Super Bowl XLIV: The Q & A

Super Bowl Sunday will be upon us again soon. Despite the fact this will be the 33rd consecutive Super Bowl not featuring my Minnesota Vikings, I will still be in the customary position of sitting in someone else’s living room eating someone else’s food while watching someone else’s Hi Def TV.

And as is custom on this blog, the fellow known as Super Bowl Inquisitor will engage in a Q&A with yours truly regarding the big game. Sure, it’s painful knowing that my favorite squad was oh so close to being the NFC representative in this game. But I figure a little jocularity with my pal SBI will go a long way in helping me overcome the devastation.

SBI: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will take on the New Orleans Saints, the very franchise for which his Dad Archie played 12 seasons. Any shock Archie is going to pull for the Colts?
BC: C’mon, really? That’s like being surprised that Bob Dylan would pull for The Wallflowers to beat out Bruce Springsteen for a Grammy.

SBI: Is this the first time that a Super Bowl will feature two players named Pierre (Garcon for the Colts; Thomas for the Saints)?
BC: Probably. But I’d be more impressed if there was just one player named “Shecky.”

SBI: Any thoughts on the “Who Dat?” controversy?
BC: I guess I’m amazed that the Saints fans were so ahead of their time by using language one often sees in today’s routine text message.


SBI: Any predictions as to which players will have a big game for either team?
BC: Well……I know who I’m pulling for. The more big plays made by Saints RB Reggie Bush, the more gratuitous camera shots of Kim Kardashian.


SBI: What’s on the menu?
BC: I’m sure it will be any variety of foods which causes one to repeat like a howitzer.

SBI: Are you looking forward to the halftime entertainment by…..uh…. that band that formed in London around the ‘60s?
BC: Who?

SBI: Yes!
BC: Oh, I like them! My favorite song of theirs is Owner of a Lonely Heart.

SBI: Wait, WHAT? The Who doesn’t sing that song.
BC: I didn’t say they did. Yes does.

SBI: I’m aware of that. But it’s The Who who’s performing at the half.
BC: The Who is?

SBI: Yes.
BC: Ah, I see where you going with this. Nope, I won’t get fooled again!

SBI: What are you talking about?
BC: You were trying to lure me into one of those Abbott & Costello “Who’s on first” bits. But I saw that comin’. Yep, I can see for miles.

SBI: Whatever. Let’s move on to the game…..
BC: Kickoff is around 5:15 by the way.

SBI: Uh Huh. Anyhow, can we wrap this up by getting your official Super Bowl prediction?
BC: I’m willing to join together with you to get this wrapped up! Bottom line, you can’t spell Peyton Williams Manning without “Peyton wins all Miami.” The Colts are five-point favorites. I say they win by a final score of 38-31.



2009 Postseason Record:

Straight up: 5-5

Against the spread: 7-3


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Caucus recap

Last evening my wife and I attended our first precinct caucus as residents of Ramsey. Oddly enough, the GOP and DFL caucuses were in the same building. In fact, a couple of people in our precinct (Ward 2 - Precinct 2 in Ramsey) inadvertently went to W2-P2 on the DFL side. In said precinct, there were literally two people --- the precinct chair and the secretary. I guess when it's a non-Presidential election year without a cult of personality on the Democrat ticket, it's just not as important to show up.

But I digress.

We had 22 people from our precinct (including our Mayor, Bob Ramsey) attend the caucus, and there was definitely an energy about the room! Even though Ramsey is solidly conservative (right down to the Mayor's office and city council) there was no complacency about what lies ahead in 2010. Everyone knows there is a golden opportunity for the GOP to make sweeping gains not only nationally but also in the state of Minnesota.

Having been a precinct chair while living in Coon Rapids, I was nominated by my lovely bride to vie for the same position in Ramsey. I ran against a long-time Ramsey resident named Andre, who ended up beating me out 15-7. Hey, I was just flattered to have received more than two votes (that is assuming my wife voted for me. After all, I was late for dinner last evening). However, I was the sole nominee for vice chair, thus attaining that position by default. I was also named on 21 of 22 ballots to be one of eleven delegates!

Regarding the gubernatorial straw poll, Tom Emmer won our precinct with 11 votes. Marty Seifert came in second with seven with the remaining four votes interspersed amongst the second tier candidates.

With all of the craziness surrounding our move out of Coon Rapids eighteen months ago and getting settled in to our current home, I had been out of the political loop for pretty much that entire time. But I have to say it sure felt good to be in the midst of the battle once again.

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Gearing up for the race

Last month when Scott Brown became the first Massachusetts Republican in over thirty years to win a US Senate election, it sent veritable shock waves through the political punditry. Now all of a sudden it seemed plausible that rock-solid Democrat Senators such as Barbara Boxer (CA), Patty Murray (WA) and Russ Feingold (WI) could face very serious challenges in this year's mid-term elections. The prevailing optimism would even suggest that 18-term MN Congressman James Oberstar can finally be unseated.

I equate the paradigm shift to when Roger Bannister became the first runner to break the 4-minute mile. Prior to 1954, when Bannister's landmark sprint took place, the conventional wisdom was that the human physiological makeup couldn't endure the stress of such a jaunt. But since Bannister busted through that proverbial road block, the 'four minute barrier' has been broken by many male athletes, and is now the standard of all professional middle distance runners. In the last 50+ years the mile record has been lowered by almost 17 seconds.

The point is it took only one landmark victory in Massachusetts to create a groundswell of hope that many other formidable GOP candidates can emerge victorious come November. But like Bannister's historic moment, it doesn't happen without a tremendous amount of work and preparation.

So consider this evening's precinct caucuses as a light jog in preparing for the November races. Roger Bannister didn't break the four-minute mile because he got lucky. Countless hours of training put him in prime position on that fateful day in May of 1954. So check out your local caucus tonight. It is there that you will receive your "training regimen" for the next nine months.

Don't know where your caucus is located? Please click here.

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Super Bowl trivia: The players

If quarterback Drew Brees leads the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl victory on February 7, he would be the third Purdue University QB (Len Dawson and Bob Griese being the others) to win a Super Bowl. That would tie a record set by one other college.

Which college produced a record three Super Bowl winning QBs? Can you name them?

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UPDATE:

I rarely stumped my pal Mark on baseball trivia so it shouldn't come as a surprise he knew this football factoid.

The University of Alabama produced three Super Bowl winning quarterbacks in Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Ken Stabler.

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Super Bowl trivia: The coaches

Can you name the five head coaches who have guided two different franchises to Super Bowl appearances?

Again, see if you can answer without online assistance.

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ANSWER

Don Shula (Colts, Dolphins)
Dick Vermeil (Eagles, Rams)
Bill Parcells (Giants, Patriots)
Mike Holmgren (Packers, Seahawks)
Dan Reeves (Broncos, Falcons)

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Life or Something Like It

I haven't seen any polls recently but if I had to guess I would say that the majority of Americans consider themselves "pro-life." Nevertheless, the abortion issue is still very divisive, evidenced by the flap over a Super Bowl ad featuring an anti-abortion message.

CBS responded to complaints over a conservative group's planned Super Bowl ad featuring football star Tim Tebow by saying that it had eased restrictions on advocacy ads and would consider "responsibly produced" ones for open spots in its Feb. 7 broadcast.

CBS said Tuesday it had received numerous e-mails — both critical and supportive — since a coalition of women's groups began a protest campaign Monday against the ad, which the critics say will use Tebow and his mother to convey an anti-abortion message.

Funded by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, the 30-second ad is expected to recount the story of Pam Tebow's pregnancy in 1987. After getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child. She later gave birth to Tim, who won the 2007 Heisman Trophy and helped his Florida team win two BCS championships.

Obviously, Mrs. Tebow's testimony can hardly be conveyed in a 30-second ad. Suffice to say, she had an indelible faith and knew that the Lord would see her through Tim's birth as well as be with her while raising him. That is, if the Lord would allow Tim to be born healthy, Mrs. Tebow would never let Tim forget that his birth was a miracle of miracles. And given the way Tim carries himself today, he truly embraces each and every day of his life.

