(D)isrespectful

Remember when Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) declared on the House floor that she was "tired of women of color, in particular, being ignored?"

Flashback to nearly eight years ago:

So, what was Rep. Hortman's reaction to newly elected House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who happens to be the first woman of color elected to that post, being ignored by every single solitary Democrat this week? Well....we have no idea since she's part of the collective that is not only ignoring Speaker Demuth but also not even showing up in the House chamber. 

I guess in Mel's world, not all women of color are created equal.

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The good news and bad news of the Vikings' 2024 season

One of the best regular seasons in the 64-year history of the Minnesota Vikings ended with a resounding thud Monday evening. 

With that, here are some quick good news/bad news bullet points of the 2024 campaign: 

Good news: The Vikings appear to have gotten it right with the head coach hire in Kevin O’Connell. He’s the only Vikes coach in franchise history to have multiple seasons of 13 or more wins. 

Bad news: In his three seasons at the helm, O’Connell has guided his club to the postseason twice, going “one and done” both times. 

Good news: Through the first 16 games of the 2024 regular season, QB Sam Darnold lived up to the hype that resulted in his being the #3 overall draft pick in 2018. His borderline MVP performance was projected to land him a free agent contract in the neighborhood of 4 years, $220 million.

Bad news: The ’24 regular season finale and Monday’s playoff game show why he was written off after his first few seasons. Those awful performances also likely cost him nearly nine figures in guaranteed money. 

Good news: The Vikings have identified their franchise quarterback, having selected JJ McCarthy #10 overall in the 2024 draft. 

Bad news: The club may take a step back in the early part of next year due to McCarthy having zero experience playing in an NFL regular season. 

Good news: The expectations were absurdly low for the Vikings coming into this season, but they proved they have legit talent all over the roster. 

Bad news: They’re still woefully deficient on the interior offensive line (a decade-plus problem) and red zone running game. 

Good news: The Vikings should be able to adequately shore up their weaknesses given they have nearly $70 million in salary cap space going into the offseason.

Bad news: They can't miss on any of the free agent signings since their 2025 draft capital is scarce. As of right now they possess merely three picks (first round selection and two fifth rounders). 

Good news: Even with little salary cap flexibility last offseason (they had a $25 million dead cap hit from Kirk Cousins’ contract), the Vikings shored up their defense with the acquisitions of pass rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel (both Pro Bowl selections) as well as LB Blake Cashman. As a result, they allowed the fifth fewest points in 2024.

Bad news: With the D’s stellar performance, this may well result in the unit’s architect, Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, being hired as a head coach elsewhere. 

Good news: With stud WR Justin Jefferson locked into a long-term contract extension and the temptation removed to retain Darnold, people can finally STFU about either Jefferson or McCarthy being traded. 

Bad news: These same trade speculation idiots are now glomming onto a report of teams inquiring about a trade for coach O’Connell. 

On to 2025!

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Will they or won't they? (UPDATE: They didn't)

With the 2025 Minnesota legislative session slated to begin today at Noon, the question remains whether or not DFL House members will follow through on a threat to sit out the first two weeks. When the idea was first broached, the Dems were reminded that they don't get paid if they aren't officially sworn in as legislators. 

Nope. Those Democrats can't be paid if they're NOT sworn in to #mnleg. If they are not there to be sworn in on opening day the House Majority - who actually show up - can (will) vote to deem them as not Members. That's how the MN Law & Constitution is written. https://t.co/OwAuAiJYkK pic.twitter.com/ot9eBnwziV

— Sean Nienow (@SNienow) January 6, 2025

Their solution? Why, get sworn in out of the public view before session even begins, natch.

