About Sports Columnist, Mike Ankoviak:
Mike
Ankoviak is a resident of Champlin, MN & Henderson,
NV. He was
raised in Albert Lea, MN where his father,
Bill Ankoviak, finished his career as a
professional baseball
player. Along with his 5 brothers and sisters,
Mike was brought up on a steady diet of baseball,
golf, basketball, tennis, football, and mumbley peg.
He would spend his evenings scouring the paper for
the latest sports box scores. Today Mike's
appetite for sports continues. He has been a
season ticket holder for most of our pro sports
teams in the Twin Cities. He has been a part
owner of a race horse stabled at Canterbury downs,
and is an avid golfer and tennis player. You
may not agree with all of Mike's opinions but I
think you will agree that his insight into the
world of sports is always refreshing.
Send Mike an Email:
Mike@AnokaCountyOnline.com
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MARCH 29,
2019 SPORTS BLOG "HOPE
SPRINGS ETERNAL"
Baseball is back, and for the time being,
every team is a contender. Spring is the time
for endless optimism, hot dogs and cold beer
at the ball park (as long as it isn’t snowing)
and the Twins are in first place for a day,
and remain undefeated! But as my nephew Sam
said when I congratulated the Twins on their
opening day victory, “that will change”.
Actually I’m kind of quietly optimistic about
the Twins this year. They have some nice young
players and good free agent acquisitions. It
could be fun. I’m looking forward to getting
out to Target Field when I’m back in town. If
nothing else, for the great new food additions
that are being rolled out this season.
TARGET FIELD RESTAURANTS
(CLICK HERE)
Meanwhile the NHL is winding down, or cranking
up as the case may be if your team is in the
Playoff hunt. Unfortunately for the Wild, it
appears they will be on the outside looking in
this year. Unless they pull off a miracle and
win 4 out of their last 5 games, while
Colorado and Arizona collapse. It could
happen, but not likely. As I’ve been saying
for a number of years, the Wild have nice
players and a good team, but haven’t taken the
steps to add the studs in free agency that can
get a team to the next level. They visit the
Knights in Vegas tonight who they’ve had great
success against so we’ll see if that gets them
going. Our Knights are a point away from
clinching their playoff berth for the second
straight year of their existence. I like
their chances again to make a strong run at
the Cup so it will be super exciting down here
in the desert where hockey is king in this
town! A new State of Hockey perhaps?
Finally, it’s a big weekend of March Madness
too. The field is so strong this year, and the
Number 1 seeds are so deserving. I will not at
all be surprised to see all 4 number 1’s punch
their ticket to the Final 4 next weekend at US
Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. And it won’t be
below Zero with folks lining the skyways
looking to keep warm either! Of course I have
to pick Duke to win it all, but I’ve watched 4
or 5 teams that appear to be strong enough to
get it done. It should be a great weekend
finishing off the Sweet Sixteen, and then the
Final Four should be outstanding. Duke is my
pick, but I’ve got several underdog parlays
alive this weekend as we’re always looking for
a value in Vegas! On another note, it was fun
and gratifying to see the Gophers make the
Tourney and get a win under their belt. Here’s
hoping they can build on that.
Mike@SherburneCountyOnline.com
Click Here for Past Blogs |
Jan 30, 2019 Sports Blog
Super Bowl Preview
Boy it’s been a long time since I
wrote anything. Gosh, that’s how I started the last
one I wrote back in the summer (remember what summer
feels like?). How lame of me. I could blame it
on the Government shutdown, the Polar Vortex, or that
I broke my 6 year old laptop. But the truth is,
I told the boss, Mr. Solem, that my resolution this
year is to get a sports blog out every month. And in
January I was going to do a really cool recap of all
the Minnesota sports highlights of the preceding year.
So I’ve spent that last 3 weeks trying really hard to
come up with that story. I put the first one down as
the Minnesota Miracle (remember way back then..Keenum
to Diggs), and then I hit a huge stall!! I really
couldn’t think of anything else to write about. Call
it writers block, or the simple fact that there really
weren’t any highlights to talk about!! The Twins
stunk, and the Vikings bombed out of the playoffs last
season, and followed that up by signing an $84 million
QB and then missing the playoffs this recent season.
The T-Wolves finally made the playoffs as the 8 seed
and were one and done, as were the Wild. Gopher
basketball has been nearly anonymous. The Gopher
footballers actually won a bowl game, but if anyone
here can even remember what Bowl or who they played,
I’d send them a congratulatory letter and a MMGA Red
hat(make Minnesota great again in case you couldn’t
guess). Even the ever popular Lynx had an off year.
You get the point.
So
I had to refocus and write about something else.
And this time of year, what else is there but the
Super Bowl. It’s a great match up, the LA Rams
and the omnipresent Patriots. It’s been a great and
exciting season and I like this match up. To be the
best, you have to beat the best. All season long there
were teams expected to knock off the Patriots for the
top spot in the AFC, yet Brady and Belchichek
prevailed. Again. It will be Brady’s 9th
Super Bowl and that’s incredible. Unprecedented.
The NFC was pretty loaded with power house teams this
season. The favorite Saints, the powerful Rams and the
vastly improved Chicago Bears were at one point all
considered to be strong favorites over any AFC
representative. Then in the playoffs, the Rams
beat in succession the Bears, Cowboys and the Saints
(a little lucky there), yet they go into the big game
as a 2 and a ½ point underdog. There are over
400 prop bets for the Super Bowl. I usually throw out
a few long shots, players to score the first TD, will
there be a Safety or Defensive TD, etc. For this
one I’m going against my normal rule of never
betting against the Patriots, and taking the Rams. New
England is vulnerable to more physical teams that can
put pressure on Brady, and those that can run the
ball. The Rams can do both of those things. I’m
predicting a high scoring game with the Rams coming
out on top 37-34. So I’m betting the OVER as well.
Now, I’ve been known to be wrong a time or two, so as
I always say, don’t bet the farm!
I
was privileged to witness some golf history this past
month also. If you’re on social media you may have
seen or heard too. Patti (P) on January 4th
recorded a hole in one during our first round of the
New Year. It was pretty awesome. A 163 yard shot
with a hybrid on a beautiful downhill hole at South
Shore Golf Club. At that distance we weren’t sure if
it went in, or ended up just behind the hole….but of
course when we walked up to it, there it was in the
hole. That’s remarkable enough but then two weeks
later on January 19th, she got another one! This was
on an uphill Par 3 of about 85 yards, blind shot over
desert waste area and a sand bunker. I had driven the
cart around to the back of the green as she walked to
her tee box, so I was actually standing near the
green. I saw the flight of the ball, landing about 14
feet short of the pin and watched it rolled right in.
The first time in the 20 year history of the club that
anyone had two Aces in a month! The only bummer is
we’re on this great January resolution so we’re eating
healthy, working out 5 times a week, and not drinking.
But for this we made an exception. We celebrated
the first one with a shot of tequila, and the second
one with a martini. And for the record, that’s just
about all we’ve had for an entire month! (a couple of
ounces of Red Wine a few evenings…for medicinal
purposes only!!) So I guess the moral of the story is,
quit drinking and get a hole in one!! (Click on the
link below and scroll to the bottom of the page to
view a video of the par 3s at South Shore.)
South Shore Par 3s
So enjoy the Super Bowl. Watch some
golf this weekend as the Phoenix Open (Waste
Management Open) is one of the most exciting
tournaments of the year with the fantastic crowds.
Enjoy the warming trend too!! Until February.
Mike's Sports Blog:
Boy it’s been a long time since I wrote anything. It’s
easy to just say I’ve been so wrapped up in cheering
for our Golden Knights out here that I couldn’t be
distracted….and that’s the truth. All the rest of the
sports stuff that has happened seems insignificant
compared to the phenomenal story the Knights have
become this season. It’s the stuff legends are made of
and would make a great movie. Sure the Eagles won the
Super Bowl (who cares) and baseball season, blah blah
blah. Out here in the desert, it’s still hockey
season!
Back in January I posted a blog and said how they have
taken over the town of Vegas and were the story of the
season not even at the half way point. Well it’s only
gotten better. From the dramatic start following the 1
October tragedy in Vegas, they galvanized the city and
truly are one of the epic stories in all of sports.
If
you didn’t read the first article that I shared, it’s
still below and sets the tone for the attitude and
intensity of the team early on. But that was just the
beginning. They could have folded up and been a
typical expansion team, dumping veterans and looking
to the future, but they did the opposite. Management
went out and picked up veterans to add depth to an
already fiery, fast and high scoring team. The second
article below is a great story on the Minnesota
connection on the Knights team…..Erik Haula and Nate
Shmidt.
The third article is another story about how the team
banded together and turned into the Stanley Cup
finalist they now are. Also in that article, you can
click on another story showing actual betting slips at
anywhere from 100 up to 400 to one that local bettors
have come forward with. The Casinos will take a bit of
a thumping if/when the Knights bring home Lord
Stanley’s cup. Wish I had done it!
My prediction is the Golden Knights will win it all.
Whether they get Tampa Bay or Washington, they are on
a mission and I don’t believe they will be the denied.
It’s been the coolest sports adventure I’ve ever seen
or been a part of.
I
also am betting Justify will win the Triple Crown and
there’s even a prop bet combining the Knights for the
Cup and Justify winning the Triple Crown. I think I’ll
get on one of those too.
Oh yeah, big surprise, the Golden State Warriors will
take home the NBA Championship again.
Locally
in Minnesota, this past weekend witnessed the annual
spring scramble held down in Red Wing. The team led by
Katie “Par 3” Solem, along with Craig “long drive”
Zumwinkle, Nick “break on through” Sampson and Scottie
“Christian Brothers” McAdam took home the new American
Flag trophy. They crushed the field coming in at 6
under par. Congrats to the winners!
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/david-perron-vegas-golden-knights/
https://sinbin.vegas/nate-schmidt-and-erik-haula-a-love-story-made-for-the-golden-knights/
https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/05/vegas-golden-knights-are-made-up-of-misfits-thats-what-makes-them-such-a-success
Mike's Sports Blog Update:
I feel like Rip Van Winkle and I just
woke up from a long sleep! And boy did I have some
good dreams and a few nightmares too! I dreamt the
Twins made the playoffs, and the Yankees almost made
it to the World Series. I also had a dream that my new
favorite expansion team would be the hottest team in
hockey going into 2018. And then the nightmare…..that
Case Keenum would have a better season than Aaron
Rodgers and for the first time in 9 years the Packers
would miss the playoffs. Man, that would suck!
Then reality set in! And I looked back and
saw what an incredible second half of the sports year
it has been. Yes, the Twins really did make it to the
wild card playoff game! Paul Molitor was named Manager
of the Year for leading the no-name Twins to the
playoffs. And then they did get beat by the Yankees
who went on to fall just one game short of making it
to the World Series. Both the Twins and Yanks have
made offseason moves to improve their rosters so I
look forward to another fun baseball season this year.
The Yanks made one of the biggest free agent signings
by getting the Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton on a
contract. So the Yankee haters will be in full glory
as the best team money can buy just got better! I
can’t wait.
Then
football…..really a sucky year if you ask me! The
Packers were off to a 4-1 start when Rodgers went down
with a broken collar bone. This was compliments of a
questionable hit by the Vikes Anthony Barr and that
pretty much changed everything. The Vikings caught
fire and went on to become the #2 seed in the NFC
under Case Keenum’s leadership. (yup Case Keenum). And
the Packers went into a freefall and missed the
playoffs for the first time since 2008. Not exactly
what I had in mind when the season started. But that’s
the way it goes and now we’re in the playoffs. Time to
change my prediction. I’ll still stick with Brady and
the Patriots to win the Super Bowl, but I really
believe the Vikings can get thru the NFC and become
the first team to play in the Super Bowl hosting it at
their own stadium. It’s still going to take an
unbelievable effort to get there, but with their
defense, and Keenum playing mistake free football, I
think it can happen. I’m bummed I didn’t look that far
ahead and get a ticket on the Vikes going into the
season when they were 25-1. Now they are the second
favorite behind New England.
Out
here in Vegas everyone is super excited about hockey.
The Golden Knights have become a real Cinderella
story. The season started right after the tragic mass
shooting of October 1. Since then it seems the Knights
have galvanized the town and everyone is behind them.
The team has come together and is now such a force in
the community, it’s been amazing. I’ve never seen a
team get adopted as favorite sons as much and as
quickly as this has happened. Check out the article
below to see what I mean.
Lets not forget the Timberwolves. I had been
saying that this would be the season the Wolves would
make the climb to the playoffs. And so far it’s been a
fast ride to the top of the division. The team is
playing amazing and up to number 7 in the power
ratings. Playing in the Western Conference it would
seem an impossibility that they could advance very far
in the playoffs. But watching them they really have
the talent to play with the best of them. It will be
fun to be able to anticipate NBA playoff action again
in the Twin Cities.
Finally, I love living in Las Vegas.
Henderson actually. It’s the middle of winter, the
natives are cold and we have a tee time on Saturday!
Does it get any better!! Oh yeah, on the way home the
other night we stop at our neighborhood pub, and along
with a couple of cocktails and appetizers…we hit for a
$500 hand and a $250 hand in video poker! So we’re up
for the year. Sure, probably down a bit for the
duration but it sure makes happy hour fun! And that’s
what Vegas is all about!!! Happy New Year to all.
(and like my mentor “Blackjack Solem” says….quit
while you’re ahead!)
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/david-perron-vegas-golden-knights/
I
think it’s time I get off my butt and put down a few
notes about sports. It’s been months. It was so long
ago I was predicting the Penguins to win the Stanley
Cup (they did), the Cavs to win the NBA (finished
second) and the Twins to suck again! Well two out of
three isn’t bad! If the baseball season ended today,
the Twins would be 3 games out of the playoffs. It’s
been many years since they could claim that much
relevance any time near the All Star break. I’m not
counting them out yet, but it won’t be easy to hang in
there. But it sure makes it more fun to visit Target
Field when the games have meaning. Let’s hope it
lasts. A little hot streak at some point and they’ll
be right back in it.
Out
in Vegas we just finished up the NBA Summer League.
The teams all send their collection of draft picks,
rookies and other non-rostered players out to the
desert to play for nearly two weeks. The Vegas
‘season’ culminated with the Laker rookie squad led by
top pick Lonzo Ball winning the wrap up tournament
that finished up last Monday night. On the strength of
his performance and general buzz in this Laker heavy
territory, the league set an attendance record with
nearly 120,000 fans over the course of the 11 days of
action. It has grown each year and also helps to fuel
speculation that Vegas down the road could land an NBA
team some day.
Now
you really have to be a sports geek to have been
watching the CONCACAF Gold Cup in soccer tonight. But
hey, I did catch some of it and for all you non-soccer
fans, the USA squad defeated Jamaica 2-1. In soccer
terms, that’s pretty much a blowout! But there really
wasn’t a whole lot of suspense waiting on this
championship match, because as my good buddy The Lak
said, when’s Jamaica ever beat the USA in any sport
involving a round ball, right mon!
In
Vegas, poker rules. And the 2017 World Series of Poker
just finished up the other night at the Rio down on
the strip. I have to admit I don’t know too many of
the players by name, not even the champ Scott
Blumstein. But any contest where the winner walks away
with $8.1 million is pretty damn cool! We watched
several of the televised broadcasts down the stretch.
Its pretty good entertainment with that kind of money
at stake.
The
biggest things on the horizon in the sports world, and
especially here in Las Vegas are the upcoming NHL
season (first for the Golden Knights), the NFL opening
up barely a couple weeks away and possibly the biggest
fight in history with the Floyd Mayweather-Connor
Mcgregor fight going down on August 26th.
Stay tuned for some previews in my next blog. And oh
yeah, I’m picking the Packers again this year!
March Madness Begins!
Last
I wrote the Gopher hoopsters had just lost several
games in a row and seemed destined to tumble out of
relevancy, but lo and behold they turned it up big
time! What a great finish to the best season in a long
time. They ended up losing in the Big Ten Tournament,
but no shame as Michigan was red hot also, and is one
of those Cinderella picks for the Big Dance.
Unfortunately for the Gophers, they drew into a tough
seed in a dreaded 5-12 match-up with Middle Tennessee
State. That’s the team
that
upset Michigan State in last year’s NCAA Tourney. Then
this season the Blue Raiders (go figure?) went 30-4 to
become a trendy upset pick against the much higher
seeded Gophers. I’m doing 4 boards in our pool, and
I’ll pick the Gophers to win in two of them, and lose
in two of them. While we had a good run this season, I
believe this will be a battle. And the oddsmakers have
it currently a pick-em game in Vegas, and even -1 for
MTSU. Hey, it’s still fun to have them in the tourney,
and see the program on the upswing again! And if they
win game 1, I believe they’ll advance to the Sweet 16.
Overall I like the Number 1 seeds, especially Kansas
and North Carolina. My Final 4 has Duke beating
Gonzaga and North Carolina beating Kansas. Then Duke
wins it all to defend it’s title. And the Twins will
end up in the World Series….or some other far fetched
tales. This Tournament is so tough to call. Enjoy the
fun, cheer for upsets and Cinderella stories, and I
hope I cash some tickets at the window! I think you
can tell who I cheer for no matter what happens or the
odds.
On another note in the hoops world, turning
to the NBA the Timberwolves are also (slightly)
relevant this year. Currently they sit just 4 games
out of the 8th spot in the Western
Conference. They lost a tough game tonight to the
Celtics. However they end up this season it’s great
to see them also improving and I do believe next year
could be the best in a long time. The playoffs are in
reach!
The Wild continue their strong season,
although it seems the momentum has cooled a bit. A
week ago we were with a point or two of the top team
in the entire NHL, the Capitals, and now all of a
sudden 4 teams are ahead of us. If the playoffs
started today they’d be the #2 seed in the West,
conceding home ice advantage to the Blackhawks if it
came down to that final match-up for the Western
Conference. And we know how our recent history has
gone for us against Chicago. At this point I’m going
to go with the Pittsburg Penguins to repeat as
Champions. They are really coming on strong. But of
course I’d love to see the Wild win it or at least
make it to the finals. It’s only 7 months before we
get to see the puck drop in Las Vegas for our Golden
Knights and that will be exciting as well.
People Get Ready There’s a train
a-coming……
Inauguration Day 2017 has never felt like this
before. But hey, let’s put our political differences
aside…..and make St. Paul great again! Wow, the Wild
really have it going on! They’ve won like 16 out of
the last 17 or something crazy and are in first place
in the Western Conference. New coach, a couple new
faces, a hot goalie and even the Stanley Cup doesn’t
seem too much of a stretch. I’d love to see them
coming to Vegas next season as defending champs! Our
curse has been the Blackhawks but this year we may
have the tools to get past them. If we can do that,
then the Cup is in reach. The bookmakers believe it
can happen too. About 6 weeks ago they were 20-1 for
the Cup when my brother Robert told me to go put some
money on them. I checked last night at the book and
they were 5-1. Wish I would have put some of my own
money on them. Damn!
Who says our Minnesota Gophers sports teams
suck? The footballers got a bowl victory as a 10 point
dog to Washington State. Although they actually got
more press for their off-field antics. Which
eventually cost their fill-in coach his job. But the
new hire has great potential for a change and was
actually a coveted candidate amongst some of the big
schools looking to hire a head coach. I think the
future looks bright for a change.
On
the basketball front, the Gophers were looking
surprisingly strong…..for a couple of games into the
Big Ten season. They rose to #24 in the national
rankings, then lost 2 straight. But they have
potential. I believe they’ll right the ship and make
the NCAA tournament this year. That would be fun!
And
lest I forget, the Super Bowl is only a couple weeks
away. Of course I should have said weeks ago that the
Packer roll was going to continue right through the
big game. I’m pretty sure they beat the Patriots and
come out of this up and down season as World Champs.
No one is hotter than Aaron Rodgers and he’s going to
get his second ring down in Houston.
November 2016: It’s About Damn
Time
I mean, that I got around to writing up some
thoughts on recent sporting events! How could I have
not been writing about the Ryder Cup, the passing of
Arnold Palmer, the Lynx losing the finals in game 5,
and the Cubs ending the 108 year drought and winning
the World Series! This has been a historic run these
last few months! I’ve been taking it all in from Vegas
but just getting around to making some comments now.
Gosh it’s been busy. We’re in mid-November with
Christmas soon to be breathing down our necks. Bah
Humbug! I want fall to last forever.
I
don’t even know where to start. What about the US
winning the Ryder Cup out at Hazeltine just days
following the passing of The King, Arnold Palmer. That
week was about as memorable in golf history as we’ll
ever see. I still have 36 hours of recorded material
on Arnold’s memorial service along with Ryder Cup
coverage. That’s one we’ll remember forever.
The
Cubs making the World Series was enough to get
baseball fans to take notice. But when they fell
behind 3 games to 1, I thought the drought was going
to continue. But they turned this one into an instant
baseball classic with a rally for the ages. This one
had everything. And even though I was on the Cleveland
side as that was who my Dad played his minor league
ball with, it still was great to see the Cubs finally
get the Series they’ve been waiting for. Now it’s the
Indians that are the longest running team without a
World Series victory, last winning in 1948. Just goes
to show you that every dog does have its day. And now
Leslie can quit harping on me about my Yankees, as I
think with the Cubs win, and their 200 million
payroll, they can she the label of the lovable losers.
Now
turning to the NFL, the only thing that really
matters. I’m struggling to remain optimistic. My
Packers who had the look and feel of a Super Bowl
contender (see my earlier predictions) are sucking!
This is really hard to take, especially when the
expectations are so high. I’m still going to say they
right the ship and make the playoffs. At the same time
they are fumbling around doing their best Cleveland
Browns impression, the Vikings are in a freefall
losing 4 in a row. At first it looked like they
wouldn’t miss Adrian Peterson with the way the
defense was playing, but no longer. They’ve lost a
couple of close, winnable games due to the inability
to score in the clutch, or stop an opponent down the
stretch. I think whichever of the NFC North teams that
can get to 9-7 will take the Division and make the
playoffs. So for both Minnesota and Green Bay, there’s
a chance. I’m revising my Super Bowl prediction to
the Patriots facing off against the Seahawks again. I
think it’s inevitable.
Finally the Wolves, Wild and Gophers are in
full swing into their respective seasons. In typical
Minnesota sports tradition, they all lost this
weekend. Although just this night (Sunday) to close
out the weekend, the Wolves did knock off the Lakers
at Target Center with Andrew Wiggins throwing down 47
points! They do have the best young talent in the
league, so it’s fun to see them play. But the playoffs
are still likely a year off. Until then it’s the same
old story….wait till next year!
September 2016: Finally…Football!!
Okay the Olympics were awesome. I was kind
of down on them in my last blog. But they ended up
being pretty outstanding. At the same time, we’re
watching the Baseball season wind down. The golf
majors are all in the books. So now it’s finally time
to celebrate the beginning of the football season. The
rest of the stuff is just filling time in between NFL
seasons!
Baseball
is getting fun now though. The Cubs are clearly the
best team in baseball. But can they break the jinx and
finally get a World Series title? I’m not betting on
it. I still like Texas in the American League and now
that the Giants have slumped a bit, the national
league is wide open. The Cubs should make it to the
Series, I’m just not confident they’ll overcome the
pressure of a century long drought and be able to take
it all. However, it will be fun to see them there.
Twins are still playing and as usual Target Field is
still a great place to enjoy a ballgame. Go and watch
Brian Dozier as he’s on a tear, and before the Twins
go let him sign somewhere else.
But
back to football, the season opener last night was a
great game. The Broncos and Panthers in a super bowl
rematch. It came down to the closing seconds and a
missed 50 yard field goal attempt to settle the score
with the Broncos barely hanging on. If this is an
indication of the season ahead, it’s going to be fun.
The Vikings lost a QB and then found one. I really
don’t think they’ll miss Teddy B that much. They
signed a stronger armed QB in Sam Bradford, and
although he’s been injury prone, he certainly has as
much talent or more than Teddy. Pass a few times, hand
the ball to Peterson and all should work out fine. I
can’t wait to watch the US Bank regular season opener
on September 18th when the Packers come to
town. And for now, I’m sticking with my Super Bowl
prediction, Packers defeating the Patriots in the
finale.
Finally,
I was fortunate to spend last weekend in New York
enjoying two days of tennis at the US Open. It’s one
of the truly great sporting events worldwide. It’s the
most exciting thing I’ve ever attended. There is so
much excitement and energy in New York surrounding it
and people from all over the world are in attendance.
Like I was telling my friend Doug, New York is an
outstanding place to visit, if you can overlook the
traffic, the crowds, the trash and sewer smell
everywhere and the fact that a beer can run you $11!!
But I love it, and look forward to getting back there
for the Open again.
August 2016: The Dog Days of Summer
July has just flown by. Another
month of one of the hottest summers in Vegas is
almost in the books. Since we’ve been down here we’ve
experienced the 2nd hottest year on average
last year, and at least 6 months setting average high
temperature records as well. But like everyone jokes
about, it’s a dry heat! Today at 115 degrees late in
the afternoon, and early in the evening, I’m pretty
sure I could have cooked my bbq chicken just by
setting it on top of the grill, rather than light the
darn thing and put it on the grill! But I constantly
remind myself that I don’t have to shovel sunshine and
I’m pretty happy about that!
NFL
training camps are under way! I love it and can’t wait
for another football season. So much excitement about
the Vikings new stadium, all the new draft picks, and
what should be a great battle for the North Division
title. This is going to be fun. Only a week from the
pre-season opener, and another 5 weeks till the
regular season starts. I’ve got September 18th
circled on my Google calendar for the Vikings home
opener against the Packers. That’s going to be epic.