Which is why the objection expressed by The View caustic hag co-host Joy Behar is so absurd.

The only argument against any of it is, that, you know, he could just as easily become some kind of a rapist pedophile. I mean, you don't know what someone's going to be.

No, but it's amazing what a loving, faith-filled environment can do for a child. Pam Tebow allowed her son to live and may have put herself at risk in doing so. With that kind of start to his life, Tim's odds of becoming deviant were virtually non-existent.

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Super Bowl trivia: The teams

I know it's only been two days since the NFL conference championship games took place but I'm already tired of waiting for Super Bowl Sunday.

So to pass the time, let's go with a little Super Bowl trivia.

Here's a relatively easy one to start with.

Now that the New Orleans Saints will be playing in their first Super Bowl, there are four other franchises who have yet to make an appearance in the big game. Who are they?

And see if you can answer without using Google or any of those other search engines.

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UPDATE: Commenter "K-Rod" got it! The four teams who have never made a Super Bowl appearance are the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans.

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Devastating Classic.

Well, I did predict the final score correctly. Unfortunately it was my Minnesota Vikings on the wrong end of a 31-28 score. Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints, who move on to their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Yes, we were warned incessantly that Brett Favre would break the collective hearts of Purple Nation. Favre's three turnovers (The Vikes had five total), including a costly interception late in regulation when the Vikings were close to field goal range, certainly didn't help. But I maintained from day one that without Favre, the Vikings don't get near the Super Bowl. So I was willing to risk having my heart broken if my favorite squad could just be in the position to get to the ultimate game. That said, I'll eventually be able to look back at the 2009 season with pride. But not tonight.

It was all right there. Ryan Longwell, another former Packer, was getting warmed up late in regulation to kick the game-winner. FINALLY, we were going to get redemption for Gary Anderson's miss in the '98 NFC Championship game. But while at the Saints' 33-yard line with about 12 seconds to go, the Vikes inexplicably get caught with too many men in the huddle. A five yard penalty moved them back to the 38. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! The next play was the aforementioned interception, sending the game into overtime.

The Vikings would not see the ball again as the Saints won the coin toss in OT and drove down the field to get in position for a game-winning field goal. Saints kicker Garrett Hartley nailed a 40-yarder for the win. True to the caveat of Packer Nation, the Vikings' season ultimately ended on a Favre interception. It is what it is.

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NFL Playoffs: Championship Sunday

Jets (+8) at Colts: This is a rematch of a week 16 regular season game, one the Colts fans won’t soon forget. With Indianapolis sitting at a 14-0 record, head coach Jim Caldwell pulled most of the starters (including MVP quarterback Peyton Manning) midway through the third quarter with the Colts leading 15-10. The Jets would rally for a 29-15 victory, thus denying the Indianapolis Colts the dream of an undefeated season. So how ironic is it that the Colts are taking on a Jets team who needed to win that week 16 battle just to stay alive in the postseason hunt? The only way I see the Jets pulling off this upset is if they are able to maintain a consistent running game (Colts defense allowed 4.3 yards per carry in regular season) which would keep Manning & Co. off the field. The strategy worked in the divisional playoffs against San Diego but the Jets were also beneficiaries of Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding missing three field goals. The key here is for the Jets to keep the game close early. If they have to rely on QB Mark Sanchez to win it for them, it will be a long day, courtesy of pass rushing specialist Dwight Freeney. But if the Jets pull off the monumental upset, many will draw parallels to Super Bowl III where Jets QB Joe Namath’s famous “guarantee” came to fruition in a 16-7 win over the heavily favored Colts.

Colts 24 Jets 14


Vikings (+4) at Saints: I’d be lying if I said I remember anything about the Vikings’ last Super Bowl appearance. I was 7 ½ years old on January 9, 1977 when the Oakland Raiders crushed my beloved Vikes 32-14 in Super Bowl XI. No, my earliest recollection of Vikings football was QB Fran Tarkenton’s final season in 1978. So this would be my 32nd season as a fan of the purple and gold juggernaut. While many Vikings fans have become jaded after the heartbreak of the 1998 NFC Championship game, others became downright cynical after "41-doughnut" in the 2000 contest. In fact, I can envision a scenario after that shellacking against the Giants where many of the Vikings’ faithful were lamenting the fact they may never see their favorite squad in a Super Bowl again. ”Yeah” says Grandpa Ole, ”Massachusetts would elect a Republican to the Senate before the Vikings ever get to a Super Bowl again.”

An auspicious omen? Or pathetically grasping at straws?

What can I say? I’m a rube.

Vikings 31 Saints 28


Playoff record:

Straight up: 4-4

Against the spread: 5-3 (4-0 in the divisional round!!!)

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What Brown will do for you

While Scott Brown is not my ideal GOP politician (appears cut out in the mold of a John McCain or Jim Ramstad Republican) I definitely applaud his "take the bull by the horns" approach in responding to concerns of not only Massachusetts residents but Americans across the country.

And as the Today show host Meredith Vieira learned Wednesday, Senator-elect Brown will stand firm in his message, especially when the elite media attempts to distort his stances on the issues.




To paraphrase the First Lady of the U.S.: For the first time in my adult lifetime I'm really proud of Massachusetts! Not just because a Republican won, but because I think people are hungry for change. I have been desperate to see Massachusetts moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment.

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Do you believe in miracles??? YESSSSSSSS!!!!!

In 1952, a 35-year old young man named John Fitzgerald Kennedy was elected to the United States Senate out of the state of Massachusetts. He would serve until 1960 when he was elected President. Kennedy encouraged then Democratic governor Foster Furcolo to appoint Benjamin Smith (a close friend of the Kennedy family) to the vacated seat. Many speculated that Smith would be nothing more than a "seat warmer" for two years because in 1962 JFK's youngest brother, Teddy, would reach the age of 30 (the minimum age to serve in the Senate). Sure enough, Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy was appointed Senator of Massachusetts in '62.

So for nearly sixty years, a Kennedy or a Kennedy family flunky has occupied the same seat in the U.S. Senate.

Until now!

In an epic upset in liberal Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown rode a wave of voter anger to win the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Edward M. Kennedy for nearly half a century, leaving President Barack Obama's health care overhaul in doubt and marring the end of his first year in office.

The loss by the once-favored Democrat Martha Coakley in the Democratic stronghold was a stunning embarrassment for the White House after Obama rushed to Boston on Sunday to try to save the foundering candidate. Her defeat on Tuesday signaled big political problems for the president's party this fall when House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates are on the ballot nationwide.

I recall all the fawning and delirium that surrounded the inauguration festivities last year and how people would have stooped to touch the hem of Obama's garment had they been able to get close enough. Almost one year later, Obama had to make a campaign stop on behalf of Coakley in a state he won by 26 points in the 2008 Presidential election. Amazingly, said visit actually seemed to be a detriment to the Coakley campaign.

Add it all up: Democrats were defeated last year in gubernatorial races in two states (Virginia and New Jersey) which went for Obama in '08 and now Brown scores a resounding Senate win in Massachusetts. Does the President really need any more evidence of a referendum against his abomination of a health care bill?

But the one aspect I can't stop thinking about is the delicious irony of a special election. It was Ted Kennedy himself who, in 2004, encouraged the Massachusetts legislature to change the law which gave the state's governor the purview to appoint a Senator to a vacated seat. Hence, a special election is now required to fill an open Senate seat in Massachusetts. The motivation behind such a law change was to prevent then Governor Mitt Romney from appointing a fellow Republican to John Kerry's senate seat had he been elected President. But Kerry lost, thus making the law change moot. Had Kennedy just left well enough alone, the authority to fill a vacant Senate seat would have remained with the Governor's office, now occupied by Democrat Deval Patrick. Think about that! It is only because of Kennedy's actions nearly six years ago that something he tried to prevent (a Republican Senator from Massachusetts) has actually come to fruition.

