Check this out. I'm not even going to comment, but let me know what YOU think:
Hamas TV Kills Off Mickey Mouse Double
The Associated Press
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- A Mickey Mouse lookalike who preached Islamic domination on a Hamas-affiliated children's television program was beaten to death in the show's final episode Friday. In the final skit, "Farfour" was killed by an actor posing as an Israeli official trying to buy Farfour's land. At one point, the mouse called the Israeli a "terrorist."
"Farfour was martyred while defending his land," said Sara, the teen presenter. He was killed "by the killers of children," she added.
The weekly show, featuring a giant black-and-white rodent with a high-pitched voice, had attracted worldwide attention because the character urged Palestinian children to fight Israel. It was broadcast on Hamas-affiliated Al Aqsa TV.
Station officials said Friday that Farfour was taken off the air to make room for new programs. Station manager Mohammed Bilal said he did not know what would be shown instead.
Israeli officials have denounced the program, "Tomorrow's Pioneers," as incendiary and outrageous. The program was also opposed by the state-run Palestinian Broadcasting Corp., which is controlled by Fatah, Hamas' rival.
That is hilarious! What will they think of next?
Peace,
Jeff
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Possible Road Trip to Upper Michigan
Those of you who read my recent post about Cabin season no doubt remember this phrase:
...my children love the cabin and can't wait for the next trip up there. They seem to have no fear of the critters. (By the way, there have been no Sasquatch sightings at the cabin, but I have my suspicions).
I am sure that last sentence sent chills up and down your spine. Well, here is something even spookier. Not a week after I wrote those words, the following article appeared on MSNBC.com:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19443010/?GT1=10056
Yes, that's right. Scientists are traveling to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to prove that Bigfoot (I prefer...Sasquatch) is no myth. (As if there are still pockets of people who believe The Sasquatch is a myth, for God sakes). The spooky part of the story is the fact that my in-laws cabin is literally "yards" from the U.P. of Michigan. It's right across the river! This confirms my suspicions. As the article states, Matthew Moneymaker (unfortunate name) of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO to me and you) will seek out locals in the U.P. who may have seen a Bigfoot or had a strange encounter. Let me tell you - I have met some locals from up that way in some area taverns, and a good number of them have had some seriously strange encounters. No question.
Here is another fact that will sway any of you Doubting Thomases that may be reading this:
In all but three of 30 expeditions in the United States and Canada, BFRO investigators have either glimpsed Bigfoot or gotten close enough to hear the creature, Moneymaker said.
That is 27 out of 30 expeditions in which the BFRO has either saw the creature, found a footprint, heard a grunt, saw a dead goat under a rock (inside joke), etc. That's 90 frickin' percent. Only three expeditions have been utter disasters or duds. Or The Sasquatch has simply managed to elude the BFRO three times.
Here is the only problem that I have with the story. Check out this picture of a supposed Sasquatch statue:
...my children love the cabin and can't wait for the next trip up there. They seem to have no fear of the critters. (By the way, there have been no Sasquatch sightings at the cabin, but I have my suspicions).
I am sure that last sentence sent chills up and down your spine. Well, here is something even spookier. Not a week after I wrote those words, the following article appeared on MSNBC.com:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19443010/?GT1=10056
Yes, that's right. Scientists are traveling to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to prove that Bigfoot (I prefer...Sasquatch) is no myth. (As if there are still pockets of people who believe The Sasquatch is a myth, for God sakes). The spooky part of the story is the fact that my in-laws cabin is literally "yards" from the U.P. of Michigan. It's right across the river! This confirms my suspicions. As the article states, Matthew Moneymaker (unfortunate name) of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO to me and you) will seek out locals in the U.P. who may have seen a Bigfoot or had a strange encounter. Let me tell you - I have met some locals from up that way in some area taverns, and a good number of them have had some seriously strange encounters. No question.
Here is another fact that will sway any of you Doubting Thomases that may be reading this:
In all but three of 30 expeditions in the United States and Canada, BFRO investigators have either glimpsed Bigfoot or gotten close enough to hear the creature, Moneymaker said.
That is 27 out of 30 expeditions in which the BFRO has either saw the creature, found a footprint, heard a grunt, saw a dead goat under a rock (inside joke), etc. That's 90 frickin' percent. Only three expeditions have been utter disasters or duds. Or The Sasquatch has simply managed to elude the BFRO three times.