There’s not much to say about the
Twins. Other than they also have a really nice
ballpark!!
The
3M Championship returns to Blaine’s TPC Golf course
next week. It’s the best free entertainment of the
summer. Check out the link for the Tourney and get out
and enjoy a great week outdoors.
http://www.3mchampionship.com/
August
does feature one of the biggest spectacles in sports,
The Olympics. I’m not a huge fan of the Olympics
anymore but there are a lot of cool things to watch
that you only get to see once every four years. As for
me, you can have the basketball, soccer and now this
time even the golf. I don’t care to watch a bunch of
professionals, be it teams or individuals in action.
To me it’s about the lesser publicized sports that
only get featured once every four years that I’d
rather watch. The opening ceremonies each year try to
outdo each other so this one should be incredible and
it’s only a week away.
I watched some documentary
information the other night showing all that Rio did
to get the Olympics and the money involved. It was
pretty eye opening. When they won the bid, Rio was
booming on the strength of record oil prices, and
since then a lot has changed. In a city of nearly 6.5
million people, they have very little money to spend
on education, and their health care lags behind most
major cities. They toured several hospitals showing
people sleeping in hallways and on the floor because
of the shortage of beds. But they managed to spend in
excess of 15 billion dollars to build an Olympic
Village and all the sports venues needed to host the
games. Long standing neighborhoods were bulldozed with
thousands of native displaced to make room for the
games. But that seems to happen at every location that
wins the right to host the games.
Oh well, at least in Vegas we can
bet on the games. One of the most lopsided bets would
be on either the Men’s or Women’s basketball teams to
win the gold medal. Both are 1-20 favorites! Meaning
for every $20 bet, you’d win just a $1 when they bring
home the gold. No thanks on that one! That’s what I
mean about the Olympic “professional” teams. I don’t
really think it enhances the real spirit of what the
Olympics used to be.
Enjoy the rest of the summer. The
best time of the year is coming when we’ve got
football along with the stretch run of the baseball
season, and then playoffs. That’s what I’m waiting
for.
July 2016: Happy Fourth of July
Weekend!
I have no idea how time can go by so fast.
This is crazy!! But on the positive side of things,
NFL Training camps start in 3 weeks, and the Packers
kick-off the preseason with the annual Hall of Fame
game in Canton, Ohio in just 5 weeks! So not to
worry!!
The
112th annual (or something like that) Solem Fishing
Tournament up at Horseshoe Lake(up north as they say)
has come and gone. Would anyone be surprised if they
hadn’t already heard that Doug Solem (Sr not Jr) won
the tournament. I know nothing about fish other that
what I learn at the Byerly’s counter or my local
seafood restaurant. But it sure looked like there were
some big fish being caught up there. Congrats to Doug!
I’ve been on a roll with my forecasting
lately. Excerpts from my last article from early May
included Nyquist winning the Kentucky Derby, the
Penguins taking the Stanley Cup and even the Cavs to
bring a title back to Cleveland. Unfortunately my
betting on those Series and individual games was
pretty spotty. I should have cleaned up but not so
easy it seems! Oh well, that’s Vegas.
I
already did my Super Bowl pick for the Packers and
I’ll stay with that. It’s an easy one to pick the
Patriots to get back to the title game also so it will
be a good one! The Vikings look to be on the upswing
with a good draft and early season workouts seem
promising. I cannot wait for that first game at the
new stadium hosting Green Bay. Mark it down, Sunday
night football September 18th. That is going to be
historic. In the meantime, the sports books already
have published lines for the opening weekend. The
Vikes and Packers are both slight favorites to get
road wins against Tennessee and Jacksonville
respectively.
Finally in baseball, the Twins are really
struggling. The few bright spots are long overshadowed
by losing game after game. They boast the worst record
in baseball. I don’t see much changing down the
stretch to change things either. Any way, who cares!
This is the year of the Cubs!! Right?? Well not so
fast. After a red hot start, they’ve come back to the
field just a bit. They are an awesome team, but will
they break the 100 year drought. I don’t think so. I’m
going with the San Francisco Giants to win it all.
They’ve been crazy good for a number of years now,
winning the Series in even numbered years since 2010.
And this is an even numbered year and it could happen
again! The American league is tough to pick. The
division leaders are Baltimore, Cleveland and Texas.
The Rangers look to be the best, but it’s anybody’s
guess as to who makes it out of the playoffs. Go
Giants!
May 2016: Derby Weekend!!
It’s
always one of the most exciting days in sports, the
Kentucky Derby. It’s truly one of my favorite events
of the year, called the fastest two minutes in sports.
For this event you don’t have to block off your whole
day, tailgate in some cold parking lot, or be jostled
by rubes from Wisconsin packed into a dumpy bar to
watch 3 and a half hours of football. No, you can just
cozy up to a big screen a few minutes ahead of
post-time, and then enjoy the horse racing drama. And
a couple of minutes later, get back to your Saturday
chores!
This
year’s race isn’t quite getting the buzz it often
does. Possibly a hangover effect following the
historic Triple Crown feat accomplished by American
Pharoah. But nonetheless it’s big, and if you’re not
at Churchill Downs or Canterbury, there are plenty of
venues to watch and wager on it. If you’re celebrating
with a group and running a little pool for it and you
are lucky enough to get the first pick, the obvious
choice is the unbeaten 3-1 favorite Nyquist. But don’t
dismay if you get a pick beyond that, as there are
plenty of very live choices with a good chance to pull
it off. I like others including Creator, Mohaymen, Mor
Spirit and even My Man Sam. Favorites have won the
last two years, and I’ll bet on Nyquist for part of my
racing bankroll, but will have those others in my
exactas and trifectas. Good luck!
As for baseball season, for local fans it
pretty much sucks. The Twins are weak and could lose
95 to 100 games again. My Yankees aren’t much better.
It seriously could be the year of the Cubs. They are
off to a flying start and look solid. And they are
due!
Prediction
time: I’m taking the Cavaliers to win the NBA
Championship. Clearly the best team in the East and
when it comes to taking on the Western champ in the
finals, I think they can do it. If there’s one thing
Lebron doesn’t like, it’s playing second fiddle to
anyone. And that included Steph Curry. So I’m thinking
he’s going to carry his Cavs to the title and put
himself back on top.
In
the NHL I’m going to pick the Pittsburg Penguins to
finish off the favorite Capitals, and bring the
Stanley cup to the Steel City. The Capitals have been
the favorite all year long, and rightly so. But the
Pens have them down 3-1 and I think they’ll do it. The
West is loaded, but I’m staying in the East this year.
There are no better playoffs than the NHL, and someday
soon I hope to be watching the Wild make a Cup run.
They just can’t seem to get over the hump though. In a
couple of years, I hope to be watching them when they
visit and play the Sin City Hookers or Vegas Dealers
or whatever we end up naming them!
And I want to get it out in the open right
now, the Packers will win the Super Bowl in exactly 9
months!!
Oh
yeah, I didn’t want to forget the all important John
and Scott Invitational Tournament in Red Wing in a
couple of weeks. I’m going out on a limb and
predicting Doug Solem’s team (handpicked) will win for
a record 17th year in a row!! Good luck to the rest of
the folks playing for second place.
March 2016: March Madness
It’s
here again. The NCAA Tournament opening weekend is one
of the biggest weekends of the year in Las Vegas. The
sports books will be packed and morning to late night
with college sports hoops fans. It’s great out here,
the games start at 9:15 in the morning Thursday and
Saturday. The defending Champs Duke Blue Devils play
at 9:15 am against North Carolina Wilmington. Duke’s a
10 point favorite, but I’m not betting on the one.
They have been way too inconsistent this season to
warrant a bet on this game against an in state rival,
albeit a “small” school. However if you look at the
odds below, I do have a small wager on them getting 30
to 1 odds as a defending champ. Not a bad value. (See
the futures odds at the link below)
It’s really not that hard to pick this
tournament. Take the best teams from the best
conferences. So I go to the Big Ten, and pick Michigan
State. Hands down one of the best shooting teams in
the country. I like them in the Final Four….but they
will have to get past Virginia, the number 1 seed in
their bracket. Virginia is for real, and that will be
tough. So I’ll hedge that pick, saying it’s either the
Spartans or Virginia coming out of the Midwest Region.
In
the East Region, North Carolina is the number 1 seed,
and will be challenged by West Virginia, Xavier and
Kentucky. If I’m looking for a longer shot, I’d take
Kentucky to make it out of the region, but the
favorite North Carolina will be a tough team to knock
out.
The West region number 1 seed is Oregon. If
anyone says they know a lot about the Ducks, they are
fibbing. They play late games on the west coast all
year long, so who even watches them. I know they had
to beat Utah in the Pac 12 Championship, so what.
These are football schools. So I’m picking Oklahoma to
come out of the West. Long shots with a legitimate
chance are Texas A&M, Baylor and even Duke.
Finally in the South Region, Kansas is a
heavy favorite and for a good reason. Solid all the
way around, they beat Oklahoma twice during the year
along with an early season win over Kentucky.
Final Four if I had to pick just one
scenario, would be Kansas, Oklahoma, North Carolina
and Michigan State. Kansas and North Carolina advance
to the finals and I see the Kansas Jayhawks cutting
down the nets. Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk. I just made that
up.
http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/odds/futures/
January 2016: Getting Ready for the
Big One…Game that Is!
There’s
nothing like Conference championship weekend in the
NFL. The number 1 and 2 seeds meet in both the AFC and
NFC. I’m picking the Patriots and Panthers in Super
bowl 50. It will be the brash, cocky upstart Cam
Newton against Tom “Terrific”Brady in a great matchup.
Brady continues to ride his white horse to the top of
the mountain and would cement himself as the greatest
Quarterback of all time with the win. However, I’m
going out on a small limb, and picking Carolina to
continue their dream season and knock off the Pats in
a great game. I can’t wait. Get your bets down, you
heard it here first!
Minnesota teams
are in a huge slump. The Wolves, Wild and Gophers
Basketball teams have a total of 2 wins in their last
26 games combined!! My advice as you’re hunkered down
this winter is to cancel your sports subscriptions on
DirectTV or Cable, and start watching American Idol,
Master Chef Junior or even I am Cait....or move to
Denver....or even Omaha. It’s getting ridiculous.
But hey, it'll be spring soon....just a few
short, cold months and Target Field re-opens. And we
get to watch another underachieving pro sports team
struggle to make the playoffs.
Oh
yeah, there was that brief shining moment a couple of
weeks ago. Out of the blue, the Vikings rose up, and
defeated the Packers to win the NFC North. The trophy
had barely found its place on the mantle at Vikings
HQ and they found themselves hosting the rough and
tough Seattle Seahawks. Pretty clearly the Seahawks
were looking past the Vikings, and probably just a tad
bit annoyed to have to travel to Minnesota on the
coldest day of the year. The game was ripe for the
taking......but the Vikings choked it away when a chip
shot field goal was hooked wide left as time expired.
Earning the title once again as the most cursed team
in pro sports.
November 2015:
Everything in Perspective
Wow, it’s been awhile since I stopped to find time to
write about my favorite things, meaning sports and
more sports! We’re beginning the stretch run of the
NFL Season, very early in the NHL and NBA season and
there are so many other events going on I can hardly
keep track. I’m happy to be in Henderson, NV living
right across the street from a Casino and Sports Book.
It’s literally a ½ block walk to the entrance of the
sports book! At any given time I can walk in and watch
Horse Racing from tracks all across the country, any
of the major sports, nascar, golf, soccer and even MMA
events. They cover it all. Tennis matches and golf
tournaments and just about anything else you could
think of.
But sometimes events happen out in the real world that
remind us of the realities of the world we live in and
make you stop and reflect on what’s really important.
First and foremost has been the recent tragic events
in Paris. It’s been a harsh reminder that there is
still that seemingly never ending struggle to make it
safe for people from all walks of life to live
peacefully in their home environments. The world
stops to mourn losses like these for a while, and then
we go on about our lives with that lingering fear
hanging over us all that things like this can still
happen. We go on increased security alerts at the
airports, and at major sporting events and we all
wonder where its safe to travel to and how secure we
are in our own homes even. It puts everything in
perspective that’s for sure. So be safe out there!
And that’s exactly why we need things like sports,
movies and entertainment of all kinds. It’s our escape
from the realities of our day to day world and all the
bad stuff going on that we see in the news everyday.
For me, that’s why I’d rather watch Sportscenter at
night, instead of the latest update from the middle
east or even the police stories from my own area. I
don’t need to be reminded that it’s a tough place out
there. Give me my scores, my highlights and
projections on the games, and I’m a lot happier!
The
big news of course now is that the Vikings are leading
the North division and host the Packers this week. A
win by the Vikings and they’d lead the perennial
champs by 2 game in the Division with the tiebreaker
in hand also. The Packers are reeling from 3 straight
losses and have been beset with injuries all season
long. The way the Vikings are playing at 7-2 with
their defense playing as aggressively as it has in
several years, I think I’m going to bet on the
Vikings. Right now the line is the Vikes favored by a
single point. The Vikings are 8-1 against the spread
this year, so might as well bet on them. But that
doesn’t mean that’s who I’m cheering for of course. It
should make for a fun Sunday afternoon!
The
Wolves will certainly be fun to follow this year also.
Every win the Timberwolves post is a nice tribute to
Flip Saunders. He’d been such a great ambassador for
basketball in Minnesota since the 1970’s that every
time I flip on the Wolves, I’ll remember watching him
play down at Williams arena when I was going to school
back in the day. I believe the Wolves will be
inspired all season long due to his leadership and
contributions. It’s a stretch to think they could make
the playoffs, but we can always hope!
August 2015: Twins Still in the Hunt!
I
continue to be amazed by the resiliency of the
Minnesota Twins. A couple weeks ago they looked like
they were sinking fast and not going to be relevant
down the stretch run of the season. Then they turned
around and have won 5 of their last 6 games and find
themselves only a half game back of the second wild
card spot in the American League. I don’t know how
Paul Molitor is holding them together, but whatever
he’s doing is working. They have a rising star in
Miguel Sano who if he was playing a full season, might
be a top candidate for rookie of the year. They have a
tough weekend series with the Astros (yes, the Astros)
and the schedule doesn’t get much easier with 6 of 9
after that with the Astros again and then the Royals.
All I know is it could be a fun September at Target
Field with a playoff race for a change!
Of
course most of the headlines are taken up with the NFL
gearing up for the regular season in a couple of
weeks. The Vikings are undefeated in pre-season at 3-0
with two more games remaining. The main thing is they
get to find out how all the pieces fit together, and
then when the real games start put in the most
important piece, Adrian Peterson. He should be healthy
and ready to roll. I look for a big season from him
and if the rest of the guys can old up their end, the
Vikings could surprise some folks. The over/under on
games for them is 7, so if you think they can win 8
games, send me your money and I’ll put the bet down
for you. But I need the cash first!
Another summer season of golf is nearing an end. I
meant to follow up earlier with a wrap up of the 3M
Championship up at the TPC in Blaine. It was a super
successful event again, one of the best on the
Champions Tour. And my good friend Doug scored what
might have been the biggest coup of the tournament.
He’s been sitting on a really sweet Sports Illustrated
for many years with Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus on
the cover and had Arnie autograph it a couple of
decades ago. And this year he scored Jack’s signature!
This thing better be under glass or under lock and key
as I don’t think there’s a lot of them in existence!!
July 2015 Sports Blog: The 3M
Championship Returns to the TPC in Blaine
I
get that this isn’t the US Open and the guys can’t
bomb the ball 350 yards like the young guys on the PGA
Tour do (or my buddy Jeff for that matter), but it’s
excellent golf played by many past PGA winners and
they can sure get it done! And the 3M Champions Tour
event is continuing the winning tradition of FREE
Admission every day of their Event. That includes the
weekend when Jack, Arnie, Gary Player, Lee Trevino and
many other Legends visit for their own tournament
within the tournament on Saturday. Last year the crowd
must have set a record on Saturday to see the Legends.
Joining the guys again is Pat Bradley, Nancy Lopez and
Annika Sorenstam. So if you go Saturday, plan on
getting there early.
The
regular portion of the tournament kicks off on Friday
the 31st and wraps up on Sunday. The TPC
sets up so well for viewing that there are many
vantage points and you never feel overcrowded when you
attend. Even the parking is free so there are no
excuses for not getting out there. The Twin Cities
corporate community really steps up for this event.
There are a multitude of local sponsors beyond the
major corporations. As testament to how beneficial
events like this are, in 2014 the 3M Championship
surpassed the $22 million dollar mark in donations to
charity since 1993. Major beneficiaries include United
Hospital in St. Paul, Abbott Northwestern Hospital,
Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and Unity Hospital in
Fridley.
Another
point of interest for me is that last year I was
fortunate enough to get to interview two stars of the
Champions Tour in Fred Funk and Hal Sutton. These guys
continue to perform at a high level after successfully
completing a knee replacement for Mr. Funk and both
hips being replaced for Mr. Sutton. They are proof
positive that there’s hope for all of us to continue
to pursue our passions and our hobbies even when the
joints start to give out on us. One of their sponsors,
Stryker Corporation,
is
one of the world’s leading medical technology
companies, and offers a diverse array of innovative
medical technologies, including orthopedics, medical
and surgical, and neurotechnology & spine products to
help people lead more active and more satisfying
lives. Stryker products and services are available in
over 100 countries around the world. So as Fred and
Hal continue to knock that little white ball around
for a living, they’re doing it on Stryker manufactured
artificial joints. The way my knee feels right now,
I’m already starting my research into the options! So
get on out and cheer them all on this week and
weekend. It’s well worth
it.
July 2015: The Wolves Make Some Noise
The
Timberwolves are relevant again! Well maybe that’s a
bit premature but the Draft couldn’t have turned out
better. With the number one pick they took the
consensus top player in Karl-Anthony Towns and then in
a nice maneuver were able to land Apple Valley’s (by
way of Duke and a national title) Tyus Jones. So what
is it then, another rebuilding year? How many times
have we heard that in the last decade. But this time
it’s for real! We have the best young talent in the
league, bar none. Now that means nothing until you can
translate it into victories, and ultimately a playoff
berth. That won’t happen this year, and maybe not
next, but it will happen! Two years with this young
nucleus and we’re back in the playoffs. Right now they
are 150 to 1 to win the NBA Championship. It’s not
worth even putting $5 on it. But if I could get those
odds for the 2017 season, I’d jump on it. This week
the NBA summer league is in Vegas and it’s quite a
show being put on. The Wolves play 3 times in the next
4 days own here and I hope to make it to one of the
games.
The
Twins are hanging in there but the Royals are starting
to assert themselves in the Central division. Five
games out, but still playing pretty solid. I’d say
their line-up is as good as it’s been for several
years. If we can just hand in there and the Royals
falter just a bit, it could make for a fun second half
of the season. Next week is the All-star game which is
always a treat. The Twins have closer Glen Perkins on
the roster again. And we’ll find out if hard hitting
Brian Dozier gets that last American League spot
tonight. I hope he makes it as he’s very deserving and
would be fun to watch.
We
all know this time of year anyway is just filling in
the dead space waiting for the upcoming football
season. A couple of weeks from now and it’s back.
It’s been pretty quiet around the Vikings camp. No
arrests, no suspensions and finally not much being
said about Adrian Peterson and the forgotten
controversy. I’ll stick with my early prediction for
the Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers leading the Packers
to the promised land again. The AFC is a little more
difficult and I’ll take the Indianapolis Colts to make
it to the big game in Santa Clara to meet the Packers.
I’m guessing the Vikings to be improved and an 8-8
season could be in the cards for them. I can’t wait
for the opening weekend in September and we’ve already
made some first game bets at the Sports books.
June 2015 Sports Blog: NHL and NBA Finals
Yes,
I remember predicting the Wild would take down the
Chicago Blackhawks a couple of rounds ago…..and now
our guys are home working on their golf games. And
it’s the Blackhawks who just took game 1 from the East Champs Tampa Bay in the Cup Finals. That
coulda been us…..except for the fact we were exposed
as less explosive, less clutch and less physical than
the real contenders. So now we know we’re still a
couple of studs short of a team that can really
contend for the Stanley Cup. Maybe next year. In the
meantime, sit back and watch some truly intense
hockey. Chicago looks to be the best team and are
favored to win the Cup. I liked them in game 1 and I
like them to get it done. If they really get going it
could be over in 5 games, but the Lightning can play
too so I’m hoping for a nice long 7 game series. It
give me a chance to guess (and bet) on more games! And
out here, that’s what its all about.
I have to admit that I watch very little of
the NBA regular season. I had to look back and double
check that the Timberwolves (Minnesota’s pro team)
actually did have the worst record in the league. And
were finally rewarded with the #1 pick, in a year when
there’s not a consensus # 1 pick That being said I
will definitely be watching the Finals this year. The
match-up between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the
Golden State Warriors will be a good one. The Cavs are
of course led by one of the best players of all time,
Lebron James. And the Warriors have emerged as a well
rounded, talented scoring machine that can also play
defense. And no one shoots the ball like Steph Curry.
The Warriors are favored to win the series and I can’t
disagree with that. But I’m going with Lebron and the
Cavs getting odds for my trouble. I’ll probably put a
small wager on the Cavs also in game 1 getting 6
points because you don’t often get the King and the
points. And If I lose, I can blame it on Doug who said
to go with Lebron! (although Doug Jr. told me straight
up it’s the Warriors). We shall see!
I
am really anxious for The Belmont Stakes on Saturday.
In the sport of thoroughbred racing excitement is
building for yet another attempt at the elusive Triple
Crown of racing. Since Affirmed completed the three
race sweep back in 1978, there have been 13 horses who
have won the Kentucky Derby and The Preakness, only to
come up short in the Belmont. This race is the longest
of them all at a mile and a half and the third in
quick succession for horses at only 3 years old. As
has happened quite often there are horses who for one
reason or another sit out one or two of the other
races, and come in fresher and more rested. But no one
said it would be easy, and that’s why it’s such a big
deal. American Pharoah has done the easy part, winning
the first two races with relative ease. And the bad
thing now is he comes into the Belmont as the 3-5
favorite. An odds on favorite is historically a
terrible bet in the Belmont. Since there hasn’t been a
triple crown winner in 36 years, the only reason I’d
bet Pharoah is to get that souvenir ticket if he does
win. I really think he is the best horse out there,
but it will take an incredible effort to pull it off.
The three top contenders all skipped the Preakness and
are rested and ready. They are Mubtaahij, Materiality
and Frosted. I’ll probably box those 3 in an exacta,
all the while still hoping American Pharoah can get it
done. It’s only an 8 horse field, but the pressure on
Pharoah to get to the front will be intense, and the
rested horses will sit close to the pace ready for the
stretch run. So my prediction is I’ll be cheering for
the Triple Crown win….but hedging my bet with the next
three in the odds for an exacta!
I
mentioned
the Las Vegas 51s a while back. Former Twin and World
Series hero, Frank Viola is the pitching coach for
them. Patti, Chris and I went to watch them a couple
weeks back, but didn’t get a chance to get a picture
with him for old time sake. Viola had an interview
with the Twins at one point for their pitching coach
spot, and no doubt someday could end up back in the
big leagues. The 51s play in the very competitive
Triple A Pacific Coast League and fill a nice void
down here with pro sports still lacking. It’s a great
venue and we’ll be back to watch them again.
Who
would have predicted the teams leading the 3 American
League divisions would be the Yankees (predicted for
third in the East), the Astros (predicted for last or
close to it) and our TWINS! The Astros boast the best
record in the American league and are not a fluke.
They lead the American league in home runs and are a
really nice young team. They could do it in the west.
The Yankees are not the team of old(no Jeter) but they
have Arod back. For a 40 year old with a year off
(vacation) he’s not doing bad. Can they last….I’m not
sure but always my team win or lose. And after a 1-6
start, who’d a thunk the Twins would be at the top of
the tough Central Division! If the voting were done
now, Paul Molitor would be manager of the year! I’m
really hoping they can hang in there! We’re getting
together at the sports bar tonight to watch them take
on the struggling Brew crew.
May 2015 Sports Blog: Live From Las
Vegas
Just like ESPN SportsCenter all week,
we’re also live from Las Vegas. And I mean “alive”.
This is sports junkie paradise this week, and with the
NHL and NBA playoffs in full swing, the momentum is
building for a great stretch run right now. I took my
short cut through the Green Valley Ranch Casino Sports
Book on my walk to the office this morning, and there
were folks in line at the betting windows and plenty
of seats occupied already.
It was tough fighting off the temptation to hunker
down with a bloody mary, a daily racing form and enjoy
some horse racing and wait for the early baseball
games to start! But I resisted and made it to the
office by 9 am. (no bloody mary either as they don’t
pour them in “to go” cups)
Our
MN Wild move on in the hunt for Lord Stanley’s Cup
after dispatching the high flying Blues in 6 games.
And now starting tonight face a very familiar foe in
the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks have eliminated the
Wild the last two years in the playoffs. But this year
is going to be different. We’re playing great and our
goalie Dubnyk is red hot. I’m picking the Wild to get
revenge on the Hawks, and take this series in 6 or 7
games. The Blackhawks are now a co-favorite( along
with the Rangers and Ducks) at around 7-2 odds, with
the Wild close behind at 5-1. Needless to say, I’m
very happy to still be hanging onto my 25-1 Ticket
that I picked up a couple of months ago! Still we are
the underdog against Chicago and it’s not going to be
easy.
