Jim was "Rather" sloppy

Full disclosure: I typically enjoy Jim Souhan's work as a sports radio guy and Star Tribune columnist. His commentary on all things sports are very thought provoking and insightful. And when Souhan teams up with Tom Pelissero on 1500 ESPN's Sunday Sports Talk every week from 10 am until Noon, it is, in my opinion, the finest sports conversation you'll hear in the Twin Cities market.

As such, I've rarely heard Souhan delve into political commentary (unlike his Strib colleague Patrick Reusse) other than to take gratuitous shots at Herman Cain or one time making a comment about Republicans not believing in evolution.

But it appears Souhan's myopic zeal may have gotten the best of him in his Wednesday column where he roundly criticized Rep. Dean Urdahl (R-Grove City) regarding the Vikings stadium debate. Apparently Urdahl was making the point that many citizens are loathe to want to subsidize a billionaire's business venture, which in this case is an NFL franchise. Souhan appeared to have attributed that sentiment to Urdahl himself.

I can respectfully disagree with politicians who take consistent, principled, stands against stadiums. Those like Urdahl who shamelessly pander to the simple-minded people should not be taken seriously. Next time you ask a question about the stadium, Mr. Urdahl, please get help from someone with a better grasp of stadium politics, like, oh, a Kardashian.

Oh, did I forget to mention that Souhan takes pride in the belief he possesses a rapier wit?

I digress.

One minor flaw in Souhan's assertion - Rep. Urdahl actually voted yes on the stadium. As a result, Souhan's newspaper issued the following clarification in Thursday's edition of the Star Tribune:

Jim Souhan's column critical of Rep. Dean Urdahl's questions about the Vikings stadium plan did not mention that the Republican legislator voted in favor of the stadium Monday night as a member of the House Government Operations and Elections Committee.

Courage, Jim. Courage!

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