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Still Tea'd off (UPDATE: Sen. John Kerry now attempts to mainstream vulgar reference)

It still floors me how despicable lefties are when opining on the actions of Americans who are fed up with outlandish government spending. While disgruntled Americans speak out against the Federal government in the motif of the 18th century Boston Tea Party, leftist shills condescendingly refer to them as "tea baggers."

For those who can't understand why that term is so grossly offensive, please take a moment to enlighten yourself.

We good?

Anyhow, this repeated taunt of "tea bagger" continues to be tossed out by the likes of pompous lefty "pundits" Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow.

Just check out the latest gratuitous use of the phrase:

Dear Friend,

I got a message from Ted Kennedy's widow, Vicki, and I wanted to make sure you saw it.

Martha Coakley is running to fill the rest of Ted Kennedy's term, and her opponent is a far-right tea-bagger Republican.

Classy, eh? Well, I guess we shouldn't get in such a dither anymore. I mean given the sagging ratings of lefty talk shows (TV and radio), it's clear they don't have a lot of influence.

But what if I told you the above excerpt came from a letter penned by a United States Senator? That's right. The senior Senator from New York, the "Honorable" Charles E. (Chuck) Schumer, made that very statement in a fund raising letter.

Remember the good old days when we could reasonably expect our politicians to act with a certain amount of dignity and decorum? Yeah, neither do I.

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UPDATE: The now senior Senator from Massachusetts weighs in on Republican Scott Brown's supporters.

"We also see how revved up the tea baggers are at the thought of hijacking health care reform and every chance we have at making progress in Washington."

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But they said it really loud, they said it on the air on the radio

I had as much fun as I anticipated in my role as guest co-host Saturday on the Northern Alliance Radio Network. Once again, I want to convey my sincere thanks to Brian Ward for the more than generous invitation.

I've done radio before and I can tell you it's better to leave topics on the table than to run out of show material. Given we were live on location at the 2010 Minnesota Sportsmen's Show, there was a lot to talk about in terms of just the exhibits at said show.

And as advertised, we had a very diverse lineup of guests on the program.

Tom Goodrich, founder of an awesome charitable organization called Fishing for Life. It's an endeavor which introduces urban kids to the sport of fishing and allows them to actually experience nature and the great outdoors.


Lou Ann Best with Twiggy the water skiing squirrel.

Here we are joined by Michael Cummins, who is vying for the GOP nomination in MN Congressional District 8. Cummins will attempt to unseat barnacle DFLer Jim Oberstar, who has been in the US House nearly 40 years!

Brian and I interviewing local sports author Ross Bernstein, who joined us via telephone. Bernstein was promoting his latest book I Love Brett Favre/I Hate Brett Favre.

Crystal and Ashley of The Bikini Ice Fishing Team. They did not don their ice fishing "uniforms" in an effort to make the weekend a family-friendly environment.

The gals were really flattered to have been asked to be on the radio. Brian and I were concerned that asking them "Hey, you wanna do a radio show?" would come across as a bad pickup line.


Man, what a fun day! I will definitely be more than ready for my next opportunity!!

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The Chronicles of NARN: The Squirrel, The Fish and The Author.

It's shaping up to be a fun-filled extravaganza on The First Team of the Northern Alliance Radio Network!

Brian "Saint Paul" Ward and myself will be broadcasting live from The Sportsmen's Show at the River Centre in downtown St. Paul. We will be on the air TODAY from 11:00 am CT until 1:00 on AM 1280 The Patriot.

We will of course delve into the latest political news as well as be joined by a myriad of guests.

Amongst the cavalcade of stars tentatively scheduled to appear during the broadcast:


Twiggy, the water-skiing squirrel! Well, his handler, Lou Ann Best, will be there for sure. Dunno if Twiggy himself will be along.



No, Brett Favre will not be joining us. Rather it will be prolific Minnesota sports author Ross Bernstein to talk about his latest offering I Love Brett Favre, I Hate Brett Favre.



To conclude this guest intensive show, we will receive a visit from The Bikini Ice Fishing Team.


And of course, the regular end-of-hour segments like "Loon of the Week" and "This Week in Gate Keeping" will take place as well!

If you aren't able to be there in person, you can tune in to AM 1280 or you can stream the broadcast at am1280thepatriot.com.

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NFL Playoffs: Divisional round

Cardinals (+7) at Saints: Given what the Cards did last week to one of the NFL’s top defenses, this game looks to be a shootout as well. The Saints ranked number one in total offense in the NFL during the regular season (4th in passing yards, 6th in rushing) and are coming into this game well rested. Naturally, both teams are going to play the “us against the world” card. Arizona, despite being the defending NFC champs, was a decided underdog last week against Green Bay. And some are beginning to doubt New Orleans, who stumbled to a 13-3 finish after starting 13-0. But the difference here will be the defensive line play. Arizona has to be pretty well wrung out after getting being torched by Aaron Rodgers & Co. in the wildcard round last week. I anticipate Saints QB Drew Brees may be a little rusty at the start but will eventually find his rhythm. The Cards will get theirs offensively but it won’t be enough.

Saints 38 Cardinals 28


Ravens (+7) at Colts: After forcing Patriots QB Tom Brady into four turnovers last week, the Ravens will need to do something similar to Colts quarterback Peyton Manning this week. Baltimore QB Joe Flacco will most assuredly need to complete more than four passes this game if his club is to continue another magical postseason run. And another 159 yard rushing performance from Ray Rice wouldn’t hurt either. Meanwhile, in the minds of the Colts fans, this season will be considered a miserable failure for Indianapolis if they don’t go all the way. With a third quarter lead in week 16 against the Jets, Colts head coach Jim Caldwell pulled many of his starters (including Manning) in the third quarter. The Jets would rally to beat the Colts backups and thus the dream of an undefeated season went by the boards. These two teams met in week 11 of the regular season with Indianapolis squeaking out a 17-15 win in Baltimore. I don’t anticipate this game being that close.

Colts 30 Ravens 21


Cowboys (+3) at Vikings: Dallas is the exact type of team which gives Minnesota matchup nightmares. The Cowboys have a big, physical offensive line that could wear down the leaner, quicker Vikings D-line. Vikes DE Jared Allen will absolutely have to win his battle against LT Flozell Adams. However, QB Tony Romo has a very quick release and takes a lot of three-step drops. On the other side of the equation, the Vikings O-line has been beat up lately when facing only three and four man rushes. If Dallas decides to blitz, it could be an especially long day. But Brett Favre should have some opportunities against the 20th ranked pass defense in the NFL. With RB Adrian Peterson having been a virtual non-factor for the past month, he has a chance to really step up against a defense allowing 4.0 yards per carry against the run. But if the Vikings fall behind quickly, AP may once again be insignificant. Home field, I believe, will be the Vikes’ saving grace, as they ran the table at home during the regular season.

Vikings 28 Cowboys 24


Jets (+8) at Chargers: Many consider San Diego the favorite to win the Super Bowl and with good reason. They won their last eleven games during the regular season and have clearly become QB Philip Rivers’ team. Rivers was third in the NFL in passer rating (behind only Brees and Favre), tied for sixth in TD passes and eighth in passing yardage. However, he will definitely be tested against the league’s top defense, who allowed only eight regular season TD passes. Combine that with the fact that the Jets running game (number one in the NFL in rushing offense) will be going against a Chargers’ defense which allowed 4.5 yards per carry, this game will be closer than many think. But even if Jets all pro CB Darrelle Revis is able to shut down the Chargers top WR Vincent Jackson, Rivers still has an embarrassment of offensive riches with top-tier TE Antonio Gates, WR Malcolm Floyd and RBs Darren Sproles and LaDainian Tomlinson.

Chargers 27 Jets 20



Playoff record:

Straight up: 1-3

Against the spread: 1-3

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Interesting Development (UPDATE: Anderson to abandon gubernatorial candidacy and run for State Auditor)

So I see that Pat Anderson has a new Facebook page entitled Pat Anderson for State Auditor.

What did I miss?