Of
course the big news down in Vegas is the Floyd
Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao championship fight on
Saturday night. It’s the biggest fight ever in terms
of money and people being brought into Sin City.
Fleabag hotels blocks off the strip or out on the
notorious Boulder Highway are going for $300 on
Saturday night. Prime rooms on the Strip are over
$1,000 for the night. And just like anywhere else, if
you want to watch it, you have to fork over $100 to
get the PPV package for home viewing. Or go to one of
the many bars that are subscribing to the fight
package and pay anywhere from $25 to $100 cover
charge, and often a food and beverage minimum on top
of that. All in all, it’s going to be a great night of
action down on the Strip and I’m looking forward to
the fight. I’m picking Pacquiao to pull off the upset
in a 12 round decision.
And
I can’t forget about the greatest 2 minutes in sports,
the Kentucky Derby being run Saturday afternoon.
That’s a huge deal out here also and always fun to
watch and wager. The race includes a full 20 horse
field and is the toughest race in the world to
handicap. So many horses that are young and going this
mile and a quarter distance for the first time. And we
all know favorites rarely win. That being said, I’m
picking American Pharaoh, the morning line favorite to
beat this field in style. I likely won’t bet on it as
I’d rather throw in a few long shot bets for a
potential big payoff. But this favorite looks ready to
roll, they’re predicting a dry and fast track, and it
should be a fantastic race.
There is so much other stuff to write
about but will save it for next time. Did you know
Frank Viola is the pitching coach for Las Vegas’ minor
league team? The Las Vegas 51s. More on that next
time.
March/April 2015: NCAA, Wild, Twins
and More
Such a great time of year with Spring
Training and another baseball season just around the
corner, March Madness heading into its Final Four
weekend and the Wild looking like they are ready for a
serious playoff run. This spring is going to be fun!!
The
Wild have just been on a roll, and with just 6 games
remaining appear to be a lock to make the top 8 and
their third playoff appearance in a row. It’s still a
question who they’ll match up first against, and if
they get any home series advantages. But seriously I
don’t think that matters much. Several of the recent
Stanley Cup champs have been from the lower tier of
qualifiers and I don’t think the home ice advantage is
that big a deal when it comes to the playoffs. The
teams are all so fired up they play hard no matter
where the game is. Over the last month the Wild have
shown they can beat the top teams in the East or West,
so bring it on. The odds continue to drop on them in
Vegas as they’re now down to 8-1 at a couple of the
sports books to win the Cup. I’m glad that when my
buddy Andy and I looked at it back a couple of months
ago we were able to get them at 25-1. I’m keeping that
ticket in a safe place for now, hoping it will offset
some of my losses on the penny slots.
And
speaking of odds, someone must like something they are
seeing down in Florida as the odds on them have been
dropping also. It must have been Patti and Sarah
jumping on them at 30-1 just to win the Central
Division that did it. Funny a couple of $10 bets can
have such an influence. But considering how lousy they
did last year and managed 70 victories, I think it
might be reasonable to assume they could get to 80
wins anyway. Maybe not enough to win the division, but
with Molitor at the helm, we should see more fire in
the young guys. And I hope it inspires the veterans
like Joe Mauer also. It would be nice to see him
rebound in a big way. I always look forward to
watching Tori Hunter play so that should be fun.
http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=min
The
NCAA Final Four couldn’t have turned out better.
Kentucky has been the best team all year, and after
narrowly escaping with a win against Notre Dame,
they’ll be focused and tough to beat. I had a couple
of boards with Kentucky, Duke and Wisconsin all in the
Final Four, but I did not see Michigan State coming on
like they did. I’m taking Duke to beat MSU and to meet
up with Kentucky in the Championship game on April 6.
I could see Kentucky winning that game for sure. But
I’m going to go out on a short limb (they were a
Number 1 seed you know) and take Duke in the upset for
the title. I cannot wait for that game!
Spring
also brings us to Masters time, the greatest golf
tournament of them all. It’s on the calendar April 9
through the 12th. We don’t even know yet if
Tiger Woods will be playing in it, but if he’s not
100% healthy and competitive, I’d rather he sit out
and let the spotlight shine of those that are playing
well. The tour is loaded with great young players and
it’s anybody’s guess as to who will win. World #1 Rory
Mcilroy is the favorite, but I think there are 20
golfers who could
take
home the green jacket.
When it comes to golf, no one knows
more about it, or competes at a high level like my
good friend Rick Frame. I think he just set the
amateur record for most country club tournaments won
as he picked up another member-member trophy at
Berkeley Hall just outside of Hilton Head.
Whether its member-member, member-guests, an
Invitational, club scrambles or just out for fun, you
want this guy on your team! And check out the link to
his club. If you ever are down that way, tell him Mike
said it’s okay to stop in and ask for Rick!
February 2015: Basketball’s Back!! So
is KG!!
The
Timberwolves turned back the clock, in what may be
the best move the Wolves have ever made. They brought
Kevin Garnett back to inject some energy into another
lackluster season for the local NBA team. And what an
injection it was! Last night Target Center was packed
to the point they were selling standing
room
only tickets! And that on a sub-zero night in downtown
Minneapolis for a team that has the 2nd
worst record in the entire League. The Wolves fell
behind early but came storming back to notch their 13th
win of the season by 20 points. KG is no longer the
full time player he once was, but his leadership and
enthusiasm was evident. I caught part of the game at
the local sports book and there was actually a fair
amount of interest in the game even out in Vegas. I
only regret I wasn’t brave enough to place a wager on
the Wolves. My good friend Doug said it was just as
exciting as the last round of playoffs the Wolves were
in versus the Lakers back in 2004. I saw many posts
and pictures on Facebook as it seems like everyone
came out for the game. Check out the
youtube video to catch the excitement that KG
brings to the game….from the 2004 Game 5 Victory over
the Lakers back almost 11 years ago. Is there a chance
he’s going to be around for another playoff
appearance? I certainly hope so. Just for pure
inspiration and emotion he’s a great guy to have back
in Minnesota. Check out his
introduction and interview also. This man is
sincere!
The
Wild have cranked it up a notch over the last
month and in spite of the lackluster performance the
other night hosting Edmonton(2-1 loss), they are in
the thick of the playoff hunt. Tonight (Thursday) they
travel to Nashville to take on the surprising
Predators who boast the best record in the NHL. It
should be a great game and I’m going to make sure and
watch this one. The Wild’s odds to win the Stanley Cup
were 12-1 back when I looked at it in early December.
Then as they slumped through the mid-season they went
up to 25-1 and that’s when I put my bet in. I just saw
the other day at the sports book they were down to
15-1 again and I believe they can make a serious run
in the playoffs if they continue to improve and get
healthy. I’m looking forward to that in a big way.
January 2015: Super Bowl and all that hype
It
pains me to even talk about the Super Bowl this
weekend following the debacle of the Packers collapse
in Seattle 2 weeks ago. I still haven’t brought myself
to watch the replay of that game as I was in class
that entire day and only saw score updates on my
phone. I’ll save that for some cold winter night with
a bottle of cheap whiskey (like they drink in the
parking lots of Lambeau). But the big game approaches
nonetheless and I’m sick of hearing about
“deflategate” and seeing Marshawn Lynch and his freaky
big sunglasses doing his best to irritate the press.
So let’s get to it. As far as the game goes, I’m
predicting a Patriots victory with Tom Brady (who
else) picking up another Super Bowl MVP award.
Seattle’s luck will run out and New England comes out
on top. It should be a good game, in spite of the best
team in the NFC not being there. And it should be
exciting to see Katy Perry at halftime, so I’ll be
staying in front of the TV for that. My early in the
year prediction had been the Packers and Colts in the
Super Bowl. Both made it to the Conference
Championship game. I later deferred to the Patriots
during the season so I’ll consider my picks to be
somewhat in the ballpark. Next year, I’ll go with the
Packers and Colts again. It’s going to be Andrew
Luck’s time very soon. And I did see an article that
the Colts could be in the running to sign Adrian
Peterson to make that happen.
Milestone:
This past week saw Coach Mike
Krzyzewski notched his 1,000th NCAA Division 1 victory
for the Duke Blue Devils. It’s the most victories in
college basketball history. This guy is legend and
one of the classiest sporting figures ever. This
season Duke is loaded with talent as always, but they
are going through a rocky patch right now. But Coach K
sticks to the basics and his program is run at the
highest standards. Check out the article below as even
returning star players are held to strict standards or
they can’t play for the Blue Devils.
Article
Chicago and the baseball world
mourned the passing of “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks this past
week. He was one of my childhood baseball heroes and
one of my early fielding gloves was an Ernie Banks
model. He was one of the greats and holds the record
for most games played without ever appearing in the
postseason. That career covered 19 years and over 2,500 games, and never a
single playoff game! That’s amazing. But that’s what
happens when you play for the Cubs. A great man and a
great player as the article below demonstrates.
Article
January 2015 - PLAYOFFS!!!
The
NFL has its Divisional Round of playoffs this weekend
and it’s often the best games and matchups of the
entire season. Plus the bonus that we again have 2
games on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. And with this
weather, what else are you gonna do? Oh wait, I
forgot, I’m in Las Vegas and I’m going to go play golf
or take a bike ride. Never mind about the weather
comment then. I’m going with the favorites to win this
weekend, but there will be some close games. New
England will prevail over the Ravens because Tom Brady
is on a mission to get back to the Super Bowl. But
Baltimore plays them tough and it will be a battle.
I’m betting the Ravens to cover the 7 point spread,
but New England comes out on top. I keep trying to
tell myself that Carolina can keep it close visiting
at Seattle. But the Seahawks are just on too much of a
roll now, and likely will crush at home. Seattle comes
out on top and will cover the 11 point spread as well.
Sunday’s early game features Dallas up at Green Bay in
a much anticipated return to the Ice Bowl of the
1960’s fame. But is won’t be that cold as temps are
forecast to be in the mid-teens to maybe 20 degrees.
With Aaron Rodgers fighting through a fairly
significant calf injury, Dallas will keep it close and
it should be a great game. If the Pack can stop the
Dallas run game, they will win. Tony Romo isn’t going
to go up to the frozen tundra in the cold and beat
Aaron Rodgers in a passing battle. Even with the
limited mobility Rodgers will likely have, he still
will pick apart the Cowboys pass defense and the Pack
will come away with the win in a potentially high
scoring affair. All this predicated on Rodgers playing
a full game. I’m staying away from betting this one
due to the risk that Rodgers re-injures the calf and
ends up on the sideline. The final Sunday game
features the Colts at the Broncos. The Colts were my
pre-season pick to make it to the Super Bowl, but I
don’t think they’ll get by Denver. The Broncos should
be able to stop the Indy run game, and now that Denver
has established a great ground attack, the Broncos
will win and cover the 7 point line. The match-ups
next week will be even better if my picks come through
with Green Bay up in Seattle, and Denver would travel
to New England. I can’t wait!
And did I mention the Wolves are
in another re-building and re-tooling year…..Again! I
love the Wolves but they are so young, inexperienced
and injured that they should petition to play in the
Big Ten this season. I doubt they’d win the
conference, but they’d make it to the NCAA Tournament
at least. Oh well, wait till next year.
The Wild are also in a bit of a
slump, losing a couple of home games this week and
with only a couple wins in their last 10 games. I
caught Mike Yeo on Sportscenter in a very animated
rant on the practice rink with the team, blasting them
every which way for their lackadaisical play. It was
so bad, almost every other word was bleeped out. I’m
hoping that might shake them up soon. On a sad note
hockey legend and former North Star, JP Parise passed
away this week after a yearlong battle with lung
cancer. It’s always sad to hear that. Go Wild!
December 2014:
Isn’t it great to hear baseball news on the
sports reports in the middle of football season!! It’s
a sure sign that there will be a spring at the end of
another long winter.
The
Twins made news with the re-signing of one of the most
popular Twins of all time by bring Tori Hunter back to
the team on a one year contract. Tori has shown he can
still play the outfield and contribute offensively so
to me that’s a huge deal. And not bad for Tori either,
getting a reported $10+ million for the one year deal.
And probably even more important is the signing of one
of the top free agent pitchers Ervin Santana to a long
term contract. The Twins have been desperately in need
of a proven #1 starter and this should fill that bill.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict a .500
season (or better) for the Target Field occupants. And
that would be a great improvement over the string of
ninety plus game losing seasons we’ve been enduring.
I’m looking forward to spring at Target Field already.
(now I just have to convince my buddy Rick to
re-enlist for those season tickets!)
The Vikings have proven that the loss of
Adrian Peterson can be offset with good young players
and even more importantly, coaches that know how to
win. Teddy Bridgewater should be the quarterback
around here for many years to come. With no real
superstars at all, they’ve managed to be 6-7 at this
point, and still on the long-shot radar for a playoff
spot. Now that’s a real long-shot, but it’s still a
chance. This weekend will prove to be a tough task as
they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. But it
could happen. On paper it would seem on both sides of
the ball the Lions are vastly superior, but as my
friend Doug always reminds me, that’s why they play
the game. Upsets can happen and I think the Vikings
could surprise some folks this weekend. The future of
Peterson is now in the hands of the NFL (scary
thought) but I’m going to predict that he’s played his
last game as a Viking and it will be on to greener
pastures for him next season. I’m also changing my
Super Bowl prediction from the Packers/Colts which I
stated back in March to the Packers/Patriots. It
should be a dandy!
The Wolves continue to muddle along through
a retooling and rebuilding season….again. So many
injuries that we’re now a minor league team against
the elite of the NBA. Next year should be a lot
better….and I think I’ve said that now for maybe 4
years in a row.
November 2014
As I suspected, the Twins did
let Gardenhire take the fall. But the good news is
(beyond the fact that Gardy is still very well paid
and will be ok) they finalized the contract with Paul
Molitor this week. I think that will be a good move.
But not even a hall of fame player will be able to win
with the players on this roster. Another 90 game loss
season is likely in store next year, and continued
declining attendance at Target Field. But there is
hope. They Twins do have a decent crop of very young
players, and we just saw the Kansas City Royals make
it to game 7 of the World Series, and they have sucked
for many years! I do think improvement is on the way,
but I won’t hold my breath waiting for it.
When I last wrote, Teddy
Bridgewater was making his starting debut. Now he just
finished up with a win over the Washington Redskins
and head into their Bye week with a 4-5 record. Not
too bad considering all the crap that’s gone on with
the whole Adrian Peterson mess. And now the Vikings
are set to welcome back AP and he could be in uniform
by the Week 11 matchup with the Bears. I just hope
that he’s also learned a lesson about what it takes to
be a responsible parent….lord knows he’s had enough
practice in the baby-making portion of the process.
Now how about setting an example for all the young
folks that look up to him and be a responsible
citizen. When I’m commissioner of the NFL, all the
young prima donnas coming out of college will attend
mandatory citizenship and parenting classes.
I don’t think anyone can
disagree that the darlings of Minnesota sports teams
right now are the Minnesota Wild and Timberwolves. The
Wild are looking great so far consistently outshooting
their opponents and scoring goals aplenty. If the
goalie situation stays strong, I do believe they’re in
position to make a deep run in the playoffs. I am really looking forward to
the winter season with them to watch. And the Wolves
are super young and talented, and very fun to watch.
Last night’s win in Brooklyn was cool, and there’s
more to come. Can they make the playoffs? It’s maybe a
year too early for that, but I think Flip has them
headed in the right direction (and only direction
considering how down we’ve been).
And of course finally it’s deer
hunting season again. So to all my deer hunting
friends out there (and you know who you are) remember
NO drinking, texting, driving and shooting all at the
same time. Be careful out there. I know it’ll be a lot
less crowded at the bars I hang out at in town this
weekend! At least fewer guys anyway. Be safe.
September 2014: The NFL drops the ball….and more.
The
NFL always takes center stage this time of year,
especially in Minnesota with the Twins long out of the
pennant chase. But this year it’s for all the wrong
reasons! Domestic abuse, alleged child abuse, drug
suspensions…can their image get any worse. But
overall, Television ratings are up and evidently
that’s all that Commissioner Roger Goodell is
concerned about. Time for them to clean it up and take
a hard line against behavior that just doesn’t cut it
in today’s world.
Enough of that stuff, how about Teddy
Bridgewater getting his first start this week.
Unfortunately it comes at the expense of Matt Cassel’s
foot injury knocking him out for the season. It will
give the beleaguered Vikings a look at the future and
I believe he’ll do well. It’ll be tough sledding right
off the bat, but he’s talented, smart and has a great
arm and I look for him to be the starter around here
for years to come. At least that gives Coach Mike
Zimmer a ray of hope as we move forward with the
Vikings in the post-Adrian Peterson era.
As mentioned the Twins are in the gloaming
of their 4th straight 90+ loss season. And amidst
another season of declining attendance at Target
Field, I think it’s time for a change. By no means is
it Gardy’s fault that we can no longer compete, or
even be a .500 team, but it has to start somewhere.
Poor decisions regarding player development, free
agents and trades have left Gardy fielding a AAA
Ballclub against the rest of the league. At the same
time, former Twins abound on playoff contenders and
pennant winners. I see it as a failure of upper
management, yet Gardy will likely take the fall. He’ll
probably be relieved that he can get out of the mess
he’s been left with if they let him go. There are
bright spots among the young players, like Danny
Santana and Kenny Vargas, but by and large next year
looks to me like it’s still going to be an uphill
battle.
And
for us long-time baseball and Yankee fans in
particular, of most importance is watching the final
weekend of games played by the Captain, Derek Jeter.
Last night was his final home game at Yankee Stadium
and it was special. He finishes up this weekend with 3
games in Boston (where else) and it’ll be sad to think
he’s not going to be in the line-up next year. The
Yankees missed the playoff this year for the 2nd
consecutive season. It’s the first time they’ve gone
back to back years out of the playoffs going back to
1993 and 1994. That was the year before Jeter made his
major league debut. He was a winner, and he did it
with class. A lot of pro athletes could learn a lesson
from watching how he’s handled himself. Hat’s off to
#2.
Don’t forget the Ryder Cup is on this
weekend, along with Wild pre-season hockey. And the
Wolves open training camp too. So much going on!!!
August 2014: Fall, Football and Up North Golf!!
Okay, it’s not exactly fall yet, but it is
going to be September next Monday. That’s way too
early for me, but I have to say it’s hard to argue
that late August and September in Minnesota aren’t the
best times of the year. We’ve got the State Fair going
on and that’s pretty hard to beat. I’m going to try
and get over there one of these last mornings and
check out the breakfast juicy lucy, the key lime pie
bar, some French fries and of course Sweet Martha’s
Cookies. Sounds like a great breakfast to me! My buddy
Doug will of course give me his critique of the bacon
wrapped turkey legs, deep fried walleye bites, tater
tot hot dish on a stick, the gyros, sweet corn and
pork chops on a stick……and that’s just for appetizers.
But that’s why we go there. The best meal you can get
and for $13 admission and $13 to park, sure it’s like
going downtown to Manny’s in terms of the budget. But
a whole lot more fun.
And what better time to head north to get in
some golf just before or during the time the leaves
are changing and the kids head back to school. I had
the pleasure of getting out on one of my favorite
courses in the state (or anywhere for that matter)
last week when we played Deacon’s Lodge at Breezy
Point. And believe me it doesn’t get any better! First
off the staff treats you like you are guests at a
private club. They definitely have great customer
service. We found the course as usual in top condition
in spite of heavy rains that morning. You can hear the
Loons, see deer running across the fairways, watch
eagles soaring overhead and even knock in the
occasional birdie to round out the day. I left feeling
really good about carding an 82, in spite of 3 tee
shots that went straight into the woods. Who knows,
maybe next year I’ll back up from the forward tees and
take on a new challenge! The pictures we took don’t do
it justice so make sure to put it on your list of
places to play very soon.
http://breezypointresort.com/brainerd-golf-courses/
The Gophers football season gets underway
tonight at TCF Bank stadium. It does seem kind of
early to be thinking about football, but hopes are
high down in Dinkytown. Coach Kill has overcome all
kinds of challenges in his career and if he can turn
the Gophers into a consistent winner, bowl games each
year and even contending for the Big Ten title, he
will have done an outstanding job. I like this team a
lot and with their outstanding defense and leadership
of QB Mitch Leidner I hope to see them in a more
prominent Bowl game this season. It would be fun to
have them playing on New Year’s Day for a change.
The Vikings still have their one last
pre-season game remaining, but Coach Zimmer has
already announced that Matt Cassel will be the
starting quarterback, with Teddy Bridgewater as the
back-up. It makes perfect sense to me. Teddy is going
to be the guy in the long run, but if Cassel can get
the offense in gear and the team wins, he’ll be better
off watching for a year or two and then stepping in.
Consider if he is called into action this year, it
will be because Cassel gets hurt or the Vikings stink,
and that’s not the best scenario for the young guy to
step into. I think the Vikes will be improved from
last year, especially on offense. The question will be
can the Defense stop anyone. The NFC North is loaded
with high powered offensive teams so there will be
some great games to watch within the division.
The Minnesota Lynx find themselves back in
the Western Conference finals against a familiar foe.
It will be a good match-up against the Phoenix Mercury
in a best of three series. The only home game is
Sunday and it should be a fun time down at Target
Center as the local fans support the Lynx looking for
another championship.
The Wolves re-load for the 2014-2015 season.
This is going to be good. The new crew is impressive…
more on the Wolves next time….
http://breezypointresort.com/brainerd-golf-courses/
_________________________________________________________________
July 2014:
FREE GOLF!!! The Champions Tour Returns to the TPC in
Blaine. FREE GOLF!!!
It’s
that time of year again and Blaine will be rocking
with the return of the Champions Tour as they tee it
up in the 3M Championship. Can you believe they have
been playing here since 1993 when the great Chi Chi
Rodriguez topped the field up at Bunker Hills! Back
then it was the Burnet Senior Classic. 3M became the
official sponsor in 2000 and they moved the venue to
the TPC of Blaine. It’s regarded as one of the best
events on the Champions Tour and since the inception,
over $21 million has been donated to local charities
including healthcare programs at Mercy and United
Hospitals. So it’s not just great golf and
entertainment, its super important to the community
all around. And yes, they are continuing the policy of
free admission, free parking and free shuttles to make
getting there and getting around easy. You do have to
pay for your hot dogs and beer though. Check out the
link to the main site for facts and figures about it
and how to get there, etc.
http://www.3mchampionship.com/
What’s
sure to be one of the highlights this year is that
Jack Nicklaus is making his inaugural appearance at
the 3M event! He joins up with Arnold Palmer, Gary
Player and Lee Trevino on Saturday for the “Greats of
Golf Challenge”. It’ll match up these legends against
Anika Sorenstam, Nancy Lopez and Pat Bradley in a
friendly competition sure to attract a large
following. This follows the regular tee times on
Saturday so it should start just before noon. (I hear
that Arnie may not be playing, but will captain the
Ladies group)
I
also had the privilege of heading out to the TPC on
Tuesday to sit down and talk to two of the stars of
the Champions Tour, Fred Funk and Hal Sutton. They are
both major champions and former Ryder Cup team
members. Getting media passes for cool sporting
events is just one of the many perks of being a big
time sports guy affiliated with
www.mnseniorsonline.com.
Once I began talking to them, I was surprised to find
out how much in common I had with these guys. Besides
the obvious I mean like being a really nice guy,
wearing all the same cool golf apparel and being a
really good golfer. On top of that as top flight
athletes, they share many of the same aches and pains
that we average weekend warriors do. And they are
living proof that you can overcome those aching joints
and get back to elite status and performance. Fred
Funk had a full knee replacement back in 2009 and in
2010 won the Jeld-Win Regions Tradition, another major
on the Champions Tour. He already had a Senior U.S.
Open title. Sutton meanwhile has had both hips
replaced (2012 and 2013) and comes into the 3M healthy
and swinging better than ever. Hal’s a former PGA
Champ, 4 time Ryder Cup team member as well as a
Captain, and was the PGA’s comeback player of the year
way back in 1994. Well thanks to his Stryker
replacement hips, he’s on the comeback trail again!
Check out the link below and also
www.stryker.com
to learn more about the joint replacement products
that have enabled them both to keep playing the game
that they love. And you’ll also have a reference to
fall back on if your joints, like mine are coming up
for replacement in the future. And who knows, maybe it
will make us a better golfer. So head out to the TPC
in Blaine and enjoy the upcoming great weather and
golf at its best.
July 2014: World Cup
Fever…..not quite as Hot now!
Oh yes, the World Cup continues.
And it’s easy to tell the fever up in the northern
territories has subsided quite a bit. But I have to
say, it’s been quite a spectacle. The television
ratings have been high and it’s going to set a record
as the most watched sporting event in history. I’m
still picking Brazil to win it, in spite of losing
their star Neymar to a freak back injury, but it will
be a lot tougher. Argentina would be my choice to
knock them off if they just can’t recover their form
after the big loss of Neymar. The final match is this
Sunday July 13th.
Great news as the Wild pulled
off the biggest signing of the NHL free agency period.
Thomas Vanek is another top line goal scorer and will
help to propel them further into the playoffs and
hopefully into the Stanley Cup finals. If the goalie
situation works out in a good way, I think I’ll be
getting those season tickets again.
Believe it or not in this cold
and now rain shortened summer, the Vikings open camp
in just over 2 weeks! They report to Mankato for the
49th straight year on July 24 with the
first practice on July 25th. There are so
many open issues with the team it will be fun to see
how it unfolds. I can’t wait to see Teddy Bridgewater
in action. The first preseason game in TCF Bank
stadium is August 8th, so just 1 month
away. Here’s a couple of links to keep you informed of
all things Vikings.
