The blog formerly about a daily dose of mostly Minnesota sports rants and raves with a sprinkling of general sports commentary and a pinch of jaded-malaise regarding the world around us

March 29, 2009

Opening Day 6 Days

Is Mauer a baby?

March 24, 2009

2010

Taking a break from the Gopher hockey pity party I started, I thought I'd bring up two Twins items:

1. I've got my hands on tix for one of the weekend Twins games at Wrigley in June. Won't happen again until, what? 2015? Feel free to join me.

2. Let's start talking about Twins Home Operner 2010 and how we're getting tickets. Because we are getting tickets.

March 23, 2009

Gopher Hockey Season Postmortem

Further update from a prior thread: Gophers were the first team left out of the NCAA's. UMD was probably in anyway after beating us Thursday, but then they went and became the first team to ever come from the 4/5 play-in game to win the WCHA Final Five, so they moved all the way up to a 2 seed. Definitely pull for them in the tourney; they've never won it all (I'm pretty sure they've never made the Frozen Four, in fact), they're a 'Sota team with a lot of 'Sota kids, and they beat the Gophers. Plus, it's a way to pull for the conference without feeling dirty about it, as Denver and NoDa are the only other WCHA entrants. The tide has definitely receded a bit on the conference over the last two seasons - last year we were back on a par with the east coast and the CCHA was the strongest conference, and this year Hockey East has reasserted itself and we got only three teams in the big dance and none of them are among the favorites. That's a big contrast from just two or three years ago, when we were putting at least two (or all four, that one year) teams in the Frozen Four and winning five titles in a row.

Apparently what sank the Gophers was actually a Hockey East outcome, which moved Ohio State (yes, that Ohio State) past UMass-Lowell in their Pairwise matchup, giving them the same number of Pairwise "wins" as us, so we were tied for the last at-large spot. They somehow had the tiebreaker, although I don't know what it was. I don't recall playing them head-to-head.
Anyway, it's frustrating to not make the tournament, but even worse than not making the tournament is not making the tournament because f'ing Ohio State did. That is humiliating for Minnesota.

It's difficult to swallow, wspecially after the team was performing so well early in the season, and we looked like we had finally overcome the loss of folks like Okposo and the others who've left early in droves the last few years. Last year was certainly excusable, with a total lack of players. This year not so much, with a lot more talent on hand. There's apparently still some work to do, though. Recruiting is not an issue from a talent standpoint, although at times leadership is - I didn't sense this team had quite the personalities and will to win that the Potulny/Pohl/Vanek teams did. Keeping the stars around for more than a season would certainly help in that regard. We seem to be relying on newcomers every year, whereas BU and Michigan and the like have clear hierarchies of leadership. But still, we've got 8 or 10 guys who played on the U.S. Under 18 Team. There's no reason they shouldn't be in the NCAA's. I guess this is something Lucia needs to deal with. From games I've seen this season he looks a little too stoic, too. Has he lost his edge? No team with this much ability should sleepwalk through a 1-6-1 stretch in the middle of the season. Also disconcerting this season was goaltending. Kangas looked better than Frazee when he was the understudy, but he's disappointed as the unchallenged starter. That needs to get better.

If Schroeder and Stoa both stick around, this team can make some noise next year with better goaltending. That's a big If, though, given the last several years' inability to keep guys in town for even two seasons. The plus is that Schroeder doesn't really have an NHL body and his draft stock shouldn't be that high, yet. I'd be fairly surprised if Stoa doesn't hit the draft, though.

March 19, 2009

Latest on Tubby

OK, UVa has confirmed he's at the top of their list. For his part, Tubby's saying all the right things at the moment:

"I have a job, I have a great job. We're enjoying Minnesota. We have no reason to be looking at anything else, and we're very happy where we are. It's flattering sometimes but it can be a distraction. It's good to be wanted, but it's more important to be needed. I feel like I'm not only wanted at Minnesota, but needed there as well."

Which is great, but of course, utterly meaningless as no one in their right mind would say "Yeah, I'll definitely listen if they call. I like UVa."

My head tells me there is just no valid reason for Tubby to take that job. Who wants to spend the last couple years of their career getting their teeth bashed in by Roy Williams and Coach K? It would take at least 3-4 years to get to the point where expectations of 4th or 5th in the conference might be reasonable. Why would that be desirable for a guy soon to turn 58? He'd have to recruit against Duke, UNC, Georgetown, Maryland, Wake, and even VCU, in a bigger talent pool, but not nearly that much bigger. Methinks UVa has a significantly higher opinion of its program's place on the ladder than the rest of the world, and this is a total pipedream. The fan base and AD have significantly less patience than the good people of Minnesota, and unrealistic expectations for their basketball team, which hasn't been nationally relevant since the father of a player currently at Minnesota was there nearly 30 years ago.

My heart, on the other hand, tells me I'm seeing this through maroon and gold glasses, and is terrified. I won't rest easy until Anthony Grant (from VCU) is named as the next head coach at Virginia.

Ski-U-Mah Report: Two teams enter . . . TBD

Big night on campus at the U as the Gopher Men's Hoops team tips off at 6:10 and the Gopher Men's Hockey plays UMD in the Final Five 'play-in game' at 7:07.

