Vikings on the verge of trading for QB.

From today's Houston Chronicle:


Texans near deal to send Rosenfels to Vikings

The Texans and Minnesota are close to completing a trade that would send quarterback Sage Rosenfels to the Vikings, possibly for a fourth-round draft choice.

The Texans had no comment on the report.

This certainly refutes my theory that Jeff Garcia would be the Vikings QB in 2009.

I guess one good thing I can say is that Rosenfels is an upgrade from what is currently on the Vikings' roster. That's damnation with faint praise, I realize. But we Vikings fans remember him best for torching our favorite squad in week nine last season. Filling in for an injured Matt Schaub in the second half, Rosenfels completed 21 of 29 passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. If we can see anything close to that in Minnesota, than it's well worth the a fourth round draft choice.

The two clubs also discussed a Rosenfels trade last year but the Texans inexplicably wanted a second round pick. Bottom line is the Vikings wouldn't get a starting QB for 2009 in this year's draft anyhow. So if the likes of Donovan McNabb and Matt Hasselbeck aren't available via trade, then a trade for Rosenfels wouldn't offend me all that much. And given that Rosenfels has only played in 32 games (twelve career starts) in an eight year career (and he'll only be 31 years old next month) he doesn't have nearly as much wear and tear as other QBs his age.

Perhaps the Vikings may unwittingly find a medium range solution for their QB woes with this deal.

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Schlitz Arena

My boss Dean is about my age and is a hockey fanatic. For several winters running, he and some friends gather together for a pick up hockey game every Saturday on Dean's backyard pond in Orono. Part of their pregame and postgame ritual is to indulge in a steady diet of Schlitz beer and powdered donuts (ewwww. The ensuing flatulence must look like a dust storm). As a joke, Dean sent an e-mail to Schlitz brewery informing them of their tradition and thus offered up naming rights to his hockey "arena". In exchange, the guys merely asked for a 12-pack of their favorite brew.

In his wildest dreams, Dean never thought the folks at Schlitz would take him up on his offer. Ah, but Schlitz Brewery actually exceeded expectations. Not only did they agree to purchase the naming rights, they held a ceremony to christen Schlitz Arena and upped the ante to three cases of beer per week!

As a result, a local media frenzy has ensued.

First it was a thirty second mention on KSTP channel 5, where they pronounced Dean's name incorrectly.

Then Pioneer Press guy Tom Powers dedicated an entire Sunday column to Schlitz Arena.

But the coup de grace was a three minute story on Fox 9 this past Saturday.

I'm thinking Dean and his pals may yet parlay this in to shouting "LET'S. PLAY. HOCKEYYYY!!!" at Xcel Energy Center prior to a Minnesota Wild game.

Either way, all this attention is exceeding the customary fifteen minutes.

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FINALLY!!! Twins make signature move.

I was beginning to wonder about my favorite baseball team and their commitment to upgrading their roster. But given these tough economic times, even baseball is cutting back on exorbitant contracts. And that has worked to the benefit of the perpetually frugal Minnesota Twins.

Third baseman Joe Crede is staying in the AL Central for the 2009 season, but leaving the division champions for the runners-up.

A source told ESPN that Crede has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Twins that includes incentives that could raise the value of the deal to $7 million.

The Chicago Tribune first reported the agreement.

Crede played in just 97 games last season for the Chicago White Sox because of back injuries, hitting .248 with 17 home runs and 55 RBIs. He was named to the 2008 All-Star team before injuries derailed his season for a second consecutive year.

In 798 career games, Crede has 125 home runs -- including a career-high 30 in 2006. He is known for being an above-average defensive third baseman.

This is analogous to the situation prior to 2006 when the Twins considered signing slugger Frank Thomas. Unfortunately then GM Terry Ryan balked at the signing, thinking that the oft injured Thomas had little left and thus didn't want to risk the money. So you can imagine the sick feeling the Twins brass had when Thomas went on to hit 39 home runs and drive in 114 for the Oakland Athletics in '06. This was coming of an injury plagued 2005 season where Thomas played in only 34 games for the White Sox, hitting only .219. To add insult to injury, Thomas homered to lead off the scoring in the Athletics-Twins ALCS matchup, a series Oakland won 3-0.

Thankfully, the Twins did not make that mistake again. Crede is a significant upgrade defensively at third base over Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher. And when healthy, Crede averages about 20 home runs per season. That kind of combo platter has not been seen at the hot corner since Gary Gaetti.

Finally I can allow myself some optimism for the Twins' 2009 season.

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Perpetual petulance.

Once he assumed the Presidency, Barack Obama emphasized that his election affirms that America has embraced “hope over fear.” This appeared to be one last shot at the Bush administration which Obama routinely criticized for using the “politics of fear.” Ah, but when Obama wants his disaster of a stimulus package approved post haste, he has no problem issuing stern warnings of an irreversible catastrophe for the US economy if such legislation is not passed.

But I digress.

In fact, a recurring theme of the Obama candidacy was “Let the healing begin.” Translation: “We’ve endured eight years of damage to our country and it’s time to make American great again.” In a sense, it was their own version of “move on.” Well I would suggest that part of moving on is to cease the obsession with the supposed mistakes of the past and focus on the “change” that has been pledged.

Unfortunately, the President hasn’t grasped the concept of “moving on”. In a simple prepared statement yesterday regarding the war on terror, President Obama still couldn’t resist a couple more swipes at the Bush administration (emphasis mine).

There is no more solemn duty as President than the decision to deploy our armed forces into harm’s way. I do it today mindful that the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan demands urgent attention and swift action. The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan, and al Qaeda supports the insurgency and threatens America from its safe-haven along the Pakistani border.

To meet urgent security needs, I approved a request from Secretary Gates to deploy a Marine Expeditionary Brigade later this spring and an Army Stryker Brigade and the enabling forces necessary to support them later this summer. This increase has been requested by General McKiernan and supported by Secretary Gates, the Joint Chiefs and the Commander of Central Command. General McKiernan’s request for these troops is months old, and the fact that we are going to responsibly drawdown our forces in Iraq allows us the flexibility to increase our presence in Afghanistan.

This reinforcement will contribute to the security of the Afghan people and to stability in Afghanistan. I recognize the extraordinary strain that this deployment places on our troops and military families. I honor their service, and will give them the support they need.

This increase is necessary to stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, which has not received the strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires. That is why I ordered a review of our policy upon taking office, so we have a comprehensive strategy and the necessary resources to meet clear and achievable objectives in Afghanistan and the region. This troop increase does not pre-determine the outcome of that strategic review. Instead, it will further enable our team to put together a comprehensive strategy that will employ all elements of our national power to fulfill achievable goals in Afghanistan. As we develop our new strategic goals, we will do so in concert with our friends and allies as together we seek the resources necessary to succeed.

Now, I’m not denying that the Afghan war has had its challenges over the past year. That itself can be legitimately debated. But I ask again, weren’t we told that the old days would be left behind and the Obama administration would immediately implement their own policies? So if that’s the case then why the continual references to the supposed failures of the previous administration? And you can’t have it both ways. If one is going to acknowledge the failures of George W. Bush, then the successes should also be duly noted. The reason that a responsible drawdown of our forces in Iraq can occur is due to the success of the surge implemented before Obama was President.

Yes, the eloquent campaigner that we saw for almost two years is looking more like a finger-pointing whiner these days.

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Prediction: The Vikings starting QB in 2009 will be..

..Jeff Garcia

At least he should be.

Yes, he will be 39 years old next week. And yes, Minnesota would be the sixth team he's played for in seven seasons. But this allows the Vikings to have that bridge to their long term quarterback, whether that's Tarvaris Jackson or someone they draft this year or next. Bottom line, the Vikings spent a lot of money in 2008 via free agency (Bernard Berrian & Madieu Williams) as well as a huge trade (Jared Allen). Throw on top of that Pro-Bowl veterans Kevin & Pat Williams, Antoine Winfield and Adrian Peterson, they're championship ready at key positions --- except QB.

