It's easier to be angry about the Twins

I promised an angry screed last week against the Wild, but as it turns out, I just can't get angry about them. Why? Because the Wild organization was struggling because of problems that have already been flushed out. The Twins could be staring a problem with the front office or management for years and would fail to address it, simply waiting for the problem to retire. Just think. When was the last time a member of the Twins organization was fired? Bill Smith could have a debilitating stroke (God forbid) and still be the GM for another 15 tears. It's easy to sit hear and helplessly gnash my teeth.
The Wild, however, seem to have flushed their system. We are left with nothing but hope. Jacques Lemaire, who was a good coach, but his cloying defensive style drove away offensive players? Gone. Marian Gaborik, who simply didn't want to be here and was a constant resident of the injury report? Gone. The worst offender, GM Doug Risebrough who couldn't pull the trigger a trade to shed the team of Gaborik, instead giving away draft picks and had the audacity to say that Minnesotans simply had high expectations that were to high? Gone.
In their stead, Todd Richards, the new head coach will bring a refreshingly aggressive palying style from San Jose. Martin Havlat, the new star acquisition, lamented the lack of loyalty from his old team, the Blackhawks, and signed on to be with the team for 6 years. Chuck Fletcher, the new GM has aggressively pursued free agents, adding Havlat and bolstering the defense with Greg Zanon and Shane Hnidy. He is still in the market for Saku Koivu, and has made it apparent that he is willing to swing a big deal for another scorer. It's clear that he realizes that Minnesota's expectations are right where they should be.
So, the moral of this story? The angry hockey screed this week is canceled. Instead, I wait with hopeful anticipation for the beginning of the season.

Links of the Day 7/6/09

As usual, I'm behind on this.... Ricky Rubio will stay in Spain for a couple years.

I sort of wish there were more details on this story.

Why keep linking to funny sites when CNN did it for me?

Steve McNair, the last of his kind?

By now, we've heard about Steve McNair, and how his life came tragically to an end. I won't talk about his character, and what a great family man he was, or what a great representative he was for the city of Nashville. Frankly, I can't.
During his playing days with the Titans, my Indianapolis Colts played McNair twice a year. His scrambling skill, coupled with his ability to get his ball to his receivers though they weren't terribly talented was always a back breaker. In the early part of the decade, the Titans were the thorn in the Colts' side. I hated Steve McNair.
That was the thing about McNair. If you liked his playing style, or were a Titans fan, you loved him. If you liked the pocket passer or ever had to beat him, you hated him. It was very hard to like Steve McNair, but at the same time, it was very hard to dislike him either. He was perhaps the last prominent football player without context in the NFL.
This day in age, we get to see most skill position players play out their college days, and often get to see them even get recruited out of high school. Steve McNair went to tiny Alcorn State, and didn't really arrive in the public spotlight until the draft approached. It's hard to say he was an underdog either, because he was picked third overall. You had no reason to root for or against him, unless you were cheering for the Oilers/Titans, or the team they were playing.
Brett Favre had a similar background, coming from small town Mississippi to become a career long, gritty quarterback. Somehow, however, the media took to Favre, and came to enjoy covering him, interviewing him at every opportunity. He even had a cameo in There's Something Abount Mary. Favre became well known, but for various reasons, became less and less likeable. McNair, for whatever reason, never became the media darling.
Now with his horrible passing, the details of his life, both the good and the bad, are being disseminated to the masses, really for the first time. Sure, there is reminiscing on his wonderful NFL career, but really, for the first time we are hearing from his family, finding out about his life after the NFL. Only now, in death, are we able to figure if we like or dislike Steve McNair.
McNair in life, unlike so many players this day in age appeared to us simply as a professional football player. With the media able to permeate everything this day in age, is such an eventuality possible anymore? Maybe Joe Flacco, small school (Delaware), first round pick, thus far fairly awkward socially, is the next Steve McNair. If he is, we can only hope his life doesn't end so tragically.

Links of the Day 7/5/09

In a great match, Roger Federer wins his 15th Grand Slam title over American Andy Roddick.

Chicago's hosing of Martin Havlat was to Minnesota's benefit.

It seems like this happens every year, and I don't know why.

Bad news for the Twins

The Twins were up late last night, playing 16 innings against the Tigers. It was bad enough that they lost, but they have to play again at 3pm. Making matters worst, Kevin Slowey, the starter for the game, was placed on the DL. Happy 4th!
OK OK, here's some positivity. We have the All-Star Break coming up, so Slowey will get better and the team will be back to normal. Also, the Twins called up Anthony Swarzak, who happens to be about the best prospect the Twins have right now. I think we're going to be just fine. Enjoy some parades and fireworks!

Links of the Independence Day

Be careful on the roads today.

I saw this as it happened, and I still don't understand it.

The Tour de France begins today. But you knew that. Here's some help on those jerseys.

