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 30, 2010

Tubby ain't goin' nowhere

Tubby, Oregon?

Oregon!?! We talking about Oregon.

March 29, 2010

Ice is almost gone

No snow this March, first time since 1878 that March has gone snowless. Gonna be 75 degrees on Wednesday, FIL invited me to join him for a 12:30 pm tee time. Who can say "no" to that? Who?

Twins are spending cash but they're not idiots

This is the envelope my tickets came in for the game on April 14. I was throwing the envelope away today when I noticed there was a label covering the return address. I investigated further and peeled back the label to show that while the checkbooks have opened over at 1 Twins Way these people didn't get to where they are by throwing money away.

March 28, 2010

Has to be Fun to Sign This Lineup Card

Just browsing through today's lineup. Yeah, fellas, this is exciting. When was the last time you could look at a Twins starting lineup and have to search this hard to find an easy out?

I'll put that 1 through 8 up against just about anybody in the league right now. Apologies to Brendan Harris. Keep working on it, son.


1, Denard Span, CF
2. Orlando Hudson, 2B
3. Joe Mauer, C
4. Justin Morneau, 1B
5. Michael Cuddyer, RF
6. Jim Thome, DH
7. Jason Kubel, LF
8. J.J. Hardy, SS
9. Brendan Harris, 3B

March 26, 2010

McNabb Rumors Abound

First, no way Philly let's him go, right?

Second, no question Favre is coming back, right?

Third, it's kinda exciting to think about, right?

March 24, 2010

Guess what came in the mail?


No, RTS, not the new phone books.

March 23, 2010

Great time to be a TWINS fan! Who's hungry?

I know many of the FTLSOBW organization do not like Fatrick Reusse, but he hits a pretty solid triple off the wall here. It's a great time to be a Twins fan. Frankly, it's therefore a great time to be a baseball fan again, because I think i speak for everyone in America when i say, as goes the Twins so goes baseball. Also, Reusse is just huge, but don't let that distract you from his point.

Between Wilf and (it pains me to say this and I know I may retract this at a future date when they start pinching pennies like their old man, may he rest in peace, i actually liked him so don't say anything about me referencing him being dead) the Pohlads, we finally have owners in our major teams willing to spend to bring championships here.

For those people trying to find the cloud in the silver lining, who try to tarnish whats a great day for the small amount of sentimentality left in baseball, by suggesting joe is robbing his team of its ability to pay for his supporting cast, or that the twins are shortsightedly mortgaging their future, i simply say "you are so stupid".

One, its sort of an odd argument. Iguess in order to solve the problem of not being able to pay for a supporting cast, people want to make sure there's nobody to support. I suppose that solves the problem the way people wnat to solve the education gap by making good schools worse. I guess technically speaking you solved A problem, but i'm just not sure you're solving the right one. I'd rather have a strong small core to build the rest of the team up around than try to turn nick punto into a number two man.

Second, the small market thing is getting a little tiring. We aren't fargo. We aren't omaha. With a new stadium and a winnig team, there should be revenue. We had shit because we had shit. But just a point of reference -- the twin cities are the 14th largest market in the US. Basically identical to or slightly bigger than St. Louis, CO, AZ, Seattle and the florida teams, and bigger than Pittsburgh, torontp, cinncy, milwaukee, cleveland, and san diego (sort of). Almsot all of the major market teams are also split -- NY, LA and Chicago (which obviusly are in another world altogether), and then DC/Balt and San Fran (and the A's are perennial small ball). My point is, a myth has been established that we are at asuch a disadvantage, and the truth is we are in as good as or better market situation than most of the teams in the league, and it's really about the product.

March 22, 2010

We Like It Here - Baby Jesus Press Conference

Not sure if where you live they played the press conference live, I'm gonna guess not. Caught only a few minutes on WCCO 6pm news but you couldn't get any closer to exemplifying a local sports fan base if Roger Maris had played for the Fargo Moorehead RedHawks.




Side note: If you remember WCCO "sportslegend" Mark Rosen came out a month+ ago saying a deal was done. News outlets got all worked up. Rosen ended up being wrong and he has taken a lot of shizma for it (rightfully so, ask Dan Rather.) Anyway, Rosen got the first question in to Mauer today, when the anchor took the feed back from the press conference he said: "WCCO's Mark Rosen with the first question there which is appropriate as a couple months ago he said the framework of a deal existed." Still going with the "framework" thing, huh?

March 21, 2010

Twins sign Mauer. Wait, what? HOLY SHITBALLS!



Here it is boys. Father-in-law scooped me.

8 years, $23M/year - $184M total. No trade clause. I like it. Sounds like a deal FTLOSBW would cut. Confidence is high, confidence is high.