I'm thinking the most likely outcome is that the hoops team ends it's season while the hockey team takes the next step to a NCAA tourney bid (hockey selection Sunday is this weekend.)

March 18, 2009

AIG Bonuses

Since this is what is abuzz these days, wanted to say something on the topic.

The proposal by Geithner to impose on AIG "a contractual commitment to pay the treasury from the operations of the company the amount of the retention awards just paid. . . In addition, we will deduct from the $30 billion in assistance an amount equal to the amount of those payments."

Yes, this is getting twice the $176M in bonuses. Sure does punish those responsible, huh? So dumb it hurts my head.

Think of all your buddies who work on Wall Street. Be honest with yourself when you answer this, while they are most likely not responsible for what is happening at AIG, how far away are they from justifying those bonuses to you when you see them at the next cocktail party?

March 16, 2009

Let's Just Get This out There Now

Lest there be any confusion, I will be pulling for Duke should they face the Gophers in the second round. Sorry, Chuck and Joyce. Kudos to Tubby and the team on making the tourney, and if (i) they had a legitimate chance to do some real damage, and (ii) Duke wasn't in the midst of a 5-year tournament slump so they didn't really need to make it to or past the second round, I might consider a temporary switch. In another couple years, perhaps the Gophers will be a 5 or 6 seed with the potential to make second weekend noise. Then we'll talk.

For the record, it's probably in the TC papers and the like, but Duke and Minnesota have met in the tournament before. 1989, Duke won in the Sweet Sixteen. Also a 2-10 matchup. That was Laettner's freshman year, Danny Ferry's senior year (I think). IIRC, Quinn Snyder was on that squad, too, and Robert Brickey had a big tournament for Duke, who made the Final Four but lost to Seton Hall in the semis. The Gophers were the Burton/Newburn/Shikenjanski/Lynch/Coffey team that made that run to Regional Finals that you all remember the next season, where they lost to Georgia Tech with the famous Dennis Scott/Kenny Anderson/Brian Oliver squad that jacked up threes like crazy. If I recall correctly, that team played Shaq and Chris Jackson in one of the most entertaining games I'd ever seen to that point, with both teams close to triple digits.

Also for the record, I'll note that as a fan, that next season, 1990 may have been the best tournament ever as far as I'm concerned. Amazing tourney. Loyola crushing defending champs Michigan, making the Final Eight, Bo Kimble's left-handed free throw for Hank Gathers; that LSU/Georgia Tech game; the Gophers making a huge run; Carolina shocking Mookie Blaylock and Oklahoma; Lionel Simmons taking LaSalle to the Sweet Sixteen; Duke making its fourth Final Four in five seasons; UNLV setting the stage for a run at Greatest Team Ever status the next season. That's a wild ride.

March 13, 2009

Periodic Spring Training Updates

1. Baker signed for four years at $15M. Obviously, if he gets hurt this will hurt, but if he pitches like last season for another four years, it's a great bargain.

2. Joe's back soreness does not appear serious. They upped the dosage on whatever medication he's on, hoping that'll do the trick. Not related to the offseason surgery, though.

3. Francisco pitched like the mac last weekend. 4 innings of perfect ball, 6 K's against most of Baltimore's starters. It's only Spring Training, blah blah blah, but for some reason I react differently to this out of Liriano than I would if Blackburn had done it.

4. Apparently, Punto's on the Italian team in the WBC. That whole thing's sort of a joke, still. I don't know if it'll ever really take off, given the timing of it. The concept is great, but it's an awfully tough sell to get enough players to buy in that fans will care.

5. That said, it's pretty cool that Bert and his Dutch team knocked off the Dominicans. Twice. That's kind of like a 16 seed finally beating a 1 seed in the NCAAs, and then backing it up by making the Sweet Sixteen.

March 12, 2009

Dear Gophers,

Please take your hands off your throats. It's a little easier to play that way. Another 12-point lead has all but evaporated already. 47-45 right now. This doesn't look good.

March 11, 2009

Annual Weather Rant

I fucking live here.

High today: + 11 degrees (at which time it will feel like -12 with the windchill.)

March 9, 2009

Minnesota Choker of the Week: Gopher Men's Hoops

Following an "emotional win" (hate that saying) against the Badgers last week, the Gophers found themselves playing an average (to say the least) Michigan team at The Barn. We all know how that ended (was that a 12 point lead with 13 minutes left that was quickly whittled down by a Michigan 13-4 run?)

Now we enter the Big 10 Tourney playing Nerd U in the first round, both teams needing to make a serious run to get into the field of 64.

Hey, BG, I think I know who MCA, LH, and RTS are rooting for (Ski-U-Mah) not to mention your parents, but how about you? Where you at on this one?

March 4, 2009

Hump Dome Naming Rights

This is so sad. It's like saying "Hey, who wants to put their name on a piece of shit?"

If I were the Vikes I would plaster "pieceofshitstadium.com" across the Teflon Sky so anyone who flies over can read it and it would be a website the Vikings would use to lay out their plan as to making their new stadium an effective private/public development partnership that is a real attempt to make this work and so that Minnesotans don't get fucked in the ass (I know I shouldn't but - cockball Carl Pohlad.)

Sconny to visit the Barn tonight - Yeah, it's a must win.

Well, two more games on the Big Ten schedule, both at home with a big one tonight against Sconny.

Thoughts? I say we take this one.