Just a couple of months ago a few of my blogging colleagues and I sat down with Pat and saw her as a formidable gubernatorial candidate. Naturally, I decided to check out her Anderson4Governor web site where I read the following announcement:

The Pat Anderson for Governor Campaign will hold a press conference tomorrow, January 12, at 10 AM in Room 181 of the State Office Building. Pat will make a significant announcement affecting her campaign.

What: Pat Anderson for Governor Campaign Press Conference
When: 10 AM Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Where: Room 181 State Office Building

Stay tuned I guess.

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UPDATE: It's official! Anderson to drop out of gubernatorial race and run for State Auditor, a position she held from 2003 until 2007. Check out the reaction of my True North colleague, Gary Gross.

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Big Mac stops telling Whoppers*

So former baseball slugger Mark McGwire has finally come clean about his steroid use during his 15-year major league career. That grand announcement was met with similar public reaction which occurred with Pete Rose's admission he bet on baseball and Clay Aiken's revelation that he was gay.

McGwire burst on the MLB scene in 1987, hitting 49 home runs with 118 RBIs, earning him AL Rookie of the year honors. In his first four major league seasons, he averaged 38 HRs and 105 RBIs. But then came 1991, when McGwire hit an anemic .201 while hitting only 22 homers and driving in 75. It's difficult to fathom what was going through his mind having his production taking such a nosedive in only his fifth season as a major leaguer. I recall McGwire looking incredibly bulked upon the arrival of the 1992 season. As a result, he belted 42 homers and 104 RBIs to go with a .268 average.

But with all that extra muscle came a rash of injuries. Over the next two seasons (1993-94) McGwire played in only 74 games. It was then he began to use steroids in earnest, which lasted the remaining seven years of his career. He would average more than fifty homers per year over that time, and would be the first player to ever usurp Roger Maris' season record of 61. To give you an indication of how prevalent steroids were in the '90s, Maris' record stood for 37 seasons but was surpassed six times between 1998 and 2001.

So the debate will now rage on about whether or not McGwire (or any other player linked to performance enhancing drugs) will ever be enshrined in the baseball Hall of Fame. During his candid admission, McGwire felt he "was given a gift to hit home runs" and that the only reason he took steroids "was for health purposes." But given the timeline, McGwire had barely hit more than 200 homers by the early '90s (when he admits to have started to use PEDs). Those numbers are hardly worthy of a hall of famer.

It could be argued that hitting a baseball is by far the most difficult skill to master. That being the case, if a player can't get around on a 95 MPH fastball, steroids aren't going to help him much. For a skilled power hitter, the assistance of PEDs merely turns 375-foot home runs into 400-foot shots. McGwire is currently tied for eighth on the all-time home run list with 583. But given the vote totals McGwire has accumulated in his first four years of hall of fame eligibility, the baseball writers are clearly not convinced of his natural home run prowess.


*Clever blog title stolen from former S.I. writer Steve Rushin.

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NFL Playoffs: Wildcard weekend

Jets (+3) at Bengals: Fresh off a 37-0 beating at the hands of the Jets in the regular season finale, the AFC North champion Bengals will attempt to win their first playoff game since 1990. Back then they beat the Houston Oilers (who are now the Tennessee Titans) in the wildcard round but then lost to the Los Angeles Raiders in the divisional playoff contest (Bo Jackson's last game as an NFL player). Both teams feature solid defenses with potent rushing attacks. The Jets' Thomas Jones finished with 1,402 yards rushing (third best in the NFL) while the Bengals' Cedric Benson finished eighth in the NFL with 1,251 yards. Say, aren't both those guys former Bears? Ah, but who needs running backs of that caliber when you have Matt Forte running for 3.6 yards per carry.

But I digress.

Bengals 17 Jets 13


Eagles (+4) at Cowboys: With this being the third matchup of these two teams this season, the Cowboys will look to complete a three game sweep of Philly. Naturally, we're going to hear the tired old cliche of how difficult it is to beat a team three times in a season. But the fact of the matter is it happens more often than not. In the past ten postseasons, teams have met for a third time on six occasions. In those six games, the team who swept the regular season matchups went 4-2 in the playoff games. And right now the Cowboys seem to be the most complete team entering this year's postseason. Not only have they shutout their last two opponents (including the Eagles last week), they dealt the New Orleans Saints their first defeat in week 15. In fact, the high octane Saints offense didn't even score a touchdown until the fourth quarter. Dallas QB Tony Romo put together a solid December for the first time in his career and WR Miles Austin has successfully replaced T.O. as the Cowboys #1 receiver.

Cowboys 27 Eagles 17


Ravens (+3 1/2) at Patriots: Pats QB Tom Brady apparently has three broken ribs and a fractured finger on his throwing hand. WR Wes Welker is out due to torn knee ligaments. And to top it all off, New England also has nary a star on defense. Ah, but Randy Moss is still in the fold after a nice regular season with 83 catches (13 for TDs) and 1,264 yards. Meanwhile, the Ravens seem to be finding a little mojo on offense with the emergence of Ray Rice, who can gash a defense via the run or pass. And QB Joe Flacco has piled up better offensive numbers than his rookie year last season when he led Baltimore all the way to the AFC Championship. Who would have guessed that this game has the potential to be an offensive shootout, given the Ravens have the reputation as a top-tier defense? I give the Patriots the edge simply because they are at home, where they finished 8-0 during the regular season

Patriots 31 Ravens 27


Packers (+1 1/2) at Cardinals: To me, the Packers not only enter the playoffs as the NFL's hottest team, but they are by far the most resilient. After losing at home to Brett Favre and the Vikings in week 8 and then falling to the 0-7 Buccaneers the following game, the Pack found themselves reeling at 4-4. Since then, they were a miracle Ben Roethlisberger TD pass away from running the table the second half of the season. In fact, they went 5-1 the final six weeks without defensive stalwarts Aaron Kampman and Al Harris, both lost for the season with knee injuries. Meanwhile, the Cards have bucked the recent trend of the Super Bowl runner-up missing the playoffs the following season. Of course, playing in the same division as the Seahawks and Rams doesn't hurt. But what does hurt is stud WR Anquan Boldin being hampered by a high ankle sprain. That means there will be an extra burden placed upon Larry Fitzgerald's shoulders, and I'm sure he's up for the task. In fact, the thought of Packers CB Charles Woodson on Fitzgerald makes for the most intriguing one-on-one matchup of the weekend.

Packers 31 Cardinals 21


The previous prognostications are for recreational purposes only and not to be used as a basis for a cash wager

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Tune in to AM 1280 The Patriot....

....well, any time you possibly can.

But especially check in to the Northern Alliance Radio Network on Saturday, January 16. That is because yours truly, along with Brian Ward, will be on The First Team from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00! You can listen to the broadcast on the web at am1280thepatriot.com or come see us in person. We will be broadcasting live from the Sportsmen's Show at the RiverCentre in St. Paul.

One of our guests that day will be local author Ross Bernstein, who will be promoting his latest offering I Love Brett Favre : I Hate Brett Favre.





I am totally fired up for another opportunity to get on the airwaves! Hope to hear from you or see you all out there!

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Rush on the mend!

Having been a fan of conservative radio titan Rush Limbaugh for nearly 20 years, I was deeply concerned when I learned he was rushed to a Honolulu hospital last week due to chest pains.

Thankfully he is on the mend and seems raring to get back to normal life!



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Keep applying the pressure!!

With Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) acknowledging that he will likely vote "yes" on cloture, it is likely that there are the required 60 votes to end debate on the health care bill. The next step, if majority leader Harry Reid has his way, will be a vote on the actual bill before Christmas.

Assuming passage, the bill will go back to the US House where it may be voted upon in its current format or possibly reworked. Either way, a different version of the health care bill passed the House by a razor-thin 220-215 margin. That said, it will take only three Democrats in the House to flip, thus stopping this abomination. According to Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), there are five Democrats who could possibly be swayed. They are as follows:

Bart Stupak (Michigan)
John Tanner (Tennessee)
Brian Baird (Washington)
Bart Gordon (Tennessee)
Dennis Moore (Kansas)

Also contact your own Congressional representatives. Any House member can be reached at (202) 224-3121.