Garcia is a perfect fit in that he has played in a similar offense to the Vikings'. Besides, the current quarterbacks on the roster either lack mobility (Gus Frerotte), mental acuity (Jackson) or experience (John David Booty) to lead a Super Bowl run. Garcia alone would overcome all those shortcomings. The best part? He's a free agent, which means the Vikings wouldn't have to give up a king's ransom (i.e. high round draft picks) to acquire him. And Garcia himself has no unreal expectations.

I'm not looking at it like I need to start and be the man ... Hopefully, I'll have some opportunities out there. I'm pretty sure there's going to be something out there for me.

It's all right here, Jeff!

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What a difference a decade makes

It was exactly ten years ago when my gal and I celebrated our very first Valentine's Day together. As such, we decided to go to the fancy supper club which my grandparents founded in the 50s. Since it was a semi-formal setting I dressed up in a suit and tie and my sweetheart wore a nice blouse and skirt. In fact, we had just gotten engaged the week before, so there was lots to celebrate!

Fast forward to this weekend, we decided on a whim to go out to dinner at a local steak house. Since the venue was not nearly as fancy as ten years earlier, we both arrived dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans.

No matter though, since the company was still the most important aspect of the event.

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Coming together

Over the past decade, this country has never been more divided. Whether it's the anti-war/pro-freedom debate, the culture war or fiscal concerns, these are sensitive issues where battle lines are clearly drawn.

What's even more disturbing though is that many Americans have little to no curiosity over such salient issues. And one common diversion from such matters is popular culture, more specifically reality television.

So what better way to unify the country than some of our favorite politicians on each side participating in Dancing with the Stars?





Of course, this may cause more divisiveness if the pair loses. That is, there will be incessant bickering over who should be held most responsible.


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To err is human....

To be perfectly honest, it saddens me when people put all their faith in a human being. As humans, we are fallible and thus prone to making mistakes. And the higher the pedestal on which you place people the louder the thud when they inevitably fall.

So for those of you who have been sucked in to the Barack Obama vortex, don't take it too hard when his star falls. But the truth be told, you brought it on yourselves. You showed no curiosity regarding his legislative accomplishments (or lack thereof). And now he is using the very tactic (politics of fear) which he condemned during the campaign in order to pass a potentially likely fiscal abomination.

I recall how so many of you leftists reacted in 2004 when George W. Bush was re-elected. I imagine your mental state being exponentially worse when in two years you'll still be worrying about paying your mortgages.

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Happy Birthday, Governor Palin

The birthday gal turns 45 today!!

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Music mauled

There are certain songs I’ll hear these days that have been irretrievably ruined or altered in my mind. That is, I’ll immediately think of a skewered version of the song or how it conjures up bad memories given the venue in which it was played.

Here are just a few examples:

Carol of the Bells: OK, whose idea was it to go from ”Hark! Here the Bells” to ”Ding! Fries are Done”? That’s worse than ”Jingle Bells, Batman smells…”.


This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) (Natalie Cole): One word: OVERKILL!!! In addition to it being the commercial theme for eHarmony, this song was featured in seven movies in ten years, including The Parent Trap, Must Love Dogs and While You Were Sleeping.


American Pie (Don McLean): A long, long time ago in a galaxy far away…whoops, I mean….I can still remember how that music used to make me smile. Yes, thanks to Weird Al Yankovic I usually divert into his parody tune The Saga Begins whenever I hear the McLean classic.


Viva Las Vegas (Elvis Presley): A commercial for a certain little blue pill has forever denigrated this once great song. That’s all I’m sayin’.


You Send Me (Sam Cooke): From early 2007 until election day 2008, the fawning over Presidential candidate Barack Obama was utterly insufferable. But to hear about Chris Matthews’ tingly leg intertwined with this Cooke fave doesn’t…uh…”thrill me.” Thanks a lot, Fraters Libertas.


The floor is open for any other submissions.


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Feburary 6, 1999: Popping the question.

The day had come when I was going to propose to my gal! And believe me I definitely had that extra bounce in my step. While waiting for Jen to call and tell me she was home, I decided to clean my apartment to pass the time. Since I was about out of paper plates, I figured I would start by washing the dishes. I then scrubbed my kitchen floor and my bathroom floor, vacuumed the 25 sq. feet of carpet in my bedroom and sorted all my CDs and books alphabetically.

Finally about 3:00 p.m. the gal called to tell me she was home. She was planning on making a nice dinner for the two of us and then we would decide what to do from there.

I got to her place by about 3:30 and she instantly began telling me about her time with her Mom earlier in the day. Apparently Jen got this crazy idea to drag her mother to Oakdale and try on wedding dresses. Again, we had discussed marriage but nothing was official. Anyhow, she tells me that the first dress she tried on that afternoon was the dress. It looked great and fit her perfectly! I guess that was my cue. I said to her “Well, then there’s no sense in waiting any longer.” I proceeded to get down on one knee and ask her to marry me. Of course, she said yes!! I then told her to close her eyes. Once she did that I slipped the ring on her left ring finger. She then said “You did NOT just get me a ring.” She then opened her eyes half expecting to see a cigar band or some other funny memento. No, it was indeed the real thing. We then embraced as we exchanged tears of joy.

From there, we each got on a telephone in her house and proceeded to call all of our family and friends to tell them the good news. Of course, everybody was just ecstatic for us. However, they were also dismayed that we were waiting soooo long to get married. Indeed, 17 months felt like an eternity at that point. But the 8 ½ years of marriage has seemed like a whiff of time.

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Obama going down swinging.

I happened to catch President Obama’s live speech from Virginia Thursday evening. It basically was a continued plea demand for the Senate to pass his nearly $1 trillion pork laden spending “stimulus” package.

In watching the speech I had a sense that Obama was almost desperate. After preaching incessantly about bringing to Washington “Hope”, “Change” and a new era of bi-partisanship, the stimulus bill was unanimously rejected by House Republicans. Of course it still passed in the House, given that the Democrats hold a substantial majority. But a repeat of such a vote in the Senate (i.e. universal rejection by the GOP) means that the bill still could pass without bi-partisan support. And that has to have Obama scared out of his mind if this so-called “economic recovery” plan becomes the abysmal failure many predict. Because then the Democrats would have to take sole ownership of such a disaster, thus causing the 1994 mid-term elections to look like a Sunday School picnic in comparison to what could happen in 2010.

So just continue shaking your fist at Congress, Mr. President. Keep showing the courage of your convictions and demand of your Democrat colleagues that your stimulus bill be passed. Own it!! You won, remember?

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February 5, 1999: A big step.

February 5, 1999.

It was a Friday evening. Usually I got together with my gal, whom I was merely dating at the time. However, she wanted to spend this particular Friday night at her parents’ place, so I was on my own for the evening.

Since Ridgedale was the mall closest to my apartment, I decided to walk around and maybe even shop for a Valentine’s Day gift. After browsing around a few places for a half hour or so, I wound up in a jewelry store. Before you know it I was looking at engagement rings. At this point in time, the gal and I had been together for seven months but only recently had discussed marriage. We determined that we would get married in the Summertime since she’s off work for all three months. Since we felt that the Summer of ’99 was a little too soon, we decided we would wait until June/July 2000 to tie the knot. Therefore, it didn’t make sense to become officially engaged until a year before the wedding.

Nevertheless, I saw a ring that would look great on her finger. And since I had just received my tax refund I figured that was as good a time as any to buy it. However, there was the sticking point that was our informal agreement: No engagement until Summer. But since I had the money I decided to just go ahead and buy the ring but keep in my safe until June. Then I got home and just stared at the ring for several minutes. Finally I thought ”Ah, who am I kidding? I’m going to ask her to marry me tomorrow.”

I don’t know how I got to sleep that night.