In an unprecedented action, House DFL members held a mass secret swearing in ceremony Sunday. The move comes as GOP officials threaten recall petitions if DFLers follow through on a threat to not show up for session on Tuesday in a power-sharing dispute with the House GOP. pic.twitter.com/iYkd2to7pX

— Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) January 13, 2025

Look, this kinda thing wouldn't surprise me were it executed by House members in Minneapolis & St. Paul districts as well as reps in solid blue first-ring suburban areas. But literally all 66 House DFLers (including a DFLer whose "victory" is still in a legal dispute) went along with this, even those who barely won races in swing districts that could easily tilt the other way in 2026. Not only would this appear to be political suicide, but its legality is also in serious question. 

https://t.co/Xg3UE6CW65 pic.twitter.com/qliQuE032f

— MN House Republicans (@mnhousegop) January 13, 2025

In the end, none of this makes any sense. Even if the GOP miraculously won the special election in House District 40B or a possible new election in the disputed 54A (thus giving them a majority for at least the next two years), the governor's mansion will still be occupied by a Dem this next biennium. Any legislation that somehow made it to Gov. Tim Walz's desk would likely have significant bipartisan support due to a (likely) Dem controlled Senate and, at worst for the DFL, a slight GOP House majority. I mean, far be it from me to try to prevent Democrats from running into a sawblade, but there is just absolutely no upside to this. 

We'll definitely check back in at Noon today. 

UPDATE: DFL members don't show up. GOP moves forward with a quorum (Yes, 67 of 133 is a majority, thus a quorum) and elects the first ever African-American female Speaker of the House!

Constitutional crisis underway as @mnhousegop appoint Rep. Paul Anderson to preside over the chamber in Simon's absence. Declare SoS Simon's adjournment improper, and move on to electing @LisaDemuthMN as speaker. #mnleg pic.twitter.com/M7SBTi0H5D

— Rob Doar (@robdoar) January 14, 2025

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2024 NFL Playoffs: Wildcard (Monday game)

Minnesota Vikings (-2-1/2) vs. Los Angeles Rams: Due to the horrific wildfires plaguing Southern California, this game has been moved to the home stadium of the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, AZ. While this definitely benefits the Vikings, this isn't exactly like the Green Bay Packers having to abandon a home game at Lambeau Field. 

In this matchup, my Vikings take on one of the two teams who defeated them in what was a shockingly great regular season. In what was supposed to be a bridge year to 2025 when the Vikings would hand the reins to QB JJ McCarthy as well as sport an augmented roster due to the likelihood of spending big money in free agency, the Vikes exceeded all expectations by going 14-3. And while I expected coach Kevin O'Connell to unlock something in QB Sam Darnold in much the same way he did with Kirk Cousins, I never envisioned a scenario where Darnold would be considered a top 5 MVP candidate as late as Week 17. But after a (to be charitable) clunker in the regular season finale at Detroit, Darnold now faces even more pressure in a "win or go home" scenario, a situation he's never experienced in his NFL career. 

You could argue the turning point of the Rams' 2024 season was that Week 8 win over the Vikings. After starting the season 1-4, the Rams limped to an unimpressive win over a mediocre Raiders club four days before that Week 8 contest. There was already serious discussion at that point that if L.A. didn't turn things around, Pro Bowl WR Cooper Kupp and possibly QB Matthew Stafford could be traded by the November 5 deadline. But the Rams finished strong by winning 9 of 11 games after that 1-4 start, thus conquering the NFC West. 

After the loss to the Rams on Thursday Night Football in Week 8, some Vikings coaches admitted they were caught flat-footed by the return of star WRs Kupp and Puka Nacua, who were both activated from the Injured Reserve list just prior to that matchup. In addition to that, the Vikes were without LB Blake Cashman, which severely hampered their blitz packages. Since Stafford is statistically the worst NFL QB when blitzed, you better believe Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores will bring the house more than the mere 20% put forth in that regular season matchup, especially with Cashman back in the fold. 

There were multiple times during this Cinderella season where skeptics were certain Darnold & Co. were about to turn back into a pumpkin only to see the Vikes bounce back in impressive fashion. Last week's loss to Detroit was another opportunity for the doubters to feel validated. For one week, however, I believe the Vikings will rise up again. 