I can imagine that the aforementioned reps are outside the Congressional districts of many of my readers. However, their votes will affect us all.

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The continuing saga of Senator Fart Joke

You knew it was only a matter of time before the Senate's resident fart joke, Al Franken, would make a complete jackass of himself. But to turn the trick twice in one week? Well, I guess I underestimated just how much of a disgrace he is to my beloved home state.

Earlier this week, Franken totally misstates a point made by Senator John Thune and then epitomizes the understanding (or lack thereof) of health care proponents by not even properly interpreting the bill's ramifications.

Then in a seemingly unprecedented gesture today, Franken does not allow Senator Joe Lieberman an opportunity to finish his remarks after his allotted ten minutes elapsed.

Ah, but take heart Minnesotans. Only 5 years, 2 months and four days more to endure this buffoon.

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Must win?

There was much fear and loathing amongst Vikings Nation after getting thoroughly dominated by the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday. Add on top of that some haughtiness displayed by our Spinach and Lemon Green & Gold neighbors to the east, and you actually have some intrigue in the NFC North race.

My how things have changed in just over a month.

After finishing off a sweep of the Green Bay Packers on November 1, the Vikings were sitting pretty with a 7-1 record going into their bye week. Then without even playing a game in week nine, the Vikes expanded their division lead to three full games (essentially four games with Minnesota owning the tiebreaker advantage) when the Pack lost to the 0-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Packer Nation was in a veritable meltdown after that, as there were calls for the heads of GM Ted Thompson, head coach Fred Flintstone Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dom Capers. It would have been difficult to believe that the Vikings would have ever been in a "must win" situation until the postseason.

But since that fateful week nine loss, the Packers have seemingly righted the ship. They have won four consecutive games and are now statistically the top ranked defense in the NFL. Combine that with the fact the quarterback Aaron Rodgers has survived the poor offensive line play (sacked 43 times in the first ten games; only twice the past two) and the Pack has once again emerged as a threat to be thumped by the New Orleans Saints in the NFC title game in the postseason.

My take is I'm assuming the Packers will run the table in their remaining four games, which are at Chicago, at Pittsburgh, hosting Seattle and at Arizona. If that is the case, Green Bay will finish with a 12-4 record. So for the Vikings (10-2) to win the division (and wrap up a first round bye) they must go at least 2-2 against the remaining schedule of hosting Cincinnati, at Carolina, at Chicago and hosting the New York Giants. And if the Vikings can't manage that record in their last four contests then I don't believe they're worthy of the division title, much less for people to take them seriously as a Super Bowl contender.

And if indeed the Packers beat the lousy Bears and the Vikes lose to the Bengals this week, the panic will increase amongst Vikings fans while the Purple's margin for error significantly decreases.

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Tiger's tales

I've been asked by more than a few friends why I have yet to opine on the recent troubled times of pro golfer Tiger Woods. After all, I have written many sparkling blog posts about Woods and his becoming the greatest golfer, if not most accomplished athlete, in my lifetime.

But literally within a two week span, Tiger has had perhaps the largest fall from grace suffered by a celebrity.

If one were to mention Tiger's name last month, there are a myriad of things which would come to mind. Like the fact his 14 major championships in thirteen years rank him second behind only Jack Nicklaus. Or the massive wealth Tiger had accumulated through lucrative endorsement deals, the largest courtesy of Nike. And if all that weren't enough, he was married to the smokin' hot Elin Nordegren, a Swedish supermodel with whom Tiger had two children.

But as the seedier, more slimy details surfaced regarding the multiple extramarital affairs in which Tiger has engaged, my initial reaction was utter shock. But then I quickly asked myself why I was so taken aback. I mean, I didn't know Tiger personally. I merely saw the utter phenom who did things on a golf course that had literally never been seen. So from that, how is it I could draw the conclusion that he was a man of integrity, a model citizen if you will? It's not unlike how I felt when I learned of the secret life of Kirby Puckett. I saw a gifted, jovial athlete on the baseball field but knew of literally nothing that took place in Puckett's personal life. And that is a life lesson that I have learned the hard way. No matter how genuine and polished a person may appear, we never know what goes on behind closed doors.

In an unprecedented collapse at this past summer's PGA Championship at Hazeltine, Tiger Woods lost despite having a two-stroke lead going into the final round. I can only guess that at this very moment he would give anything for that to be the most significant problem in his life.

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Adrian Peterson's new theme song

Go on & write me up for 125
Post my face, wanted dead or alive
Take my license n' all that jive
I can't drive FIFTY FIVE!!!!!-Sammy Hagar

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A query for leftists (and it's multiple choice!!)

In light of President Obama's decision to send upwards of 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, which bumper sticker did you remove first?




A)

OR



B)


Feel free to leave your answer in the comment section.

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Hardly a death knell

With a straight party line vote (60-39, with Ohio Republican George Voinovich not voting), the U.S. Senate opted to begin debate on health care reform. There was chatter that two Democrat Senators (Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas) would vote "no", thus falling short of the sixty votes required for cloture. That in and of itself is somewhat encouraging that there was a struggle just to begin debate.

The thing worth noting is that Senator Lincoln has gone on the record as saying she will not vote yes on any measure (whether it be cloture to end debate or a health care bill itself) which includes a public option. Don't think her feet won't be held to the fire over that claim.

I wonder if opening debate on such an abomination is necessarily a bad thing. If the public attains even more insight from attempted health care reform, I have to believe doubts would start to creep in to the minds of even more constituents. There could be an uprising similar to 2-1/2 years ago when the Senate tried to push through a potentially disastrous immigration bill.

Either way, health care reform still has quite a ways to go. But the letters and phone calls to our Senators need to continue in earnest!

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It's Chilly in Minnesota

For a few weeks now, Vikings coach Brad Childress was rumored to be on the verge of signing a contract extension with the club. Now it has come to fruition.

(Childress) was rewarded with an extension that will keep him with the franchise through the 2013 season. ESPN reported the deal is believed to be for between $4 million and $5 million per year and an NFL source said the new agreement will supersede Childress' previous contract, meaning he will get an immediate raise.

It's hard to argue with the progress the Vikings have made season-to-season under Childress. Despite winning only six games in Chilly's debut season of 2006, the Vikings improved to eight victories in 2007 and then claimed their first division title in eight seasons when they went 10-6 last year. However, the "Fire Childress" movement was in full force after a first round playoff exit at home against the Philadelphia Eagles last January.

The prevailing wisdom seemed to be that 2009 (the fourth season of Chilly's initial 5-year deal) was the coach's "make or break" season. The thought was the Vikings needed to win a minimum of one playoff game in order for Childress to be renewed. With that in mind, Chilly and Co. went all out in attempting to secure the one position that had been the biggest question mark -- quarterback. With the New York Jets releasing Brett Favre this past Spring, it seemed a forgone conclusion that Favre would end up in Minnesota after having surgery on his throwing arm in May. Despite the February trade for QB Sage Rosenfels, the Favre watch was in earnest once the Summer rolled around. And even though Favre announced in late July that he would stay retired, it was believed that the persistence of Childress is what convinced Favre to overcome his objections and eventually become a Minnesota Viking. With the impact Favre has had on this team, Vikings ownership felt that signing alone warranted an extension for the coach.

From a personal standpoint, I was pretty lukewarm on the Childress regime for the first 1-1/2 seasons. Besides, I figured it would take at least 2-3 years for a brand new coach to put his personal stamp on a team. But Chilly actually won me over in mid-2007. Despite a phenomenal season by rookie Adrian Peterson, the Vikings were a mere 3-5 when they traveled to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. Fresh of a single-game record 296 yards rushing against the Chargers, Peterson took a shot to the knee and was knocked out of the Vikes' 34-0 loss to Green Bay. With the Vikings 3-6 and seemingly without their top offensive weapon for an indefinite period, many declared the team a non-factor the rest of the way. However, Childress did not panic. With the same business-like approach he had employed from day one, Chilly guided the Vikings to a five-game win streak (with A.P. available in only three of those games) and to the brink of a playoff berth. Despite missing the postseason, I was impressed with the way the Vikings overcame such adversity in midseason.