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Biden flubs SOS oath of office

After mocking Chief Justice John Roberts over the fumbling of the President's oath of office, Vice President Joe Biden predictably screws up himself. It occurred when Hillary Clinton was being sworn in as Secretary of State.




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In mourning

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.-Philippians 4:7




This one is tricky.

As I have written many times here, my wife and I have been in the adoption phase for almost two years now. Unfortunately life had some unexpected turns over these past several months and thus the process was put on hold a couple of times. But it appeared we were cleared for takeoff in December once we were fully settled in to our new house and my wife had finished her Masters degree. Of course, bringing a child into our lives would be bittersweet. While we were certainly excited to expand our family, we were saddened that Jennifer's Dad would never meet his new grandchild. He so wanted a granddaughter and we just had this feeling that we were going to get a girl.

So you can imagine the whirlwind our lives became in mid January when my gal found out she was pregnant! We were absolutely ecstatic but at the same time cautious. Given it was Jen's first pregnancy we knew the potential for complications. As such, we shared the news with immediate family only.

For the first week we tried to wrap our minds around having a baby. It hardly seemed real since we had hoped and prayed for a child for the past several years but had no success. The second week brought genuine joy and excitement. We finally allowed ourselves to start planning.

Sadly, our joy turned to sorrow as we lost our baby over the weekend. I guess I can say we weren't totally unprepared. However, our indelible faith seldom allowed us to believe anything but the best. But since God's ways are higher than ours and He sees the end from the beginning, we're going to continue to move forward in faith knowing we will have our victory.

For the short term, we are heart broken. But we can also rejoice in the fact that baby Carlson is meeting Grandpa after all.

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Super Bowl XLIII recap.

As Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald gave the Arizona Cardinals a 23-20 lead late in Super Bowl XLIII, I figured the Pittsburgh Steelers were done for. Their offense was utterly inept in the second half, scoring only three points up to that point. I was also ready to write a blog post unloading on QB Ben Roethlisberger. After a nice first half, he led the ineptitude.

Ah, but reports of Big Ben's demise was greatly exaggerated. Remember, this is the guy who in his five year career had engineered 17 fourth quarter comebacks.

With 2:37 left in the fourth quarter, Big Ben led his offense on a 78-yard drive culminating in a brilliant 6-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, who made one of the more acrobatic TD catches in Super Bowl history. With 35 seconds to go the Steelers led 27-23 and held on for the victory.

So where does this place Big Ben in Steelers lore? Well unlike the church of Roethlisberger, I don't believe he is the best Pittsburgh QB of all time. But give it time. He may well be within the next five years!!

By the way, I'd be remiss if I didn't pass on kudos to my pal Mr. D. He was spot on with his Super Bowl prognostication!

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Super Bowl XLIII: The Q & A

The Super Bowl is upon us, so you know what the means. Time for my annual Super Bowl Q&A!!!

Oh, and what a historic Super Bowl this is. For only the second time since 1978 there will be a 9-7 club in the big game. So will the Cardinals prevail in their first ever Super Bowl appearance or will the Pittsburgh Steelers make it a record “six pack”?

Before my much anticipated prognostication, the Super Bowl Inquisitor, who is to my blog what Bert Parks was to the Miss America Pageant, has some burning questions he needs answered.


Q: After being outscored a combined 82-21 in weeks 15 and 16, the Arizona Cardinals have not lost a game since and are now in the Super Bowl. Is that the greatest turnaround ever?
A: Actually, no. That distinction belongs to Dustin Hoffman when he won a best actor Oscar a year removed from starring in Ishtar.

Q: Given his comments after the Super Bowl matchup was set, Cards’ coach (and former Steelers’ assistant) Ken Whisenhunt still seems somewhat bitter losing out to Mike Tomlin for the Steelers head coaching job. Will that carry any extra weight?
A: Not really. David Letterman still whines about not getting The Tonight Show gig but that hasn’t helped him pass Jay Leno in the late night ratings.

Q: What’s your reaction to NBC broadcasting the Super Bowl for the first time in eleven years?
A: Let’s hope they take time out from shilling for Obama and just focus on the game.

Q: How do you feel about Bruce Springsteen providing the halftime entertainment?
A: Let’s hope he takes time out from shilling for Obama and just focuses on music.

Q: What’s on the menu?
A: Carrot sticks, celery, cauliflower and vegetable dip.

Q: WHOA, WHAT???!!
A: Just seein’ if you were on auto pilot given that you’re asking the same inane questions as previous years. We're going with the standard fare of an artery clogging feast.

Q: OK, pop quiz. You ready?
A: Yep!

Q: Which team was the other 9-7 club to make the Super Bowl?
A: The Los Angeles Rams in 1979.

Q: Who is the only other QB, besides Arizona’s Kurt Warner, to start a Super Bowl for two different teams?
A: Craig Morton.

Q: Who were the four QBs other than Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger to start at least two Super Bowls within their first five seasons?
A: John Elway, Troy Aikman, Kurt Warner and Tom Brady.

Q: Who shot J.R.?
A: Kristin Shepard.

Q: Who wins Super Bowl XLIII?
A: Three years ago the Steelers got their fifth Super Bowl ring, calling that title “one for the thumb”. With today’s odd fashion statements, we’ll call their sixth title “one for the middle toe”.

Pittsburgh 24 Arizona 21


Playoff Record:

Straight up: 4-6-0

ATS: 6-4-0

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A message to cause liberal ambivalence.

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Running the gamut

After attending my first Minnesota Wild game ever on Tuesday, I achieved a personal milestone. In a one-year span, I have seen all four major Minnesota sports teams (Timberwolves, Twins, Vikings and Wild) in person.

As big a sports junkie as I have been for thirty years, I'm surprised it took this long.

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Separated at Birth: Marshall Applewhite & Nancy Pelosi

Marshall Applewhite was the leader of the "Heaven's Gate" cult. He convinced 38 of his fellow HG members to commit suicide back in 1997.

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is Speaker of the US House and advocate for leading this country into financial suicide.

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First week woes.

So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.
Padmé, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith









-Obama lifts restrictions on abortion funding.

-Obama orders Guantánamo closure

-US allows use of embryonic stem cells

-Obama Outlaws Legal Interrogation Methods

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The President's first address from the Oval Office.

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Godspeed, Mr. Bush

Full disclosure: I voted for George W. Bush for President in 2000 and 2004. And I don't regret either vote, simply because he was the far superior candidate in both races.

Does that mean Mr. Bush was my ideal candidate? Actually, no. In the 2000 race for the GOP nomination, I was a strong supporter of the fiscal policies of Steve Forbes while equally appreciative of the moral stance of Alan Keyes. However, it was George W. Bush who emerged the Republican nominee and thus he earned my support.

Many on the left are totally incapable of having an intellectually honest discussion of the Bush presidency. They offer little more than vapid talking points combined with absolutely no rational thought whatsoever.

Nevertheless, I feel the need to share my genuine appreciation for a man who has faithfully served this country for eight years. And he did so with the utmost conviction.

-He was unapologetic about his faith in God and how Christ changed his heart.

-When he took office in January 2001, we were in the midst of an economic downturn. Eight months later, the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks took place at the heart of America's financial district, the World Trade Center. Despite that, the President enacted his tax cut plan which stimulated the economy in the face of a potentially dreadful recession.

-The Iraq war, which began in early 2003, is the one area of his administration where he has received the most scrutiny. While the initial operations were successful (including the removal of the brutal dictator Saddam Hussein within the first year of the war) the Bush administration clearly underestimated the violent insurgency. But the President proved his detractors wrong by actually being open to an adjustment in strategy while not giving up the fight for Iraq's democracy. A troop surge, under the stellar leadership of Gen. David Patraeus, was implemented in 2007 and thus has stabilized the country. In fact the Al Anbar province, once an Al Qaeda stronghold, soon became the tenth province to transfer to Provincial Iraqi Control.

-President Bush hit a home run by nominating two solid constructionist judges, John Roberts and Samuel Alito, who were eventually confirmed to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.