Vikings Fan Shop
Vikings Cheerleaders 2014-15
Most
golf fans (and all Tiger Woods fans) were rejoicing as
Tiger made his return a couple weeks ago from back
surgery. The PGA Tour misses Tiger in a big way, and
even though he missed the cut at Congressional, he’s a
force always no matter what he scores. Now he has his
sights set on The Open Championship at The Royal
Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake, where he won 8 years
ago. I think this time it maybe optimistic for him to
even make the cut as he needs time to round into form.
But Tiger can surprise us, so it will make for a great
mid-summer event and I can’t wait to watch it.
The Twins just completed a great
4th of July weekend at Target Field hosting
the Yankees. And in spite of losing 3 of 4 to the
Bronx Bombers, the fans got their money’s worth, as
they generally do at Target Field. There were
fireworks on the 3rd of July following the
game, bobblehead promotions on the 4th and
5th and it was military appreciation day on
Sunday the 6th. They had two separate
flyovers on Sunday with vintage WWII airplanes and a
great flag promotion ceremony honoring Veterans in all
branches of the Armed Forces. They also had a nice
retirement for one of the great Yankees of all time
Derek Jeter who played his last regular season game on
Sunday and singled in his last at bat, plus had the
assist on the last out of the game in his final
appearance here (until the All-Star game that is). The
Twins along with the Twin Cities will get plenty of
exposure with the 5 day All-star festivities starting
up on Friday and culminating with the All-Star game on
Tuesday the 15h. It will be a treat to see, whether on
TV or in person. And some of the coolest things about
going to a ball game aren’t whether they win or lose,
but the people you run into, or getting a foul ball or
watching your favorite player play right in front of
you, especially if it’s his retirement season like
Derek Jeter. Check out the picture of our nephew Sam’s
excitement over his game ball from Sunday’s game, or
running into Tony Oliva up in the Metropolitan Club.
And if I could take a picture of a Dollar Hot Dog from
last Wednesday’s game, you’d know why Doug likes those
Wednesday games the best!
June Sports Blog: World Cup Fever
The
world’s most widely viewed sporting event got underway
this week in Brazil amid riots, protests, music and oh
yeah, Game #1 in which Brazil beat underdog Croatia
3-1. Brazil is one of the favorites in the tournament
and needed a favorable call by one of the refs to help
them get this win as they played even for quite a bit
of the match. This event is truly a world event with
the final game, which isn’t until July 13th, expected
to draw nearly a billion viewers on the worldwide
telecast. Over the next 4 weeks there will be 64 games
broadcast on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 combined so you can
get all the soccer you want at almost any time of the
day. The United States plays first this coming Monday
at 6 pm versus Ghana, with their second game coming up
on June 22. The US squad isn’t expected to advance
beyond pool play, but upsets can happen and it would
be fun to see them advance to the quarterfinals. My
money is on the host team Brazil and a victory by the
host team would trigger a celebration like nothing
we’ve probably ever seen.
World Cup Song 2014
The Twins are still relevant as we get
within a month of the All-Star game. This weekend is a
big series at Detroit. I love the addition of Kendrys
Morales as he is a tough hard hitting player and has
really stepped into the line-up and provided the spark
needed and is a solid RBI man. I give the Twins
management kudos for going out and signing him as a
signal that they are trying to win this year. At least
as many games as they can and give the fans something
to cheer about.
I was sure wrong about the Triple Crown
chances of California Chrome. No excuses in the
Belmont, he just got beat. It shows how tough it is to
get that elusive triple crown, which hasn’t been won
since 1978. Canterbury Park is off and running this
year and the excitement of the triple crown chase
boosted the early season crowds. It is a great place
to spend an evening or afternoon and the quality of
the racing here is at the highest level it’s been
since the very early years of the track.
June 2014 - It’s June So It Must Be Hockey Season…
While
it seems like forever ago the Wild finished up their
season losing to the Blackhawks, we’re now just
getting to the Stanley Cup Finals. The long season has
left us with a great matchup pitting the two major
markets of New York and LA in a classic finale. While
the Kings just won the Cup two years ago, it’s been 20
years since the Rangers played for the Cup, winning it
in 1994. The Kings have already made history by
winning all 3 of their best of seven series’ so far in
the 7th game and this one in Overtime. Both teams have
outstanding goaltenders and the Kings now have the red
hot Marion Gaborik going up against his former team.
The consensus is the Western Conference’s best teams
are better than those of the East and the Kings have
been established as the favorites. I think with the
way these playoffs are going, we’ll see another seven
game series. And I’ll pick the LA Kings to prevail.
The puck drops Wednesday night to start up the finals
out at the Staples Center in LA. If you’re looking for
a reason to cheer for the Rangers however, check out
this story of personal tragedy and perseverance on
Dominic Moore of the Rangers. It shows the struggles
that even sports stars have to go through and the
truly human side that any of us may experience in our
lives.
espn.go.com/video/clip?id=10938904.
The
NBA finals start up on Thursday night with the San
Antonio Spurs hosting the Miami Heat in a rematch of
last years finals. The Spurs happen to be one of my
favorite teams as they consistently play at a high
level without all the typical fanfare of the
superstars that rule the NBA. Miami being the prime
example of that with Lebron and Dwayne Wade and
company. It should be a great series and I think San
Antonio has something to prove after losing to the
Heat in the finals last year. I’m picking the Spurs,
but you can never underestimate King James, so it’s
going to be good.
The Twins are actually playing pretty decent
ball right now, coming off a nice win over the Brewers
last night. (although they have drifted to the bottom
of the central division standings they are respectable
at 27-29). They return home tonight to face the Brew
Crew at home for two games now following the 2 in
Milwaukee. Tonight will be a great night to be out at
Target Field on Dollar Hot Dog night and I’m pretty
sure a lot of fans from across the river will be in
town to partake in those dogs. Along with a lot of
beer as Brewer fans are known to do.
Raise your hand if you can honestly say that
you knew the Minnesota Lynx are undefeated in the WNBA
through their first seven games. They again are
quietly putting together a great early season run, and
continue to show they are again the class of the
league. They are on the road for three games now
before returning home to Target Center to host Phoenix
on June 15.
Finally,
horse racing history will be in the making Saturday,
in the Belmont Stakes. California Chrome, in my
opinion, will become the first Triple Crown winner
since Affirmed in 1978. Barring any freakish bad
racing luck, Chrome will get it done from post
position 2. I can't wait to watch this one!!
May 2014 - Wild Season Comes to an End….
As everyone knows, the Wild were
bumped from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Blackhawks
in game 6 the other night. Like the rest of them, it
was a very winnable game and the Wild did us proud.
They played great hockey but just came up short as
Chicago’s goalie stopped nearly everything in sight in
that game 6 matchup. Next year is going to be very
exciting. The Wild will be looking to strengthen and
deepen the roster again, and rumors have them going
after Thomas Vanek which would be a great addition
(former gopher). And if they can settle on the top two
goalies amongst the group of Backstrom, Kuemper and
Harding it could be a sweet run in the playoffs. If
all goes well, and we get lucky with injuries (or lack
thereof) I can see a spot in the finals next year!
The Twins are actually hanging
in there better than I thought. They are currently
sitting at 19-20 after taking 2 out of 3 from the Red
Sox, which I loved to see. The bad news is Detroit is
starting to pull away in the Central already and we’re
6.5 games out of first. Looks to me like we could be
long gone from the race by the time the All-Star
extravaganza rolls into town in mid-July. It’s also
looking like another year of declining attendance with
the combination of cold and wet early season weather
and another 90 plus loss season. If you haven’t been
out to Target Field yet this season, don’t worry,
there will be plenty of cheap seats available in
August and September.
May 2014 - The Quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup
continues!!
I didn’t want to go out and predict anything crazy like a
Wild win in their first round match-up with Colorado
as I was afraid to jinx them. But they came through in
one heckuva 7 game series that had everything a hockey
fan could handle! And to come out on top in the 7th game
overtime was just outstanding. I’ve always said that the NHL playoffs are the most intense of any of the major sports. Its edge of your seat stuff nearly 100% of the time! In case you didn’t
stay up for it, here’s a link to the winning goal for the Wild in last night’s
overtime game.
http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/257451951.html
Now
it’s on to the 2nd round and a match-up
against the defending champs the Chicago Blackhawks.
The ‘hawks started slowly in the playoffs falling
behind 2 games to nil against the tough St. Louis
Blues. However they stormed back winning 4 straight
and are certainly a formidable foe. Plus they finished
up a few days early and would seem to be well rested.
They bounced the Wild out of the first round of the
playoffs in 5 games last year, but I think the Wild
are playing much better now and are a team with more
depth than we had last year also. A question mark
might be our goaltending as it looks like Darcy
Kuemper may be out with an injury as he was pulled out
late in the game. In which case we’d switch back to
Bryzgalov who played well down the stretch, but was
yanked out of the line-up early in the playoffs. That
might be our Achilles heel, as I believe the rest of
the team can skate with anyone. It’s going to be a
great series and it would be sweet revenge to knock
off the Blackhawks. Game 1 is Friday night in Chicago.
For more on the great traditions and superstitions of
the Stanley Cup, check out the link below. GO
WILD!!!
Traditions & Anecdotes Associated with the Stanley Cup
Don’t
Forget the Twins!! Hey, it is baseball
season for heavens sake. So let’s not forget about our
Twins. They are down at Target Field muddling through
the 2nd wettest April on record. And cold?
Let’s just say it hasn’t been the nicest weather for
the home team. When asked how his warm weather team
might do in Minnesota, Dodger manager (and former
Yankee great) Don Mattingly stated “it’s so #@!#@!#!!
cold up here, how the @#$@#!! do people live here!
After sitting right about the .500 mark for the first
month of the season, the home team was swept by those
warm weather boys in yesterday’s day/night
doubleheader and now sit at 12-14. That may be the
closest they get to .500 the rest of the year. The
Twins up until the recent couple of games have been
scoring a lot of runs, but they may have the worst
pitching staff in all of baseball. After another year
like this, Ron Gardenhire may be looking forward to
his impending retirement. But I won’t let that keep me
from attending a sprinkling of games down there, I’ll
just wait till July when it’s warmer. And don’t forget
we have the All-Star game in July also which is going
to be a great experience. Go Twins. Go Wild!!
April 2014 Sports Blog: Can’t Get Enough of
Sports??
If you’re like me and can’t get enough
sports in a week or weekend, then you have to love
this time of year! It seems like everything is in
season right now. If you can’t find something to keep
your DVR rolling and your TV’s full, then you must not
be a sports nut! I’m still watching some of the events
from last week……and please don’t tell me how the Twins
did yesterday, I’m still not there yet!
Richard
Pitino and the Gopher hoopsters didn’t have the season
many would have hoped for, getting left out of the 68
team field for the NCAA Tourney. But they are within
reach of the next best thing, winning the NIT
Championship. They are facing off against the SMU
Mustangs tonight at Madison Square Garden at 6 pm in
the game carried on ESPN. It won’t be an easy matchup
as the Gophers go in as a 3 point underdog. Hall of
Fame coach Larry Brown has turned the SMU program
around in just a couple years and it would be a sweet
win for the Gophers to get this done. The NIT has lost
a lot of glamour since the NCAA Tourney has expanded
to 64++ teams, but playing in the Garden on national
TV still helps recruiting and the players gain
valuable experience going forward. Regardless of the
outcome tonight, it’s a nice stepping stone to
continued improvement next year.
And don't be surprised if the Wisconsin Badgers win it
all this Final Four weekend in the NCAA Tourney! It
would cap off a great showing by the Big Ten.
And
back to the Twins, they lost the season opener in
Chicago, and will have played 6 road games before
returning to the Cities for the Home Opener against
Oakland on Monday April 7. Of course, that’s assuming
they have the snow cleared out of Target Field
following our latest winter blast scheduled for this
evening. Being honest, I’m not expecting too much from
the Twins this year, again feeling that if they were
to get close to being a .500 ball club, that would be
a great accomplishment. Most pre-season forecasts I’ve
read have them in the neighborhood of a 70 win and 90
loss season. My thought is that it could be slightly
better than that, but it could also be a season that
approaches 100 losses if we don’t get some semblance
of good pitching and a more potent offense than last
year. Either way, it will be fun seeing the crowd out
at Target Field for the home opener, a true springtime
event.
On the hockey front, the Wild are still
sitting in the 7th spot in the West, as they have been
for about the last month. They are coming off back to
back solids wins against Phoenix and the LA Kings.
Tonight they face Chicago on the road again, and with
only 6 games left to play, every point we can get is
important. We are 4 points up on Phoenix and Dallas in
the standings and barring a really terrible stretch
finish, I’d still anticipate us ending up in 7th.Right
now that would mean a first round matchup with Anaheim
as they sit in the 2nd spot in the West. The Wild’s
newest additions are contributing and the team is
relatively healthy, so let’s get there and see what
happens. There’s nothing better than NHL playoffs,
especially if you get past that first round.
We
can’t forget the Gopher hockey team either. After
winning the first ever regular season hockey title in
the Big Ten, they got bumped out early in the
Conference championship tournament. But they still
received the number 1 overall seed in the NCAA and
responded by winning their two regional games and now
advance to next weekend’s NCAA Final 4. A first-round
matchup against North Dakota (remember them?) awaits.
The other two finalists are Boston College and Union
College from New York. It will be great hockey and we
are so desperately wanting to have a National
Championship back in the State of Hockey.
Finally
on the local front, the Midwest Nightmare Semi Pro
Football team is gearing up for its season opener May
10th. If you want good, hard hitting football played
by and for people that just love the game (nobody’s
getting rich out there), then check out the link below
and make it up to a game. They play out of Spring Lake
Park and it’s really fun and affordable sports
entertainment for the whole family. And I’m pretty
sure you can tailgate right on site for the home
games!
http://www.midwestnightmare.com/
March 2014: Wolves and Wild and the Playoffs?
Okay, we should be excited that for the
first time in a decade that the Wolves are a .500 team
at the 60 game mark of the season. And are still a
long shot to make the playoffs. Are they going to do
it, I’d guess not. Right now at 30-30 they are 5 games
behind the Dallas Mavericks for the 8th spot. The
schedule has them hosting Detroit (tonight), then
Toronto and Milwaukee over the next 5 Days. So it’s
not inconceivable that we’d be 32-31 with 19 games
remaining. It’ll probably take 46 wins to get in the
playoffs and that would mean they’d have to go 14-5
for that last 19 game stretch. I don’t think that’s
going to happen. But on the positive side, Kevin Love
continues to play at a high level, consistently
showing he’s one of the top 10 players in the league.
And offensively we can hang with nearly anyone. What
the team lacks is any sort of defensive consistency.
They gave up 118 points to the Knicks the other night,
and that just isn’t going to get it done if you want
to be a playoff contender. All in all there will be
some good basketball action down the stretch, but come
April, we’ll be watching the Twins and hopefully the
Wild instead of the NBA playoffs at Target Center.
On the hockey front, the Wild are now in the
7th spot in the West as they are in the post-Olympic
stretch run. I think they are solidly in the playoff
picture, whether or not it’s the 6th or 7th spot. The
downside of that is they’ll end up playing one of the
very top seeds in the West and that could be Anaheim,
St. Louis or possibly Chicago again in the first
round. So it’s not going to be easy. However we’re
healthy and looking like a playoff team so let’s see
what happens. They say to be the best, you have to
beat the best, so whether you get the top seed or the
bottom seed, you have to beat them all.
Don’t
forget State High School hockey this weekend. 4 Twin
Cities school advanced to the 2A (big school)
semifinals. Edina, Eagan, Eden Prairie and Lakeville
North make up the final 4. Can someone please beat
Edina??
February 2014: Super Bowl Post-mortem
Okay, so the game did not go
exactly the way I had thought. I could say that my
computer was hacked into while I was out golfing in
Arizona and some non-sports computer geek hacker spat
out that last column predicting the Broncos and Peyton
Manning to prevail. But sadly that did not happen. Now
I’m sitting here eating crow and also a couple hundred
bucks lighter in the wallet. In the end, the more
physical and aggressive defensive minded Seahawks were
just too much for the Broncos. They made Peyton look
like his brother Eli this season. He was stumbling and
bumbling all over the place and hit as many Seattle
guys for TD’s as his own receivers. Seattle scored
nearly every way possible. In the air, on the ground,
a kickoff return (Percy Harvin actually played an
entire game), an interception return for a TD and a
Safety. So unfortunately Peyton’s great season (best
ever regular season for a QB) will be overshadowed by
the ass kicking he received at the hands of Seahawks.
Oh well it’s over and onto the next year. Seattle,
being as young as they are, will be the early favorite
to return to the Super Bowl. But we know it’s not that
easy to get back there so I’ll leave them out of my
prediction. I’m picking the Packers to matchup against
the Colts next year when all is said and done. And I
hope to be in Arizona again, avoiding more Minnesota
cold and snow, and celebrating with all the cheese
heads as they make the trek down to the Super Bowl in
the valley of the sun. I can’t wait!!
January 31, 2014: Super Bowl Preview
Well the home team favorites did prevail in
the Conference Championships as I had expected setting
up a matchup of the top offense, the Denver Broncos
and the top defensive team, the Seattle Seahawks.
Denver is about a 2 point favorite right now, going
against the recent trend in Super Bowls which have had
the more dominant defensive teams prevailing. I’m
going to pick Denver to win the big match-up 27-16. I
think Peyton Manning will cap off the single most
prolific season a QB has ever had by leading the
Broncos to victory and he’ll be named Super Bowl MVP!
January 15, 2014: Winter
Sports Season is the best time of Year!
The
College Bowl season seems like a distant memory, but
hats off to the Florida State Seminoles for taking the
top prize this season in the final year of the often
controversial BCS Bowl scheme. Next year there will be
a 4 team playoff system in place which is a step in
the right direction. But don’t expect the controversy
to be over as who’s to say who gets in the final 4
selection with all the conference champions vying for
the top spot. As a side note, the football Gophers
laid an egg in their bowl game losing to an inferior
Syracuse team. I expect them to continue to improve
next year and their goal should be to finally achieve
a .500 record in the Big Ten and a berth in a much
bigger name bowl where hopefully some fans will
actually attend.
In
the NFL we advance to the Conference Championships
this Sunday. This is probably as good of or better
football as the Super Bowl is, but without the
multitude of commercials/halftime hoopla which stretch
that game to nearly 4 hours. The four remaining teams
are arguably the best teams and present the most
anticipated match-ups (although if Aaron Rodgers
hadn’t been knocked out for most of the year, the
Packers would likely be among the remaining four). My
preseason pick Denver hosts New England in another
epic Manning/Brady confrontation. And in the NFC the
powerful Seattle Seahawks host the 49ers. I’ll stick
with the home teams (both small favorites) but expect
them both to be outstanding games. The Brady/Belichick
combination is often money in the playoffs, especially
as an underdog and against Peyton Manning. And the
49ers have the look of a wildcard team on a roll, so
an upset in either game would not surprise me. On
another football note the Vikes are now in the thick
of a head coaching search. And maybe they ought to
find one who can play Quarterback at the same time. I
don’t think a new coaching staff (which may help in
the long run) will get them back o the playoffs in the
short run without solving the QB situation. So look
for some draft position jockeying or free agent
signing to get back to being competitive in the
Division.
The Wild are in the midst of an
up and down season. However by winning 4 of their last
5 games they’ve moved up into the 8th spot
in the Western Conference. The injury bug has plagued
them again as they’ve found themselves playing without
several of their stars (Parise, Koivu, Backstrom among
others) for at least parts of the season. With the
Olympics approaching everyone should get a chance to
get healthy and ready to make a playoff run. I’d be
disappointed if the Wild weren’t in the top 8 at the
end of the regular season. And coach Yeo would be out
of a job too!
The Wolves are somewhat muddling
along, a couple spots out of the top 8 in the
Conference at this time. And that’s in spite of Kevin
Love having an all-star season. I’ve always said that
the first step back to the playoffs is to become a
.500 team. Then we can talk about the playoffs. They
are in reach, but you have to beat the lousy teams,
and then step it up, play intensely on defense and
then start beating some of the teams above you in the
standings. Time will tell and we’ll see if they can
make that leap forward as it’s been way too long since
we’ve had the NBA playoffs at the Target Center. And
it would give us something to do in the spring in
Minneapolis along with watching the Twins start out on
another 90++ loss season.
And
in case you missed it, check out this basketball shot
that a 13 year-old boy in Winona, MN made this past
weekend to win the game. It’s pretty amazing and then
he did it again for the news guy on the first
attempt!! Brings back a highlight shot I made as a 6th
Grader at St. Mary’s Catholic school in gym class. I
turned and threw a baseball type shot from the
opposite end free throw line. It banked so hard off
the back board, as it went in, that it ripped off the
net from the hoop! But my reward was a trip to the
principal’s office (Sister Theresa) and an hour
detention that night after school. You see, we were
supposed to be picking up the basketballs at the end
of gym class so what I did was considered to be
screwing around and damaging school property. My best
shot ever!!
12/27/2013 - Gophers go Bowling and the
Dome is coming down!
The Golden Gophers kickoff today at 5 pm on
ESPN in the Texas Bowl in Houston trying to make it a
9-win season. That’s only been accomplished once
before in over 100 years of Gopher football! That
would be a nice way to end up what can already
be
called a very good season, especially considering what
Coach Kill has been going through trying to get his
illness and seizures under control. They play
Syracuse, a team they beat earlier in the year and I
think with the improvement the Gophs have shown during
the year they will get that 9th win. I’m predicting
they win by a touchdown or more. On a side note, they
played in that same bowl last year and lost to Texas
Tech to finish up at 6-7, so we’re assured of
bettering last year’s win/loss record already.
And down at the Mall of America Dome this
Sunday the Vikings put the finishing touches on what’s
been another unpredictable and frustrating season.
They host Detroit who’s already been eliminated from
the playoffs and likely will show even less motivation
to win than they’ve been showing down the stretch.
They blew a division lead and playoff shot by losing 5
of their last 6 games. With a lot of high priced
talent on both sides of the ball, they must be as
frustrating to be a fan of as are the Vikings. The
Vikings seem to win games when it means little or
nothing, so I’m guessing they knock off the Lions in
the farewell game at the Dome. This will further
worsen their draft status but that generally is the
way the Vikes roll. The Vikings find themselves in the
same mode they’ve been in for years now, still trying
to find out who the Quarterback is going to be for the
future. Certainly not Christian Ponder, and it seems
like they’ve given up on the Josh Freeman
experiment….but maybe not as he will be a free agent.
They could use a top draft pick for another shot at a
young QB, or they may be in the free agent market
again as guys like Jay Cutler, Michael
Vick,
Chad Henne, Kirk Cousins and Matt Schaub are out on
the market. They’re scheduled to begin deflating the
dome shortly after the conclusion of Sunday’s affair,
and begin the 2 year project to construct the new
stadium. Tickets for the final game are going at a
premium. But it seems to me that there haven’t really
been that many great football moments there, so maybe
a lot of Twins fans will be in attendance remembering
the main highlights in the Dome…the 1987 and 1991
World Series victories!! I guess a piece of metrodome
turf would still be a cool thing to hang on the wall,
so Nick if you read this first, rip off a chunk of it
for me too while you’re down there!
And
if you want to watch a meaningful game on Sunday,
check out the oldest NFL rivalry as the Packers visit
the Bears for all the marbles. The winner gets the
Division title and a playoff berth. This should be a
great game. The kickoff is 3:25 pm on FOX as the late
afternoon’s national broadcast game. Go Pack Go.
11/22/2013 - Border Battle Weekend Looms!!
So
far my NFL predictions are still holding up. I picked
the Saints and Broncos as the Super Bowl opponents,
and they both are right near the top of the standings
and power rankings. I thought the best the Vikings
might manage this year was 8-8, and now it’s appearing
that possibly 4-12 could be the most they could aspire
to. The bottom seems to have dropped out, the
quarterback situation is even messier than it was, the
defense pretty much stinks and their only superstar
Adrian Peterson is bothered by a lingering groin
injury. The Vikes travel to Green Bay this weekend and
a win over the Packers would certainly be a feather in
their caps, and give the fans some ray of hope.
(although the prospect of the #1 draft choice might be
more meaningful) The Pack will be without Aaron
Rodgers again, and so far their back-up QB hasn’t
played much better than Christian Ponder. The Pack is
favored by 4 points on Sunday, and I think with both
teams lacking a solid play caller, it should be a
close and possibly entertaining game. AP typically has
some of his best games against Green Bay and he’s
always worth watching.
The
Golden Gophers host the Wisconsin Badgers in what is
the biggest game yet at TCF Bank Stadium. And
probably the most important game the Gophers have
played in over a decade. Both teams sit at 8-2 overall
and the Gophers are already assured of a pretty nice
Bowl bid.
They
are projected now as a Gator Bowl combatant on January
1 in Jacksonville. And it could get better if they can
pull off another win, either over Wisconsin or
Michigan State in the season finale. All in all, a
really nice surprise to the positive side this year in
spite of the coaching uncertainty as Coach Kill deals
with his own personal health issues. It seems to be
working with him upstairs in the booth and his
assistants handling the field duties on game day.
Let’s hope it continues tomorrow at the BANK in the
nationally televised match-up starting at 2:30 pm on
ESPN.
10/11/13 - Lynx World Champs!! And the Vike’s aren’t
just Joshing around anymore!