So do I endorse the move to extend Childress? Yes. But I would have been more comfortable waiting to see if the Vikings could win a meaningful game in January.

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It's a matter of priorities

With the pending release of Sarah Palin's book Going Rogue, the mainstream media decided to do some "fact checking". As such, the Associated Press dispatched several reporters to decipher the factual basis of a book written by a failed Vice Presidential candidate who no longer holds any official position in politics.

In the end, the AP contends that the former governor of Alaska may have fudged on some things, like Palin's claims of frugality when conducting state business. However, the AP's exhaustive research uncovered one instance where a five-day trip to a women's leadership conference cost the Alaskan taxpayers (GASP) $3,000!!

Seriously?!?!?!

Say, now that you're done with that all-important, vital piece of "fact-checking", I suggest taking on a much more daunting (if not infinitely more relevant) task: How about reading the entire 1,900+ page health care bill which recently passed in the U.S. House? Any chance you could uphold the claims made by Nancy Pelosi & Co. that this abomination bill wouldn't threaten the financial sovereignty of our country? How about the proclamation that Americans will not face steep fines for not enrolling in government-run health insurance? And lastly, the emphatic denials by liberals that a bunch of government bureaucrats would be given the purview of deciding the amount of health care sickly people would receive.

Get back to us on that, will ya?

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Tark the shark

When Brett Favre was once again considering coming out of retirement earlier this year, Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton sounded off. In short, Sir Francis was less than complimentary.

“I think it’s despicable. What he put the Packers through last year was not good. Here’s an organization that was loyal to him for 17, 18 years, provided stability of organization, provided players. It just wasn’t about Brett Favre. In this day and time, we have glorified the Brett Favre’s of the world so much, they think it’s about them."

Shortly after Tarkenton made those comments, KFAN radio guy Dan Barreiro pointed out that Tark implying that someone is self-absorbed was the equivalent of Michael Vick condemning a person for smacking a dog with a newspaper.

But I digress.

Now that Tark has had to digest a little crow due to Favre's solid performance thus far this season, Sir Francis has taken to savaging another NFC North quarterback. This time it's the Bears' Jay Cutler who is the object of his ire.

"I really question whether he can play," Tarkenton, the Hall of Fame quarterback and former Minnesota Viking, said Friday on "The Waddle and Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000 in Chicago. "Quarterbacks need to make their team better. If it's a bad team, they can even make a bad team better. Somebody may say well, even Peyton Manning couldn't help the Bears. Yes, he could. Tom Brady could, too. They might not win the championship or get to the playoffs, but they would make that team better. Those wide receivers who are struggling would be better because they would make them better."

Has Fran gotten bored? I mean, he's more than welcome to sound off on any subject he desires. But ever since he had the opportunity to grope co-star with Cathy Lee Crosby on the 80s TV Show That's Incredible!, Fran seemed to back away from anything related to football, until recently. What's brought him out of hiding? Has Tony Robbins cut him off completely?

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House passes healthcare bill

As the House cheered passage of "Obamacare" (220-215), all I could think of was the line uttered by the character Padme in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith:

So this is how liberty dies... with thunderous applause.

Ah, but the fight will rage on. The bill still has to get through committee in the Senate. And if it does, there are enough Democrat Senators who would not vote to end a filibuster.

Yeah, I'm pretty grumpy right but not enough to give up the fight. NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!

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Sometimes "Conservative Republican" can be an oxymoron

It was an off-year election on Tuesday, but oh how sweet it was! Republican candidates Bob McDonnell and Chris Christie emerged victorious in their respective gubernatorial races.

But what I found curious was the e-mail I received Wednesday from Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee (emphasis mine).

On behalf of the leadership of the Republican National Committee, I want to thank you for helping our Party earn historic victories in Virginia and New Jersey yesterday.

Your steadfast commitment to our conservative Republican principles and your generous support of the RNC's 2009 campaign programs enabled us to provide all our GOP candidates with the resources they needed to run strong right through Election Day.

With all due respect Mr. Chairman, do we need to remind you of your stance regarding the race in New York's 23rd Congressional district?

"I support the Republican nominee as the Republican Party chairman, and that’s the way it should go, right?"

But what if the Republican candidate in said race wasn't the most conservative? It was painfully obvious that the GOP candidate in NY-23, Dede Scozzafava, was not a conservative. Heck, she was to the left of Democrat Bill Owens on fiscal issues (she was pro-stimulus and pro-"Cash for Clunkers") as well as being pro-abortion. Hence many conservatives supported the Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman.

Chairman Steele went on to say in his e-mail that this is just the beginning of getting more Republicans elected as well as stopping "the Democrats' radical leftist agenda." I ask again: exactly how will that be accomplished by throwing support behind candidates like Scozzafava? If indeed the RNC's goal is to push a conservative agenda, there may be a rare occasion where that can only be attained by going outside the Republican party. Given his brief tenure as RNC chair, that seems to be a concept that Steele is unwilling to embrace. So this off-year election should also serve as a caveat to the RNC: Now more than ever, conservative candidates will get the most traction on the GOP ticket.

-------------------------------------------

OK, calm down!

I’m convinced that if (Brett) Favre ever left the Packers to voluntarily play with another team, you’d hear things like “Oh, he was just a pill-popping alcoholic” or “He threw too many interceptions anyhow”.Brad Carlson - March 2007


Not sure I've heard any Packer fans get so personal as to invoke Brett's addiction to Vicodin. But the interceptions bit has been bandied about since Favre left Green Bay, and it's a fair criticism. But it was rarely acknowledged during Favre's tenure with the Pack.

This week more than ever, emotions are running high in Wisconsin. In case you haven't heard, the legendary former Packer QB is set to arrive in Lambeau Field this Sunday as a member of the hated Minnesota Vikings.

First off, I feel the need to correct the record and say that I don't believe all Packer fans are phonies and/or delusional. As a matter of fact, my Uncle Gene and my two blogging colleagues (and good friends), W.B. Picklesworth and Mr. D, are some of the more intellectually honest fans amongst Packer Nation. But when KFAN radio host Dan Barreiro starts getting e-mails from Packer backers saying Aaron Rodgers is the all-time second best Green Bay QB behind Bart Starr? That goes beyond the realm of absurdity.

Speaking of absurd, there has been talk all week of how the city village of Green Bay will greet Favre upon his return. A Wisconsin radio station came up with a rather unique, if not morbid, idea.






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Perfect Peace

Wendy Killian attends the same church as my wife and I. We don't know her very well but are familiar with the horrific tragedy she endured about four years ago (see WCCO-TV interview she gave Wednesday).

It was a warm summer night after a Wednesday church service at Abundant Life church in Blaine. Killian was in her van saying goodbye to her best friends.

"My friend Greg brought his little girl, Joy, to my window to say goodbye to me. She was 2-years-old. She said goodbye to me and they went into the church," said Killian.

It was the last time she would ever see the toddler alive.

"As I pulled away, I drove about 5 feet and heard a thump," she said

Killian thought she hit the curb. She didn't. She accidentally ran over and killed her best friend's daughter.

"Everybody was screaming and I ran up to her and started praying and I said, 'God touch her. Do something.' Everyone was just frantic," she said.

Joy died instantly in front of the church entrance she apparently snuck out of.

I remember four years ago when I learned of this incident. My thoughts immediately turned to the parents of the toddler and the overwhelming grief they must have felt. But I also couldn't help but think of the myriad of emotions Wendy had to endure. Even if she had been nowhere near the scene of the accident, Wendy would have no doubt grieved heavily for the loss of her best friend's daughter. Now throw on top of said grief a tremendous burden of guilt for being involved in such an incident.

Killian could not forgive herself for years.