The Passing of a True Legend

There was a lot of death in the news last week, and by the title of my post, you would probably assume that I am going to be talking about Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, or Ed McMahon. But it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense to talk about any of those 3 on a sports blog. We lost another not quite as big name that recently had some ties to the world of sports, loud-mouthed TV pitchman Billy Mays. I never really quite understood how someone like him got on TV, with his style of shouting to sell cleaning products, but I guess his voice definitely got everyone's attention....

I would say that I was probably in the boat of never wanting to buy any of his products because of his pitch style and general cheesy feeling to his commercials. That was the case until a few months ago, when he started to appear in the absolutely hilarious ESPN 360 commercials, where he basically was mocking his own style. Those commercials and his goofy antics on the sidelines during the bowl games gave me a different impression of the guy....that he understood his style was annoying but must have been effective. I started to watch his Pitchmen show on Discovery mostly because it came on after Mythbusters, and I never knew how involved he was in actually meeting with inventors and doing the market research to make sure the products worked. In the end, he wound up making a lot of people with great ideas (and himself) millions of dollars, and from the show it seemed like he was a really great guy.

So R.I.P Billy. I'm not going to miss you waking me up at 1 AM to buy OxiClean when I fall asleep with the TV on, but I'll definitely miss the ESPN 360 commercials and the Pitchmen show.

Links of the Day 7/3/09

Killer Bees indeed.

This might be the best website ever...

Federer in the Wimbledon finals, making this just like every other Wimbledon final from the past decade.

Links of the Day 7/2/09

As Beth mentioned earlier today, the Wild said farewell to Marian Gaborik, but late last night, they added Martin Havlat with a 6 year deal.

Citi Field is in one of the scarier boroughs of New York.

This seems like the type of thing that wouldn't fly in the US.

A Farewell to Injuries

I had a tendency to refer to former Minnesota Wild wing Marian Gaborik in uncomplimentary terms often enough (the word “Delicate” was often used). The guy simply didn’t stay healthy. I have pretty poor health (nothing serious, fortunately), but at least I can show up for work almost every day. Sure, my co-workers hate to listen to me coughing, but if I stayed home every time I got a cough, I’d miss about two months every year. My job doesn’t require me to be healthy, unlike someone in the entertainment industry, like a singer, actor, or athlete. They need to be healthy to perform. If they’re not healthy, they tend to fade away.

That being said, Marian Gaborik was one of my favorite hockey players to watch when he was healthy. The boy has amazing talents on the ice. He’s exciting to watch, because he can do things that seem impossible—and make them seem effortless. Every good athlete does this, sure. The first Wild game I attended, and the third hockey game I’d attended in my life, Marian Gaborik got a hat trick. I didn’t know much about hockey, but I knew what a hat trick was, and I knew how rare and special they were. It made the game that much more exciting. (I later learned it was the first ever hat trick by a Minnesota Wild player, too!) Things like that make a player a special memory.

And that’s all Marian Gaborik will become. He has now signed a 5-year contract with the New York Rangers. (Really, Gaby, couldn’t you sign with the Islanders, so I could watch you and my former favorite Gopher, Kyle Okposo?!) While I adore Mikko Koivu, has been healthy (Mattias Ohlund breaking his leg excepting), it’s hard to forget your first favorite player. The guy who made the game special to you by making your first game special.

I wish him well, but I shall always be sad that I don’t get to see him regularly. Of course, with his injuries, it’s not like I ever did.

What are the Twins doing?!

(I will have a much, much angrier screed on the Wild later this week)


It's been widely reported that Delmon Young is "exceptionally available" because Ron Gardenhire is exceptionally stupid a terrible manager, prefers Denard Span and Carlos Gomez. I've made my peace with the fact that the Twins don't like Young, because he is still a developing young hitter who takes about a month and a half to get going, but he doesn't smile and isn't a gold glove outfielder. They would rather build the team around Denard Span, a slap hitter who has already maximized his potential, or Carlos Gomez who can't hit outside of spurts, but smiles a lot and runs really fast. Whatever.
So, here's the thing. They want to trade Young, and I would be surprised if they don't before the trade deadline. What I really don't understand is why they aren't playing him. Young is finally coming around after the death of his mother, and has started hitting, both for power and for average. Not only would his presence in the lineup help the team now, but it would drive up his trade value, so the Twins could actually get a component they need instead of some crap middle reliever, which they will probably trade for straight up.
The only reason I can think that Young isn't in the line up on a daily basis is that Ron Gardenhire is petty and is too dumb to look at things like "numbers" or "strategy" especially when it doesn't involve bunting, So, because he wants his guys in the lineup and has no perspective on the future of the team, he continues to drive it into the ground. Ron Gardenhire is a terrible manager and deserves to be fired for his inability to bring this superfluously talented team to the fullness of their ability.
Wow. That came out of nowhere.

Links of the Day 7/1/09

Unbelievable. It's already July

The NHL Free agency period begins today.

For that matter, so did the NBA's.

Lucky day for this kid. Not sure if that luck is good or bad.

Please do not allow children to view this picture

Frightening

Links of the Day 6/30/09

The Isotopes were a little uncomfortable with Manny Ramirez.

Victor Conte still has customers!

Just to clear up any confusion, Willie Mays is still not dead.