Minnesota 27 Los Angeles 21

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The NARN Closer's playlist - 1/12/2025

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I won't be walking on thin ice to get through the night......

Less than two weeks into 2025 and it's been awfully news-y. As usual, I will be getting to as much as I can on today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour extravaganza gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour I will be weighing in on Minnesota political news, specifically how the DFL seems to have lost any semblance of political acumen. 

Then in the second hour I'll discuss the horrific scenes out of Southern California where there's been little to no containment of multiple wild fires. And finally, Dems begrudgingly certify Donald Trump's election victory. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

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2024 NFL Playoffs: Wildcard (Sunday games)

Denver Broncos (+8) at Buffalo Bills: Sean Payton may be a major douche, but the guy can coach football. With the Broncos organization being viewed as a dumpster fire in 2022, they fired rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett before the end of the season. They had also committed an ungodly amount of money to QB Russell Wilson, only to find out that he looked all washed up. Two years later, rookie QB Bo Nix led Denver to a 10-win season with little more than WR Courtland Sutton putting up decent offensive numbers. And major kudos to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who has elevated the Broncos' D to a top 10 unit. 

Hey, remember when the Buffalo Bills traded their best WR in Stefon Diggs and how that would hamper the productivity of QB Josh Allen? Good times! Yeah, Allen has only been responsible for 40 touchdowns (28 passing, 12 rushing) this season while having nary a 1,000-yard receiver. Buffalo is also the second highest scoring offense in the NFL with an average of nearly 31 points per game. 

While it appears Nix has a bright future for Denver, a rookie quarterback winning his postseason debut in Buffalo is a tall order. 

Buffalo 28 Denver 17

Green Bay Packers (+3-1/2) at Philadelphia Eagles: These two teams met in the 2024 NFL opener, a 34-29 Eagles win in São Paulo, Brazil. So what impact will that have on this game? Absolutely none. 

The Packers were a surprise entrant in the playoffs last year, yet had a nice showing when they whipped the Cowboys in Dallas and then lost a close game on the road the following week against the eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. With that postseason run came high expectations for the 2024 season. And while the Pack finished a solid 11-6, they went 0-5 against the three NFC teams with superior records. While QB Jordan Love had another solid season, Green Bay really shined in the run game with free agent RB Josh Jacobs running for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

But as good as Jacobs was, Philly RB Saquon Barkley was downright phenomenal, running for more than 2,000 yards. And the Eagles needed that type of production since QB Jalen Hurts didn't even throw for 3,000 yards. In my opinion, Hurts has taken a downturn since Philadelphia's Super Bowl loss two years ago. And the fact he didn't even clear concussion protocol until Friday morning doesn't bode well for the Philly offense. As such, Barkley could see an even heavier workload. 

The Eagles' defense allowed the second fewest point in the '24 campaign while also allowing the fewest yards. They too will have to step up big time if Hurts is still wobbly. 

Philadelphia 20 Green Bay 17

Washington Commanders (+2-1/2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Yet another Week 1 rematch, won by the Bucs 37-20. But, again, we can't glean a whole lot from that given Commies QB Jayden Daniels was making his NFL debut. Needless to say, Daniels eventually figured it out as he amassed nearly 4,500 total yards (3,568 yards passing, 891 yards rushing), putting him on the inside track for 2024 NFL Rookie of the Year. 

I have to say that I'm happy for long-suffering Redskins Washington Football Team Commanders fans now that the sniveling weasel punk Dan Snyder no longer owns the club, thus making the organization's morale orders of magnitude better. And they appear to have gotten it right with head coach Dan Quinn, who led the squad to 12 victories in his first season at the helm. This shouldn't be a huge surprise given he was Seattle's defensive coordinator in the "Legion of Boom" era when the Seahawks won the franchise's only Super Bowl and then three seasons later guided the Atlanta Falcons to the big game while serving as head coach. 