Here is the only problem that I have with the story. Check out this picture of a supposed Sasquatch statue:
Who the hell is that? I'll tell you who - that is Kris Kristofferson. This is The Sasquatch:
Let's get it right, people. Or I'll sic the BFRO on you!
Peace, and happy Sasquatch hunting!
Jeff
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
In The Paper
I'm famous. I'm in today's edition of the Star Tribune. And no, it's not the police blotter. I have a Letter to the Editor about - the stadium land! I was inspired to send it to the paper while writing my last post. Here you go - check out the top letter.
It's damn funny.
http://www.startribune.com/563/story/1270055.html
Peace,
Jeff
It's damn funny.
http://www.startribune.com/563/story/1270055.html
Peace,
Jeff
Monday, June 25, 2007
$65.375 Million Dollars
Delusional: A persistent belief in something false; typical of some mental disorders.
News item: Condemnation hearings began today in Hennepin County to determine the value of the Rapid Park site that the new Twins ballpark will be built upon. I'm sure you recall (doesn't everyone?) that Hennepin County and the Twins have taken over the site and have began the clearing process for construction of the stadium. Now it's time to find our what HC and the Twins have to pay the Land owners - Land Partners II. For months, Hennepin County officials have maintained that the land is worth approximately $13.75 million dollars. The land owners, by the way, have been paying taxes on the land which has an assessed value of $8 million dollars. LP II has never said publicly what they believe the value of their land to be. Until today, that is. It was revealed at today's hearing that LPII is seeking the following amount from Hennepin County and the Minnesota Twins (drum roll please):
$65.375 million dollars.
That is sixty-five million, three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. Why not? Why not a hundred gazzion trillion percillion (as my youngest son would say) dollars? My first reaction to the news was a mental image of that scene in Austin Powers in which Dr. Evil goes back in time to the 1960's and informs the leaders of the world that he will blow the planet up with his "laser beam" unless they pay him the ransom of "One.................Billion..................Dollars!"
LPII has recently portraying themselves as the keeper of widow's and orphan's land. How could they, in good conscience, sell for less than "it's real worth?" It's like Latrell Sprewell once said - "I got a family to feed." Never mind that it was the owners of The Rapid Park site actually came up with the idea to build a Twins ballpark on the site, and named it "Twinsville." A Web site was even created in which interested parties could purchase a Twinsville T-shirt and link to politicians e-mails to throw their support behind the ballpark.
What happened? My opinion (What Jeff Thinks) is that LPII counted on this deal going to court through condemnation since Day 1. Who can blame them for wanting to squeeze every nickel from Hennepin County and the Twins for themselves and the widows? I just think it's slimy the way LPII went about this whole deal. They never came to the bargaining table with a price (i.e. waiting for condemnation and a court decision on the price). Hennepin County is not without blame, however. One word of advice to Hennepin County for next time: Next time you decide to build a structure, it's always good to own the land it will sit on. All in all, I'm just glad they're building the thing.
Anyway, if LPII can get $65,375,000 for their parking lot in North Minneapolis by the garbage burner, I figure I can make some cash money on some of my possessions. I'm a willing seller, and I'm going to "one up" LPII - I'm going to name the price. So here you go readers.
1997 Ford Escort. Sweet ride. 93,000 miles. A few hail marks: $101,580
1999 Chevy Suburban. 126,000 miles. Big everything. Broken rear-view mirror: $425,987
Modest St. Paul Como Park House. 3 bedroom , 2 bath. 2-car garage. $2,987,456
Used Twins hat: $126
12 Pack of Diet Coke: $42.50
New Wilco CD. Very cool. $86.75
Please let me know if you are interested in any of these items. First come, first serve!
Jeff
News item: Condemnation hearings began today in Hennepin County to determine the value of the Rapid Park site that the new Twins ballpark will be built upon. I'm sure you recall (doesn't everyone?) that Hennepin County and the Twins have taken over the site and have began the clearing process for construction of the stadium. Now it's time to find our what HC and the Twins have to pay the Land owners - Land Partners II. For months, Hennepin County officials have maintained that the land is worth approximately $13.75 million dollars. The land owners, by the way, have been paying taxes on the land which has an assessed value of $8 million dollars. LP II has never said publicly what they believe the value of their land to be. Until today, that is. It was revealed at today's hearing that LPII is seeking the following amount from Hennepin County and the Minnesota Twins (drum roll please):
$65.375 million dollars.
