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

February 29, 2012

Dancefloor Thursday

$20 that BG had moves to this back in the day

$20 that RTS had no moves to this

$20 that MCA looked like this on the dance floor


February 24, 2012

My Toe. The Water. Dipping In.

OK. I'll do it. Before I say this, and before i comment on these comments, let me point out - I love Justin Morneau. I think he's a great player (in the regular season when he's healthy, but that's for another post discussion), blah blah blah, I hope he comes back and I think we need him if we have any chance at being successful.

Now, to my point. And before I say this, let me point out that I don't think people who get concussions are pussies. I think that SOME people who get concussions are pussies. But before I say that, let me point out that I am not saying Justin Morneau is one of them. I am saying I'm just wondering about....stuff. You know, that maybe, In a general sort of way, if some of the new found focus on concussions is making people find illness in ways we didn't use to.

I do think there is a real problem with concussions in sports and a lack of understanding about the impacts these things have on people, especially in the future. But I also think that is true of lots of things. Someday I think we will be surprised or unsurprised to find out that being hit in the stomach 100 days a week by giant men is probably bad for your kidneys, and running full speed when you're 38 is doing longterm damage to your spine and throwing baseballs 125 times a day three times a week causes damage to your retinas and...well, whatever. The point is, this has been going on a ling time and there is now a rash of players who can suddenly now simply not function after one or two concussions. Where were these guys before? I know, a lot didn't get reported. And a lot played through it. And I guess that's part of the point. I know we keep hearing these anecdotes about people suffering long term brain damage, but also, those are some extreme cases, and a lot of other more extreme examples never materialized in long term damage. Causation can be hard to show and harder to predict for, but I just wonder how much of this is becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy. I am not a doctor. And I am not a professional athlete. But I am a blogger, if you can count writing a post on a blog occasionally read by five guys occasionally, a blog. I am not questioning anyone's toughness. I'm just questioning whether we should.

When I read morneau's comments, i start to wonder if some part of his dilemma is the fear of feeling sick, like he almost expects it. He sounds like a guy tentatively waiting for the next show to fall on his head. In some ways I can't blame him, but if you're always wondering if someone is hiding in your closet, you will always know that someday someone might be.

People feel shitty and weak a lot. And they force themselves to deliver. I dont know. But if the future of sports is players afraid to play, I think we are in for some sad and short careers. I wonder if Cal Ripken, Stan Musial, Ted Williams ever got concussed. But I bet if they did, (and I bet they did), I bet they would sound different in the way they talked about the battle to get back on the field. And I think a lot of people working in a plant would fight through their dizziness if they could, and if they were getting paid $15 million a year, would probably just not tell anyone.

I know this sounds horrible. But if you can't say it on a blog...

POST DISCLAIMER DISCLAIMER -- I do love Morneau. And I am not questioning him specifically. (that's in case he's reading this while he's not on the field)

February 17, 2012

Riding Lin-Sanity


I thought I would post this page once the NBA Finals started. However, there was the chance that the finals would come and go and I would not realize it. This Lin guy offered me a chance to ride his coat tails to post my NBA tickets.

Yep, that is all of them. There are none missing. There is: the obligatory visit to the Metrodome to see the T-Wolves the first season (against the Kings and Danny W's dad accused me of trying to get out of paying for the ticket when I had already paid Danny at the game and he used the money to purchase a mini basketball), a pair of corporate freebies, a playoff game against the Spurs on a whim, the Hawks game my daughter danced at (aka the racket the Hawks use to get people like me to buy a ticket) and game 1 of the NBA Finals the fifth time the Bulls won it all. A friend of mine had been diagnosed with a disease. His dad got us tickets as a way to get us together and lift his spirits. It was an amazing game. Jordan hit the game winner as time expired. More importantly I saw how tough of shape my buddy was in at the time. I did not fully comprehend what was going on from what he told me over the phone. It was an important weekend for both of us. That is enough of the emotional crap, everything turned out fine.

February 10, 2012

Bad Assssss Song of the Day: Kick Start My Heart


Here's the video - kinda can't get help but get fired up when you hear this song. Also, the video has Sam Kinison, say no more. From FTLOSBW official news agency Wikipedia: "On December 23, 1987, Sixx suffered a near-fatal heroin overdose. He was declared legally dead on the way to the hospital, but the medic, who was a Crüe fan, revived Sixx by giving him two shots of adrenaline the heart, bringing him back to life. His two minutes in death were the inspiration for the song." Not that you didn't know that, I didn't.