Photo credit: Guy who took it.

March 19, 2010

End of Gophers in Tourney. End of Tubby at the U?

Stir the pot, Tubby to Auburn? I don't think so, feel like he has something in Iverson/Sampson for two more years.

FTLOSBW Turns Soft



Really, nothing from anyone here? Crickets. Guess it's time to fire staff and cut costs. No more free bagels in the morning, that's the first thing that has got to go.

Fine: top pic that scene from Goodfellas. Bottom pic of me and the pup.

Same-same but different.

March 15, 2010

Gophers Dancing!

Mark this down as the most improbable one-week turnaround in MN sports since...well...the 2009 Twins winning the AL Central! A week ago, Tubby and the Gophers were barely even a bubble team. Today, they are an 11-seed in the NCAA tournament. I am generally very anti conference tournaments, as I feel that most teams have nothing to really play for...but this year, the tournament saved the season for Minnesota. That, and the road win at Illinois, which may have nudged us into the field over the Illini.

I caught both the MSU and Purdue games...and I really think the team is better off without Al Nolen, as Devoe Joseph is really coming into his own and the offense just seems to run more smoothly with him at the point. Also, Colton Iverson finally decided to man up and start throwing his 6' 11" frame around in the lane. He played GREAT in Indy...and I loved that he scrapped with that fat albert (D. Green) from Michigan State.

Finally, while Xavier is a tough draw, the location in Milwaukee could NOT any more favorable. Wow...there may be 8,000+ Gopher fans at the Bradley Center on Friday.

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March 13, 2010

Twinkies sign Span - Wha? Wha? What?

A week ago I listened to rube nation agnoize over not signing Mauer yet, nothing new, but within the context of "who they will have to sign in a couple years," - ok, also nothing really new. List included: Kubel, Span, Slowey, to name a few but the name that jumped out at me was "Span." At the time I thought "no way we can keep him in a couple years, he's good now and is gonna be expensive later on." Well color me wrong. Twinkies extend Span for five-year and $16.5 million contract with a club option for 2015. Yeah, your Minnesota Twins are wheelin' and dealin' yet again, this time it's not in the free agent market it's with their own talent. Not to mention the little noticed signing of Blackburn to 4 years $14 million with an option for 2014. Don't both of those feel like really good deals too?

Big 10 Tourney - Round Deux

Nice win over Sparty, Gophers were due although they were trying to choke it away down the stretch and were forced to OT.

Of course this post will probably jinx them today against Purdue but Ski-U-Mah Tubby's crew has come to play. I don't smell the tourney quite yet but . . .

March 12, 2010

High School Hockey Tourney


Watched parts of today's Hermantown v. Mahtomedi semi-final game. Shoot out as Hermantown went on to win 7-6 in OT. Crazy game all around, Hermantown kept answering Mahtomedi runs. Tied 6-6 with 5 seconds on the clock Mahtomedi got a turnover in the neutral zone, put a rush on net, and scored top shelf literally as time expired. Seemed like Mahtomedi scored as the horn sounded and the team went nuts (it was crazy) but as the picture shows, time expired as the puck hadn't crossed the goal line (the black dot in the crease; apparently the puck entered the crease with a tenth of a second left.) In OT Hermantown scores to win the game (pretty good goal too.) Wow.


(Yes, I am probably breaking FCC rules by taking a picture of the game but I just wanted to see if I could take a picture of my t.v.)

"Get ready to get angry" - DTK

Boy, the Congressional Black Caucus seems to have a point. Obama should do more for African Americans as our first black president.

Oh, what's that you say? "In 2008, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation spent more on the caterer for its signature legislative dinner and conference — nearly $700,000 for an event one organizer called “Hollywood on the Potomac” — than it gave out in scholarships, federal tax records show"?

Way to work towards "positively influencing the course of events pertinent to African-Americans and others of similar experience and situation," and "achieving greater equity for persons of African descent in the design and content of domestic and international programs and services" Congressional Black Caucus.

Holy shineballs, people.

March 11, 2010

Joe - Seriously. I Don't Need This Right Now



I don't need this.

I'm not panicking and I'm very confident that as MCA suggested, this long dry humping over Joe's contract will come to an end right before opening day. But I have to say, this is becoming more of distraction than we need, which is to say any distraction. Sort of the small but noticeable amount of lip hair on a hot girl you can't take your eyes off of. I like that both sides are keeping it airtight, and Joe's publicly been great. But if Souhan is right and the Twins have offered these massive sums and it's not moving, these things have a history of leaking out to start publicly pressuring the other side. That won't be good. So just end it. Joe, I'm asking you to be the bigger man. Thats a lot to ask of a 27 year old, young, scrapping, selfless, american - nay - international hero. But I think i speak for all minnesota sports fans when I say that I trust you more than the sons of bankers in management to do the right thing. Joe - do you want to be Derek Jeter, or do you want to be Mike Piazza? Don't answer! Shhhhhhhhh. Just sign it, Joe. Just sign it.