That is sixty-five million, three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. Why not? Why not a hundred gazzion trillion percillion (as my youngest son would say) dollars? My first reaction to the news was a mental image of that scene in Austin Powers in which Dr. Evil goes back in time to the 1960's and informs the leaders of the world that he will blow the planet up with his "laser beam" unless they pay him the ransom of "One.................Billion..................Dollars!"
LPII has recently portraying themselves as the keeper of widow's and orphan's land. How could they, in good conscience, sell for less than "it's real worth?" It's like Latrell Sprewell once said - "I got a family to feed." Never mind that it was the owners of The Rapid Park site actually came up with the idea to build a Twins ballpark on the site, and named it "Twinsville." A Web site was even created in which interested parties could purchase a Twinsville T-shirt and link to politicians e-mails to throw their support behind the ballpark.What happened? My opinion (What Jeff Thinks) is that LPII counted on this deal going to court through condemnation since Day 1. Who can blame them for wanting to squeeze every nickel from Hennepin County and the Twins for themselves and the widows? I just think it's slimy the way LPII went about this whole deal. They never came to the bargaining table with a price (i.e. waiting for condemnation and a court decision on the price). Hennepin County is not without blame, however. One word of advice to Hennepin County for next time: Next time you decide to build a structure, it's always good to own the land it will sit on. All in all, I'm just glad they're building the thing.
Anyway, if LPII can get $65,375,000 for their parking lot in North Minneapolis by the garbage burner, I figure I can make some cash money on some of my possessions. I'm a willing seller, and I'm going to "one up" LPII - I'm going to name the price. So here you go readers.
1997 Ford Escort. Sweet ride. 93,000 miles. A few hail marks: $101,580
1999 Chevy Suburban. 126,000 miles. Big everything. Broken rear-view mirror: $425,987
Modest St. Paul Como Park House. 3 bedroom , 2 bath. 2-car garage. $2,987,456
Used Twins hat: $126
12 Pack of Diet Coke: $42.50
New Wilco CD. Very cool. $86.75
Please let me know if you are interested in any of these items. First come, first serve!
Jeff
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Cabin Season
Patrick Ruesse, my favorite sports writer from the Star Tribune, has done it again. He has written a humorous column devoted to going to The Cabin. As you all know, Cabin Season is here again. Here is the article for your reading pleasure:
http://www.startribune.com/reusse/story/1263634.html
My family will soon be making the 6-hour trip to my in-laws cabin in North Eastern Wisconsin. For this trip, we virtually pack everything we own into the Suburban. I mean everything. Considering the drive is 6 hours, my kids actually do quite well. As long as we have snacks, we're ok. The all time record, by the way, for one of my kids asking for a snack on the way to the cabin is our alley in back of our house. We literally backed out of our garage into the alley, put the Suburban in drive, and heard "I'm hunnnnngry." We only had 5 hours and 59 minutes to go.
When I was a kid, if we drove anywhere over 45 minutes I became a miserable, whining, crying, "I have car-sickness," "Are we there yet?" complaining, Pain In The Ass. This is reason #56 why my parents did not own a cabin. (Reason #1 was that my mom was kind of a neat freak and hated rodents. A cabin out in the woods with some stray mice running around would have been quite a source of anxiety for her).
My parents were members of Hillcrest Country Club in Eau Claire, which was a mere 4-minute drive from our house (no complaining there). They spent their summers golfing, and I spent my summers in the Hillcrest swimming pool (which hovered around 62 degrees). I very much enjoyed my time spent growing up at Hillcrest, however. Lots of nice people, good memories, etc. The only real drawback back then is that it took my feathered 1970's hair quite a long time to dry. That would not be a problem today. Due to the time spent at The Club, my parents both became excellent golfers, which has obviously skipped a generation.
My wife had a different experience while growing up. Her family spent their free time at their cabin in NE Wisconsin, on a lovely spot on the Menominee river. The cabin has been in their family for generations, and is a source of pride and great memories for all of them. They actively laugh at me for my reactions to various critters, especially bats, at the cabin. Now, my children love the cabin and can't wait for the next trip up there. They seem to have no fear of the critters. (By the way, there have been no Sasquatch sightings at the cabin, but I have my suspicions) It warms my heart that they all enjoy spending time outside, fishing, swimming in the river, etc. These are all of the things that I did not experience at The Club. I tried fishing once at The Club, but there were no good fish in the water hazard on #7.