-Mr. Bush also gained the respect of some detractors for his work in delivering billions to fight disease and poverty in Africa. This led Bob Geldof, certainly no Bush administration stooge, to slam the U.S. press for virtually ignoring the achievement.


On the flip side, there are things the President has done that made me scratch my head.

-His incessant cronyism, which led to such disastrous moments as Alberto "I don't remember" Gonzales being named Attorney General and the nomination of Harriet Miers to serve on the SCOTUS. Gonzales resigned over his bungling the dismissals of several US Attorneys, merely two years after being named AG. And Miers would remove her name from consideration for the Supreme Court due to her woeful lack of experience in constitutional law. Her resignation paved the way for Alito's nomination.

-I often kvetched about President Bush's unwillingness to regularly communicate with the American people. As such, Congressional Democrats and the mainstream media often distorted the President's actions in such areas as the war on terror (especially Iraq) and the response to Hurricane Katrina with the President offering little in response, much less refutations.

-His mantra of "Compassionate Capitalism" is a euphemism for expanding government. Such programs as No Child Left Behind, prescription drug benefits, corporate bailouts, etc. has actually grown government's role in the everyday lives of Americans. While approving the latest bailout plan, the President even went so far as to admit his abandoning free market principles. Yes, it's a sad day in this country when the GOP loses the mantle of fiscal responsibility.


Many are quick to dismiss the Bush years as an abject failure, even to the point of naming him the worst US President our country has seen.

Personally, I believe George W. Bush will be vindicated on the Iraq war and the overall global war on terror. Certainly his place amongst great GOP Presidents leaves a lot to be desired. But worst overall President in history? Not as long as the records of Herbert Hoover and Jimmy Carter are still out there.

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Diversion attempt failed.

I am absolutely wrung out by all this coverage of the upcoming coronation inauguration of President Barack Obama that I needed a diversion. So when I got home this evening I flipped on ESPN to check out the recap of Sunday's conference championship games.

As the program was concluding however, I was blindsided. They decided to promote some trading cards courtesy of Topps. You guessed it, it's the limited edition "Obama Trading Cards."

I guess my resistance to the juggernaut is futile.

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NFL championship week: Pennsylvania prevails!

Ravens (+6) at Steelers: In one of the more brutal rivalries, this one should have some extra spice. Not only is this for the right to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl but the Ravens are still seething over the 13-9 loss to the Steelers at home last month. Trailing 9-6, the Steelers embarked on a 12 play, 92 yard drive, culminating in a Ben Roethlisberger 4-yard touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 43 seconds to play. However, the play was initially ruled down inside the one yard line but was reversed and called a TD when the replay officials took a gander. 

Since that game you know the Ravens defense was hoping for another opportunity at their hated rivals. In the end, I believe the Ravens will not have enough to pull this one off. Since they had an unscheduled bye in week 2 of the regular season, Baltimore will be playing in its 18th consecutive week this Sunday. It looked as though the grind had taken its toll last week against Tennessee when the Titans moved the ball effectively while the Ravens missed some easy tackles. The Ravens were able to win in large part because Tennessee turned the ball over three times in Baltimore territory. They shouldn't rely on the Steelers making the same mistakes. 

I say the Steelers will emerge victorious 17-10. 

Eagles (-3.5) at Cardinals: When the Eagles hosted the Cards on Thanksgiving night, they were entering the game having endured a highly tumultuous week. But with his team limping along at 5-5-1 and having been benched the previous Sunday, QB Donovan McNabb responded by torching the Cardinals for four touchdown passes in a 48-20 Eagles rout. In this his tenth season as a pro, McNabb will be making his fifth start in an NFC title game. 

Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner is no stranger to big games, having been to two Super Bowls and winning one. After a lackluster finish to the regular season, Warner has responded with two solid games this postseason. It also hasn’t hurt that the Cards running game has been rediscovered. Even though they’ve only averaged 3.3 yards per carry the past two games, Arizona has shown a commitment to sustaining a running attack. When was the last time the Cards ran the ball more than they threw it over a two-game stretch (71 rushes, 64 passes this postseason)? 

 I look for McNabb to continue his resurgence as well as the blitz happy Eagles defense to force Warner into some bad throws (he was picked off three times in the week 13 matchup).

 Eagles win 27-17. 

 Playoff record: 

 Straight up: 3-5-0 

 ATS: 5-3-0 

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Dissension amongst the ranks?

New Vice President Joe Biden said last Fall that it’s “patriotic” to pay more taxes.

Meanwhile, it’s been revealed that President-elect Obama’s pick for Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, failed to pay $34,000 in taxes from 2001 to 2004.

So in Biden’s mind, is Geithner unpatriotic?

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Well the names have all changed since you hung around

Last May I lamented the loss of one of my favorite blogs, entitled Yucky Salad with Bones. The blog's proprietors, siblings Katie and Bill, wrote some of the more hilarious dissertations which elicited many ear splitting laughs from yours truly. But due to time constraints, they decided to hang it up.

Well, they're baaaaack!!!

Katie, Bill and a host of others have put forth a new offering called Doesn't Anybody Knock?

Not sure the origin of the title, but who cares? It's Katie and Bill for crying out loud!

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Bert Blyleven shutout again.

In this his 12th year of eligibility, former Major League Baseball pitcher Bert Blyleven was once again denied enshrinement in the baseball Hall of Fame.

I'm not sure what the arguments are against Blyleven's selection but his solid pitching stats over a 22-year career can hardly be argued.

Here is Blyleven by the numbers:

-Has 287 career wins, which is 27th all time. Bobby Matthews (297 wins) and Tommy John (288) are the only Hall of Fame eligible players ahead of Blyleven who have not been enshrined.

-Is fifth all time in career strikeouts with 3,701. Ahead of him are Nolan Ryan (Hall of Famer), Randy Johnson (still active but seems to be a shoe-in for the HOF), Roger Clemens (sure Hall of Famer until the steroids allegations) and Steve Carlton (Hall of Famer).

-Is ninth all time in career shutouts with 60. The eight players ahead of him are all Hall of Famers. In fact, thirteen players immediately behind Blyleven on the career shutouts list are also in the Hall.

-Is fourteenth all time in innings pitched with 4,970. Twelve of the thirteen players ahead of him are in the Hall. The only one who isn’t? Greg Maddux, who just retired last month. Any doubt Maddux will be selected his first year of eligibility?

-Was a key member of two World Series winning teams (1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and 1987 Minnesota Twins). In those two series (covering four appearances) he was 2-1 with a 2.35 ERA.

Again, it's difficult to argue his enshrinement from a shear numbers standpoint, which leads me to ask what is keeping Blyleven out of the Hall?

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Dungy retires

Today one of the classiest, most well-respected NFL coaches called it a career.

Tony Dungy always considered football just a career path.

Not his life's mission.

On Monday, Dungy began the transition from head coach to full-time dad and devoted volunteer by announcing his retirement after seven years leading the Indianapolis Colts.

"We just felt this was the right time," Dungy said. "Don't shed any tears for me. I got to live a dream most people don't get to live."

The move triggered a succession plan Indianapolis put in place a year ago, making Jim Caldwell, the associate head coach, Dungy's replacement.

In thirteen seasons as an NFL head coach (six with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, seven with the Colts) Dungy compiled an astounding regular season record of 139-69. His .759 winning percentage as Colts head coach is the third best with one team in NFL history. He is also one of only three people to win a Super Bowl as both a player and head coach.

Dungy is just as well known for his devout Christianity, which was publicly on display In December 2005. Three days before Christmas, Dungy’s 18-year old son, James, took his own life. It was that tragic situation which really showed us the class, character and dignity of Dungy. Instead of showing the breath-taking devastation he must have felt inside, Dungy, along with wife Lauren, rejoiced in the fact that their son was with Jesus.

A little more than a year later, Dungy became the first African-American head coach to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy when the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. He did so in the same manner he has handled defeat and tragedy ---- with grace and humility.

