness is worthy of another full blog post. Gates, by the way, picked a Red Stripe Jamaican beer (ahh......I don't know about that choice) and Crowley selected a Blue Moon (pretty good choice). If it were me, I'd choose a Lenies product or a Summit product. If we're going quantity over quality (for a tough issue), Miller High Life, baby!

So that is what I think. Beer summits - the future of the world depends on them.

Jeff