(Picture: Baby Jan looking for Joe)

March 9, 2010

Hadn't Counted on This Quite Yet

Nathan likely out for the season. I guess we should have tried to trade him at peak value - he was obviously starting to decline a bit the last few years. He was still great, but we all could see this coming, right? I have a feeling this was going to be the season he returned to just an average closer. So, anyway, our "who's our next closer?" discussion just got pushed up a year. Let's hope Neshek's really healthy.

Jon Rauch? Is that going to be our guy? Yikes. I know the closer position's overrated and all, but still. I'd go with Shaggy or Neshek over him, I think. Mijares?

If the Bumetanide doesn't fit, you must acquit!

As someone following rather closely, though not closely at all, the begining of the trial of the century, I want to make it clear to the FTLOSBW team that I hope so badly that the Williamses stick it to the crusty old dean (NFL).

F the police (NFL). Never trust anyone over 30 (the NFL). Fight the power (NFL).

This trial represents so much of what i hate about things. While this has become a complicated "he said, she said" web of spin and legal mumbo jumbo, I feel like the establishment (NFL) has suceeded in changing the subject from what's really relevant here - the league screwed up, didn't serve the players, and wants to control the media and banking system. The substance abuse policy is there to stop players from taking performance enhancing drugs and protect the integrity of the game. It's not there to try to trick players into committing a crime so they can be a notch in the belt of the wardens at league headquarters. This has become all about defending the league's right to be ridiculous - not protecting the players or the game. These were not two players trying to hide steroids, they weren't trying to trick the sytsem, they weren't even trying to hide a whizzenator.

the scandal here is the NFL KNEW star caps was being used and KNEW it had banned substances but didn't tell anyone. What the hell kind of rule is that? This is like filing your tax return as the lady at the IRS grins and says "Good Luck". They know you're breaking the rules, they just won't tell you which one.

I hope they bring the whole system down. Forget about it, FTLOSBW. It's chinatown.

March 5, 2010

No, Chester! No!

Hate to bring up that whole "Minnesota Vikings" thing in these parts these days, but word on the street is Chester Taylor's signed a 4-year contract with the Bears. I'd guess he'll have a very good shot at beating out Forte, who was seriously exposed last season. So, not only do we lose our surehanded backup and great screen option, one of the 3 or 4 best second RB's in the league, but we'll have to face him playing for the f'ing Bears.

March 4, 2010

From the Land of Sky Blue (frozen) Waters

What can't be made out in the photo are the plumes of smoke off to the left of downtown from the incinerator (yes, the same on that is directly next to Target Field.)

March 3, 2010

The Winter Olympiad - A Games in Review


Just a moment to capture my reflections:

1. Huzzah USA! Huzzah! Bobsled? Nordic Combined? Great strides were made.

2. USA hockey - Silver is like kissing your sister. It would have been great to beat them on their home ice, screw the 'hey, at least it was the Canucks' chatter - I want to win things in life not lose and scrounge up a reason to feel good about it. Really exciting game, could have gone either way, and love the pivotal role representatives from the "State of Hockey" played.

3. Speaking of the "State of Hockey"; we were well represented all over the place.

4. The venue - while the weather was not so wintry, it still was a great spot. Mrs. Jan and I were lucky enough to take a trip to Whistler a couple years back with LH and the lovely Mrs. LH and I found it to be terrific.

5. The Canadians - they're still just so Canadian, but to you, America Jr., I say 'merci.'

March 1, 2010

Tickets to Twins Opening Series: Check.

Not sure if you all read the "Holy Bejebus!" section (and actually based a recent poll, not many of you do) however a few weeks ago a FOB pointed my attention to the raffle for Twins opening series tickets so I posted a link and encouraged all to sign up, not sure if any of you did but I did and guess what? I got selected. Today was the day to buy tickets and while I couldn't get in the first game on April 12, I got seats to the 2nd game on April 14 (odd schedule for the opening series.)

I will update with live pictures on the 14th but here is the view from Section 108, Row 20, Seats 9-12.

Attendees will be the lovely Mrs. Jan, DTK, and my F-I-L (gotta pay back for all those breakfasts.)

Oh and it's suppose to be 42 degrees here today, bet it snows on the 14th.