Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Quick Hits: Volume CXXXVIII

- The Blair Walsh project has come to an end.

The Vikings this morning waived the embattled kicker after he missed three kicks and failed to execute a key kickoff the past two weeks. The team has not yet announced a responding roster move, but USA Today reports his replacement will be former Redskins kicker Kai Forbath.

Forbath was one of six kickers to work out for the Vikings last Tuesday.

Walsh in 2012 was named a first-team All-Pro as a rookie and had another strong season in 2013. After a down year in 2014, the Vikings gave him a four-year, $14 million contract extension, and he seemed to be getting his career back on track before he missed a would-be game-winner from 27 yards in the 10-9 playoff loss to the Seahawks this past January.

Walsh was a physically gifted kicker but quite obviously had occasional mental lapses. Despite hitting two field goals of 40+ yards in brutally cold conditions in the aforementioned playoff loss to the Seahawks, Walsh tightened up when it counted most. And while he never directly cost the Vikings a game this season, he just never seemed to find his mojo after that awful 27-yard shank in January.

I personally hope Walsh lands with another team and is able to resume a productive career. I know I'll be rooting for him.


- The collective temper tantrum multiple anti-Trump protests are seemingly dying down in the aftermath of Donald Trump being elected President.

One thing that some noticed about the protestors was many of them donned safety pins (cue the obligatory "to hold up their diapers?" joke). The reason being is the anti-Trump crowd is showing their solidarity with certain groups (i.e. Muslims, black people, Hispanics, etc.) they believe will be marginalized by a Trump presidency.

With that in mind, what symbol should people be donning to stand in solidarity with the small business owners whose places of business have been vandalized and ransacked by these protestors?


- We're only a week removed from the most recent Election Day but some local campaigns are already ramping up for the next one.

Community activist Nekima Levy-Pounds will run for mayor of Minneapolis, she announced on social media Monday.

Levy-Pounds, the former president of the NAACP in Minneapolis, announced via her Facebook and Twitter pages Monday her intent to run for mayor during the next election cycle.

“Friends, You heard it here first,” Levy-Pounds wrote. “I am running for Mayor of Minneapolis.”

Levy-Pounds has been a key figure in the city’s Black Lives Matter movement and an outspoken critic of police shootings such as the ones that killed Jamar Clark and Philando Castile.

I don't believe Ms. Levy-Pounds has ever sought political office, but she nevertheless has down the political grandstanding.

She will make an official announcement at a news conference at noon Tuesday across from the 4th Precinct police station. Tuesday marks one year since Clark’s death.

Since I have yet to hear anything to the contrary, I'm going to assume that current mayor Betsy Hodges will seek reelection in 2017. Between Hodges and Levy-Pounds, expect to see more proverbial bus tire tracks on the backs of Minneapolis police officers.

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