I
said the Vikings might not make it to the 8-8 mark but
did predict they would beat the Steelers in London
heading into their bye week, which they did. With the
injury to Christian Ponder looming over them and Matt
Cassel looking pretty decent in that win, they
surprised everyone and went out and signed the newly
released QB Josh Freeman. He’s a big and athletic
quarterback who’s shown some flashes of brilliance in
his short career and just might be the franchise QB
they’ve been looking for. As of this moment, Coach
Frazier hasn’t officially named the starter for this
week’s game against Carolina at the Dome. However it
seems the consensus is he’ll go with Cassel coming off
the win, and then migrate to Freeman as some point
very soon. I don’t think they spent the money to have
him be the back-up, and that should relegate Cassel to
the role he was originally signed for. Where does that
leave Ponder? That’s a good question and he’s actually
been medically cleared now to practice but it would
seem he’s #3 in the pecking order for sure. How things
can change in a mere two weeks. I think there’s going
to be a lot of excitement at the dome this Sunday and
lots of fans will be jumping right back on that
bandwagon. I’m picking the Vikings to show more
improvement and innovation on the offensive side of
the ball and come away with win # 2 against the
Panthers. (of course it does require the defense to
show up and hold Cam Newton in check which I think
they can do as well.)
Congratulations
to the Lynx who won their second WNBA Championship
in three seasons with a 3 game sweep of Atlanta in
the finals. It was another dominating season and
playoff run that ended nicely for the Lynx. The fans
seem to be really taking to this team as the home
playoff attendance was strong and it was fun to see
national ESPN coverage of the home team. There will be
a championship parade in downtown Minneapolis on
Monday to honor them. And of course I can’t help
wondering how long it might be before we get another
Twins parade? Or maybe a Vikings parade? Or Wolves
parade? Or Wild parade? Well, let’s just be thankful
we have the LYNX!!
9/26/13 - Vikings in a free fall? Lynx in the
Playoffs!
I
may have to lower my forecast of 8-8 for the Vikings
this year unless they start kicking it in gear a bit.
This week they travel to London to play the Steelers
in what is now a match-up of 0-3 teams. Thankfully the
Brits are just happy to have an NFL game played in
Wembley Stadium, as they sold out both games that
London is hosting this season in a couple of hours.
(In a few weeks, the 49rs and Jacksonville Jaguars
play there as well). The NFL is eyeing international
expansion and the possibility of London hosting a
Super Bowl has been talked about also. My guess is
there will be less booing of the Vikings over there,
than if the game were played at Mall of America field. QB Christian Ponder has been taking a lot of the heat
for the 0-3 start, and there’s a chance that with sore
ribs, Matt Cassel may get the nod this week. I can’t
really say if that’s a good thing or not. Ponder
hasn’t exactly impressed with his passing nor his
command of the game, but in reality the Vikes have
averaged 27 points a game so far. However, they have
given up 32 points a game on defense. Only the Giants
and Redskins have allowed more points so far this
season. So the blame certainly can be put on both
sides of the ball. With a couple of defensive stands
and avoiding just a couple of lapses, they would be
2-1 right now. But in the end, it’s only the final
score that matters, and those last minute losses can
be the difference between making the playoffs or
sitting home in January watching them on TV. That
being said, my money is on a breakout game for the
Purple and betting they will be savoring a victory
over the hapless Steelers on the long plane ride home.
And on a winning note,
the Lynx head into the Western Conference finals
tonight at Target Center against Phoenix. They
finished off another strong season, a first round
playoff sweep and look like they’ll be very tough to
beat moving into this round and in the Finals as well.
Hat’s off to the Lynx for bringing championship level
pro sports back to the Twin Cities again!
8/29/13 - Deacon’s Lodge Surpasses
Expectations!!
As
I mentioned last week I was excited to be heading up
north with the opportunity to play a round of golf at
Deacon’s Lodge. It’s now the crown jewel in the Breezy
Point collection of golf courses. And the experience
did
not disappoint. From the drive back to the secluded
northwoods style clubhouse, to the attentive staff,
the great practice facilities and then ultimately the
amazing course, it was outstanding. I thought the
course was very fair and would provide a great test
for the low handicappers, and with the array of tee
boxes, would also make for a fun afternoon of golf for
the more casual resort golfers. There’s ample room off
the tee, albeit several forced carries and a few that
you can’t miss by too much, and the large greens make
for good targets if you can avoid the myriad of sand
bunkers. I won’t say what I shot on the back as lost a
few balls in the rough and the marsh, but I did card a
38 on the front side. I might have jinxed myself when
I sent a text to my good friend Doug that I had
managed to play the entire front nine without losing a
ball….then proceeded to lose 2 in the next 3 holes!
But all in all, a great experience.
http://breezypointresort.com/brainerd-golf-courses/
And
speaking of football (nice segue, eh?), has anyone
learned anything at all about the Vikings yet through
the first 3 pre-season games? I haven’t at all. And in
tonight’s final tune-up, none of the starters are
expected to even be on the field. I’d call it a
crapshoot from what I’ve seen, and my forecast for
them has got to be right about an 8-8 team unless
Adrian Peterson can carry the whole lot of them on his
strong shoulders. Ponder had probably 1 drive in the
entire pre-season where he looked like a mid-range NFL
quarterback. Otherwise the whole offense hasn’t shown
much of anything thus far. But we all know it only
matters come Sunday the 8th when they tee
it up at Detroit. And they get the Browns at home in
the 2nd week so all is not lost if they can
end up even after 2 weeks.
8/16/2013 -
Pre-season Football
The
Vikings travel to Buffalo for their 2nd
pre-season game tonight. This one should give a little
better indication of what the fans can expect this
year from the team. Christian Ponder is expected to
play at least for a few series on offense. The Vikings
would appear to be solid in the back-up QB position
with Matt Cassel who looked pretty decent last week.
But this could be the make or break year for Ponder in
his quest to be the full-time starting QB for the
Vikings. The Vikes have pretty much improved across
the board with free agent signings and draft picks, so
a lot of what happens this year will depend on
Ponder’s progression. We’ll find out if they can build
on the 10-6 season that got them into the playoffs, or
flounder without a top-flight passing game. And of
course if that happens, then the load will again fall
on the sturdy shoulders of Adrian Peterson. He’s said
he could run for 2,500 yards this year, and if anyone
can do it, he’d be the choice. AP has been said to be
unlikely to play tonight, perhaps leaving his main
warm-up preseason game for next week’s nationally
televised game with the 49rs.
My
picking hasn’t been very hot lately (i.e. Tiger to win
the PGA), but regardless now’s the time to throw out
my NFL picks for the 2013 season. I’m going with the
New Orleans Saints to get back to the Super Bowl and
come out on top over the Denver Broncos. The Saints
get their coach back, return everyone on offense and
have made several defensive additions. And no one will
put up more points than the Drew Brees led offense. On
the other side, Denver looks to be the most explosive
offense in the AFC with the addition of Wes Welker.
And Peyton Manning desperately wants to get back to
the big game, and this year I think they can do it.
A
highlight of the summer is always our trip up north.
This year I’m going to have the pleasure of getting
out on the Deacon’s Lodge course and I am really
looking forward to it. It is always ranked as one of
the very top courses in the state, and it’s now under
the ownership and operation of Breezy Point Resort.
I’ll make sure to take plenty of pictures and post a
review of all of the golf action up north following
that outing.
http://breezypointresort.com/brainerd-golf-courses/
8/8/13 - Little League
and the PGA Championship
We’ve got 2 opposite
ends of the spectrum in the spotlight over this coming
weekend. First there is the PGA Championship (which is
already underway), the final major championship of the
golf season. It features the strongest field in golf
and the stakes are millions of dollars in prize money
and all the endorsements and glory that come with
winning a Major. On the other end of the spectrum, the
Little League Regional Finals wind up as we have the
country’s best 11 and 12 year old teams competing to
get into the penultimate showdown, the Little League
World Series in South Williamsport, Va. There is no
prize money at stake or huge endorsement contracts.
It’s sports in its purest form, even if you aren’t a
huge baseball fan.
The
field is loaded with so many talented golfers playing
at the PGA Championship at Rochester, NY’s storied Oak
Hill Country Club. The betting favorite is Tiger
Woods, and he’s my pick to win it also. He’s been
waiting since 2008 to take down his 15th
Major as he tries to overtake Jack Nicklaus’s record
of 18 major titles. With this deeply talented field,
and with so many other players also playing well at
this time, it will be no small feat if he wins this
one. And I think it will get even tougher as the years
go by for him to get those Majors because the talent
in the PGA is the best it has ever been. There are
nearly 30 hours of coverage this weekend between TNT
and CBS, so be sure to tune in Sunday to see who
brings home the Wanamaker Trophy. This could be one of
the best finishes of the year. A Tiger-Phil showdown
on Sunday would be awesome!
I
always find time to take in some of the ESPN broadcast
of the Little League World Series. I know folks who
head out east every year to see it in person and tell
me it’s one of their favorite sporting events of all.
This year’s Little League action is even more exciting
as a team made up of Coon Rapids and Andover 11 and 12
year olds have advanced to the Midwest Regional finals
in Indianapolis. That game is tomorrow at 11 am and
will be on ESPN. I watched their semi-final game
yesterday and believe me this team is good. They’re
like a young version of the Bronx Bombers and have
outscored their opponents something like 71 to 10 thus
far in the Regional Tournament. The final game pits
them against Urbandale, Iowa and is worth watching for
sure. It’s also very impressive to see how well they
handle themselves, how well-coached they are and the
great sportsmanship that is shown all through the
Little League event. (some might say in contrast to
what we regularly see from the professional sports
teams) The winner tomorrow advances to the Little
League World Series which takes place from August 15
to the 25th. It consists of 8 Regional
winners from the United States, along with 8 World
Regional representative teams and is truly a classic
event. Watch and cheer for the local boys tomorrow and
check out the link for all the LLWS news and updates.
http://www.littleleague.org/worldseries/
Team members (pictured here) include
(front row) Wil Goodin, Brett Eagles, Lucas McCain,
Jon Koenig, Luke Medved, Nick Dainty; (middle
row) Braden Farley, Nolan Belschner, Luke Backowski,
Isiah Petrusson, Matthew Brodeur, Carsen Syke, Jackson
Bates; (back row) Coach Mike Koenig, Coach Rob
Belschner, Coach Marc Backowski; and (not pictured)
Coach Ray Brodeur.
8/2/13
- Football already?
Can
you believe it, there’s an NFL pre-season game on this
weekend! Sunday night to be exact featuring Dallas and
Miami. It’s the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton,
Ohio and the official start to another big NFL season.
The game is actually somewhat secondary to all the
Hall of Fame hoopla. One of the highlights of the
weekend will be the induction of former Vikings’
great, Chris Carter into the Hall. There should be a
large contingent of purple fans down in Canton and
that will add to the excitement. The actual induction
ceremony is Saturday night and is carried live on
ESPN2 at 6 o’clock. The inductees will also be
introduced on the field prior to the start of the game
and it’s a chance to see many former Hall of Famers
also. A great weekend for the football diehards who’ve
been waiting since February for the kickoff of the
2013 season. Next weekend there will be a full slate
of pre-season games. The Vikings host the Texans at
the Metrodome next Friday night. And of course, this
will be the last season in the dome before it gets
demolished and they move to their temporary TCF Bank
Stadium digs for a couple of years.
There’s
great golf in the Twin Cities this weekend with the
Champions Tour making the annual visit to the TPC in
Blaine. It’s a first rate event on their Tour
featuring most of the top money winners including
Kenny Perry, winner of the Senior Players Championship
and Senior U.S. Open. Also many favorites and past
winners including Tom Lehman, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite,
Jay Haas and first timer Rocco Mediate. And as the
tournament
organizers
always manage to do, they’ve gotten Arnold Palmer to
come out and play in the special “event within the
event” and this will also feature Annika Sorenstam,
Nancy Lopez and Pat Bradley. Check out the link below
for more information on the Greats of Golf and make
note, this event is FREE to the general public
including parking. You can’t beat that! And if you’re
walking down the 16th Fairway make sure to
wave to our good friends Jeff and Marje who will
likely be out on their deck with a cold drink enjoying
the sights from across their pond.
http://www.3mchampionship.com/Players/GreatsofGolf.aspx
I
won’t even dwell on how lousy the Twins have been
playing. The Star Tribune pretty much roasted them
today so enough of that. The short story is they are
45-60, the exact same record they had at this point
last season. And that’s just not going to inspire the
fans to stick with them down the stretch I’m afraid.
Twins management resisted the urge to do any dumping
of talent for prospects as the July 31 deadline
passed. But the facts are we’ve got a lot of guys that
just aren’t performing up to major league standards. I
still say it’s worth it to get out and watch Joe Mauer
as I’ll stop what I’m doing to see him bat. But the
rest of them, not so much! As my good buddy Doug said
the other night after attending the Wednesday night
game, the $1 hot dogs and the great view of the city
skyline still make for an enjoyable evening at Target
Field.
7/17/13 - All-Star
Classic and golf at Pebble Creek
If
you didn’t catch the MLB All-Star game last night, it
really was a great show put on by Major League
baseball. The American League prevailed over the
senior circuit 3-0. It’s truly the one all-star
contest of all the major sports where both sides play
it to win. The incentive is also sweetened with the
winning side being the host and getting home field
advantage in the World Series. The Twins were
represented by Joe Mauer who got the start at catcher
and went 1 for 2 at the plate. Glen Perkins was also
on the AL roster and while he did warm-up in the
bullpen very late in the game, he did not get to take
the mound. What was probably more notable is that
there were 8 former Twins on the American League
squad! That’s pretty amazing and one can only wonder
if we had managed to even hang onto half of them what
these last few years might have been like. But
nowadays players are always changing teams, and it
often takes that change of scenery to get a player
motivated or performing at a higher level again. And
money dictated many of those player moves with other
teams just plain outbidding the Twins for stars like
Tori Hunter and Joe Nathan. The highlight for me and
many others watching was the tribute to Mariano Rivera
who is in his last season before retiring as the
greatest closer of all time. He also was awarded the
MVP trophy for the game after pitching a scoreless 8th
inning. And it was of course a great preview of the
excitement to come next year when we host the All-Star
game at Target Field. I heard an estimate of $75
million economic benefit by getting that to come to
Minneapolis, which is pretty awesome for the Twin
Cities! I’m really looking forward to that game as
it’s been 29 years since we hosted that event at the
Metrodome.
And
speaking of summer classics, I along with several of
my good friends had the opportunity to play golf up at
Pebble Creek just north of Becker, MN last weekend.
And this course is truly worth the short drive up
either Highway 10 or I-94. It a mere 45 minutes right
to the clubhouse from Maple Grove. The course was in
absolute great shape, and that’s even considering all
the rain and crazy weather we’ve had. They’ve got
their main 18 hole Championship course which we played
and it is a very fun test of golf. It has plenty of
hazards, some ponds and creeks throughout and also
several of the nicest Par 3’s around. They also have
the “Local 9” just across the street, which is plenty
of challenge and is also well maintained for family
outings or golfing with the kids. Check out the link
below for all the info on this great course. And since
I’m always interested in the food, their hot dogs are
top notch also!
http://www.pebblecreekgolf.com/coursetour/
7/2/13 - 4th of July Fireworks!!!
Nothing says summertime better than baseball, soccer
and fireworks!!
For a brief few weeks
(before Vikings training camp opens on July 26), there
is a break in the action. The NBA (Heat) and NHL
(Blackhawks) are finally through their seasons. Both
were filled with excitement and suspense, but it’s
nice also to have a more leisurely pace to enjoy some
of the great summer attractions in the area. I get to
give the remote control and DVR a break for a while!
The
Twins are still hanging in there, in 4th
place and just 6 and ½ games behind Division leading
Cleveland in the AL Central. And surprisingly, the
Yanks (coming off the come from behind thrashing of
the Twins) are 6 behind in the AL East and also in 4th
place. This should be a big draw week attendance wise
with the Yankees in town through the 4th of
July. And there seem to be plenty of tickets available
if you can get out there with one of the main
attractions being fireworks after the game on the 3rd.
I’ve been there for fireworks night before, and
there’s no better place to watch them with the
backdrop being the Minneapolis skyline. Let’s hope the
Twins bats can provide some of their own firepower
this week and maybe take a couple games off the
struggling Yankees. We’ll likely see rookie Kyle
Gibson make his second start as a Twin on the 4th
also. He’s one of the future stars we’re counting on
and had a great debut last Saturday against the
Royals.
There
won’t be any place better to enjoy top-level soccer
than at the Blaine National Sports Center as our own
Minnesota United FC host the Atlanta Silverbacks in a
primetime NASL match-up on the 4th of July.
Fireworks to follow the game! The United are coming
off a tough loss up in Edmonton over the weekend, so
will have plenty of incentive to come out with a
vengeance on Thursday. Check out the link below for
the coming match. And tickets start at just $8 for
youth general admission.
http://mnunitedfc.com/
6/19/2013 - Finally
the NBA Finals are worth watching!
The
Spurs and Heat had to get to the 6th game
before they had any drama at all. Unless you call
seeing which celebrities were showing up in Miami for
hoops, any sort of drama. And ever since Tony Parker
and Eva Longoria called it quits, there aren’t any
celebs in San Antonio to speak of. (Still think Tony
messed up on that one!). The average margin of victory
since San Antonio opened the series in Miami with a 4
point upset, has been just over 20 points. And last
night the Spurs jumped all over Miami with Tim Duncan
leading the way and took a 10 point lead into the 4th
quarter looking to take home the crown. But King James
took over in the 4th and Miami eventually
took the lead, only to lose it again late in the 4th
quarter. Former Celtics star Ray Allen dropped an
amazing 3 pointer with about 5 seconds left to send
the game to overtime. The game remained up for grabs
till the end, but Miami prevailed with some serious
thuggery on defense. So the NBA gets a game 7 Thursday
night in Miami, which is exactly what the TV and NBA
executives were hoping for. This should be a good one,
and here’s hoping the Spurs can pull it off. As my
friend Doug says, this one should be another
barnburner!
Meanwhile
in the NHL, the Stanley Cup finals are underway with
the Boston Bruins up 2 games to 1. The series started
out with a 3 Overtime thriller and it’s been played as
a pretty high level in all 3 games. Tonight’s game 4
is in Boston and the Bruins are on a roll with
back-to-back stifling defensive games and look to be
in the drivers seat. After upsetting the Penguins (my
pick to win it all) in the East Finals, they just look
too strong, especially on defense. The Blackhawks have
just 1 goal in the last 2 games and with Marian Hossa
potentially slowed up with a minor injury, which might
not bode well for the Hawks. Game 5 does return to
Chicago on Saturday so a couple days off might just be
what is needed to get the Hawks back on track.
5/24/2013 -
Spring Sports Update
There’s been a lot of time to watch sports with all
the rainy weather lately. But it comes at a great time
with the NHL and NBA playoffs in full swing. The
intensity is so high now compared to some of the
meaningless games played in mid-season. And compared
to watching the Twins, the intensity is off the
charts!
In
the NHL conference semi-finals the Penguins and Bruins
in the East look to wrap up their series’ and advance
to the East finals. Both have looked very good and
should advance. In the West the Detroit Red Wings are
giving a surprising thrashing to the mighty
Blackhawks, and are just a game away from moving on to
the West Finals. It’s hard to believe the team that
pretty handily had the best regular season record, and
then knocked our Wild out of the first round are on
the brink of elimination. And the LA Kings are up 3-2
over San Jose as they try to get back to the West
Finals. I’ll pick the Penguins to win the Cup this
year, and take on either Detroit or L.A. in what looks
to be a tough match-up in the West for a berth in the
Stanley Cup finals. The playoff games have been great
and I look forward to the Wild making a strong run
next year as the team grows in confidence and
experience.
Speaking
of the Twins, they are mired in a 9 game losing
streak!! Damn, and I don’t think it’s going to get
much better. They hung around .500 for about as long
as the makeshift pitching staff was going to hold up.
Oh well, as I’ve said before Target Field is still one of the
best places to spend a summer afternoon or evening and
did I mention the food??? It’s the best of all stadium
venues I’ve ever been to. So don’t forget to check out
the
list
of all the great concessions. I feel like I’ve plugged
the food enough I should be a part-owner in a food
kiosk there. But you have to have something to look
forward to when your team threatens to lose near 100
games in a season again.
http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/ballpark/information/index.jsp?content=concessions
And
finally, the Vikings made another big splash with the
unveiling of what will be the first clear glass roofed
venue in all of major sports. The drawings sure do
look great and it will be fun to watch construction
get under way following the upcoming and final season
in the Dome. Less than 2 months to training camp!
4/26/2013 - Springtime in Minnesota…It’s Finally
Here!!
The
Twins have had 10 home dates so far, and only once has
the high temperature reported on any of those days
exceeded 50 degrees! The average high for those 10
dates has been 42 degrees, but game time temperatures
have been more often in the 30’s with wind chills,
rain and light snow flurries often the norm. But I’m
not complaining as the Twins have managed to play to a
9-9 record and are within striking distance of the
division lead. Now this weekend we’ve turned the
corner. With a beautiful weekend ahead, the remaining
3 games with the Rangers will give everyone a chance
to really enjoy Target Field again. I think it’ll
take Gardy’s best managing job ever to be able to
finish .500 for the season. But at the same time, it’s
evident we’ve got a lot of good young talent that
should continue to improve and hopefully impress. So
maybe next year we can get back to the playoffs? Plus
you cannot get tired of watching Joe Mauer and that
sweet stroke. I could see another batting title on the
horizon for him if he stays healthy, and the hitters
behind him can protect him a bit so he’s getting good
pitches to hit. And as any good fan knows, Target
Field is loaded with great
food
choices and if you can’t enjoy a good game, you can
enjoy some first class ballpark fare. The link below
shows all the concession choices at the ball park, and
believe me there are plenty to choose from.
http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/min/ballpark/information/index.jsp?content=concessions
The
Wild still haven’t locked up a playoff spot. They host
Edmonton tonight and finish up at Colorado tomorrow
night. Basically a win gets us in the playoffs. But
the reward for getting that 8th and final
spot in the Western Conference is a matchup with the
Chicago Blackhawks, arguably the best team in hockey.
We’re the only team in the top 8 in the West now that
have played under .500 their last 10 games, so it’s
not like we’ll be going in to the playoffs on a roll
or anything. The Wild just haven’t shown the
consistency that makes me think they can put together
a run through the playoffs, especially as a low seed
playing the best teams with the travel involved as a
road underdog. But there is hope! Last year’s champs,
the L.A. Kings won it all as a #8 seed, so you never
know.
And
finally, the Vikings made a big splash at the NFL
draft last night. Shrewdly moving up to get their 3rd
first round pick and snagging a wide receiver with a
big upside. They strengthened the defense as predicted
and all 3 choices have a chance to be impact players
in the very short term. So the future is looking
bright as they get ready to play their last season in
the Dome, before spending a couple of seasons at TCF
Bank stadiums. And then ultimately into the new
stadium for the 2016 season. That of course dependent
on those darn electronic pull-tab sales, which I never
see anyone playing.
3/29/13
- Sports Galore this Easter Weekend
Make sure and find time to shop for your ham and
Easter Lilies early, then hide the Easter baskets, and
set the DVR’s to cover you while your at Easter
Service. Because this is a non-stop sports weekend! It
doesn’t get any better!!
The
Gopher men’s hockey team head into the NCAA tournament
playing Yale today. A win means a likely match-up in
the West region finals with North Dakota on Saturday.
After getting knocked off in the WCHA tourney I look
for the Gophers to be rested and ready and anticipate
them making the Final Four in 2 weeks out in
Pittsburg. It would be a real treat to bring home the
NCAA championship trophy, especially on the heels of
the Women’s team accomplishing that same feat last
weekend!
As
for NCAA hoops, it’s turning into a wide-open
tournament with a couple of the #1 Seeds already gone.
And of course the Gophers managed their token win
after sneaking in the back door to the Big Dance. It
wasn’t enough to save Tubby from getting the axe, so
now we head into another basketball rebuilding era
(sounds like a broken record in this state with the
Gophers and Wolves). A
couple of the really hot
college coaching prospects have already chosen to pass
on the Gophers’ opening so the search is on for a
successor. Tubby was last seen packing up his office
and his nearly $3.0 million buyout/severance package,
grabbing his golf clubs and heading to someplace
undoubtedly warmer than Minnesota in March.
And
speaking of warm weather, the Twins are set to open
Monday April 1 with a forecast high in the low to
mid-30’s! No worries, local establishments have some
great warm-up drinks on tap so check these out.
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/dining/200481221.html
And what do Twins fans
really care about?? It’s the food! Check out some of
the new taste treats that will be featured at Target
Field this year. I guess we have to have something to
take our mind off of mundane things….like wins and
losses. The Twins would appear to be not much better
than last year with a revamped pitching staff and new
players all over the field. So we can have fun
watching Mauer, Morneau and Willingham, plus eat and
drink like we’re out on the town! Enjoy!!
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/200437271.html
3/8/13 - All Hockey
all the Time!!
A
huge weekend of hockey is already in high gear as one
of the biggest and best High School Tournaments in the
country is going on down at the X in St. Paul, with
some games also played at Mariucci at the U. The
two-class tourney is the biggest draw of any of the
sports championships at the high school level in our
state. We get a great preview of many of the kids that
will go on to play college hockey at various levels,
and a chance to watch several that will end up in the
pro’s as well. The opening rounds on Wednesday(1A),
and Thursday(2A) featured a couple of close games and
several blowouts as the 4 top seeds advanced in each
class. This afternoon and tonight is when it really
gets intense. The Class 1A favorite and #1 seeded St.
