Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts

Monday, November 8, 2010

Still fired up, ready to go

“Well. That’s the game.” This was at least the fourth time the man behind us at yesterday’s Vikings game had stated this particular lament. It now seemed like he had a point – we’d just failed to score on 4th down, one yd. from the endzone. It looked like our team was on its way to yet another loss to a mediocre team. A small exodus was happening on the stairs to our left.

I was busy asking BF why people were still holding up “Fire Chilly” signs. From my vantage point, it was our inability to score that was the real issue here – first Favre threw an interception when were in range, then the most recent Cardinals defensive hold when we were on the 1 had us losing 21-10. As is standard for all half-assed football fans, I told BF that it was Favre’s fault. He made rash decisions at the end of long drives, and was too scared of a sack to run the ball even when he seemingly had no one in front of him.

Of course we went on to win in overtime, with Favre throwing an outrageous personal record of 446 yards. By the time Longwell lined up for the game-winning field goal, I was eating my words. Yet in the heat of the moment, with the dude behind me calling the game off, it had seemed pretty hopeless.

Last week I watched as respected progressives were voted out due to the ‘anti-incumbent, anti-Democratic’ tidal wave we’d all been warned of. And as I saw people like Russ Feingold and Jim Oberstar give some of the finest and classiest step-down speeches in recent memory, I felt pretty damn deflated. If you watched any post-election coverage, you’ll probably agree that the general consensus for the Democrats and the Obama administration was “Well, that’s the game.”

It's true, we have a weakened offense now. But it seems to me that we’re only about to start the second half of Obama’s term. Like the idiot in the stands behind me, the talking heads can yell until they’re hoarse but they can’t predict what’s coming next. They also can’t take away the points this administration has already scored.

As Dan mentioned last week in a brilliant post-election entry, it’s time for our elected officials to stand down and continue to enact their campaign promises without apology. Similarly, we have to as constituents promise not to leave the stadium prematurely.

2012 is going to be a tough fight, and it may come down to the wire. The good news is that our president is even better off than my victorious, yet ailing quarterback. He’s young for his profession and his joints are all in working order. He’s never threatened to quit to garner additional publicity. And when he’s interviewed by sideline reporters, he refrains from texting them the next day.

Let's do this, Democrats. Ready? Break.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Bucket List to 30

After being less than jazzed about 23 and 24, I've been surprising myself with my enthusiasm for the big 2-5. (Which happens this Sunday, so be sure to send all gifts immediately.)


BF and I are off to Milwaukee for a wedding, and are planning to make a quick stop in Madison on our way home so that my birthday isn't just a greasy diner breakfast followed by 7 hours of 94W. I predict that being in Madison 3 years after I last experienced fall there will send me into the usual birthday tailspin to which I am accustomed. Until then, my bucket list to 30. Yes, I included easy ones to make sure I don't get overwhelmed.

Bucket List to 30:
  • Travel to: Greece, Italy, Prague, Austin TX, Washington D.C., New York City
  • Develop self-esteem program for female high school athletes- my dance team to be the guinea pigs, expand out once I work out the kinks
  • Work/volunteer on a political campaign

  • Start up freelance company for writing side projects

  • Buy Macbook Pro for said freelance writing projects (Yay!)

  • Take on yoga, unless I can afford pilates... in which case, pilates

  • Pay off my car and student loans? Or maybe 75% of my student loans is more realistic? I don't know, just take a big crack at debt I guess

  • Take conversational Spanish classes
  • Take a real stab at blogging instead of just ramble-ranting. This includes a full redesign.
  • Run a 1/2 marathon (TMB, how in shape are you? Could we do this together?)

  • Host a legit dinner party

  • Unearth the stomach I brought with me to college
  • See a concert in the Cumberland Caverns in Tennessee
  • Take an Excel class so my work life is no longer a living hell

  • Allow Jenna to bring me to something outdoorsy, like hiking or camping

  • Establish a memorial for Dan

  • Attend a taping of The Daily Show

  • Buy a house, paint front door red
  • Continue to fend off marriage and children

  • Grow a vegetable garden with veggies that are both edible and alive

  • Create a book club that doesn't suck

  • Read Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom" and find out what all the fuss is about

  • Organize Survivor Bar Crawl for Mpls friends

  • Win the State Dance Team championship

  • Go to a Twins post-season game (in 2010?!)