After 10 games in 2024, the Bucs looked dead in the water as they sported a 4-6 record while losing WR Chris Godwin to a season-ending ankle injury as well as being without to WR Mike Evans for a few games. However, QB Baker Mayfield's resurgence is real as he compiled career highs in pass yards (4,500) touchdown passes (41) and completion percentage (71.4%). Tampa has also looked better defensively down the stretch, playing a vital role in the winning six of their final seven games. Add to that stud Safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. being on track to play this game and you have a Bucs team that could make deep run this postseason. 

I believe Washington's future is bright and they will acquit themselves well this game, but they're not quite ready for prime time. 

Tampa Bay 31 Washington 24

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2024 NFL Playoffs: Wildcard (Saturday games)

Los Angeles Chargers (-2-1/2) at Houston Texans: In his debut season as head coach of the Chargers, Jim Harbaugh proves he's still got that ability to elevate a team in short order. In his first season as 49ers coach in 2011, he guided San Francisco to a seven-win improvement over the previous year. With L.A., it was a six-win upgrade over 2023. While stud QB Justin Herbert had another solid year, the Chargers did it with defense this season as they allowed the fewest points in the NFL. 

After a terrific rookie season in 2023, Texans QB C.J. Stroud seems to have endured the ol' sophomore slump in '24. While he wasn't abysmal, he certainly didn't have the same vibe as last year. While their defense overall was pretty solid (#6 in terms of yards allowed), they've looked pretty leaky against upper echelon teams in the second half of the season. 

Los Angeles 21 Houston 16

Pittsburgh Steelers (+8-1/2) at Baltimore Ravens: Thirteen games into the 2024 campaign, the Steelers were riding high at 10-3 with QB Russell Wilson somewhat resembling the perennial Pro Bowl player he was in Seattle. But the Steelers fizzled down the stretch going 0-4 while allowing 27 points per game. Even worse, Wilson reverted to the stiff the Denver Broncos jettisoned after two lackluster seasons. And while RB Najee Harris had another 1,000-yard season, the sledding will be awfully tough against the Ravens' top ranked rush defense. 

After starting 0-2, the Ravens won 12 of their last 15 games to secure another AFC North title. And what a surprise, QB Lamar Jackson has put forth another MVP-caliber season (it'll come down to Jackson, Bills QB Josh Allen or Eagles RB Saquon Barkley). Oh, and more than just Jackson can run the ball as first year Raven Derrick Henry just missed a second career 2,000-yard season by running for 1,921. And this was his ninth season overall. Incredible. 

I believe we're going to see a similar game that occurred in Week 16 when the Ravens pounded the Steelers in a game that basically settled the race in the AFC North.

Baltimore 27 Pittsburgh 13

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Just gonna leave this here

Uber podcaster Joe Rogan left L.A. for Austin, TX a few years ago. There were many reasons for that decision, not the least of which southern Cali was on the verge of collapse economically, socially and naturally. 

The lamenting over California's ill-preparedness with the out of control fires occurring this week in the Pacific Palisades area was actually a first guess as opposed to Monday morning quarterbacking. 

Check out Rogan's prescient statement from six months ago: 

And how 'bout Adam Carolla's testimony before Congress a few years ago? 

California is on fire because of DEI@adamcarolla applied to be a fireman in LA and was told to wait 7 years to test because he’s white

7 years later when he took the test he asked a black women there how long she waited to test. She responded “Wednesday” (less than a week) pic.twitter.com/PZkDyLkHsG

— Pharmwhistleblower (@pharmwhistlblow) January 8, 2025

Will lessons be learned? Well, the entire state of California is under ironclad progressive representation, so to say I'm not terribly optimistic would be the equivalent of saying the Joseph "Elephant Man" Merrick had a slight acne problem. 

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Quick Hits: Volume CCCLXII

 - Minnesota Democrats personify the spoiled child. After getting whatever they wanted for the previous two legislative sessions, they are presently throwing a full-fledged tantrum now that they're no longer getting their way. 