Yes, he was a better man than he was a football coach. And he was one heck of a football coach.

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Was just watching NFL Network...

...and their studio pregame show featuring former Buccaneers and Raiders D-lineman Warren Sapp.

Sapp had been razzing Atlanta Falcons LB Keith Brooking regarding a blown assignment in last week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Brooking responded by needling Sapp and his loss to supermodel Brooke Burke in the finals of Dancing with the Stars.

Sapp responded by saying "Hey, I'll gladly be behind that or underneath that anytime."

Any predictions on who will be the first to express the obligatory outrage over Sapp's comment?

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NFL divisional playoffs: We meet again.

Chargers (+6) at Steelers: The Steelers needed a last second field goal to defeat the Chargers 11-10 in week 11. Despite the tight finish, Pittsburgh totally dominated that game in terms of total yardage (410-218) and time of possession (36 ½ minutes to 23 ½ minutes). However, the Steelers continually shot themselves in the foot with 13 penalties.

While the Chargers defense did a fair job of handling Colts quarterback Peyton Manning last week, they can thank punter Mike Scifres for that. Scifres had a net 51.7 yard per punt average, pinning the Colts inside their 20 yard line six times. But he would be fortunate to do half that well on Sunday in blustery Pittsburgh. And even if the Chargers 31st ranked pass defense can contain Ben Roethlisberger they still have to contend with a solid running game which the Colts couldn’t muster. Willie Parker ran for 115 yards against San Diego in their regular season matchup and seems to be relatively healthy after missing five games in the middle of the season.

Offensively, the Chargers will not be able to dent the top ranked defense in the NFL, with or without running back LaDanian Tomlinson, who has a torn tendon in his groin area.

Steelers win and cover, 24-10.


Ravens (+3) at Titans: When you think of the Tennessee Titans offense, you usually think of the running tandem of LenDale White and Chris Johnson. Combined, they rushed for 2,001 yards in 2008. However, they could only tally 48 in a 13-10 win over Baltimore in Week 5. Given what the Ravens did to the Dolphins rushing attack last week, I don’t anticipate the Titans being able to effectively run the ball in this rematch. Combine that with Tennessee center Kevin Mawae battling injuries, it seems like a great matchup for the vaunted Ravens D. Quarterback Kerry Collins will also have his work cut out for him against the NFL’s second ranked pass defense.

Meanwhile, the Titans defense looks to regain the services of defensive linemen Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch. The timing is perfect considering Ravens QB Joe Flacco hardly looks like the skittish rookie Tennessee saw in the regular season.

It’s no overstatement to say that defense will decide this game given the Ravens and Titans are ranked second and seventh, respectively, in total defense. And this year’s Ravens remind me an awful lot of the 2000 Super Bowl champs. That season included a 24-10 divisional round victory in Tennessee.

Baltimore springs the upset, 17-14.


Eagles (+4 ½) at Giants: These division rivals split their regular season meetings with the road team prevailing in both games. The Eagles needed a small miracle to get in the playoffs but they’re here and definitely battle tested. The Giants, however, enter the postseason having lost three of four, including the 20-14 home loss to Philly in week 14.

Look for the Eagles to get the ball to running back Brian Westbrook as much as possible. Westbrook singlehandedly torched the Giants last month with 203 total yards (131 rushing, 72 receiving) and two touchdowns.

In their first matchup, the Giants rushed for over 200 yards. In fact, injured running back Brandon Jacobs has been able to practice all week and has declared himself ready to go. The Giants’ other 1,000 yard rusher, Derrick Ward, filled in for Jacobs quite nicely down the stretch, including a 215 yard performance against Carolina in week 16 which sealed home field throughout the NFC playoffs.

I believe the Giants will win but not cover. John Carney kicks a last second field goal, giving his club a 20-17 victory over the Eagles.


Cardinals (+9 ½) at Panthers: In Week 8 the visiting Cards held a 17-3 lead early in the third quarter only to wind up losing to Carolina 27-23.

Arizona did a nice job containing the NFL’s second leading rusher (Atlanta’s Michael Tuner) last week and now must duplicate that effort against the NFL’s third leading rusher in DeAngelo Williams. In their regular season matchup, Williams ran for 108 yards and a TD. And even if the Cardinals manage to slow down Williams, they still have to contend with superstar wide receiver Steve Smith, he of the 1,421 yards receiving in 2008.

Despite lighting up the Panthers’ defense for 381 yards passing, QB Kurt Warner will again need support from his running game due to star wide receiver Anquan Boldin being limited with a strained hamstring. Running back Edgerrin James had a solid game last week against Atlanta and may have ample opportunity for another good game this week. The Panthers run defense is ranked 23rd in terms of yards per carry, allowing 4.4.

Panthers win, but don’t quite cover. Carolina defeats Arizona 27-20.


Playoff record:

Straight up: 1-3-0

Against the point spread: 1-3-0

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How does "Senator Franken" grab ya?

I haven’t opined on Al Franken being declared the winner of Minnesota’s Senate seat because so many others have covered it much better than I ever could.

But the one thing I have been kvetching about since mid November is the fact that the Coleman campaign basically seemed content to sit on a 250 vote lead as the statewide recount commenced. By the end of election night, Senator Coleman had approximately a 700 vote lead. Somehow between election night and the time the election day results were certified by the Secretary of State’s office, that lead dropped by almost 500 votes. How is that possible??!! Again, that is a question that should have been broached by Norm Coleman himself.

Did that mean there was fraud? Not necessarily. But the fact the Coleman camp didn’t demand some transparency on how their lead deteriorated was where they blew it. To me, their contesting the recount results in court now is the equivalent of starting to train for a half marathon the week before the event. Too little, too late.

So we here in the great state of Minnesota have to endure six years of having an absolutely disgraceful and despicable human being represent us in the U.S. Senate. The maddening part is a mere 42.5% of those casting a ballot actually voted for Franken. But don’t expect me to elicit some knee-jerk response on how we need to adopt Instant Runoff Voting in this state. If we in the Republican party can’t put forth a candidate who doesn’t trounce a putz like Franken by double digits, then we get what we get.

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Timing is everything.

At the urging of some of my co-workers, I decided to get on Facebook a couple of weeks ago. It’s a really great social networking website that has allowed me to reconnect with friends, distant cousins and former co-workers whom I have not heard from in years.

So everyday for the past two weeks I’ve thought of someone whom I could look up. Yesterday it happened to be my third cousins from Rochester, MN. I sent a “friend request” to Jenny and Angie but did not see a FB listing for either Jason or Chris. I heard back from Jenny within a few hours. Since I was on lunch, I only had a quick minute to browse her site. I saw on her photo album that her and husband Joe just had another child.

Since Jenny is the daughter of my Mom’s cousin, I decided to call my Mom to let her know of the new addition. But when I called her I was informed of some awful news. Jenny’s younger brother Chris had been found dead near where he worked in California. He was only 27-years old.

It’s amazing how things work sometimes. I hadn’t thought much about my Rochester relatives since I last saw them at, ironically enough, a funeral a little over three years ago. Then out of the blue I decide to contact them in what has to be their darkest hour as a family.

I said some extra special prayers last night, that’s for sure.

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Nancy-Tonya: It happened 15 years ago today

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After perusing other MOB blogs.....

The blog Fraters Libertas is a daily read for me. Some of the best reading on said blog is Chad the Elder's insights on the present day Catholic Church.

That said, I point you to Chad's great post entitled Love the Sinner, Justify the Sin.

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Hot Stove update.

And now an update from the Minnesota Twins organization regarding their offseason activity:



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NFL wildcard weekend: There's no place like the road.

Eagles (-3) at Vikings: If any team out of the Cowboys, Bears or Buccaneers won in Week 17, that would have been the Vikings’ first round opponent. Alas, all three of those teams lost, allowing the Philadelphia Eagles to sneak in to the playoffs.