Thomas Academy looking to defends it’s title, goes up
against a tough East Grand Forks team. And the night’s
feature game pits the #1 seed Hill Murray against
Wayzata in 2A. Being the favorite bettor that I am,
I’ll go with the top seeds to win it all this year.
But all the games are worth watching as a hot goalie
and a couple of lucky bounces of the puck can turn a
game around in a hurry.
The
Lady Gophers host the WCHA Final Face-Off this weekend
and are solid favorites as they cruised through last
weekend’s opening playoff games with a pretty easy
sweep of Bemidji State. The Gophers host Ohio State
tonight in the first semi-final game with North Dakota
and Wisconsin squaring off in the second Semi-final.
The finals are Saturday 7 pm at Ridder Arena at the U.
Win or lose the Gophers should get the #1 seed into
the NCAA championships as they seek to defend their
crown and keep their unbelievable winning streak
going.
On
the Men’s hockey side of things, the Gophers head into
the final regular season weekend of WCHA action facing
Bemidji state on the road for two games. The standings
now have St. Cloud State in the top spot with 35
points, and the Gophers and North Dakota sit right
behind with 33 points. There are 3 other teams within
3 points of the Gophers in the standings. So it’s a
critical weekend, not only playing with the regular
season championship on the line, but also as far as
seedings go heading into the WCHA Conference tourney.
Hockey
fans at every level will get their fill this weekend.
I count 10 games televised over the weekend starting
with this afternoon’s high school games, and ending
with the Wild hosting Vancouver on Sunday night. And
those 10 games are just our Minnesota teams (Wild,
Gophers and State Tourney). Throw in 5 or 6 nationally
televised NHL games depending on which sports package
you have at home, and the puck fans should be really
satisfied by the time the Wild game wraps up Sunday
night. As for me, I’ll watch as much as I can, but by
Monday I’ll be looking forward to sitting back and
listening to the Twins spring training game from Fort
Meyers. The season opener at Target Field is only 24
days away!
2/27/13 - Gophers
Upset # 1 Indiana
The
U of M Gopher men’s basketball team pulled off a wild
upset of the #1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers Tuesday night
on a nationally televised ESPN game. The crowd at
Williams Arena showed up ready to run Tubby and his
boys out of town, and instead it turned into a magical
night! The Gophers were the more physical team with
Trevor Mbakwe leading the way inside. They definitely
out-muscled the Hoosiers. This game certainly helps to
overshadow the lackluster play of the last few weeks,
and almost guarantees them a spot in the NCAA Tourney.
Getting a win over Penn State to finish out the season
would be nice and would result in a .500 finish in the
Big Ten standings, which I said from the beginning
would make for a respectable year. They just need to
keep their focus and then a nice run in the Big Ten
Tourney and even the NCAA’s is not out of the
question. And as a side note, the last time the
Gophers recorded an upset of a #1 ranked team was back
in 1989 over then #1 and unbeaten Illinois at Williams
Arena. And I was at that game, along with a few of my
closest friends! And if I recall, there may have been
a few lemon drops consumed in celebration of that
victory! If you want to read more and see some footage
of last night’s performance, check out the link below.
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=330570135
The
Wild had a nice overtime win Tuesday night over
Calgary. Zach Parise continues to impress everyone not
only with his talent, but also his solid work ethic
and leadership on the ice. He tallied the winning goal
in overtime. The Wild are right in the mix for a
playoff spot, currently 9th overall in the
Western conference. With only a point or two
separating 5 or 6 teams for the 6th though
8th spot. I do think they will continue to
improve as the season goes along and make the
playoffs. Every game is so important in this shortened
season so a bit of momentum can go a long way in
gaining ground and potentially distancing themselves
from some of the other contenders. Coach Yeo has been
moving players in and out of their line positions
looking to get more scoring punch, as the Wild still
rank at the bottom in goals scored for the season.
That has to change if we have realistic aspirations of
getting anywhere near Lord Stanley’s Cup.
And
going for the local team trifecta, the Wolves come up
short in an overtime loss to the lowly and struggling
Phoenix Suns. They did rally from far down only to
come up short in the end. News flash: they are not
going to make the playoffs this year. But next year…..
2/25/2013: Gophers Rewrite History!
The U of M Gopher
women’s hockey team finished off an historic regular
season over the weekend with a couple of victories
over St. Cloud State to finish a perfect 34-0. They
became the first team in NCAA history to go undefeated
and untied for an entire regular season.
They set numerous NCAA
records (too many to recount here), including number
of wins in a regular season and they still continue on
a 42 game unbeaten streak. They haven’t lost since an
overtime 2-1 defeat at the hands of North Dakota over
a year ago! Now they head into the WCHA playoffs
hosting Bemidji State in a 2 out of 3 playoff series
which starts up this Friday at home. They are odds-on
favorite to take the WCHA tourney, and then to defend
their NCAA Frozen Four Championship which we host at
Ridder Arena in just about a month. So pay attention
to the lady Gophers as they continue to make history!
2/1/13 - Super Bowl Preview
I was half right on
the final playoff weekend and the Super Bowl berths.
Or is it half wrong? I picked the 49rs to knock off
Atlanta but expected the Patriots to be their
opponent. But the Ravens surprised everyone and took
the Pats down and out. I’m now on the Ravens to not
only cover the 3.5 point spread, but to win outright
in the HarBowl. The first brothers to ever coach
against each other in the NFL and the Super Bowl of
course. This will be a hard hitting game and a great
match up, but I think the Ravens with Joe Flacco
leading the way win it in a fairly high scoring game.
And Flacco gets the MVP award as winning QB’s tend to
do. The highlight of the media week so far has been
Randy Moss proclaiming himself the greatest wide
receiver ever in the NFL. I believe he must be
oblivious to the fact he’s wearing a 49rs uniform and
doesn’t look at the 49rs Hall of Fame pictures as he
walks through their facility every day with Jerry
Rice’s picture staring down at him. But he’s never
been short on self-confidence or ego. And the other
highlight being a back-up cornerback for the 49rs
coming out against gays in the NFL and other assorted
stupid comments. Again oblivious to the San Fran
community he plays in, the most diverse gay/lesbian
community in the world. Hoping a few boos reign down
on that guy also. Go Ravens!
1/18/2013: Hoops…….and Hockey again!!
We’ve been getting teased again
by the local basketball teams. First off the Wolves
had their best season’s start since the playoff era
back with KG, now only to fall to the injury bug and
some lackluster performances of late. They are no
longer in the top eight in the Western Conference and
without the return to form of Ricky Rubio and now
without Love for possible 2 months, the playoff
prospects are dimming. Add to that, Coach Adelman has
been missing from the bench as he tends to his ailing
wife who has been hospitalized with as yet an
undisclosed illness. The Clippers beat up on the
Wolves last night showing why they are one of the top
teams in the NBA now, and we face the Spurs Saturday
night so it won’t get any easier.
The Gophers have made a big
splash on the National scene with their big win over
Illinois in the Big Ten. But have come back to earth a
bit losing back to back games to Indiana and then last
night to Michigan at the Barn. Nothing to be ashamed
of, as the Big Ten is loaded this year, and even a
finish in the top half of the conference standings
will be an accomplishment. I’m looking for them to
rebound from these two losses and get back on track as
their schedule softens a bit in the coming 2 weeks.
And the big news is the Wild
gets the lockout season-shortened home opener at the X
tomorrow night against the Colorado Avalanche. The
place is going to be rocking! Can’t wait to watch it.
Some top NHL sports guys have even gone so far as to
pick the Wild to make the Stanley Cup finals. That’s a
long ways off, but we’ll get to see close-up if we
really do have a playoff contender again. With the
personnel upgrades and changes, it might take them a
bit to really get rolling, but I’m looking for a
strong run in the Western Conference so it’s going to
be fun.
I
just looked back at my blog from a year ago and I had
picked New England and the Packers to be in this
year’s Super Bowl. Well 50% isn’t bad and I’ll now go
with San Francisco in the NFC to play the Pats. Tom
Brady will get a chance to cement himself as the
greatest QB of all time by winning his 4th Super Bowl
for the Patriots. He already has most playoff
wins in NFL history and he's got a few years left I
believe.
12/14/2012:
Great Football Weekend Ahead!!!
I
could talk about the Vikings big game with St. Louis
trying to keep their playoff hopes alive, or the
classic Green Bay vs. Chicago showdown on Sunday. Or
even the Gophers as they prepare for their December 28
Bowl game in Houston against Texas Tech. But the game
that deserves the most attention is the Tommies right
here from St. Thomas taking on superpower Mount Union
College out of Ohio in the Division 3 National
Championship game tonight in Salem, Virginia.
Yes,
a possible national championship is within their
reach! But it won’t be easy against the powerhouse
Mount Union team. They’re 10 time National Champs and
have been in the title game the last 8 years. However
both teams go into the game 14-0 and Mount Union had
to rally from behind in last’s week’s playoff game to
eventually come away with a 48-35 win over 2nd
ranked Mary-Hardin Baylor College. So expect a
hard-fought battle and we may get a National
Championship football team yet! The game can be seen
on ESPNU tonight at 6 pm and is carried also on the
radio at 104.1 FM. Go Tommies! (and yes I am a St.
Thomas alum having obtained my MBA back several
decades ago over in St. Paul)
Now
back to the Vikes, can they pull of a road win against
a somewhat similar team? St. Louis is a run-first,
grind it out team with a much improved Defense. But
Sam Bradford is a pretty solid young QB, perhaps in
the mold that Christian Ponder could strive to be. Not
super flashy, but protects the ball, makes good
decisions and is a good game manager. I’m predicting a
close game, possibly decided by the rookie field goal
kickers. Unless of course, AP can throw down another
200+ yard rushing game with a couple of touchdowns to
help put the game away. Lots of playoff implications
and the Vikings fans should be cheering for the
Packers this week to knock the Bear further down the
ladder in the wild card standings. It would enhance
the Vikings chances of getting one of those 2 wild
card spots. And considering the Vikings have Houston
and the Packers remaining, it’s not going to be easy
even with a win this week. But they do have a chance,
and going into the season, probably only the most
diehard of Vikings fans would have thought they’d
still be talking playoffs going into the 14th
game of the season.
And
I do hear there are plenty of good seats available for
the Gophers Bowl game down in Houston. So if you
haven’t made your post-Christmas travel plans yet,
toss the golf clubs in the trunk and head south to
Houston for a few rounds of golf and a Bowl game!
And
for those college football enthusiasts, the Bowl
season actually kicks off this weekend with 2 games on
Saturday. These highly anticipated showdowns feature
Nevada vs. Arizona in the New Mexico Bowl (take AZ in
that one) and Utah State facing Toledo in the Famous
Idaho Potato Bowl from Boise, Idaho. I’m taking Utah
State in that one giving the 10 points!! Can’t wait.
11/12/12: Vikes
and Wolves and Gophers all on top….well sort of!!
The
Vikings moved to 6-4 with a really solid win over the
Detroit Lions yesterday. Just in time as the local
faithful were getting ready to run Christian Ponder
and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave out of town
after a couple of real dud performances turned in the
last couple of weeks. But Ponder responded with one of
his best games with over 220 yards in the air, 2 TD’s
and most importantly, NO interceptions. And this was
in spite of missing Percy Harvin, who had become his
primary target in the passing game, and one of the top
offensive players in the league. Most people didn’t
give them a chance of winning without Harvin, but I
had a small hunch that if the Defense could frustrate
Matthew Stafford and AP could continue his stellar
play, an upset might be on tap. Sure enough, they held
Detroit to 3 first half points and came out on with a
hard fought win. Perfect timing to head into a much
deserved Bye week. They do have a tough 3 game stretch
right out of the Bye playing the Bears, Packers and
then the Bears again. Plus 4 of the next 4 games are
on the road, which is never an easy task. But Jay
Cutler suffered a concussion last night and may be
missing some time on the field. So they might get a
shot at the Bears with a back-up QB out there, making
the task quite a bit more manageable. Probably the
real story for the Vikes this year is the resurgence
of Adrian Peterson to the top of the NFL’s rushing
ranks after blowing out his knee last season. He’s
looking as good as ever and it’s truly an amazing
comeback for one of the true first-class guys in the
league. It’s possible a 9-7 finish could contend for a
playoff spot.
The
T-Wolves are off to a 4-2 start and are playing solid
team basketball. I don’t think anyone anticipated we’d
be playing over .500 ball while missing our two stars,
Rubio and Kevin Love. But they play good defense and
move the ball around, without worrying about which guy
is getting all the looks at the basket, or who’s
leading the team in scoring. The season is long and
grueling, but it has to be encouraging to see the team
get off to a positive start for a change. I do think
making the playoffs is a reasonable goal for them this
year. Heck, if the playoffs started today, they would
be in! They play at Dallas tonight, but then return
home to take on Charlotte at Target Center on
Wednesday night. Good seats still available!
And
let’s not overlook the Gopher football team getting a
nice road win over Illinois and becoming Bowl eligible
for the first time since the 2009 season! Granted the
Illini are the worst team in the Big Ten, but it’s
still tough to get those wins in the conference while
traveling. It’s a first step to be at the level where
we can start regularly beating those types of teams,
and the next step is to get competitive with the
better teams. It looks like the Gophers have found
their QB for the coming years also, and he played
right here at Mankato West High School. We actually
now have a passing game which you must have to compete
in the Big Ten. Considering we finish off the season
playing at Nebraska and then hosting Michigan State,
it’s looking like a 6-6 season is in the cards. But
getting to a Bowl is a nice accomplishment and can
only help build the young team’s confidence and
experience, not to mention recruiting efforts, heading
into Coach Kill’s 3rd season in 2013.
Ski-U-Mah!
10/25/12 Change of Seasons
The
Vikings can move to 6-2 with a win tonight vs Tampa
bay at the dome. Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin on
the offensive side of the ball, and a surprisingly
rejuvenated defense have them contending for the
division lead and possibly a playoff spot. This could
get good. I think the Bucs will give them all they can
handle but if the offense can actually put some points
on the board, the Vikes should come out on top.
Favored by 6.5 points isn’t a familiar spot for the
Vikes, so they need to be ready to avoid the upset as
Tampa just put up a bunch of points on the Saints and
will be a good test for the Vikings D.
The
World Series got off to a flying start with the
upstart San Francisco Giants beating up on the best
pitcher in baseball, Justin Verlander. The favored
Tigers and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera find
themselves down a game in what could turn out to be a
great series. The Giants had rallied to win 3 straight
games and take out the defending world champion St.
Louis Cardinals in the NLCS and are really on a roll.
I'll take Detroit still, but now I’m thinking it’s
going to go the full 7 games.
The
Lynx finished up another outstanding season just
missing out on defending their crown as they ran into
a hot Indiana team and lost 3-1 in the finals. The
future is just as bright for this team and I fully
expect them to be right back in the playoffs next
year.
I
can't say the same thing about the Twins. A major
disappointment this year. The house cleaning has
already begun with a clearing out of much of the
coaching staff and several roster moves, including the
release of inconsistent closer Matt Capps. But the
problems run deep and without starting pitching and
filling some big holes in the infield, I don't see a
lot of improvement in the win-loss record next year.
And I'd say manager Gardenhire could be facing a win
or else scenario for the first time in his managerial
career in Minnesota. But we still have the nucleus of
Willingham, Mauer and Morneau (my nephew Sam says he’s
still the best) and a lot of teams would be envious of
that 3-some. Plus if they keep Span and Revere in the
outfield, that’s a pretty solid core group. But you
can’t win without pitching so it’ll be an uphill climb
I’m afraid.
9/21/12:
Minnesota Pro Sports Scene
I’m not sure how it
could get much more dismal. The Twins are battling it
out with the Cleveland Indians for the worst record in
the American league. The Vikings are trying to rebound
from a last second loss to the rookie led Indianapolis
Colts and now face the 49rs, potentially the best team
in the NFL. The Timberwolves are trying to build on
last year’s improvement, but are still as yet not even
a playoff team in the NBA. And what appeared to be our
lone bright spot, the Wild, might not even get to take
to the ice this year with the NHL locked out by the
owners. So maybe Omaha wouldn’t be such a bad place to
live! We keep hearing that we can’t afford to lose our
pro sports teams and the taxpayers keep getting asked
to foot the bills for stadiums and Arena improvements.
But the return on those investment for the fans has
been pretty much non-existent. But the owners could
all sell and reap millions of dollars in appreciation
as sport franchises continue to grow in value. But how
about a winning team for a change. Is that too much to
ask?
The
Twins are down to 12 games remaining, with 6 of those
at home with the Yankees and Tigers visiting Target
Field. So the fans have a chance to see the Twins
possibly play a spoiler role as both of those teams
are in tight playoff races. You might not recognize a
lot of the Twins players, as the line-up is filled
with prospects and late season call-ups, but the
Tigers and Yankees both are worth the price of
admission. And Joe Mauer has been hot, so there is the
batting title on the line over the last 2 weeks of the
season.
The
Vikings are 1-1 after getting through the easiest 2
games of the season on their schedule. The 49rs are
close to being the best team in the NFL so we’ll see
how they can hang in their against that team. The
betting line is only 7 points for the underdog
Vikings, and I can’t even get my weekly betting buddy
to stay with the Vikes. So I guess I’m stuck with them
for $5 getting only 7 points. I’m afraid the score
could be closer to a 30 point blow-out….but maybe they
can surprise us and keep it close?
There’s
been no progress in the NHL lockout. So the Wild
management is promising to pay 10% interest on the
season ticket money they hold trying to stem the
refunds and appease the fans. And for the serious
hockey diehards, they’ve got the minor league
affiliate Houston Aeros scheduled to hold some
practices here at the X in an attempt to keep the
local fans interested.
8/31/12 Once in a Blue Moon!
So we made it through
August and the last time I wrote a sports update it
was on August 1, and it was a full moon then. And now
here it is again full on August 31. Most people don’t
even know that’s the real meaning of the phrase “once
in a blue moon”. It is when we get 2 full moons in a
single month. So I better get this done or I’ll miss
sharing the spotlight of this rare astrological event.
(It’s actually not that rare, but is pretty cool)
And
speaking of stars nearly aligning, we had the Gopher
and Viking football teams in action last night, along
with the Twins! And we almost pulled out the perfect
trifecta of three losses by the home town teams.
However the Gophers ruined that with a thrilling
Triple Overtime victory over the UNLV Running Rebels.
Although I think that nickname generally applies only
to UNLV’s basketball team. From what I saw, they
wouldn’t get much running done against anyone, other
than maybe our Gophs. UNLV’s average margin of loss
last season was just about 35 points in each of their
ten losses, so a triple-overtime loss to a Big 10 team
is probably as good as they would have hoped for. But
I’m not going to be critical, the Gophers will learn a
lot in each game, and get better as the season goes
along. And I like Coach Kill and the whole team
attitude now based on hard work and putting forth a
whole team effort. I’m looking forward to seeing how
they progress.
Now
the Vikings are another story. They have pretty much
looked miserable on offense this preseason. A loss to
Houston last night wasn’t the worst thing since no one
recognizable was on the field anyway. But then again,
without AP in there, who is recognizable. I passed by
Christian Ponder and Kyle Rudolph on the golf course
the other day and had no clue they were pro football
players. Say that happened in Green Bay and it was
Aaron Rodgers and Donald Driver and that would have
brought the course to a virtual standstill. I’ll go on
record that the Vikings will not make the playoffs
this year, or next for that matter, and will struggle
to get to 5 wins. There are just too many holes to
fill yet on both sides of the ball. I do hope AP comes
back healthy and generates the highlights he is
capable of, as he is still a premier back, if not the
best overall, in the NFL. And I’m hoping to get him
for a steal in my fantasy football draft this weekend.
It now appears certain
the NFL season will kick off with replacements refs so
that will add an interesting twist to the early season
games. Lots of blown calls and replay delays I am
sure.
And
a final note on the Twins. Yes they are still playing
out the season. With 31 games remaining they have a
firm hold on the worst record in the American league,
and going 9-22 down the stretch would get them to a
100 loss season. Maybe there is a reason Joe Mauer
would consider being traded? I’ve always said he’d
look awesome in Yankee Pinstripes. Plenty of seats
available in September down at Target Field also.
8/1/12 - The Spotlight
is on the London Olympics!
Let’s
see, we’ve got water polo, synchronized diving, table
tennis, dressage, archery and even sword fighting!
Okay, so they call it fencing, it’s still the same
thing we did as kids with sharp sticks out in the back
yard. And we didn’t wear all the padding these folks
do. The Opening Ceremonies were pretty amazing and the
crowds have been upbeat and intense. There is so much
going on; I can’t even begin to keep track of it.
There is something like 1,600 hours of Television or
live streaming coverage for the just over 2-week
period. That’s roughly 100 hours a day! How does that
work?? I blew out my DVR trying to catch it all just
over the first few days. Michael Phelps has set the
all-time medal record and the US Women’s gymnastics
team was dominant. So much to see, so little time.
And the first major Olympic scandal involves badminton
players disqualified for tanking matches to set up a
more favorable draw. What were they thinking? I do
believe it would be an incredible event to attend and
I might just do that some day.
And let’s not forget the Twins. They just had
their 4 game winning streak ended by the damn White
Sox! And Francisco Liriano! A few weeks ago I
speculated about them getting back in the playoff
race! So much for that theory with the trading of
Francisco Liriano for minor-league prospects. I’m glad
they left the rest of the team intact and didn’t do
anything rash like dumping Willingham, Morneau or Span
as had been rumored. They’ve got a good nucleus of
position players and hitters to build around for next
year. Liriano looked pretty relaxed on the mound last
night for the rival White Sox, but the Twins should
have pulled that one out. They had a near sellout
crowd last night at Target Field to see Liriano go
against his former mates, but it would have been nice
to get that victory.
The expectations are sky high over in St. Paul
following the Wild’s dramatic signing of the two top
free agents on the market this year. Zack Parise and
Ryan Suter will add instant star power and consistency
for the Wild. The playoffs are in sight and I can’t
wait for the season to start. They head to camp in
just over a month so we’ll hear much more about it as
the season draws near.
The Russians are coming! I mean to the Wolves!
They signed Andrei Kirilenko and Alexey Shved who have
been carrying the Russian Olympic basketball team so
far in the Olympics. Kirilenko played last season in
Europe after a number of great years with Utah. This
could be a nice step forward for the Wolves as their
management tries to assemble a playoff contender. I
had been optimistic about the playoffs as a goal for
this year, but that might still be too much to ask.
We’ll have to see if Rubio comes back strong and the
other young players continue to develop. And we did
just sign Brandon Roy coming off a bum knee to help
shore up the offensive depth. It’s still a lot to ask
when you are constantly juggling the roster and then
the line-up to get the consistency and defensive
intensity that is needed to make the playoffs over a
full season. At any rate, I think they’ll continue to
improve on their win total, just not sure if it will
be quite enough to carry them into the playoffs.
7/3/2012 - Hot Enough for Ya??
How hot is it? Well the Twins just won their 4th
straight game and no longer own the worst record in
the American League! Now that’s hot! A nice win over
the loaded Tigers gets Ron Gardenhire his 900th
managerial win with the Twins and pulls them to within
8 games of division leading Chicago. Is it premature
to talk about getting back in the division race??
Well, maybe not if we can get a little pitching help.
But at the same time the Twins are warming up a bit,
talk is that Liriano is being shopped around to
contenders needing healthy arms. And that might mean
the Twins brass are looking more towards next season
and beyond, rather than holding out hope of being in
this year's race.
Meanwhile the Wild come off a good NHL draft and
are in the thick of the Zach Parise chase. Signing the
Minnesota native would not only be a huge boost to fan
interest and ticket sales, but I think would also
throw them right back into the thick of the playoff
contenders. Something we dearly need to happen over in
St. Paul to show that the Wild owner is as serious
about winning games as he said he was when he
purchased the team a couple of years ago.
The Wolves are also in the news courting several
veteran players in an attempt to get back to playoff
prominence. They traded out of the first round and
picked up a solid young player in Chase Budinger from
Houston. Other names floating around are Pau Gasol,
Nicolas Batum and even Kevin Garnett. Likely no chance
KG would want to play out his career back in
Minnesota, over say L.A., but it would be fun!
And speaking of the Vikings, Percy Harvin gives
me a headache.
And
finally in cool local sporting news, my nephew Alex
Lair just qualified for the 109th Annual
MGA State Amateur Championship to be held July 16-18
at the Hastings Country Club. They had a 9 man playoff
for the final 2 spots and he birdied the 1st
playoff hole to clinch his spot. Alex first started
playing at 6 years old using some old clubs that I cut
down for him down at a Par 3 course in Hayward, MN.
And to make it even cooler, I get to caddy for him in
the big event! Here’s a link for the Championship and
the Qualifier results are shown at the bottom of the
page for the Northfield site.
http://www.mngolf.org/Tournaments/109th_MGA_Amateur_Championship
6/8/2012 - Playoffs Continued! And
More!
The Celtics/Heat series has been awesome. We’re watching
vintage Kevin Garnett trying to hoist the aging
Celtics on his back and get them back into the Finals.
Game 7 Saturday night in Miami is going to be Epic.
And the reward for the East champs will be to face the
amazing Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals. The
Thunder are on a serious roll after falling behind
early in their series with the Spurs and I’m not sure
anyone can stop them. But it will be fun to watch as
the NBA Finals always showcase the best that
professional basketball has to offer. And this year
will be no exception.