This is a band I would have loved to see in their prime, I'm not talking 1987 when I was 13 but I am talking 1987 if I was 22.


To comply with copyright law: photo from heavyharmonies.com I hope this shows good faith in my using others images. If not, then, well, I have nothing.

February 6, 2012

A day in the life: Verizon customer care

Below is the chat "conversation" with the good people at Verizon. Long story short, my phone doesn't make calls anymore. I tried to go online and find out what to do but kept entering the wrong password, I was then told I had to call customer service to reset my password, which I was unable to do because of the whole phone not making calls problem so I opted for the chat feature.


Please hold for a Verizon Wireless sales representative to assist you with your order. Thank you for your patience.

You are now chatting with 'Cindy'

Cindy: Hello. Thank you for visiting our chat service. May I help you with your order today?

You: hello, my phone is broken and i wanted to log on to my account to see what my options are however i couldn't remember my passowrd and have to contact customer service but my phone is broken so i can't make a phone call

Cindy: Unfortunately - I cannot access your account information.

You: ok, so what do i do?

Cindy: You would need to call customer care from a different line.

You: i'm a shut-in and don't have a different phone line to use and i don't leave my house

You: Hello?

You: Cindy?

Cindy: I apologize, but there is nothing that I can do.

You: nothing? can you call verizon for me?

Cindy: I cannot.

You: do you know someone who can?

Cindy: Unfortunately, I do not.

You: can you shut off my service then?

Cindy: I cannot access account information, therefore I cannot do that either.

You: what can you do?

Cindy: Have you tried the "Forgot your password" link?

You: yes it says to contact customer service to access my online account

You: cindy?

Cindy: Unfortunately - you will need to contact customer care in some way.

You: do they take emails?

At this point, I was going to say something inappropriate but decided to let sleeping dogs lie. Good night, Cindy.

The Super Bowl

The 9-7 Giants won the Super Bowl. How is it possible that with the exception of the 1988 upset of the 49ers, the Vikings have been unable to win a game they weren't supposed to win in the playoffs? Clearly, it happens for some teams. The Giants made it all the way through the playoffs upsetting teams. They did it 4 years ago too. Just one time, it should have been the Vikings time to make a run. I mean heck Chris Doleman from that era is going into the HOF. There are already two others in, John Randle and Randall McDaniel and one, Cris Carter, in the wings. Yesterday, was just another whack on the breaking wheel.

February 2, 2012

Biggest Guilty Pleasure Song


I am willing to absolutely humiliate myself for this blog in an attempt to spark conversation. I am going to throw down my biggest guilty pleasure song. I hope you guys will follow with your own. I guess if someone threw Tubthumping or Right Said Fred out there, those would qualify. But I am really looking for that song that will make me spit out my drink when I read it. Something that is off the beaten path of fluff. I think my song is of that caliber. Are you ready? I might have built this up too much. Anyway, here goes:

Sundown by Gordon Lightfoot. I actually purchased this and have it on my iPod. This is completely out of my wheelhouse compared to what I normally listen to. Maybe all those car rides to Cleveland listening to Neil Diamond had a role in my liking of this poor man's version of the Jewish Elvis. The song is actually hilarious if you think about it. Whose ass is Gordon Lightfoot going to kick? I certainly would not stay away from his woman based on his threat of "I better take care." A good skit for Robot Chicken would be Lightfoot threatening Diamond after he just made sweet love to his woman.

Lightfoot: "Hey Diamond, I can see her lyin' back in her satin dress, in a room where ya do what you don't confess. Sundown you better take care if I find you been creepin' round my back stair."

Diamond: "And what the fuck are you going to do about it, you Canadian?"

Lightfoot: "She don't always say what she really means."

Diamond: "Oh she told me alright, told me all night long. Let's just say she was not Forever in Blue Jeans."

Lightfoot: Rolls up one sleeve. "Getting lost in her love was your first mistake."

Diamond: "It definitely did not feel like a mistake. I might write a song about her, Sweet Caroline."

Lightfoot: Rolls up the other sleeve. "She's a hard lovin' woman, got me feeling mean. Sometimes I think it is shame when I get feelin' better when I am feelin' no pain."

Diamoind: "Alright enough is enough Gordo. Back off or you will be feeling some serious pain. I will wreck you like the Edmund Fitzgerald."

Lightfoot takes a step forward and is immediately dropped with a straight right. He crumples to the ground. As he lies there, Diamond gives him a gratuitous shot over the head with an acoustic guitar.