This is the toughest matchup for the Vikes, given the Eagles’ penchant for blitzing. The Vikings offense ranks dead last in pass offense when facing the blitz. Of course, a lot of those stats were accumulated when the statuesque Gus Frerotte was quarterback. With Tarvaris Jackson getting the nod at QB, his mobility allows him an opportunity to avoid the Eagles’ vaunted rush. That means running back Adrian Peterson will need to have one of his 150+ yard, 2-touchdown performances (and of course, holding on to the friggin’ ball would help). I think the Vikings will win and cover, 21-17.


Falcons (-2) at Cardinals: Atlanta running back Michael Turner finished second in the NFL in rushing yardage with 1,699 yards. Turner’s success helped take a tremendous load off of rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, who himself had a nice year. Ryan led all rookie QBs with 3,440 yards passing and 16 touchdowns. He also played with the poise of a savvy veteran.

Arizona QB Kurt Warner finished third in the NFL in touchdown passes with 30 and second only to Drew Brees in pass yardage. In fact, three Cards receivers (Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston) had over 1,000 yards receiving in 2008. This is a nice matchup for the Cards against a Falcons defense ranked 21st against the pass.

Look for Turner to pound the ball down the Cardinals’ collective throats, thus keeping Arizona’s explosive offense off the field. Atlanta wins 27-24.


Colts (-1) at Chargers:For some reason, the Chargers consistently provide the toughest matchup for the Indianapolis Colts. San Diego’s 3-4 defense has given Colts QB Peyton Manning fits over the years, including the Chargers upset of the Colts in last seasons’ divisional playoff game. However, the Chargers were next to last in pass defense in the regular season due in large part to the absence of pass rushing linebacker Shawne Merriman.

With his third MVP award in the last six seasons, Manning looks to be in midseason form. The minor knee surgery he had in the offseason threw off his very strict regimen, a big reason the Colts started 3-4 and why Manning threw nine interceptions. In guiding Indy to nine consecutive wins, he has thrown only three picks to go with his 17 touchdown passes.

Many surmise that Phillip Rivers made the leap to elite QB in the playoff game against the Colts last season. But he gained iron clad respect with his gutty play in the AFC championship game at 17-0 New England. Despite a partially torn knee ligament, Rivers played the entire game in a losing effort. Rivers’ stellar play continued in to the ’08 season as he led the NFL in TD passes and passer rating.

Unfortunately for San Diego, Rivers isn’t a pass rusher. Look for Manning to have yet another huge game in a 31-21 Colts victory.


Ravens (-3) at Dolphins: My, what a difference a year makes. When these two clubs met in Week 15 of the 2007 season, they entered the game with a combined record of 4-22. They would end the year at 6-26. This season, both teams were guided by rookie head coaches to an 11-5 finish. What’s even more impressive is the Ravens succeeded with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco while the Dolphins’ phenomenal turnaround came after picking up veteran Chad Pennington off the scrap heap.

As is usually the case, Baltimore’s defense was the main reason for their success. Linebacker Ray Lewis once again finished the season with more than 100 tackles while safety Ed Reed led the entire NFL with nine interceptions.

The Dolphins’ unique “Wildcat” offense vaulted them from 28th in overall offense in 2007 to 12th this season. And the Dolphins were able to move the ball effectively against the Ravens to the tune of 359 total yards in their Week 7 matchup, a 27-13 Baltimore victory.

But the Ravens’ D will step it up big time in a 24-17 Baltimore win.

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Looking ahead to the new year!

Happy New Year everyone!!

January 1 is the one day when there is the most collective optimism about life, a chance to "start over" if you will.

For my family, I predicted 2008 would be a great year for us. I guess that's because 2007 was so wrought with peril that '08 could do nothing but get better. Granted my father-in law's passing in February was a difficult way to start the year. But we held strong in the knowledge that the Lord would never leave us nor forsake us.

I could make predictions as to what is to occur in 2009, like our family expanding, more opportunities to travel, another job change, etc. But I choose to seek the Lord's will and determine what He has in store.

May 2009 be all you hope for and desire!

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Seven Pounds

The gal and I took in a movie this New Years Eve. Seven Pounds is a story of an IRS agent looking for redemption by impacting the lives of seven strangers. Utilizing his powers as an employee of the IRS, Ben Thomas (wonderfully portrayed by Will Smith) looks into the lives of others to determine if they are worthy of his kindness.

Without giving too much away, Thomas is not everything he appears to be. As the film progresses, we learn bits and pieces about his life and what led him on his journey to literally give himself to others.

Overall we enjoyed this movie very much, with the conclusion resulting in a lot of sniffles throughout the theater.

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The new AM1500 morning show

All I'll say is that Hubbard Broadcasting must be preparing for the Fairness Doctrine to be reinstated.

I have exciting news to share with you this morning about the new host of the morning show on AM1500 KSTP.

He has more to talk about than what a couple segments have allowed and many have told me that they tune in specifically just to hear him.

Starting Monday, January 12, you will get Patrick Reusse the entire show each morning well beyond a singular sports focus. "Somewhere between wacky and MPR, there's a morning radio show to be done, and that's what I hope to be part of Monday through Friday on KSTP,'' Reusse said. "The goal is for us to put together a morning show that I would listen to.''

Here is the full news release that is being distributed later today.

Patrick has been a strong element of AM1500 and I am excited about him being the steward of the early-morning program each weekday and providing a companion to your daily commute.

Cheers,

Steve Konrad
Program Director
am1500 KSTP

Personally, I like Reusse. I have been reading his columns since the 70s when he was with the St Paul Pioneer Press. Obviously I'm able to overlook his leftist political leanings, which he has a tendency to inject in his daily sports updates as well as his newspaper column. But his 25 year run with Joe Soucheray on Saturday Sports Talk can be quite fun given the duo's witty banter combined with a curmudgeon's look at life.

Reusse will team with Jay Kolls, who seems to be somewhat right of center. We'll see if they can generate an effective "point-counterpoint" format. I'll give 'em a shot.

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Another NFL regular season in the books.

Some general observations as the NFL regular season ends.

- What happened to the Brett Favre mystique in winter months? He has thrown thirteen interceptions in his past eight December games. And that doesn’t include the costly pick he threw in the NFC championship game last January.

- Speaking of rotten Decembers, Dallas quarterback Tony Romo has a 27-12 career record in the regular season ---but is only 5-8 in December.

- Bill Parcells is the modern day King Midas. The year before he arrived in New England as their head coach, the Patriots were 2-14. Four seasons later they were AFC champions. The New York Jets were a combined 4-28 in 1995 & 1996. Parcells arrived in 1997 and led them to the AFC title game in 1998. Then as Executive Vice President of Football Operations of the Miami Dolphins, his club goes from 1-15 in 2007 to 11-5 and AFC East champions this season.

- Two rookie quarterbacks (Baltimore’s Joe Flacco and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan) have guided their respective teams to the playoffs this year. So much for the philosophy that QBs should sit the bench for at least two seasons before seeing taking the helm.

- The Vikings’ Adrian Peterson became the fifth player in league history to reach 3,000 yards rushing in his first two years, joining Eric Dickerson (Rams), Edgerrin James (Colts), Earl Campbell (Oilers) and Clinton Portis (Broncos).

- The New England Patriots finished the regular season with a record of 11-5….but missed the playoffs. That ties a record for most victories while missing the postseason, originally set by the 1985 Denver Broncos.

- Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb was ridiculed when he stated last month that he wasn’t aware NFL regular season games could end in a tie. Well thanks to the Eagles tying the Cincinnati Bengals on November 16, it gave them the edge record wise (9-6-1) over the Cowboys, Bears and Bucs (all finishing 9-7), thus giving Philly the final NFC playoff berth.

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Kudos to Chris Wallace!

The attached clip is of Bill O'Reilly interviewing Fox News colleague Chris Wallace earlier this month. Here Wallace recounts how he eviscerated the "straw man" set up by liberal movie director Ron Howard.