And how about the NHL playoffs. The LA Kings (yep,
you gotta love California hockey), are up 3-1 over New
Jersey heading into game 5 back in New Jersey on
Saturday night. The Kings went into the playoffs as
the number 8 seed in the West and are on the brink of
capturing Lord Stanley’s Cup. It goes to show you how
important all those regular season games can be when
the middle of the road teams (i.e. Wild) are battling
just to get that 8th spot to advance to
post-season. A game here or there, and the Kings
aren’t even in the playoffs. And it could have been us!
Canterbury
Park live racing is in full swing, and tomorrow
promises to be one of the highlights of the season. We
could see the first Triple Crown winner since 1978
when Affirmed became just the 11th horse to
accomplish that feat in over 110 years of racing.
Thirty horses have won the first 2 legs, and only 11
have succeeded in capturing that final leg, The
Belmont. After exciting wins in The Derby and
Preakness, I’ll Have Another is on the verge of making
horse racing history. He’ll go off as the odds-on
favorite (4-5 early line) in a tough field of 12
horses. Should be a great race and I’ll be cheering
for him and I believe he will do it. This week also
the CBY owners announced a nice partnership deal with
the Mystic Lake tribal owners that will pump money
into the race purses and greatly help to improve the
quality of racing at Canterbury and should be a great
benefit in the long run for the track. However the
deal does not include The Running Aces harness track
in the northern suburbs, so it remains to be seen how
that facility will maintain itself.
The Twins are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Still
the cellar dweller in the American League. They have
shown some life in the last couple of weeks. And this
weekend they host the beloved, but lowly, Cubs for 3
games this weekend. The Cubs are one of only 2 teams
with a worse record than the Twins. Should be an
opportunity for the local team to pick up at least a
couple of victories.
UPDATE!!!!! I’ll Have Another
Injured! He's scratched from the Belmont due to late
injury following a great couple of weeks of training
and prep for the Triple Crown finale. A huge blow to
racing as it would have been a highly anticipated
event and a shot in the arm for all of horse racing.
6/8/2012 - Playoffs Continued! And
More!
The Celtics/Heat series has been awesome. We’re watching
vintage Kevin Garnett trying to hoist the aging
Celtics on his back and get them back into the Finals.
Game 7 Saturday night in Miami is going to be Epic.
And the reward for the East champs will be to face the
amazing Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals. The
Thunder are on a serious roll after falling behind
early in their series with the Spurs and I’m not sure
anyone can stop them. But it will be fun to watch as
the NBA Finals always showcase the best that
professional basketball has to offer. And this year
will be no exception.
And how about the NHL playoffs. The LA Kings (yep,
you gotta love California hockey), are up 3-1 over New
Jersey heading into game 5 back in New Jersey on
Saturday night. The Kings went into the playoffs as
the number 8 seed in the West and are on the brink of
capturing Lord Stanley’s Cup. It goes to show you how
important all those regular season games can be when
the middle of the road teams (i.e. Wild) are battling
just to get that 8th spot to advance to
post-season. A game here or there, and the Kings
aren’t even in the playoffs. And it could have been us!
Canterbury
Park live racing is in full swing, and tomorrow
promises to be one of the highlights of the season. We
could see the first Triple Crown winner since 1978
when Affirmed became just the 11th horse to
accomplish that feat in over 110 years of racing.
Thirty horses have won the first 2 legs, and only 11
have succeeded in capturing that final leg, The
Belmont. After exciting wins in The Derby and
Preakness, I’ll Have Another is on the verge of making
horse racing history. He’ll go off as the odds-on
favorite (4-5 early line) in a tough field of 12
horses. Should be a great race and I’ll be cheering
for him and I believe he will do it. This week also
the CBY owners announced a nice partnership deal with
the Mystic Lake tribal owners that will pump money
into the race purses and greatly help to improve the
quality of racing at Canterbury and should be a great
benefit in the long run for the track. However the
deal does not include The Running Aces harness track
in the northern suburbs, so it remains to be seen how
that facility will maintain itself.
The Twins are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Still
the cellar dweller in the American League. They have
shown some life in the last couple of weeks. And this
weekend they host the beloved, but lowly, Cubs for 3
games this weekend. The Cubs are one of only 2 teams
with a worse record than the Twins. Should be an
opportunity for the local team to pick up at least a
couple of victories.
UPDATE!!!!! I’ll Have Another
Injured! He's scratched from the Belmont due to late
injury following a great couple of weeks of training
and prep for the Triple Crown finale. A huge blow to
racing as it would have been a highly anticipated
event and a shot in the arm for all of horse racing.
5/18/2012 - Playoffs take center stage!
The
NBA is seeing a momentum swing potentially away from
LA and Miami. How about Oklahoma City as NBA champs?
It could happen. In the Western Conference Semi’s they
are up 2 games to Zip over the Lakers. In the Other
Semifinal match-up the Spurs are also up 2-0 on the
Clippers. In the East the resurgent Celtics are up 2
games to 1 over the 76rs with game 4 tonight in
Philadelphia. And Indiana is up 2-1 over the Miami
Heat. The Celtics could just make it to the NBA
finals giving KG a shot at another championship ring.
Key injuries to the Bulls which resulted in them being
knocked out of the playoffs, and the recent injury to
Chris Bosh in Miami are leaving the door wide open for
either the Celtics or Pacers in the East. I still like
OK City and witnessing the amazing impact just a
couple of key draft picks can have on a team. Kevin
Durant has shown he is up in the class with Lebron and
Kobe.
And
how about the NHL playoffs. The first round was
littered with bloody noses and chins and tons of
penalty minutes. Now they’ve gotten down to business
and the intensity of the Conference finals is amazing.
Strangely the teams battling it out in the West are
Phoenix and the LA Kings. Not exactly your traditional
hockey powers. LA just took a 3-0 lead in the series
with Game 4 coming up on Sunday out in LA (which is
hosting something like 6 NBA/NHL playoff games in just
a matter of 3-4 days…so the Hollywood celebs have lots
to entertain themselves with). In the East it’s a bit
more traditional with the Rangers and New Jersey tied
at a game a piece leading up to Saturday’s game 3. I’m
going with Ranges to take it all.
And
in what again may be the brightest note on the local
pro sports scene, the Vikings Stadium is finally
becoming a reality. If all goes well and the
Minneapolis city council approves, they’d begin play
at the new digs in 2016. And why was it again that it
took 10 years to figure this out? Who knows, but all
of a sudden it’s a done deal!
On
another local note, Canterbury Park opens today for
live racing. The Preakness Stakes runs tomorrow and
that’s always a highlight day out at the track. While
the track didn’t get its Racino option thrown into the
Stadium bill, they are in talks to expand
relationships with nearby Casinos that could allow for
off-track betting and simulcast wagering. Which would
be a nice benefit and help grow Minnesota’s struggling
horse racing industry.
The Twins are riding a 2 game winning streak.
4/27/2012 - Baseball, Beer, Brats and the Vikings in
the Spotlight!
The Twins mercifully had a day off on Thursday.
After a very tough early season schedule and the lack of
pitching and timely hitting, they find themselves at
5-14, tied with the Royals and Padres for the worst
record in baseball. I've been out to 2 games at Target
Field and the results haven't been pretty. I went into
the season thinking they had a shot at being a .500
ballclub this season, but I'm not so sure now. The
pitching staff is below average, and with the loss of
Scott Baker, pretty much doomed to mediocrity. And
other than the pick-up of Josh Willingham, the Twins
line-up is lacking the power and run scoring ability
they will need to keep themselves in games. However on
the bright side, if you haven't checked out the new
menu at Target Field, the new food and beverage
highlights will keep the crowd interested for at least
a part of the season. My favorite so far is the "Big
Ginger". Make sure to check it out. And it will be
easier to get tickets with the crowds somewhat
dwindling even here in the early season, especially on
the cold nights we’ve had.
Target Field's new menu items
The Wolves put the capper on an up and down
season with a blowout loss at home Thursday night to
the playoff bound Nuggets. Their injuries are well
documented but it still was a disappointing run down
the stretch. At one point they were 21-19 and
definitely contending for the 8th spot in the West.
But as the injuries mounted, they were overmatched and
finished the season 5-21 in their last 26 games. But
it will help them a bit in the draft and the outlook
for next year is good. The playoffs should definitely
be in reach.
And
surprisingly what might be the brightest note on the
local pro sports scene, the Vikings had a very good
first day in the NFL Draft, getting two blue-chippers
with the 4th and 29th picks that should move right
into the starting line-up. Matt Kalil will help
anchor the offensive line at left guard and should
provide Christian Ponder with some nice blindside
protection for years to come. And Harrison Smith,
acknowledged as one of the best defensive secondary
players in the draft, will help shore up the porous
pass defense. And with an assist from visiting NFL
bigwigs Roger Goodell and Art Rooney, it seems the
Vikings Stadium initiative got a much needed boost. Of
course our Minnesota legislators are probably the most
conservative, do-nothing bunch of folks around, and
it’s still possible they’ll find a way to screw it up
and not get the deal done. Funny how many loyal
supporters there are even following the 3-13 season,
but when it comes to Minnesota Sports, the Vikings do
rule the roost.
April 5, 2012 The Big Dance is over, and we segue
right into The Masters
The
Kentucky Wildcats did as expected, and won the NCAA
Championship. They tied the NCAA single season record
with 38 wins, against just 2 losses. They handled
Kansas with relative ease and showed they were clearly
the superior team. They would likely have done the
same to Ohio State if the Buckeye’s hadn’t collapsed
and blown a big lead in the Semi-final game with
Kansas. Heck, Kentucky would probably give the
Timberwolves a run for their money, especially the
current injury depleted team the Wolves are fielding
now. One common theme for all the really good teams in
the field is they are loaded with potential NBA
talent. Kentucky probably loses 3 freshmen to the
Pro’s. Remember that when picking your brackets next
year, you got to have the horses to finish first. And
I keep my streak intact, as l finish out of the money
for about the 20th straight year in the big
NCAA Bracket pool that we run. But I did take the $10
from Goud, which is nice.
On
the heels of the Gophers good showing in the NIT
tournament, it is anticipated that Tubby Smith will be
rewarded with a contract extension. Amazing what a few
wins against other teams that also couldn’t make it
into the NCAA Tourney will do for a guy’s pocketbook!
Also on the Gopher front, the hockey team takes on
Boston College Thursday evening in what promises to be
a really good game. The intensity of the Frozen Four
is amazing and I’m hoping the Gophers can stand up to
the pressure. The national championship game would be
Saturday night if we make it.
Meanwhile the Wolves now are falling further out
of the playoff race. They were manhandled by Boston
and Kevin Garnett last Friday night. Add to that last
night’s injury to Luke Ridnour in the loss to the
Kings, and it appears the season’s hopes are dashed.
But as we’ve said, it’s been a great turnaround in
ability and enthusiasm and we’ll be looking forward to
next season and finally a trip back to the playoffs
should be in reach.
I know the Twins open this week on the road. And
I’m glad they do have that first weekend series out of
town. It will give me a couple of days of looking at
the box scores to get familiar with the line-up for
this year’s squad. So many favorites are gone, so this
will really be a new look team. The home opener is
Monday the 9th and I’m going Wednesday the
11th, so I’ll be able to get a feel on how
they look after just a handful of games. Can’t wait to
pop open one of those $8 beers and grab a $6 hot dog
again down at Target Field.
And
finally, what April is really all about. The Masters
gets underway this morning. This one is going to be
historic. After several years’ hiatus, Tiger Woods is
right back in the mix. The top players in the world
are all playing great golf and throw in the stars that
have made a name for themselves last year and more
recently this year, and this is going to be great.
Luke Donald, #1 in the world, is almost an
afterthought with all the attention going to Rory
MciIroy, Phil Mickelson and Tiger. It’s hard to
imagine anyone else being able to beat out all 3 of
those great players, but that would be shortchanging
many of the recent major winners. Guys like Keegan
Bradley, Graham McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin
Kaymer and Charl Schwartzel have proven they can
withstand the pressure of a major championship. And
the top Americans, all without a major, include Hunter
Mahan, Steve Stricker and Webb Simpson all in the top
10 in the world rankings. Who knows how this one will
unfold. If I’m picking a top 5, I’d have to include
Tiger, Phil, Rory, and I’d throw in Luke Donald and
maybe Stricker. It’s going to be fun. Maybe we’ll see
that “Cinderella story” we all dream about as we swing
our sticks at the local muni, or country club as the
case may be.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbQTXFJL8lo
March 29, 2012 The Madness continues......
The
NCAA Tourney is down to its Final 4. My early thoughts
about Kentucky being the best remain true. I think
they are the most talented team, and will be tough to
beat. Both Syracuse and North Carolina lost key
players either just before or during the tourney, and
thus fell to the #2 seeds in their respective bracket.
Arguably the weakest bracket lost its #1, 2 and #3
seeds (Michigan State, Missouri and Marquette) and
sends #7 Florida to match up with Kentucky in the
first semi-final game Saturday. I’ll pick KY to win
that game and advance to the Finals. The other
semi-final game is a great match-up. The Big Ten’s
best Ohio State, against perennial power Kansas from
the Big 12. I think OSU may just be too strong for KS,
but it should be a great game. In either case, I’ll
stick with Kentucky beating whichever one of that
advance to the Championship game on Monday night. And
again I’ll finish out of the money in the big NCAA
Bracket pool, but do have a fair chance of taking $10
off of my good friend Goud Melos.
Checking
back in with our Gopher hoopsters, they have made a
nice showing in the NIT Tournament, advancing to
tonight’s final game against the Stanford Cardinal.
Don't be surprised to see the Gopher's emotional run
through the NIT end tonight vs. a good Stanford team.
They could very well end up getting beat if they don't
perform at their best. You can downplay the
NIT all you want, but with this young team gaining
valuable experience, it is a very positive momentum
builder for next season. And with the likelihood
increasing that Trevor Mbakwe will return for
something like his 9th season of college
hoops, they should be much improved. I actually heard
Sid say the other day they’d be a favorite for the Big
Ten title, which might be stretching it a bit, but
they should at least be over .500 in the conference.
And that’s what it takes to get you into the NCAA
Tourney. And it sure does help the national
recruiting picture to get this extra TV exposure so
things are looking up for Tubby’s boys.
Meanwhile
the Wolves find them selves 2.5 games out of the 8th
spot in the Western Conference with just 14 games to
go. I’m going to go on record as saying they won’t be
able to overcome that, and will fall short of making
the playoffs. But at the same time, they’ve had a huge
turnaround this year, will beat the Celtics Friday
night at home, and Kevin Love will get strong
consideration for MVP in the league. He has turned
into a beast in the NBA! Rick Adelman will have them
in the playoffs next year for sure.
So much else going on with MLB already starting the
regular season in Japan (A’s and Mariners have split 2
games in the Tokyo dome already), Gopher hockey
advancing to the Frozen Four (in Florida of all
places) and The Masters gets under way on April 5th.
Also the Twins open the regular season on the road in
Baltimore on April 6th, and at home vs. the
Angels on April 9th. So there will be
plenty to write about next week.
3/15/12 March Madness......
What's
more maddening about this March??? Rickey Rubio
getting hurt and severely dampening the Wolves chances
to make the playoffs? Or the Wild's continuation of an
inept run through their second half of the season? We
call ourselves the state of hockey and our pro-team
probably couldn’t win the State High School
tournament, much less make their own playoffs. And
speaking of the State Tournament, how fitting was it
for Benilde St. Margaret’s to be crowned the big
school Champion with the emotional roller coaster they
were on this year. A fantastic end to a great weekend
of state high school hockey. Outstanding stuff for
sure. And we have the hockey Gophers ready to make a
run for the WCHA title, and hopefully a strong NCAA
bid for the national championship.
But
this time of year is all about the real "March
Madness", the big dance, the Men's NCAA Basketball
Tourney. The 68 best teams in the country are squaring
off (actually the play-in games have already happened
so we’re down to 64) for the championship. And imagine
that, the Tubby Smith led Gophers don't happen to be
counted among the best 68 teams in the land. That's
embarrassing. They played last night in the NIT (the
Other tourney) and thankfully didn't embarrass
themselves further after another disappointing season,
and pulled out a win to advance to the second round.
And each win there is good for the national exposure
and recruiting so let’s hope they make a good showing.
On
to the brackets. It's hard to pick against the 1 and 2
seeds, as it always is. But someone sneaks up on us
every year. Like a Butler or VCU, but who knows which
of those underdogs will make a run this year. I like
some of the lower seeded teams like Wichita State,
Memphis, Baylor and maybe a Florida State to surprise
a bit. But in the end I do believe Kentucky, North
Carolina and Syracuse (before losing their starting
center) are the top teams. I’ve been doing NCAA pools
for nearly 30 years, but it’s been over 20 years since
I’ve won a pool. And I don’t expect this year to be
much different. So take it with a very large grain of
salt when I say I have either Kentucky or North
Carolina winning it all in my 4 brackets. And believe
me for a Duke fan, it’s tough to have to pencil in the
Tarheels, but they may be the best team with a chance
to knock The Wildcats off in the championship game.
We’ll see how this weekend goes, and then update the
picks next week. And remember, gambling on NCAA pools
is illegal, and is not endorsed by this column.
2/27/12 ....and the Oscar goes to.......
Two
exciting, contrasting and yet often similar examples
of the entertainment industry were on display Sunday
evening. The NBA All-star game and The Academy Awards.
They both combine elements of comedic and dramatic
acting. There are awards for creativity and
showmanship and directing, along with foreign
languages being spoken and interpreted, just like at
the Awards show. At the end of the night they awarded
the Best Actor Award (MVP) to the West's Kevin Durant
in the All-star affair. And out in LA, the Best Actor
and Actress went to Jean Dujardin from The Artist and
Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady respectively. But even
with The Artist winning Best Picture, I'd probably
rather watch a re-run of Forrest Gump or the Packers
in last year's Super Bowl than buy a ticket for what
is supposedly the best movie of the year.
And
speaking of Awards and highlights, how about our
T-wolves. They had Kevin Love on the West squad and
he was solid. He also won the 3 point shootout! Also
Derric Williams and Ricky Rubio took part in the Dunk
contest and rookie games. So all of a sudden the
Wolves are making an impact, both during All-star
weekend and quite possibly still during the regular
season. I will not be surprised to see a playoff run
as we get cranked up for the second half of the
season.
If
we were handing out Academy's to the Wolves, it'd go
something like this. Best Actor goes to Kevin Love.
Just a few short seasons into what should turn out to
be a lengthy NBA career, he has transformed himself
into a legitimate NBA superstar. Best Actor in a
supporting role could go to several players, but I'll
give it to Luke Ridnour. He contributes every night, is
second in FG percentage, 3 point field goals and
assists and third in average minutes played per game.
And he has several game winners including a dramatic
last second buzzer beater the other night against
Utah. Best Foreign film award goes to Nikola Pekovic.
He sat on the bench last year, but has shown he
belongs in the starting lineup. He's averaging 25
minutes a game, and leads the team in field goal
percentage and blocks and is second in rebounding next
to Love. And I'd create a new award for foreign film
'short story' and give it to Ricky Rubio. He's been
more than we could have hoped for and looks to be the
real McCoy. And of course Best Director goes to Rick
Adelman. Nothing against Minnesota's own Kevin Mchale
who is doing a fine job now in Houston, but Adelman is
getting the team to believe, work together and pull
for one another. For the last few years with all the
losses mounting, the bench players usually sat
disinterested as the players on the floor went through
the motions. Now the bench is on their feet and
totally into it. Just a small thing perhaps, but
another step in the right direction under coach
Adelman. I'll be anxiously watching as the Wolves play
4 road games on the west coast in 5 days starting on
Tuesday out in LA. This will go along ways in
determining if we really are a playoff contender, or
just another pretender. And if we’re really lucky,
we’ll be watching the next great sports story unfold,
maybe we call it “The Wolves Run to the Playoffs”.
2/7/12
Football is King, and Vegas Loves the Super Bowl!!!
There is
not much more of an exciting time to be in Las Vegas
than Super Bowl weekend. From my experience this past
weekend, Vegas is alive and well. The casinos, sports
books, gaming tables, restaurants and bars were jam
packed.
We
stayed at Harrah's on the strip as some friends had
some comp'd benefits that we were able to share in.
Its sort of "old school" Vegas, but right in the
center of the action. And if you can get past the $40
room service breakfasts (coffee not included), overall
it's a pretty reasonable and fun place to stay. Back
to the Super Bowl. It turned out to be an exciting
game but there is no way I can be convinced that the
Giants are the best team in football. They just got
hot at the right time. Much like the Packers did last
year. And much like the Giants did a few years back
when they also knocked off the Patriots in the super
bowl, putting an end to the potential "greatest season
ever" by the Pats. Also keeping Miami's perfect season
record intact. Same thing this year, a close hard
fought game, with just a couple of key plays the
difference between winning and losing. I just wish I
hadn't been swayed by our cabbie from Wooster, Mass
who was so intent on the Patriots winning, that I
switched off of the Giants, and backed the Pats.
Needless to say, shortly after the game I was
wandering the Vegas Strip in search of a Wells Fargo
cash machine. Ouch!!! I wish I had bet on the coin
flip, color of Gatorade dumped on the winning coach,
over/under on the national anthem, or whether Madonna
was going to appear in fishnet stockings (she did),
rather than the game's outcome. But being a huge Tom
Brady fan, I'll go on record now picking New England
back in the big game next year, but it will be against
the best team in the NFL, the Packers. Already put my
money on it in the sports book! And a side note, if
Indianapolis can host a Super Bowl, let's get a new
downtown stadium with some high profile corporate
sponsors and get Minneapolis on the list for the big
game! The TV audience hit a record 111 million
viewers, and was also the largest streamed sporting
event worldwide ever, so football fandom is at an all
time high. Let's hope we have a team in MN for all to
enjoy.
What
about the Wolves!! Just off a win at home against
Sacramento with Kevin Love on suspension. The win puts
them a game over .500 and currently sitting in the 10th
spot in the Western conference,
and continues what has been a great start to the
season under new head coach Rick Adelman. Can the
Wolves really be considered a Playoff contender? Well
if Rubio keeps playing like he has, and someone
reminds Love its not polite to stomp on your opponents
chest, I think they can!! And can there be any truth
to the rumor that the Twins are in talks with Rubio's
people about a possible tryout as a shortstop/pitcher
based on his little league highlights from back in
Spain? We can only hope.
1/20/12 When Can I Go Back in the
Water?
That’s
what we used to ask Mom after wolfing down our meals
and then running down to the beach all ready to dive
in. But the answer was always the same. You can’t go
back in for at least an hour! And we’d whine and all
that stuff kids do, then run back into the water as
soon as that hour was up. Well that’s how I feel now
about the NFL. When can I go back to watching
football? I hate losing. I hate it when my team loses.
When I was a kid I hated to lose too. When I was a kid
I hated when one of my favorite teams lost. So I’ve
pretty much sworn off talking about or watching or
listening to all the football chatter this
week…..since the Packers lost. I was probably 6 or 7
when we first passed through Green Bay on a road trip
to my Dad's home state of Michigan. We took a small
detour by Lambeau Field on that trip and I was hooked.
Much to my Dad's chagrin, I became a Packer fan and
never changed from that. I paid no attention when the
Vikings brought their funny looking purple uniforms
and helmets to Bloomington. If it wasn’t green and
yellow (or gold depending on the light of day), it
didn’t matter to me. The only thing that did matter
during football season was how the Packers did on
Sunday. Well this past Sunday was hard to digest. They
lost a playoff game they should have won. Sure the
Giants were a hot team and I give Eli Manning credit
for his solid play. But the Packers receivers dropped
balls all over the field with two of those drops for
likely touchdowns. They also fumbled the ball away a
couple times and when the game was on the line the
defense played like a high school team. Basically they
played their worst game of the year, and at home for
gosh sakes! But I am slowly getting over it. Five days
have past and I was actually able to look at the
sports section of the star tribune today. I still
haven't watched SportsCenter since Sunday, and don't
ever want to see the replays or highlights on the NFL
Channel of that game. But the Pack will be back and I
feel improved next year. As will likely the Lions and
possibly the Bears. Not sure we can say that about the
Vikings yet. But probably the biggest news on the
Vikings side of things will be if some sort of Stadium
bill gets passed. Here’s hoping the powers that be get
it right and get a new stadium in the works soon. And
as far as the NFL goes, New England is my pick to win
the Super Bowl. They’ll get a rematch with the Giants
and prevail this time. (we’ll see how that works out
on Sunday).
Meanwhile
on a much brighter note, the Twolves continue to
impress. A nice come from behind win over Detroit on
Wednesday brought their record to 6-8. I haven't
checked into it to verify, but I believe it's been
quite a few years since they have had 6 wins through
14 games of a season. The young guys are showing lots
of spirit and athletic ability. Love is developing
into a true NBA all-star and Ricky Rubio is surpassing
many of the tempered expectations and getting a fair
amount of national recognition in the hoops sports
world. There is definitely more excitement down at
Target Center than anytime since KG left town. It will
be fun to catch the game on tonight out in LA against
the Clippers to see how we stack up against another
team loaded with young stars. The Clippers are trying
to challenge the Lakers as the top team in LA.
And
talk about teams moving in opposite directions, the
Wild have now lost 15 of their last 17 games and are
just trying to keep in contention for a possible spot
in the playoffs. Injuries and lack of scoring have
brought about a huge change of direction in the
season, following their hot start. There is still a
long way to go so we’ll see if coach Yeo can get his
team back on track. This will be a tough task for the
rookie coach, but I’m hoping they can crank it back up
a few levels and make a playoff run. But if they don’t
get some kind of offense going, as their scoring has
been abysmal, they don’t stand much of a chance.