Anyway, enjoy the summer and the cabin!
Peace,
Jeff
http://www.startribune.com/reusse/story/1263634.html
My family will soon be making the 6-hour trip to my in-laws cabin in North Eastern Wisconsin. For this trip, we virtually pack everything we own into the Suburban. I mean everything. Considering the drive is 6 hours, my kids actually do quite well. As long as we have snacks, we're ok. The all time record, by the way, for one of my kids asking for a snack on the way to the cabin is our alley in back of our house. We literally backed out of our garage into the alley, put the Suburban in drive, and heard "I'm hunnnnngry." We only had 5 hours and 59 minutes to go.
When I was a kid, if we drove anywhere over 45 minutes I became a miserable, whining, crying, "I have car-sickness," "Are we there yet?" complaining, Pain In The Ass. This is reason #56 why my parents did not own a cabin. (Reason #1 was that my mom was kind of a neat freak and hated rodents. A cabin out in the woods with some stray mice running around would have been quite a source of anxiety for her).
My parents were members of Hillcrest Country Club in Eau Claire, which was a mere 4-minute drive from our house (no complaining there). They spent their summers golfing, and I spent my summers in the Hillcrest swimming pool (which hovered around 62 degrees). I very much enjoyed my time spent growing up at Hillcrest, however. Lots of nice people, good memories, etc. The only real drawback back then is that it took my feathered 1970's hair quite a long time to dry. That would not be a problem today. Due to the time spent at The Club, my parents both became excellent golfers, which has obviously skipped a generation.
My wife had a different experience while growing up. Her family spent their free time at their cabin in NE Wisconsin, on a lovely spot on the Menominee river. The cabin has been in their family for generations, and is a source of pride and great memories for all of them. They actively laugh at me for my reactions to various critters, especially bats, at the cabin. Now, my children love the cabin and can't wait for the next trip up there. They seem to have no fear of the critters. (By the way, there have been no Sasquatch sightings at the cabin, but I have my suspicions) It warms my heart that they all enjoy spending time outside, fishing, swimming in the river, etc. These are all of the things that I did not experience at The Club. I tried fishing once at The Club, but there were no good fish in the water hazard on #7.
Anyway, enjoy the summer and the cabin!
Peace,
Jeff
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
You Big Dummies
I don't know about you, but I am beginning to suspect that some of the players in the National Football League might not be the smartest individuals to walk the Earth. Granted, I have been following the Minnesota Vikings for the last 35 years, and they have provided me with more than enough material to lead to this belief. Now, however, I'm beginning to notice that an increasing number of individuals from other squads are also doing stupid things and getting into trouble with The Law. Take the entire Cincinnati Bengal team, for instance. Simply put, they're all criminals. Every last one of them. I've also noticed that the combination of a football player and a strip club can lead to no good at all. There is the example of everybody's favorite citizen, Pac-Man Jones. Nothing good can come from $81,000 in one-dollar bills, a few guns, and a guy named Pac-Man. We all know what happened a few months back at a strip club in Vegas. Now, amazingly, after being banned from the NFL for a year and possibly facing felony charges, Pac-Man decided to return to a strip club for a couple of lap dances. What could it hurt. Here's what:
Jones Faces Two Felony Charges in Las Vegas Club Fight
By Aaron Kuriloff
June 20 (Bloomberg) -- Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones, suspended for the 2007 season after repeated run-ins with the law, was charged with coercion involving a fight in a Las Vegas strip club that that left an employee paralyzed.
The Clark County District Attorney charged the National Football League player with two felony counts. Jones threatened to kill club employees and bit one of them on the ankle, according to court papers. Jones's lawyer, Manny Arora, didn't immediately return a call to his mobile phone seeking comment.
For the love of God, Pac-Man, can't you just rent some pornos and stay home? The public would be much safer. It's like Pac-Man thinks he's in Pulp Fiction or something. He not only threatened to "kill" club employees - hit bit one on the ankle. How? The man is insane. I bet those Titans "Jones" jerseys are not selling too well in the kids section in Tennessee JC Pennies.