Howard apparently equated Nixon's abuse of power during the Watergate scandal to President Bush and his policies implemented in fighting the war on terror.



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To you and yours.....

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This clinch is no cinch.

Now I understand why the Green Bay Packers are 5-10 this season.

The Pack had a golden opportunity to help my Minnesota Vikings win the NFC North division by beating an average Chicago Bears squad on Monday Night Football. But as is the M.O. of this year’s Packer club they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in a 20-17 overtime loss.

Oh well. It’s not the worst thing in the world for the Vikings to have to beat the defending Super Bowl champions to win their division. But if the Vikes lose at home to the New York Giants on Sunday they can still win the NFC North with a Bears loss at Houston.

Now here’s a scenario I’ve had dancing through my head. Since the Bears and Vikings both have Noon starts on Sunday, it’s possible both games will end almost simultaneously. So if the Bears lose to Houston (thus giving the division to the Vikes) and the Vikings are trailing, say, 28-17 with thirty seconds left in their game, do they still dump the Gatorade bucket on coach Brad Childress?

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It's Packer Nation at my house tonight.

In the thirty years I’ve been passionately following the National Football League, I can count on one hand (and still have a few fingers left over) the number of times I’ve rooted for the Green Bay Packers to win a game.

To be specific, it’s been twice in my life.

December 24, 2000: My beloved Vikings needed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose their regular season finale to clinch the NFC Central division title and a first round bye. The Bucs happened to be visiting the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, taking on a Packers team that was already eliminated from postseason play. The Packers led throughout most of the game but the Bucs tied it late on a Martin Gramatica field goal, forcing overtime. However, the Pack prevailed 17-14 as Ryan Longwell booted a 22-yard field goal for the win, giving my club that cherished first round bye!

My Vikings would advance all the way to the NFC Championship but lose to the New York Giants in a game that has since been succinctly referred to as “41-doughnut.”


December 28, 2003: All the 9-6 Vikings had to do in the final game of the ’03 regular season was beat the pathetic Arizona Cardinals, who were 3-12 entering said game. With a win, the Vikes would clinch the NFC North division. But if the Vikings inexplicably lost, they could still win the division title with a Green Bay Packers defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos. Nevertheless I was pulling for the Pack to win. My theory was that the Vikings didn’t deserve to go the playoffs as a 9-7 club with four losses to teams who finished 4-12. Therefore I wanted them to earn their way in with a victory.

Sure enough, the Pack destroyed the Broncos 31-3 while the Vikes struggled with Arizona, trailing 6-0 at halftime. But my favorite squad picked it up in the second half, taking a 17-6 lead late in the fourth quarter. With 1:54 remaining, the Cards closed the gap to 17-12 with a TD. The obligatory onside kick came next and sure enough it was recovered by Arizona at their 42-yard line. Five plays into the ensuing drive they got to the Vikings’ nine-yard line. But rookie defensive lineman Kevin Williams came up huge with a couple of sacks, putting the Cards back at the 28. With no timeouts, the Cardinals hurried to get up to the line for one last play. QB Josh McCown took the snap, avoided the rush and rolled to his right. With the clock reading 0:00, McCown heaved the ball towards the end zone. Despite having two Vikings defenders nearby, Arizona receiver Nathan Poole plucked the ball out the air for the game-winning touchdown. Vikes lose 18-17. No division title. No playoffs. No dignity.


So with my Vikings having lost a chance to clinch the NFC North yesterday, a Chicago Bears loss this evening would still hand them the title. The Bears opponent tonight? The Green Bay Packers!! And to commemorate the third ever occasion of my pulling for the Green & Gold, I’ve invited two Packer fans to my house to enjoy the game with me.

But I draw the line at wearing a block of cheese on my head.

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Adventures in Winter Driving

The gal and I were on our way to church this morning on the treacherous Highway 10 in the Anoka area. Given the somewhat icy roadways, I was quite cautious, topping out at only 50 MPH. While in the left lane I had a vehicle (a Buick, I think) come flying up behind me, seemingly annoyed at my slower speed. Since the right lane is reserved for slower traffic I decided to oblige the impatient driver behind me and switch lanes. While in the right hand lane I quickly peaked to the left to see the hurried driver. It happened to be a 70-something couple who attends our church. While I was concerned with the potential for an accident, I admired their sense of urgency to ignore the elements in order to get to the house of the Lord.

But heading home from church was where the real adventure took place. This time I had a woman in a Toyota Corolla barrel up behind us in the left lane. Since there was congestion due to slower traffic in both lanes, I didn't have an opportunity to get over to the right. But the woman in the Corolla seemed to be in a massive hurry so she shot between two vehicles in the right lane and cut in front of me in the left. The gal and I sensed that her careless driving would cause her to lose control on the still icy Highway. About a minute later the Corolla driver did indeed spin out and veered off into the ditch off the right shoulder. As we passed her car, we again took a quick peak at the perpetrator. To our absolute disgust, we surmised that she must have been talking on her cell phone the whole time since she was still on it while in the ditch. I guess I would have been curious to get the perspective of whomever she was speaking to as she lost control.


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A "Separated at Birth" I missed.

It is positively shocking to witness the deterioration of (the Oakland Raiders)......Meanwhile, the all-powerful (Raiders owner Al) Davis has morphed into the hideous character on the cover of Jethro Tull's "Aqualung."
-Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe





















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Warren warrants respect

Amazing! During the Presidential campaign, the left wasn’t the least bit interested in a certain Pastor with whom Barack Obama associated.

Now?

President-elect Barack Obama has chosen a pastor who opposes gay marriage as a speaker at his inauguration, creating a commotion over what inclusiveness will mean for his administration.

Obama chose Rick Warren, the evangelical pastor of the southern California megachurch Saddleback, to give the invocation when he takes office in January.

The president-elect on Thursday said that he held views "absolutely contrary" to Warren on gay rights and abortion and described himself as "a fierce advocate for equality for gay and lesbian Americans."

"During the course of the entire inaugural festivities, there are going to be a wide range of viewpoints that are presented. And that's how it should be, because that's what America is about. That's part of the magic of this country is that we are diverse and noisy and opinionated," he said.

"He selected someone who actively worked to eliminate the rights of me and millions of others," said Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California and a leader in the fight against Prop 8, which is in effect while it is challenged in court.

The choice was "appalling" he added. "If that's Obama's idea of a new day, we are in a lot of trouble."

Ah, I guess Mr. Obama’s supporters felt that “change” meant “fall in line behind the liberal agenda.” The fact of the matter is no one’s rights were “eliminated” since marriage itself is not a “right.” Of course, that is a whole other discussion for another day.

On the flip side is Pastor Warren’s willingness to give the invocation. If he was anything like the caricatured Christians the left paints, Warren would have declined Obama’s invitation due to the President-elect’s radical left stances on moral issues. To me, Pastor Warren epitomizes a Christian individual by showing unconditional love and compassion for those who would mock God’s commandments.

So-called “liberals” could learn a thing or two about tolerance from a man of God like Rick Warren.

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Willie Clark gone

From an AM 1500 KSTP memo:

Effective today, Willie Clark and Jeremy Kienitz are no longer with AM1500 KSTP.

We are appreciative of each of their efforts and hard work. We wish them only the best.

In the coming days, expect an announcement of a freshly re-structured morning-drive show, including who will be sharing the airwaves with Jay Kolls, Kenny, Bergie and Patrick Hammer as soon as some external details get wrapped up.

Actually, I'll admit the firing of Kienitz (aka Kodiak) is a mild surprise. I felt his dry sense of humor added a little flair to what was a moribund morning show. But I never understood the placing of Clark in that time slot, who came to KSTP from a small market in Iowa back in January 2006. It often seemed as though his brain was working faster than his mouth whenever he had a point to make.