In essence, DFL House members are looking to take their ball and go home. 

House Democrats are mulling not showing up for the first two weeks of the legislative session to prevent the chamber from achieving a 68-member quorum, according to lobbyists who’ve spoken to members and confirmed by two DFL legislative sources. Doing so would effectively shut down the House as Democrats seek to block Republicans from using their temporary, 1-seat advantage to elect a GOP House speaker.

The gambit would attract national media attention and likely lead to a political and legal firestorm.

State Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor leader, declined to comment except to say that House Democrats “want a power sharing agreement we’ve spent 60 days negotiating, and we’d like Republicans to honor their agreement. Sixty-seven is not a majority.”

Leave it to attorney extraordinaire (and my state rep) Harry Niska to throw cold water on that assumption.

Basic legal error here: The Minnesota Constitution does not set 68 as the quorum.

It says “[a] majority of each house constitutes a quorum to transact business.”

On January 14, there will be (at most) 133 members of the Minnesota House, so a quorum is 67 members. https://t.co/6gCp55uJDB

— Rep. Harry Niska (@HarryNiska) January 6, 2025

So if indeed DFLers follow through on their "threat?" 

 

"What if Democrats don't show up on day one?"

Speaker-Designate Demuth: "What I will tell you is that House Republicans will be here on day one and we'll be ready to go to work for the State of Minnesota." pic.twitter.com/a6XSzOTYDe

— MN House GOP War Room (@MNHRCWarRoom) January 6, 2025

Because the Dems needed literally zero GOP input to implement their radical agenda over the past two years, it's almost as if their political acumen "muscle" has completely atrophied. Not sure why they believe this is a smart play politically, but far be it from me to warn them that they're about walk into a buzz saw. 

- Speaking of unearned righteousness.........

 

Democrats to GOP: That's how you certify an election https://t.co/pc64E8Mf8D

— Axios (@axios) January 7, 2025

Uhh.....despite a handful of idiots having a temper tantrum on 1/6/2021, Joe Biden's 2020 victory was ultimately certified by the Vice President on 2020's losing ticket. Now, if you're suggesting that certification should be little more than a rubber stamp, then Democrats have hardly lived up to that standard the over the past 32 years when faced with confirming a GOP victor (See: George W. Bush's 2000 & 2004 victories and Donald Trump's 2016 triumph).

Despite suggestions that Monday's certification was a ho-hum affair, there was actually a history making moment. 

The first woman of color to certify her own election defeat.

Another glass ceiling shattered pic.twitter.com/0k91t18wEe

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 6, 2025

Given what happened four years earlier, a ceremonial shattering of glass might've been too triggering. 

- Over the summer, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave sort of a mea culpa for acquiescing to the Biden administration's demands that Facebook posts which they believed contained "COVID-19 misinformation" be flagged as such. 

Then this week he announced that his company will be taking it a step further. 

Meta will replace its fact checking program with the “community notes” system pioneered by Elon Musk’s X as part of the tech giant’s move to revive free speech on its social media platforms, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday morning.

Over the years, Meta has been found to have engaged in censorship of conservatives at the behest of the Biden administration. The company is now moving away from those dubious practices less than two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The change will affect Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

“We’re gonna get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies and restoring free expression on our platforms,” Zuckerberg said in a five-minute video. “More specifically, here’s what we’re going to do. First, we’re going to get rid of fact checkers and replace them with Community Notes similar to X, starting in the U.S.”

Despite progs gaslighting us into thinking that Twitter "X" is dying, the fact of the matter is there's been more engagement there than similar platforms such as Threads as well as the prog safe space cesspool known as Bluesky. And obviously Zuck has noticed the bad rap Facebook has gotten. combined with the fact the Biden administration's desire to regulate social media platforms played no small role in his presidency cratering.

Just as fact checkers were about to awaken from their 4-year slumber, they get hit with this. Ya love to see it. 

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