So I'm making my way back into the water, albeit
slowly. If the AFC and NFC championship games were
today, I probably wouldn't be ready to watch them. But
by Sunday I'm pretty sure I’ll be ready for some
football. Its just not the same when your team isn't
in it anymore. Now I know what the Vikings fans go
through most years.
12/28/11
Wolves Show Flashes.....But Can They
Win?
The Monday night season opener brought back
memories of the best times at the Target Center. A
packed house and Rickey Rubio created a sensation we
hadn't felt for a long time. But in the end, it was
another loss. I'm writing this as I watch the Tuesday
night game in Milwaukee as the Wolves have rallied
back from 20 points down to make a seemingly out of
reach game into a tight battle in the waning minutes.
Will it be the new-look Wolves who pull out a victory,
or more of the same old stuff and another loss in a
close game without the finish needed.......same old
Wolves. A loss to the same team we beat last week in
both of our pre-season games. Damn. Close but no
cigar. The Wolves go 2-0 in the pre-season, but now
face Miami, Dallas and San Antonio this weekend
and next Monday. There's a good chance we'll be
staring up at an 0-5 start. But all is not lost, the
young guys look like they can play with the big boys,
and it's going to be a fun ride.
And
like all good sports junkies, I was channel flipping
and caught the Gopher game also. As with the Wolves in
the regular season, wins are going to be tough to come
by in the Big Ten. No matter what you do in the
pre-season or non-conference, the regular season is
all that matters and it'll be a struggle the whole
way. The Big Ten is loaded with good teams and the
Gophers would appear to be in the middle to lower part
of the pack. A loss to Illinois on the road in the
Opener isn't shameful, but the Illini would seem to be
a middle of the pack team also. It's going to be one
of those seasons where the Gophs will need to win a
majority of their home games, and beat some of the
lousy teams on the road to have any shot at being a
.500 ballclub. Losing Mbakwe sure didn't help, but the
other guys are stepping up so far so again it could be
a fun season.
And just when we thought the Vikings season
couldn't get any worse. They lose Adrian Peterson to a
season-ending and possible career threatening knee
injury in a meaningless game that no one wanted them
to win anyway. So now instead of having a shot at the
#1 draft pick and at least having that to look forward
to, they'll finish up the season in another
meaningless game hosting the banged up and beaten
Bears on Sunday with nothing at stake. I'm sure
tickets are easy to come by, so get out and watch Joe
Webb and Toby Gerhart take on the Bears and their 2nd
or 3rd string quarterback along with a couple of
back-up running backs. If they aren't careful, they
might finish up the season with a 2 game winning
streak! Does anyone care?
12/8/11
The NBA is Back!! And Elvis has left
the Building
With
the NBA labor dispute settled, it's time to look
forward to a new beginning for the T-Wolves. A new
coach with a solid reputation and winning history,
Rick Adelman takes the helm. Practices start later
this week and the first game is December 26. Honestly
I didn't think I'd miss the NBA, but now that it's all
settled I'm excited about the potential that this team
has. It's hard not to get anxious to see Ricky Rubio
finally in a Wolves uniform. He hasn't exactly
garnered rave reviews playing over in Europe recently,
but he's a classy young player, and if he's anything
like the player we thought he might be, he'll be a
great addition at least in terms of marketing and fan
appeal. Along with Kevin Love and Michael Beasley,
he'll be a great fit as one of the young faces of the
newly re-invented Timberwolves. Still yet to sign
rookie Derrick Williams is another bright spot and
should develop into a significant cog in the machine.
I think he’ll be a nice reward for getting that second
pick in the draft last year. I might be getting a
little ahead of myself, but I believe they'll be
significantly improved over last years team and it
should result in more wins for us fans to enjoy.
On
the other end of the spectrum, the Vikes, like Elvis,
have apparently left the building. They got derailed
by the Tebow Train this past Sunday. And while the
somewhat unorthodox southpaw is being scrutinized for
his poor passing statistics as well as his religious
fervor, the Broncos have ridden the Tebow Train to
first place in the AFC West. While the Vikings are
more likely to be found riding in a converted Blue
Bird school bus halfway across the north woods of
Wisconsin on their way to Detroit. Christian Ponder
will win many more games in his career, but
maybe no more this year. They face Detroit (albeit
slumping) on the road, New Orleans here at home (no
chance), travel to Washington (should be a close
game), and then finish up with the Bears here in the
dome. Now that game could be interesting if the Bears
are still fighting for a wild-card spot and should
also be a close game, as most are with the Bears.
Ponder is a bit banged up and is questionable for the
start this week anyway, which might bring Joe Webb
back into the QB picture. Another question the Vikings
face and will come into play impacting potential wins
and losses, is how much do you run Adrian Peterson
down the stretch in a lost season. Of course he wants
to play and is said to be about 70% strength right
now, but the Vikings need to be planning for next
year. And a healthy AP is a must to get back to even
thinking they can be a .500 team. That and a lot of
help in the secondary and likely the offensive line,
might get them there.
Hey,
and don’t forget the Tommies are still in the running
for a national championship in D3 football. After a
couple of very impressive playoff wins at home, they
head out to visit UW-Whitewater in a semi-final
match-up. This will be a lot tougher. Whitewater has
won the last 2 national titles and playing at home
will be very tough to beat. But it's great to see them
get that far. You can catch that game on WCCO radio
Saturday afternoon also. Let’s see if we can bring
home another national championship to the Twin Cities
(remember the Lynx!).
11/23/11
That time of Year again… Salute the Turkeys, and
Give Thanks!
An
annual tradition in the StarTribune is Pat Reusse’s
“Turkey of the Year Award” which salutes Minnesota’s
most noteworthy sportsman. But of course as the name
implies it’s for ineptitude, rather than winning
achievement. And Lord knows there’s been a lot of
ineptitude in the local sports’ scene over the last
several years. I’m not going to attempt to pick out
just one, there’s too many to consider. How about
our multimillionaire Twin’s walking wounded? Of
course that’d be Mauer and Morneau. Shortly after
the Twins sunk half their payroll into the M&M boys,
they both have become so fragile that their combined
contribution this past season would barely mount up
to what Nick Punto did for the Cardinals.
You
could also point to the Twin’s management in general
for their mishandling of the roster, bungling trades
and totally overestimating the talent of several of
the players they did move into starting roles this
past season. Let’s hope they lose their passports
and don’t make any more talent scouting trips to
Japan in the short term after the failed Nishi
experiment.
And
the Vikings are a whole ‘nother story of ineptitude.
I have to admit I got a little excited when
Christian Ponder moved into the starting role. I
don’t think McNabb could lead the Eden Prairie
Eagles to the State Championship so he’s definitely
in that “turkey” category. But now the realities of
being a rookie QB have set in and the rest of the
team, besides A.P. and Jared Allen, is pretty darn
mediocre. They have a chance to post one of the
worst records in Vikings history. I’d say now’s the
time for the coaches to step up also as their
performance in getting the team prepared is probably
rated a D- at best.
Don’t
forget our Gopher football team in this mess either.
Coach Kill has had his hands full dealing with his
own health issues, and the lack of talent on the
field. Right now their talent level would probably
fall right in the middle of the football pack…..if
they were playing a couple of divisions below
Division 1A. But they are not, so they rank at the
bottom of the barrel. They have a chance to get a
win in their final game of the season, hosting the
Illini at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday. I’d love to
see them do it for the Seniors, and then at least
build a little momentum and enthusiasm for next
year.
But
forgetting all the bad things going on in local
sports, there are certainly highlight as well.
Undefeated St. Thomas is hosting Monmouth in the
second round of the D3 playoffs, and they have a
solid chance at bringing home a national
championship. The Wild continue to excel, posting 27
points so far which is tied with Chicago and
Pittsburg at this point in the season. The hockey
Gophers are near the top in the national rankings
after a split this past weekend with St. Cloud. And
the Wolves still haven’t lost a game yet this
year….oh wait, they haven’t played a game. The NBA
lockout continues, in what is sure to unfold as one
of the worst business decisions in sports history. I
feel bad for all the local businesses affected
downtown as the Target Center remains mostly empty
now, instead of bringing fans downtown for some Pro
hoops.
However winning or losing, I’m always thankful for
the enjoyment that sports does give us. It’s a great
break from our everyday life as we watch our
favorite teams. And I do mean win or lose. I’ve
stuck with my teams from the time I was a small kid.
And I continue to watch and enjoy many of the lesser
covered sports as well, thanks to all the coverage
afforded with satellite TV. Hell, I’d probably watch
Dancing With The Stars if they figured out how to
make it an event that included betting, or let ESPN2
handle the coverage! Maybe next year I’ll introduce
a betting pool for that show, similar to what we do
for March Madness.
And
what a thanksgiving line-up of football games we
have on tap. Packers/Lions, Dolphins/Cowboys and to
cap it off, the 49rs at Baltimore in the evening.
Now that’s what I call a holiday feast! Happy
Thanksgiving to all.
11/10/11 Say
is ain't so JoePa
Is
nothing sacred?? Sex scandal rocks Penn State and
pushes Joe Paterno into "early" retirement. But
what's so unusual about that? He's 84 years old for
gosh sakes. And probably should have retired years
ago. And is there really a difference between
being fired at age 84, or just quitting? That being
said, he's probably the greatest college coach of
all time and has been throughout his illustrious
career held in higher esteem than probably the Pope
and the President combined! Plus his winning
percentage is much better!! But as the story
now unfolds, at one point quite a number of years
ago he was made aware that "something bad" was going
on. And all he did was tell his boss (who basically
did nothing) and went on coaching. Now no one is
saying he was at all involved in any wrongdoing, but
the whole scandal stinks so bad that his time has
come to leave. We all have the moral obligation to
do what is right, and it seems he, among others,
failed to do the right thing and now are paying the
price. Interesting enough Penn State hosts Nebraska
on Saturday so with this huge subplot it should be a
good game to check in on.
It's
the first time I've mentioned hockey yet, and
we're well into the season in MN! Who says
we don't have teams that can win! The Wild
have started out playing well as they learn
their roles under new Coach Mike Yeo. They
aren't the highest scoring team around, but
getting better as the new players get accustomed
to playing together, and they are playing
typical good Wild defense. They continued their
nice hot streak Wednesday night with a shutout
win on the road over Calgary. And on
the hockey train, the Gophers have climbed to
the Number 1 rating in the Nation. And that's a
first for quite some time, after enduring a
number of sub-par seasons with the Gopher
faithful even calling for Coach Lucia's ouster.
Amazing what some wins will do and with the
talent they have on this team, let's hope we can
get back in the mix for an NCAA title run come
post-season time.
What
about the Twins bringing back former GM Terry
Ryan. Since he was basically the architect of many
of the winning seasons and is widely recognized as
one of the great talent judges in baseball, it
would seem to be a wise move. And also probably a
sign they know how tough it is going to be to get
back to winning divisions with the rise again of
the Tigers. They need healthy players, and a lot
more pitching!
And
finally, after a week off the Vikings and
Christian Ponder return to action with a possible
game of the year Monday night at Lambeau Field. No
doubt Ponder has re-ignited the fans, and the team
with his gutsy play. It should be exciting Monday
night and I'm thinking the Packers, while
formidable on the offensive side of the ball,
couldn't stop Anoka from scoring, and will give
Ponder a lot of opportunities to get the team in
the end zone. I think it will be a high-scoring,
wide open affair. The Pack isn't likely to go
undefeated, so who knows, maybe the upset is
sprung this week! In any case, I think the 13 or
14 point line is too big, and look for the Vikings
to make it a close one.
10/20/11
Finally...It's World Series Time
I
swore off the season when the Yankees got
knocked out of the playoffs. But the World
Series is different. If you are a baseball fan,
you have to watch it. Two teams making it
through the marathon 162 game season and a
couple of playoff series to go head to head for
7 games. There is no more a test of champions
than this. Forget about the corporate hoopla
that has become the Super Bowl (think Jerry
Jones hosting last year's Super Bowl just
because he built the biggest stadium) and the
NBA showcase for L.A. and Kobe Bryant. This is
the best pitchers trying to outduel the best
hitters and managers trying to out smart the
other guy, juggling pitchers, trying to
manufacture runs and get the most out of their
bullpens and utility players. It looks to be a
good match-up with the Cardinals and Texas
Rangers. The first game turned into quite a
battle with St. Louis winning game 1 at home by
a score of 3-2. Good stuff and game 2 is on tap
for Thursday night. (Ya think Nick Punto missed
playing for the Twins this season as he finds
himself playing in the World Series?)
NBA
Lockout.....Who cares! Head on over to Osseo
High School this Friday night and see some of
the best young stars of the NBA right here in
town. Michael Beasley has put together a nice
little showcase of some very good players
(himself, Kevin Love, Kevin Durant to name a
few). And it's all for a good cause with
proceeds going to well deserving charities.
Check out the link right here on the
AnokaCountyOnline
site. But speaking of the lockout, it is
doubtful we'll have any regular season games
before the Christmas time frame as of now. Going
to miss heading down to the Target Center for
that action, especially with the Wolves
gathering some excitement with the hiring of the
new coach, Rick Adelman. Here's hoping they get
it figured out soon.
October
23, 2011. Green Bay Packers. Maybe 7 or 8 years
and some playoff victories into the future, and
it'll be a nice Vikings trivia answer. When did
Christian Ponder make his first start for the
Minnesota Vikings against which team. The future
is now for the young QB. It might take some time
as it generally does for rookie QB's in the NFL,
but it seems like the right time and the right
direction to take. All the best teams that
are the most consistent winners and get to the
playoffs regularly, (and more importantly, win
playoff games) develop consistency at the QB
position. So it's time to see if Ponder can be
that guy, and it will give him a head start
for the 2012 season. Obviously if the Vikings
were in contention in the division, it might be
a scenario where he waits until next year. But
if we've seen McNabb's best, then it isn't good
enough. And speaking of consistency, those
winning teams also develop that at the head
coaching position. It's hard to develop a
winning program with a new coach every few years
also. So it's time for Coach Frazier to step up
and show he belongs in that spot. The honeymoon
is over. He needs to get better at motivating a
team to play 4 quarters, figure out how to
utilize the talent they have at key positions
(think AP and Percy Harvin), improve the play
calling and as a former defensive guy, get the
somewhat overrated defense fired up to the point
where they can actually stop someone when it
counts. But for now, enjoy Sunday and let's see
how they fare against the undefeated Packers. I
know I'll have my regular $5 weekly bet on the
Pack this week to cover the 8 point line.
9/30/11 A Jammed Packed
Weekend of Sports!
Too much to even go into any
sort of detail, but a sports junkies dream!
The
MLB Playoffs start up Friday night. It will be
hard to top the excitement of Wednesday's season
finale when the two wild card entrants were
decided in either the 9th inning or extra innings
in both the American League and the National
League. After leading the wild-card races handily
for nearly the last month, both the Red Sox and
the Atlanta Braves saw their playoff hopes dashed
with a combination of their own futility, and
dramatic comebacks by the Tampa Bay Rays and the
St. Louis Cardinals. And for local flavor, it was
Coon Rapids' own Dan Johnson who saved the Rays
season with a game tying homer in the bottom of
the ninth inning, enabling the Rays to win in
extra frames and advance to the division series vs
Texas. Great stuff and much more to come! (and
a minor victory for the Twins who ended the season
with a 2 game winning streak to avoid losing 100
games!)
A
huge weekend of football is on tap with more games
of interest than even I'll be able to watch. How
about starting out with our Gophers on the road in
the Big House as a 20 point underdog to
the Michigan Wolverines? I think I'll
take Michigan in that one (right
Wally?). Then when that gets out of hand, see if
you can find the St. Johns versus St. Thomas game
on the radio. These archrivals meet for the 80th
time spread over 110 years at the campus in St.
Paul. And if you can get one, tickets are only
$10 and for my dollar, it doesn't get any better
for the pure enjoyment of college football than a
match up like this one. Saturday evening features
the national Big Ten debut of Nebraska as they
visit Camp Randall Stadium to take on the Badgers
of Wisconsin. A huge game with Big Ten and
possible National Championship ramifications. I
can't wait for that one. Of course Sunday brings
us the Vikings and their quest for win #1. They
are favored by 1 1/2 points over Kansas City down
there, so maybe it could happen?? For us Packer
fans we get one of the featured 3:15 games Sunday
afternoon. And if you still haven't had enough, a
tough AFC match-up featuring two Super Bowl
hopefuls, the Jets and Ravens square off at 7:30
Sunday night. So I figure you could watch games
from 11 am on Saturday till about 11 pm, and then
on Sunday from Noon until about 10 pm. No wonder I
never get anything done on the weekend!
And
don't forget the Lynx, who open the Championship
Finals hosting the Atlanta Dream, a team that
reached the finals in last year's WNBA
championships. The best of 5 series starts up at
the Target Center Sunday evening with the second
game Wednesday here also. Good luck to the Lynx
and it would be great to bring any sort of
Championship Trophy back to the Twin Cities.
For
those that like to get up early on Sunday's
looking for something to do, head down to various
viewing points around the Lakes and catch the
excitement of the Twin Cities Marathon. It's
supposed to be a beautiful weekend of weather, and
believe it or not, it really is fun to watch the
race from some of the really great vantage points
the race features. Check out the website and take
in part of this event and you'll find out why it's
referred to as the most beautiful urban marathon
in America.
https://www.tcmevents.org/events/medtronic_twin_cities_marathon_weekend/
9/16/11 How Bad Can It Get
For Our Minnesota Sports Teams!
How
bad can it get?? The Gophers not only lose the
game to one of the lowest ranked football schools
in the country, they lose their coach! Here's
wishing good luck to Coach Kill and I hear he may
be back on the sidelines Saturday after a
frightening seizure towards the end of last
game. The Gophers are slight favorites this
weekend over Miami of Ohio, and maybe an inspired
outing for the Coach can get it done. However this
team is better than last week's opponents, so it
may be a battle to get that first win in the Kill
Era.
How
about the Vikings mustering less than 50 yards in
the air in the loss to the Chargers? And yet with
only a play or two going their way in the second
half they could have had a win. This week the Bucs
come to town and there is reason for optimism. We'll
see, but I'm not betting the farm on it. Maybe $5
with my buddy Doug, but certainly not the farm!
After watching the first weekend of games, I'd say
the NFC's most impressive teams were the Bears,
Eagles and Packers. And in the AFC the Ravens,
Patriots and Texans looked good. Let's see how they
all hold up this weekend.
And
one last note on the Twins.....last place behind the
Royals??? How the mighty have fallen. Last year they
were on the way to winning the division. Now that
really is my last take on the Twins for the season.
Spring training will be here before you know it!
Now
on the positive side, the Wolves sign Rick Adelman
as coach, and that is great news. If they can get
the NBA lockout settled and get this coming season
back on track, maybe this will truly be the start of
building a team with long-term goals and a winning
tradition. I'm tired of the "re-building" phases
we've been in for how many years now??
And
good luck to the Lynx as they enter their playoffs
as the number one seed. Opening at home tonight in a
best of 3 series against San Antonio, a team they
should dominate. But this is Minnesota, so again we
won't count our chickens before they hatch when it
comes to the playoffs.
9/8/11
It's Finally Football Season...
As
I anticipated, the Gophers gave a spirited effort
out west (after a sluggish start) and were in a
position to pull off a major upset in the waning
minutes of the game against USC. An interception
dashed those hopes, but in the end it may spur
them on to work harder and be better prepared to
close the deal in the next close game. I was
impressed by the effort and look forward to a
couple of wins in the next few non-conference
games. They should win handily over New Mexico
State this weekend and follow that up with 2 more
home games (NDSU and Miami of Ohio) before the
start of the Big Ten season. That will be a huge
challenge playing the likes of Michigan, Nebraska
and Wisconsin among their first 6 Big Ten
opponents. I'd say a realistic (and somewhat
optimistic goal) may be a season record of 6-6.
And to get that they'd likely have to win the next
3 non-conference games, then find a way to get 3
more W's in the Big Ten. It won't be easy, but I'm
looking forward to seeing them progress through
Turning
to the Pro's and the NFC North, I'll pick the
Packers to top the Division this year with
something like a 11-5 or 10-6 record. The wins
come tough when you're the defending champs. The
Pack return several of the key injured players
from last year and if they can develop some sort
of consistent running game, and the line can
protect Rodgers, 11-5 or potentially better is
attainable. The Bears (remember they won the
division last year) should still be strong
enough to get into second place and I'd target a
9-7 or 8-8 record for the Jay Cutler led bears.
They added a couple of veterans (Marion Barber
and Roy Williams) and they should continue to
play tough defense, so they could be in
contention for a wild-card spot. Detroit is a
popular pick as a much improved team, loaded
with offensive talent led by Matthew Stafford
and a developing defense. I would still be
surprised if they can get to .500 for the
season, so would pick them to be somewhere
around 6-10 or 7-9. And right about that same
territory the Vikings should fit in, with McNabb
and the boys picking up some wins against the
weaker teams on the schedule, but still
overmatched against the top teams in the league.
With 4 games versus the Bears and Packers, then
throw in San Diego, Atlanta and New Orleans and
the improving Bucs, it will take a pretty solid
effort the rest of the games to get to the .500
mark. So I'll project them to be right around
where the Lions come in, something like 6-10 or
7-9. There are so many variables here with the
Vikings what with the new QB plus Coach
Frazier's first full season that maybe there is
upside potential, but there's probably as much
downside risk to achieving that record and
that's why they could be bringing up the rear in
the division. I may have to eat my words (plus
pay out plenty in bets) if they do finish above
.500 so we'll be keeping a close eye on the
Purple, along with the entire division. I know
there are plenty of folks looking forward to the
opening weekend of football and I'm certainly
one of them! From now till World Series time is
the best portion of the sports year in my book.
And
let's not forget the St. Paul Saints are in the
American Association league championship series.
They won the first game last night in the best
of five series versus the Grand Prairie AirHogs.
The second game of the series is tonight at
Midway Stadium and I hear tickets are still
available. So if you want to catch outdoor
baseball at its finest (or funniest?), check out
the Saints down by the railroad tracks in the
Midway area. I believe the promo for tonight's
game is Thirsty Thursday, so it's bound to be a
good time, win or lose!
8/30/11 The Great Minnesota
Get Together and Other Sports Stuff
Now
that we're right in the middle of the State Fair, it
really means that it's back to school time,
and it's time to get serious about the football
season. We can kiss the Twins goodbye, but a note of
thanks to Jim Thome for giving us the lone Twins
highlight of the year with his 600th home run. And
now he's playing in Cleveland (some reward) as they
try and catch the Detroit Tigers. An exercise in
futility I believe. I guess we also did have
Francisco Liriano tossing a no-hitter way back in
May, but most have forgotten about that long ago.
Not much more to say except wait till next year. I
may jump back in with baseball news or updates as
the playoffs approach since I do have a major
rooting interest to follow. More on that later.
As
evidence of how important football and specifically
the Vikings are in this town, every TV channels'
highlight of their State Fair coverage on Sunday was
Christian Ponder walking around the grounds,
sampling the fair food. But I'll bet you as of now,
he doesn't know the difference between a pronto pup
and a corn dog. He was however, carrying a big
oversized stuffed animal around the whole time, like
it was one of his offensive lineman he just helped
up off the turf. Nice that he was wearing a Twins
cap which is a great way to endear himself to the
hometown crowds before he takes over the reins of
the Vikes. That could be a year or two off, or maybe
not depending on how successful McNabb and/or Webb
are in putting games into the win column. The
Vikings faithful aren't going to have too much
patience with another sub-.500 team as the defense
ages, and AP heads into free agency. The Vikings
appeared to make some progress in pre-season game 3
so there are some reasons for optimism. Any offense
with AP and Percy Harvin lining up in the backfield
has a chance to explode from any point on the field.
I'll preview the North teams in my next article.
Speaking
of optimism, how about the Gophers football team. I
really do think Jerry Kill can be the guy who can
instill some Gopher pride back in the program and
get this thing turned around. Forget the rah-rah
hype of the Brewster era, Kill is of mid-western
stock who was the classic undersized, yet
overachieving football player in high school and
college. And he has the work ethic and the kind of
grit we haven't seen around here for a while. Now it
won't be easy with the talent that is here yet.
Coach Kill himself, rather than blowing smoke after
the spring practices, came out and said the team
isn't good enough, strong enough or fast enough at
this time. But he's working them harder than they're
used to and will make positive strides. The Big Ten
is probably stronger than it was last year,
especially with Nebraska on the slate so getting
wins is going to be tough. But I think they will be
fun to watch and I'm looking forward to seeing them
in action against USC this Saturday on ABC. It will
be a tough task, but we'll get to see right off the
bat how they stack up against the big boys.
I,
along with a great group of friends, witnessed the
coolest hole-in-one this past Saturday at our nearly
20th annual Mille Lacs/Ruttgers golf outing. With
the entire group of about 30 of us gathered around
the 18th green, and another 20 plus folks up on the
clubhouse deck observing, John Horita scored the Ace
with a 4 Iron covering 194 yards over the lake
protecting the elevated green. A soft bounce and a
short role and it dropped quietly into the hole. And
the whole place erupted with a roar! Not quite like
the ones that have echoed around Hazeltine when the
PGA was here, but just as exciting nonetheless.
Congrats to John on a truly spectacular shot! (and
if you don't know the difference between a pronto
pup and a corn dog, just Google it sometime).