I once asked a well placed source what Clark's appeal was. Apparently Clark's incessant love of Major League Baseball is what kept him on the air the past two years. With AM 1500 having been the radio the home of the Minnesota Twins since the 2007 season, the folks at Hubbard Broadcasting may have felt Clark would be an asset when talking baseball. But even a MLB nut like myself wouldn't listen to 3-1/2 hours of baseball talk. Thus Clark's overall value was limited. Combine that with the fact that KQ92 Morning Show has more than a 20 share, it would have taken much more than a radio lightweight from Sioux City, Iowa to make a dent in those ratings.

Farewell, Kodiak and Willie.
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Triumph out of Tragedy.

More than 27 years ago, John and Reve Walsh endured a parent’s worst nightmare: burying their child.

What’s worse for the Walshes was the horrific manner in which their son Adam’s life was taken from them.

Adam disappeared from a Hollywood mall on July 27, 1981. Two weeks later, fishermen discovered his severed head in a canal 120 miles away. The rest of his body was never found

No one would have faulted John & Reve if they had withdrawn from public life altogether. But instead of isolation, John took the proverbial bull by the horns. America’s Most Wanted, a television series hosted by John Walsh, debuted seven years after Adam’s death. The focus of the program is to bring America’s attention to the most dangerous criminals out there. Due to the exposure on AMW, more than 1,000 fugitives have been apprehended during the show's 20-year run! In addition, Walsh has been a big-time advocate in proposing major pieces of child protection legislation. As a result he has been honored by each of the past four Presidents.

While he wasn’t able to save his own child, Walsh’s program and tireless advocacy has ensured that other people’s kids would not suffer the same fate. Naturally, there is a keen ambivalence. While I have no doubt that Walsh is pleased with the results of his work, it came at an incredibly steep price.

Then on Tuesday, the Walsh family received the news that they have been awaiting for 27 ½ years.

The investigation into the 1981 murder of Adam Walsh, the 6-year-old son of "America's Most Wanted" anchor John Walsh, is finally closed.

Hollywood, Fla., Police Chief Chad Wagner announced Tuesday that the department had concluded that Ottis Toole, a serial killer who died in jail in 1996, was the man who kidnapped and decapitated the young boy.

The announcement brought to a close a case that had angered the Walsh family for more than two decades, inspired the television show about the nation's most notorious criminals and triggered changes in how authorities search for missing children.

"Who could take a 6-year-old and murder and decapitate him? Who?" an emotional John Walsh said at Tuesday's news conference. "We needed to know. We needed to know. And today we know."

One of my favorite biblical passages is 1 Thessalonians 5:18 where it says ”give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. While the Walsh family is not thankful for their situation, they realized that in their circumstance they can make a positive impact in the lives of others.

And there are many, many families who can give thanks for that.

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December 14, 2003: US learns of Saddam capture.

On this day five years ago it was a Sunday when our phone rang at 5:30 am. It was my sister-in law calling. Naturally, my mind assumed the worst. Were my in-laws sick? Did something happen to our nephews?

Instead, she told me that Saddam Hussein had been captured. Since I was awaken about two hours earlier than I had planned, I let it sink in. "OK, thanks for letting us know", I said. I hung up the phone when my gal asked what the call was about. "It was Donna. She called to let us know that Saddam Hussein had been found and captured." Literally three seconds passed when the gal and I leaped out of bed and headed downstairs to the TV. Sure enough, the haggled and disheveled Iraqi leader was in custody.

Since the fall of Baghdad had already occurred, capturing Saddam was merely an exclamation point on what had been, to that point, a resounding success in the Iraqi conflict. Unfortunately, things would take a turn for the worst over the next few years due to the US woefully underestimating the impact of an insurgency. Thankfully things have improved dramatically due to a change in strategy and the installation of Gen. David Petraeus.

Let's hope that Gen. Petraeus and the US military are allowed to finish what was thought to be wrapped up five years ago.

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Separated at Birth: Mel Kiper, Jr. & Joe Scarborough

Mel Kiper, Jr. (left) is the foremost NFL draft expert.

Joe Scarborough is a former US Congressman from Florida. He hosts Morning Joe weekday mornings on MSNBC.




Another SAB??!!! You're just mailin' it in these days, aren't ya?

So what? It's the Holidays!!

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Separated at Birth: Rod Blagojevich & Jack Lord.

Book him, Dan-O!!

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (left) is in hot water for his alleged offer to sell Barack Obama's US Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Actor Jack Lord's most recognizable role was as Det. Steve McGarrett in the 60s & 70s crime drama Hawaii Five-O.

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Whew!!

Well, the Vikings 20-16 victory over the hapless Detroit Lions on Sunday was a lot closer than it needed to be. Truth be told, I started to get nervous in the 2nd quarter when the Lions were still hanging around. My thought going in to the game was that if you get up on the kitties by 14 points early they'll roll over and quit.

I have to say, I was impressed by QB Tarvaris Jackson coming in for the injured Gus Frerotte. Jackson completed 8 of 10 passes for 105 yards and the game winning TD to Visanthe Shiancoe. Despite being benched after week 2, Jackson looked as though he stayed well prepared to come in at a moment's notice. Given the punishment the immobile Frerotte has endured this season, I had a feeling T-Jack would get another shot down the road.

But again, we have to keep perspective. This was the Lions after all. And since the Vikings play another the porous Cardinals defense in Arizona next week, I wouldn't mind seeing Jackson get the start. With Pat and Kevin Williams likely to start serving their four game suspensions this week, my expectations are already low for next Sunday's game. So I say give the kid the nod at QB.

Elsewhere in the NFC North, it was no surprise that the Chicago Bears beat the pitiful Jacksonville Jaguars in the Windy City but how in the heck did the Green Bay Packers allow more than 500 yards of offense to the Houston Texans? Even though the 6-6 Bears were only a game behind the Vikings going in to this week, I was more concerned about the 5-7 Packers. With four very winnable games remaining, I figured the Pack had a decent shot at finishing 9-7. After Sunday's performance against the Texans (who allowed Green Bay to stay in the game with four turnovers) I wonder if the now 5-8 Pack can even win another game this season with that sieve-like defense. So for only the third time in my lifetime, I will be rooting for the Packers to win a game when they play the Bears in Chicago on Monday the 22nd.

Ben? Mark? You wanna get together for that Monday night duel? I'll be on your side!!!

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While channel surfing tonight...

I came across some comedian I've heard of before but never saw perform. Tonight, Comedy Central was playing a show of his from 2006. After about ten minutes, I came to this conclusion:

Lewis Black: NOT funny.

That is all.

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Separated at Birth: Eric Holder & Stedman Graham

Eric Holder (left) served in the Clinton administration as Deputy Attorney General. He will serve as Attorney General under President Barack Obama (Again, that's change...how?).

Stedman Graham is the longtime boyfriend of Oprah Winfrey.


(h/t Dennis Miller)
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Coincidence?

I saw this headline on espn.com…

Burress rejoins Giants in wake of illegal gun possession charges.


….and then moments later saw this one.

Giants receiver Smith robbed at gunpoint.

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Vikes to face toothless Lions next.

The Minnesota Vikings hit the road to face the 0-12 Detroit Lions. And they end up losing 27-24.

Can you see it happening?

Actually I did see it happen because that’s exactly what took place on December 16, 2001.

In Week 14 of the ’01 season, the Vikings looked totally disinterested as it was becoming quite clear that coach Dennis Green was on his way out (he was indeed fired two weeks later). Starting QB Daunte Culpepper was hurt and wide receiver Randy Moss was just a month removed from his asinine declaration of “I play when I wanna play.” It was painfully obvious that the Vikings were looking to move on to the offseason.

This season is quite different. With the Vikes in sole possession of first place in the NFC North division (thanks to Sunday's win against Chicago), they have to maintain that status to reach the postseason. Since there is no way that this division will produce a wild card team, the only way in to the playoffs is to win the North.

So any thoughts of this Sunday’s tilt being a “trap game” should be dismissed. And if defensive linemen Pat Williams and Kevin Williams receive suspensions for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy? All bets are off then.

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