Members of the Packers are even getting in on the action, for Cliff's sake, although you may not have heard about it. Here's the latest that I found hidden on page B23 of the Local section of the Milwaukee Journal:
Green Bay - Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett might have picked the worst time to find himself in trouble. The fourth-year veteran was arrested Sunday morning in Appleton on battery charges and posted $500 bond. He was not at practice on Monday or available for comment. The Packers are not only upset about the incident, they are concerned about the consequences. On the day that Barnett signed his six-year, $34.85 million contract extension with the Packers on April 10, National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell disclosed his new, tougher conduct policy.
"The officers had learned that earlier a disturbance had occurred inside where Mr. Barnett had pushed down a female inside the bar," DeWall said. "Based upon that information, some witnesses and information we obtained from the victim, we arrested him for battery."
The confrontation created a stir in the entertainment district of Appleton, so about a dozen officers arrived at the scene to control the crowd.
Initially, Appleton police said they thought Barnett was arguing with the club's owner. But the owner, Kathy Peotter, denied that, saying she was working and bartending when she saw Barnett exit Wet. It is not clear with whom Barnett was arguing outside the club, but Peotter said Barnett looked unhappy when he left. Peotter said several Packers were at her club Thursday, Friday and Saturday and she knew Barnett somewhat.
"He's always been a gentleman. I've never seen him drunk or crazy," Peotter said.
For sure. Now, we all know, Packer fans, that this probably never happened. Right? I'm sure Barnett was on his way to a charity function and stopped at the bar for directions.
But lets' get back to the Minnesota Vikings. One of the most recent examples of Viking idiocy is The Boat Cruise on Lake Minnetonka. We all know the story. Booze, women, gambling, Vikings. A bad combination. A recent interview, however, with ex-Viking Fred (Smootzie) Smoot has made me rethink the whole thing. For those of you who don't remember Smootzie, he was the fast-talking Cornerback the Vikes picked up from the Washington Redskins. Well, he's back with the Redskins. He always reminded me of LaMont's friend Rollo Larson in Sanford and Son.
According to Smootzie, "Nothing happened on that boat." I believe Smoot should define "nothing." It's like when I hear a huge CRASH up in my kids room and I ask them what happened and they say "...nothing." Here's some more of Smoot's thoughts:
"No one touched a woman," Smoot said in the article. "There were no DUIs. We were driven home in limos. As soon as we were accused, it was like, 'They're football players. They must be guilty.' Yes, we drank, but we were all old enough to drink. There were women on the boat, but no one touched them. There was no sex party. We're smarter than that. Believe me, it was hard talking to my mother after the story broke. But after I explained to her what really happened, she understood."
More Smoot wisdom:
"I wasn't the organizer," said Smoot, who pled guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct and was ordered to perform 48 hours of community service and pay $2,000 in fines. "I was the new guy. I was along for the ride. The media took the four guys with the biggest contracts -- me, Daunte Culpepper, Bryant McKinnie and Moe Williams -- and blew the story out of proportion."
Smoot was a bit off in his calculations, considering Williams, a backup running back, had a base salary of $665,000 that season.
"... Look at the criminal charges," Smoot continued: "Disturbing the peace. A $1,000 fine. Do you think that's what it would've been if anything had happened?"
Well, there you have it. Rollo, I mean Smootzie, waz framed. This makes me wonder about Pac Man, and the Bengals. Maybe these are all made up stories to make the NFL look bad! Well, maybe not Pac Man. He's nuts.
Peace,
Jeff
Jones Faces Two Felony Charges in Las Vegas Club Fight
By Aaron Kuriloff
June 20 (Bloomberg) -- Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones, suspended for the 2007 season after repeated run-ins with the law, was charged with coercion involving a fight in a Las Vegas strip club that that left an employee paralyzed.
The Clark County District Attorney charged the National Football League player with two felony counts. Jones threatened to kill club employees and bit one of them on the ankle, according to court papers. Jones's lawyer, Manny Arora, didn't immediately return a call to his mobile phone seeking comment.
For the love of God, Pac-Man, can't you just rent some pornos and stay home? The public would be much safer. It's like Pac-Man thinks he's in Pulp Fiction or something. He not only threatened to "kill" club employees - hit bit one on the ankle. How? The man is insane. I bet those Titans "Jones" jerseys are not selling too well in the kids section in Tennessee JC Pennies.