"I would replay it in my mind and you hear the screams," said Killian. She said she struggled with thoughts of hopelessness and not wanting to live.

Thankfully, Wendy stayed grounded in her faith knowing that God was the only one who could see her through the pain. And while Joy's parents became distant as time moved on, Wendy sought another venue which to communicate with them: she wrote a book.

The book's title, "To Have Loved," reflects the love Killian feels for Joy and her parents.

"I would just like to tell them that I love them," she said.

She hopes her book will show others who are suffering through tragedy how faith can work miracles.

"There's hope that they can make it through this and not to give up because everything in you wants to give up," said Killian. "No matter what you're carrying in life, no matter what you're going through, that God is always there and he's always there to help us. If we're willing to hand him whatever we're carrying, he will give us peace and give us freedom."

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you no doubt know that my favorite passage of scripture is 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which says "give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Certainly Wendy isn't thankful for this tragedy in her life. But in that tumultuous time she was able to exemplify the perfect peace which is only attained through God's grace and mercy. It's a testimony that will undoubtedly lead others out of a period of darkness. More importantly, it's another example of Jesus Christ being the way, the truth and the light.

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"O" for Obvious (or Overkill).

It has been revealed that the two Northwest Airlines pilots who shunned radio communication last week were busy using their personal laptops. Given the preoccupation, NWA Flight 188 overshot the MSP airport by approximately 150 miles last Wednesday evening. While the pilots are currently on suspension, review of this incident will likely result in the their firings.

Case closed, right? I mean, if there were a rash of incidents involving non-attentiveness of airline pilots, there would be cause for serious concern.

Well in these times of Government desiring to kill the proverbial fly on a wall with a sledgehammer, our senior US Senator feels the need to demagogue get involved.

"This may be the ultimate case of distracted driving, only this time it was distracted flying," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota Democrat and a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittee on aviation operations, safety and security. "The pilots should have been focused on safely steering Flight 188 home, instead of checking crew schedules."

YOU'RE FREAKING KIDDING ME!!!!! Next thing you'll tell me is that playing poker and drinking beer during the flight would have been out of bounds also. I mean, really, Senator. Why don't you just go ahead and point out more incredibly obvious facts, like there being a difference between soup and Thousand Island salad dressing (Well...that's obvious to most people).

"It is simply unacceptable," she said.

Uh Oh!!! Now we have a disgruntled US Senator on our hands. Any estimates as to how much time Congress will waste on denigrating the behavior of all airline pilots based on the behavior of two dolts? This has the making a bad "Dilbert" story line.



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Plenty of gray areas

Every Sunday evening at 9:30 local time, I tune in to The Sports Show with local sports commentators Sid Hartman, Dark Star and Patrick Reusse. Mike Max is the moderator who throws out sports topics and the aforementioned curmudgeons regurgitate their opinions.

While opining on yesterday’s Vikings’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Reusse specifically referenced the interception thrown by Brett Favre with a minute to play and the Vikings trailing 20-17. The pass was actually tipped by Vikes RB Chester Taylor before it found its way into the arms of linebacker Keyaron Fox. It was subsequently returned 82 yards for a TD, capping a 27-17 Pittsburgh win. Upon rehashing the loss, many Vikes fans lamented the fact that it was the reliable Taylor not hanging on to the catchable throw from Favre which resulted in the final dagger. With that in mind, Reusse went on to suggest that had it been QB Tarvaris Jackson throwing the pass, the blame would have been heaped upon the quarterback as opposed to Taylor. Reusse also contended that the alleged fawning over Favre causes the Vikings faithful to shift the culpability to anyone but the QB. He didn’t elaborate, but I wondered if he was implying that many Vikings fans are too overly fond of having a white quarterback.

WHOA!!!! That’s quite a charge! How could you possibly draw that conclusion?”

Uh, from things Reusse has said in the past.

Go back to December 2005 when the Vikings were hosting, ironically enough, the Pittsburgh Steelers. After an 18-3 loss in which the Vikes offense was utterly inept, Reusse felt there wasn’t nearly the invective directed towards quarterback Brad Johnson as there would have been had Daunte Culpepper exhibited the same performance. In his column the following day, Reusse said this:

That serves to reaffirm that many Vikings fans are phonies at best, and overly fond of the idea of having a white quarterback at worst.

If you were among the thousands sitting there in silence as the offense stumbled through the second half Sunday, and want to claim you wouldn't have been screaming for Daunte's neck in the same circumstance, you are lying and you know it.

Man, what an arrogant putz.

Before that December '05 loss, Johnson had guided the Vikings to six consecutive victories, something that took fans totally by surprise. Expectations were not nearly as high for Johnson (then in his 12th season) as Culpepper, who was tabbed the franchise QB after his selection in the first round of the 1999 draft and was runner-up for the MVP award just a season earlier. In fact, Culpepper's first season as full-time starter (3,937 yards passing and 33 TDs in 2000) ingratiated him to Vikings fans until a drop-off in performance over the next two seasons. Fair or unfair, the disdain for Culpepper stemmed from his inability to maintain the high level of play he had shown in previous seasons.

But the frustration over Jackson's mediocre performances had to do with the fact that there were zero expectations that he could succeed in the NFL. So when T-Jack was soundly booed, it was less personal towards him and more a message to coach Brad Childress that he was vastly overrating Jackson. It was at the behest of Childress to trade up to the second round to acquire Jackson when no other team had him projected higher than mid to late third round. Vikings fans felt precious time was slipping by given a strong supporting cast around a QB who many felt couldn't lead the team to the proverbial Promise Land.

So do I believe Reusse was invoking the race card on Sunday? No, I do not. Given some of things he has written in his time as a Twin Cities sports columnist, he's nothing more than a condescending gent who feels he's our intellectual superior in every way.

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Where have you gone, Chris McAlister?

Purple Nation turns it's faint hearts to you!!

While Vikings' fans wait with nervous anticipation regarding the severity of cornerback Antoine Winfield's foot injury, we know Karl Paymah isn't up for the job. Why not a free agent corner with 26 career interceptions?

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Rush flushed

Given the backlash, Rush Limbaugh being dropped as a potential investor in purchasing the NFL’s St. Louis Rams should come as no shock. Even though the sale process was in the very early stages, there were clear indications that the consortium led by Dave Checketts (with Limbaugh holding only a minority stake) would have had a difficult time receiving 75% approval from the other NFL owners. But in a classic example of why sports writers should stick to writing about sports, ProFootballTalk.com writer Mike Florio Gregg Rosenthal totally misses the point and in some cases is flat out wrong in his analysis.

 

We continue to anticipate the launch of Rush Limbaugh's Thursday radio show, during which he'll surely blame the decision to drop Limbaugh from the group that is attempting to buy the St. Louis Rams on Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the media, and possibly anything and everything but the forces of the free market that Limbaugh otherwise embraces. (In this regard, we're not saying that Limbaugh doesn't have legitimate grips with Sharpton, Jackson, and/or the media. But the reality here is that the decision of the NFL not to do business with Limbaugh reflects a prime example of a business determining its own course without government intervention.)

 

Sure, Limbaugh could disagree with the reasoning the NFL owners might use to deny his exclusion from buying in to an NFL team, but he wouldn’t denigrate the vetting process itself. Rush appreciates and understands business and free enterprise, even if Rosenthal doesn’t. But the problem here is the quotes attributed to Rush (i.e. “slavery had its merits” or “the NAACP should practice robberies”) that were the likely catalysts in his removal from the investment group. Said quotes appear to be totally and utterly fabricated since no audio evidence has been produced (Rush is a radio guy for crying out loud. Shouldn’t be that tough to prove). The media, Sharpton, Jackson, et al are all free to object to Limbaugh’s attempts at buying in to the Rams. But to use information that hasn’t a scintilla of truth would completely fly in the face of the “free market” process to which Rosenthal refers. Besides, libel and slander are still against the law, last time I checked.