  • Have a political convo with BF wherein he admits that he's a raging liberal at heart who'd like nothing more than to discuss Paul Wellstone's legacy with me over a glass bottle of Spanish Red
  • Learn more about wine so I can say I like things other than Spanish Red

  • Go on a trip w/ my mom

  • Read Kristof's "Half the Sky", change the world after coming to an epiphany half way through (or something like that)

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

To that deluxe apartment in the sky

For all the thought and Craigslist stalking that went into finding the perfect apartment, there was very little fanfare once we actually landed one. A quick email from the landlord, a PDF of the lease, and a ‘see ya July 1’ signoff.

With all due respect sir, you’re putting a damper on what is possibly the most freeing day of my life. Would a banner in the sky announcing my acceptable credit have killed you?

Of all the things I’m most excited about, I think returning to a city with a walking culture tops the list. I really miss strolling for a coffee, or to a grocery store. I miss walking to bars, I miss walking to absolutely nowhere. No one walks anywhere in the ‘burbs unless they are wearing $90 yoga pants and trailing behind a fluffy white dog in a princess collar (Daisy, my family’s live-in diva, would fit this mold if she didn’t sit down in the middle of the street after one block).

I wish I could make you all jealous with my apartment’s awesome location but just know that it’s in _______ (hip young neighborhood) near _________ (specific body of water) that allows me to run a perfect 5k from my door around the _________ (body of water) back to my door. The ability to exercise so easily will come in handy once I have my first taste of ________ (baked good) from __________ (famous local bakery that will soon be the reason for my 15-lb weight gain).


Hello, lover


“Do you know this is going to be the best week of my LIFE?!” I asked BF seven times last night as I then repeatedly ticked off all my planned events. Apartment lease, the JAMES TAYLOR/CAROLE KING concert tonight with my parents, a Twins/Yankees night game on Thursday, digging deep into a sweet freelancing gig on my downtime. I haven’t seen this much action or good news in... Ever.

You can’t see me but I’m simultaneously knocking on wood and fist pumping right now. It’s the superstitious adult version of rubbing your stomach and patting your head.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Read what I read. Or just read my recaps.

Blog friends, I'm a little uninspired as of late. My lack of writing doesn't mean that I'm not reading a ton of great stuff on the world wide web, so here are some articles I've found lately. Thanks to Jamie at Betwixt and Between for this fabulous idea.

Granderson writes about the unfair stereotypes perpetuated about gays, and how these myths are leading to the passing of new laws/ordinances, and the justification of new ones. Of course, he argues, gay people are no more likely to be all the same than any other subset of the population bound by one shared trait. This article was all the more important because Granderson himself has shattered a number of stereotypes- he's a gay black sportswriter. He certainly doesn't fit the prototype that the social conservatives are trying to highlight and marginalize. I hope he continues to get press for his opinions on this subject because we could use a lot more advocates like him, and a lot less like Newsweek's Ramin Setoodeh.

In Collins' post celebrating the 50th anniversary of the pill, she describes its history as well as its social and cultural impact. There have been a lot of recent articles that scold young women for not being more involved in the reproductive rights movement. They mostly argue that we have never lived in a society where abortion is illegal, so we don't worry about losing access to this right. I think that's unfair- I feel that most young pro-choice women are drawn more to action surrounding education about and access to birth control/Plan B because we don't necessarily buy into the idea that abortion isn't a big deal (but we do believe that it should be a legal option). Posts like this draw attention to the importance of proactive prevention, which I think is the real 'next frontier' of reproductive rights.