Members of the Packers are even getting in on the action, for Cliff's sake, although you may not have heard about it. Here's the latest that I found hidden on page B23 of the Local section of the Milwaukee Journal:
Green Bay - Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett might have picked the worst time to find himself in trouble. The fourth-year veteran was arrested Sunday morning in Appleton on battery charges and posted $500 bond. He was not at practice on Monday or available for comment. The Packers are not only upset about the incident, they are concerned about the consequences. On the day that Barnett signed his six-year, $34.85 million contract extension with the Packers on April 10, National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell disclosed his new, tougher conduct policy.
"The officers had learned that earlier a disturbance had occurred inside where Mr. Barnett had pushed down a female inside the bar," DeWall said. "Based upon that information, some witnesses and information we obtained from the victim, we arrested him for battery."
The confrontation created a stir in the entertainment district of Appleton, so about a dozen officers arrived at the scene to control the crowd.
Initially, Appleton police said they thought Barnett was arguing with the club's owner. But the owner, Kathy Peotter, denied that, saying she was working and bartending when she saw Barnett exit Wet. It is not clear with whom Barnett was arguing outside the club, but Peotter said Barnett looked unhappy when he left. Peotter said several Packers were at her club Thursday, Friday and Saturday and she knew Barnett somewhat.
"He's always been a gentleman. I've never seen him drunk or crazy," Peotter said.
For sure. Now, we all know, Packer fans, that this probably never happened. Right? I'm sure Barnett was on his way to a charity function and stopped at the bar for directions.
But lets' get back to the Minnesota Vikings. One of the most recent examples of Viking idiocy is The Boat Cruise on Lake Minnetonka. We all know the story. Booze, women, gambling, Vikings. A bad combination. A recent interview, however, with ex-Viking Fred (Smootzie) Smoot has made me rethink the whole thing. For those of you who don't remember Smootzie, he was the fast-talking Cornerback the Vikes picked up from the Washington Redskins. Well, he's back with the Redskins. He always reminded me of LaMont's friend Rollo Larson in Sanford and Son.
According to Smootzie, "Nothing happened on that boat." I believe Smoot should define "nothing." It's like when I hear a huge CRASH up in my kids room and I ask them what happened and they say "...nothing." Here's some more of Smoot's thoughts:"No one touched a woman," Smoot said in the article. "There were no DUIs. We were driven home in limos. As soon as we were accused, it was like, 'They're football players. They must be guilty.' Yes, we drank, but we were all old enough to drink. There were women on the boat, but no one touched them. There was no sex party. We're smarter than that. Believe me, it was hard talking to my mother after the story broke. But after I explained to her what really happened, she understood."
More Smoot wisdom:
"I wasn't the organizer," said Smoot, who pled guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct and was ordered to perform 48 hours of community service and pay $2,000 in fines. "I was the new guy. I was along for the ride. The media took the four guys with the biggest contracts -- me, Daunte Culpepper, Bryant McKinnie and Moe Williams -- and blew the story out of proportion."
Smoot was a bit off in his calculations, considering Williams, a backup running back, had a base salary of $665,000 that season.
"... Look at the criminal charges," Smoot continued: "Disturbing the peace. A $1,000 fine. Do you think that's what it would've been if anything had happened?"
Well, there you have it. Rollo, I mean Smootzie, waz framed. This makes me wonder about Pac Man, and the Bengals. Maybe these are all made up stories to make the NFL look bad! Well, maybe not Pac Man. He's nuts.
Peace,
Jeff
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Random Thoughts on the World of Sport
Hey everyone, I'm in another period of writer's block in which I don't have any in-depth opinions on hard-hitting topics like war, terrorism or the Sasquatch. So, it's time to jot down some thoughts on the sports world.
1. Twins pitching. The good news is that the Twins are only 5 1/2 games back in the AL Central. The bad news is that they continue to employ at least one pitcher in the starting rotation who is a guaranteed loss. Early in the year, it was Sydney "Pontoon Boat" Ponson. After he was given his walking papers, Ramon "He's Really A Nice Guy" Ortiz was next in line. Now that Ortiz has been banished to long-relief in the bullpen, this "honor" belongs to Scott "The Home Run Maker" Baker. (Some people refer to Baker as "The Bomb Maker," but this has different connotations in today's violent world).