 

But we also hope that Rush will reconcile Checketts' characterization of Limbaugh's intended role in the ownership group with Limbaugh's statement from last week confirming his involvement in the effort. Specifically, Limbaugh said that he and Checketts would operate the team. In a statement confirming that Limbaugh had been dropped like a freshly-polished limbo pole, Checketts painted a far different picture. "Rush was to be a limited partner -- as such, he would have had no say in the direction of the club or in any decisions regarding personnel or operations," Checketts said. "This was a role he enthusiastically embraced." The two versions can't be much different…

 

If Rosenthal were a field goal kicker, he’d be “wide left” on that attempt. Truth be told, Checkett’s quote that was cited is in line with the Rush’s first public statement regarding the issue. On his radio program on October 7, Limbaugh said he was “part of a group with Dave Checketts that has put in a bid on the St. Louis Rams. And that’s all I can say. And that’s true. ” The key word there is group. Notice that Rush never said he would be involved in the day-to-day operations of the team or be a “co-owner”. Lest we forget, Limbaugh still runs the most popular radio talk show in America. He certainly doesn’t have the time to engage in both endeavors. To me, it went without saying that Limbaugh’s role with the Rams was always intended to be as a minority investor.

 

….and we're beginning to believe even more strongly that this was indeed a publicity stunt, and that it has achieved exactly what Limbaugh intended. So he can now hammer away at his real and perceived enemies. And maybe, just maybe, he'll be able to persuade any of the remaining folks who have no opinion about him that he has been screwed.

 

Again, any investment group with Limbaugh’s inclusion might have been rejected by the NFL, even without the slanderous rhetoric attached to Rush. Fair enough. But this entire one-week circus had little to do with buying an NFL franchise and much more to do with the blatant attempts of those with their own skeletons to assassinate a man’s character. And it also gave sports scribes like Rosenthal an opportunity to sit at the grown up’s table and delve into issues that transcend sports. Bravo! 

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Inevitable stupidity

When it was announced that conservative titan Rush Limbaugh was part of a group proposing the purchase of the NFL's St Louis Rams, the reactions were almost predictable. Naturally, the flap over his comments on ESPN SIX FREAKING YEARS AGO would be conjured up once more.

But the head of the NFL players union struck first with incredibly vapid objections.

NFL Players executive director DeMaurice Smith on Saturday made a move to solidify the union against a bid by conservative talk show radio host Rush Limbaugh as part of a group that aims to purchase the St. Louis Rams.

In an e-mail to the union's executive committee on Saturday specifically addressing Limbaugh's bid, Smith said, "I've spoken to the Commissioner [Roger Goodell] and I understand that this ownership consideration is in the early stages. But sport in America is at its best when it unifies, gives all of us reason to cheer, and when it transcends. Our sport does exactly that when it overcomes division and rejects discrimination and hatred."

Limbaugh is constantly tagged with these idiotic labels, yet no concrete examples of hatred or discrimination are ever given. I guess being the strongest advocate for such things as personal responsibility and American exceptionalism will get one tagged with such labels.

Besides, the only reason Limbaugh's personal views are such an issue is that he makes a living by making said viewpoints known. If other NFL owners were subjected to similar probes, how many would get full support from the NFLPA? That's a fact not lost on a surprising Limbaugh defender.

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC defended Limbaugh's right to buy the Rams. And Olbermann made the critics of Limbaugh on this point entry No. 3 on Olbermann's nightly "Worst Persons in the World" segment of Countdown.

"They're now gonna be character tests for sports owners?" Olbermann said. "There'll only be three of them left. Unless they beat the Vikings Sunday as of next Thursday it will have been a full year since the Rams won a game. My God, if Limbaugh wants to buy them far be it for me to tell him he's flushing his money down a rat hole."

Exit question: Is Olbermann now considered a de facto racist for his defense of President Obama's harshest critic?

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Just a friendly reminder...

....it's not how you start, it's how you finish.

For the third time in the past ten seasons, the Minnesota Vikings have started a regular season 5-0. While that's nice, it guarantees absolutely nothing.

The previous two seasons in the past ten which the Vikes got off to such a nice start?

2000: The Vikings actually started 7-0 with first year starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper at the helm. But they seemed to hit a wall after week fourteen when they had a 11-2 record. The Vikings would go on to lose their final three regular season games, allowing an average of 35 points per contest. The season culminated in the NFC title game, a horrific loss to the New York Giants. That's a game affectionately known as "41-doughnut".

2003: With Culpepper having one of his finest seasons as a pro, the Vikes would start 6-0. But once again they inexplicably floundered, losing the next four games and six of their final nine. In one of the uglier ends to a regular season, the Vikings lost to the pitiful 3-12 Arizona Cardinals, thus being eliminated from playoff contention.

Am I excited for the 5-0 start? Sure. But no team ever clinched a playoff birth with five victories.

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Welcome to my world, Brett

Happy birthday to a fellow 40-year old!

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Metrodome memories

It was July 15, 1982 when I attended my first Twins game at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. A bunch of young, rag-tag ball players made up the Twins roster by that point in the season. Earlier in the year, owner Calvin Griffith jettisoned such notable veterans as Roy Smalley, Butch Wynegar, Rob Wilfong and Doug Corbett in an effort to shed payroll. As a result, the Twins fashioned a dreadful record of 28-59 going into this game against the Detroit Tigers.

Since we obtained our tickets to said game through the local rec center, my buddies and I were all stuck in the center field upper deck. See, as another cost savings measure the Twins organization wasn’t even making available tickets for the lower left field seats. The hope would be that fans who desperately wanted to be in the lower decks would instead opt for the more expensive seats around third and first base.

But I digress.

As young teenagers, my friends and I were in awe of indoor baseball. Imagine, no game would ever be rained out again! No more taking a bus all the way to the ball park and sitting in a torrential downpour waiting for the game to start! In our minds, the Metrodome was a veritable eighth wonder of the world! So it didn’t bother us in the least that the Tigers scored 11 runs in the top of the first inning. Even though the Twins would go on to lose 18-2, we had the time of our lives!

Over the next 28 seasons, I would attend scores of baseball games in the plastic ballpark. I was front and center for the surprising divisional race in the then American League West division back in 1984. I would also be among less than 10,000 fans present for a game the last weekend of the 1990 season when the Twins would finish in last place. Of course, I found a way to attend nearly twenty games the following year when my favorite baseball team made that magical “worst to first” run, winning their second World Series in five years! This year, for the first time ever, I was a partial season ticket holder.

So will I miss the Metrodome itself? Not in the least, considering what the Twins are getting in the new Target Field. But I will always cherish the memories of the many games I was privileged to watch!

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Hey.....

PSST. Guess who's the only QB in NFL history to defeat all 32 teams??

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Another A.L. batting title?

With the American League Central division title on the line, Tuesday's one-game playoff with the Twins hosting the Detroit Tigers still counts as a "regular season" game. That said, Twins catcher Joe Mauer has not been officially declared the A.L. batting champ.

So what has to happen for Mauer to not win his third batting title? If he goes 0 for 18 on Tuesday, then Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki is your 2009 American League batting champion.

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Game 163.....again!!

On Sunday, September 13, the Detroit Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays to improve their record to 76-66. Meanwhile, the Twins shut out the Oakland A's, giving them a record of 71-72. With the Twins 5-1/2 games out of first place with 19 to play, many Minnesota sports rubes (myself included) started focusing on the start of the NFL season. The logic of course was that if Detroit merely played .500 baseball the rest of the season, the Twins would have to go a whopping 15-4 just to tie for the division lead. And since power hitting first baseman Justin Morneau had just been declared out for the season, no one was giving the Twins a chance.

So what happened?

The Tigers did indeed go 10-10 in their final twenty games. And inexplicably, the Twins somehow won 15 of their final 19 games to force, for the second consecutive season, a one-game playoff to decide the American League Central division title!!

Tuesday, 4:00 pm at the Metrodome, the Twins will host the Detroit Tigers for the...ahem...."privilege" to play the New York Yankees in the first round of the playoffs.

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

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