Personally, I have never witnessed a pitcher who is so successful in the Minors, yet gets so completely shelled in the Majors as Baker. I was the Brewers that did the shelling last night. I happened to turn on the game after my son's ballgame last night. The Twins were up 1-0, but the Brewers loaded the bases on two singles and a hit batsman (of course). Geoff (wrong spelling of the name) Jenkins was up next. To guess what happened next, all you have to do is remember Baker's aforementioned nickname. Sure enough, Jenkins blasted a Grand Slam, and the Brew Crew led 4-1. Just like that. Baker went 4 2/3, and then Ortiz was brought in to mop-up. He was able to "shut down" the Brewers, allowing 5 ER on 8 hits in 4 1/3 IP. Not exactly Goose Gossage-like.
If the Twins want to contend this year, they cannot continue to parade guys like Ponson, Ortiz and Baker out to mound. I understand the low-risk experiments with Ponson and Ortiz, but Baker has been provided with too many chances. Baker has no "Out Pitch" in the Majors. The Twins did the right thing in bringing up Kevin Slowey, and now must bring up Matt Garza to provide him with needed experience at The Major League Level (copyright Bert Blyleven). Otherwise, this season will slowly slip away.
And, by the way, for the love of God get rid of Lew Ford. He is absolutely killing me.
2. Vikings buy Star Tribune land near Metrodome. Nothing is as painful in the state of Minnesota as a team trying to land a new stadium. It took the Twins a decade of gut-wrenching debate to convince the combination of Euphorian Democrats (what about the kids?) and No-Taxes Republicans (Paved roads? Who needs 'em?) at The Legislature that they needed a stadium. Now, it's the Vikings turn. For starters, they have purchased the land around the Metrodome from the Star Tribune for $45 million dollars. This is intended to show the public and the politicians that they are serious about developing the area around the new stadium once the Dome is torn down. This turn of events officially leads us to the "Cool Reception By Politicians" phase of the stadium game. It's like clockwork, folks, and it's the same every time. Here are some quotes from a story in today's Star Tribune:
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert said he got a sense of "stadium fatigue" at the Capitol after bruising battles that last year resulted in approval of new stadiums for the Minnesota Twins and the University of Minnesota football team. Seifert, R-Marshall, said several Republicans probably lost close elections in November after favoring the Twins stadium.
"I cannot imagine that there would be state funding of a Vikings stadium," he said. "I can't fathom that Minneapolis or Hennepin County would be saddled with one more stadium. The citizens are smart enough to know that these bills that are nickel and diming people together add up after a while."
Even some of the Vikings' biggest political boosters in the past reacted coolly Friday.
"If I was in the Legislature, I would have to tell you it does not motivate me a whole lot," said former Rep. Andy Westerberg, who sponsored the Vikings stadium proposal in Anoka County that ended last year; that proposal called for a $280 million commitment from county taxpayers.
"From everything I read and everything I've seen, I just don't see the value there for the taxpayer," he said of the Vikings' Minneapolis plans.
It actually warms my heart that we have officially made it to the "cool reception by politicians" phase of the issue. That means we have passed by the "artists renditions of the stadium are made public" phase. One minor detail the Vikings have to figure out, however, is how this thing would be paid for. I will reiterate that I believe that the Vikings should play in a renovated Metrodome rather than a brand new stadium. I truly believe the Legislature is much more likely to approve funding to renovate the existing Dome (which the Vikings HAD to have) than approve a new building. I will also reiterate that my official position remains that my life (and blood pressure) would actually IMPROVE if the Vikings left town. So there. We'll see what happens.
3. Wild resigns Backstrom for two more years. The Wild continue to do an outstanding job retaining their own players. They probably won't be able to afford any free agents unless they can trade Manny Fernandez and his contract, but you have to hand it to the Wild for retaining virtually all of their home-grown talent. This is a huge reason that I will continue to purchase my (very limited) Wild season tickets.
That's all for now.
Peace,
Jeff
1. Twins pitching. The good news is that the Twins are only 5 1/2 games back in the AL Central. The bad news is that they continue to employ at least one pitcher in the starting rotation who is a guaranteed loss. Early in the year, it was Sydney "Pontoon Boat" Ponson. After he was given his walking papers, Ramon "He's Really A Nice Guy" Ortiz was next in line. Now that Ortiz has been banished to long-relief in the bullpen, this "honor" belongs to Scott "The Home Run Maker" Baker. (Some people refer to Baker as "The Bomb Maker," but this has different connotations in today's violent world).
Personally, I have never witnessed a pitcher who is so successful in the Minors, yet gets so completely shelled in the Majors as Baker. I was the Brewers that did the shelling last night. I happened to turn on the game after my son's ballgame last night. The Twins were up 1-0, but the Brewers loaded the bases on two singles and a hit batsman (of course). Geoff (wrong spelling of the name) Jenkins was up next. To guess what happened next, all you have to do is remember Baker's aforementioned nickname. Sure enough, Jenkins blasted a Grand Slam, and the Brew Crew led 4-1. Just like that. Baker went 4 2/3, and then Ortiz was brought in to mop-up. He was able to "shut down" the Brewers, allowing 5 ER on 8 hits in 4 1/3 IP. Not exactly Goose Gossage-like.
If the Twins want to contend this year, they cannot continue to parade guys like Ponson, Ortiz and Baker out to mound. I understand the low-risk experiments with Ponson and Ortiz, but Baker has been provided with too many chances. Baker has no "Out Pitch" in the Majors. The Twins did the right thing in bringing up Kevin Slowey, and now must bring up Matt Garza to provide him with needed experience at The Major League Level (copyright Bert Blyleven). Otherwise, this season will slowly slip away.
And, by the way, for the love of God get rid of Lew Ford. He is absolutely killing me.
2. Vikings buy Star Tribune land near Metrodome. Nothing is as painful in the state of Minnesota as a team trying to land a new stadium. It took the Twins a decade of gut-wrenching debate to convince the combination of Euphorian Democrats (what about the kids?) and No-Taxes Republicans (Paved roads? Who needs 'em?) at The Legislature that they needed a stadium. Now, it's the Vikings turn. For starters, they have purchased the land around the Metrodome from the Star Tribune for $45 million dollars. This is intended to show the public and the politicians that they are serious about developing the area around the new stadium once the Dome is torn down. This turn of events officially leads us to the "Cool Reception By Politicians" phase of the stadium game. It's like clockwork, folks, and it's the same every time. Here are some quotes from a story in today's Star Tribune:
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert said he got a sense of "stadium fatigue" at the Capitol after bruising battles that last year resulted in approval of new stadiums for the Minnesota Twins and the University of Minnesota football team. Seifert, R-Marshall, said several Republicans probably lost close elections in November after favoring the Twins stadium.
"I cannot imagine that there would be state funding of a Vikings stadium," he said. "I can't fathom that Minneapolis or Hennepin County would be saddled with one more stadium. The citizens are smart enough to know that these bills that are nickel and diming people together add up after a while."
Even some of the Vikings' biggest political boosters in the past reacted coolly Friday.
"If I was in the Legislature, I would have to tell you it does not motivate me a whole lot," said former Rep. Andy Westerberg, who sponsored the Vikings stadium proposal in Anoka County that ended last year; that proposal called for a $280 million commitment from county taxpayers.
"From everything I read and everything I've seen, I just don't see the value there for the taxpayer," he said of the Vikings' Minneapolis plans.
It actually warms my heart that we have officially made it to the "cool reception by politicians" phase of the issue. That means we have passed by the "artists renditions of the stadium are made public" phase. One minor detail the Vikings have to figure out, however, is how this thing would be paid for. I will reiterate that I believe that the Vikings should play in a renovated Metrodome rather than a brand new stadium. I truly believe the Legislature is much more likely to approve funding to renovate the existing Dome (which the Vikings HAD to have) than approve a new building. I will also reiterate that my official position remains that my life (and blood pressure) would actually IMPROVE if the Vikings left town. So there. We'll see what happens.
3. Wild resigns Backstrom for two more years. The Wild continue to do an outstanding job retaining their own players. They probably won't be able to afford any free agents unless they can trade Manny Fernandez and his contract, but you have to hand it to the Wild for retaining virtually all of their home-grown talent. This is a huge reason that I will continue to purchase my (very limited) Wild season tickets.
That's all for now.
Peace,
Jeff
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