Rebecca Traister, Screw Happiness
At the suggestion of this article, I have happily shelved my obsession with HAVING IT ALL for the time being. Traister gives the case for embracing dissatisfaction- as difficult as it may be to accept that your life isn't perfect, the imperfections can be used to propel you forward to a place that you want to go. This place would most likely involve happiness - but at least this argues that it's okay for happiness to be the end goal instead of the day-to-day mandate.

Let's lighten the mood from progressive politics and life goals, eh? Is Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line, that one movie that looked like a poor man's Backdraft) starring in a documentary about him going off his rocker, or a really elaborate performance art piece? My money is that it's all a big joke, but not because Phoenix is too normal for this to be real. I think Casey Affleck, Phoenix's brother-in-law and the director of this... initiative... isn't weird enough to film this in earnest. Also, the plot points mentioned in this article make me wonder if it will be harder to sit through than Bruno was. I think that 'film' hit my quota on raunch and nudity for this century, so even though I want to see and judge this shitshow, I'm not sure I can stomach it.

Happy Wednesday! Tell me what you've been reading this week.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The High Road is Hard to Find

Today I read an article about former safety for the University of Florida, Myron Rolle. He was recently drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round. The article discussed how Rolle was questioned about his commitment to football after missing his senior season. He left because he was selected to be a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University this year- an honor only given to 32 of the brightest students in the nation. He missed his senior year so he could work towards a degree in medical anthropology.

The author blasts those who are questioning his dedication to the game, arguing that his intelligence is an asset to be applauded in an age where college athletes are known to get B.S. degrees like agricultural journalism* or to coast through without attending class. The author claims this is 'more' evidence that the NFL likes their players to blindly follow the protocol rather than to stir up trouble.

I don't know enough about the drafting process or the behind-the-scenes management of NFL players to form a solid opinion on this. I do know that the NFL has some serious PR problems. I'm not even talking about Big Ben being unable to keep it in his pants or Plaxico shooting himself in the leg or all the other convicts that tear up the field any given Sunday.

I'm talking about the studies that are linking professional football to early onset dementia and other scary health problems. If you haven't read Malcolm Gladwell's brilliant and thorough article from The New Yorker earlier this year that discusses this link, you should really do so. It's as fascinating as it is frightening. He writes about how football players are pushed past their physical limits and the new long-term effects that are being discovered in past pros. He claims that the 'entertainment' we as viewers see in grown men getting hit over and over is no better or less damaging than the violence seen in dog fighting. If you ever needed proof that the NFL isn't serious about protecting its athletes, you can perhaps think about why it hasn't continued to amend the rules of the game as Gladwell suggests, or at the least admit to the public that this problem is real and they are trying to find ways to change the game and equipment to make sure the best interests of their players are met.

I also read an article last year about how professional sports leagues and their internal franchises do very little to protect their athletes from the threat of bankruptcy after retirement. Some of the article is hilarious, like how former MN Twin Torri Hunter spent $60,000 investing in inflatable rafts that pop up from underneath your furniture in the event of a flood and save the furniture from water damage. (SERIOUSLY.) Stories like that make it difficult to defend some of these idiots. Other stats- 78% of former NFL players are bankrupt or in financial distress within 2 years of retirement- make me believe there should be more precise attempts at ensuring professional athletes are smart with their money. At the least have a backup plan (read: college degree) and at best have someone who isn't a leech to your fame taking care of your money. Surely not all of them will listen to their club's manager, but I'm sure a quick speech by now-broke (all-time leading rusher for the Saints) Deuce McAllister will wake them up a bit.

Rolle was looking out for his future when he participated in the Rhodes Scholar program. Whether or not it affected his draft pick isn't really the question. The question is why the NFL isn't running a PSA starring their genius that touts the importance of staying in school and making wise decisions for your future as you pursue your dream of being a professional athlete. That'd be one step in the right direction to proving that they do in fact care about more than a 1,000 yard rushing or 15-sack season.

* Oh, I went there, Wisco.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Take the Fall. Act Hurt. Get Indignant.

I detailed my love for The Mighty Ducks in this post a few weeks ago. Somehow, despite having seen the trilogy around 5,000 times as a child, I didn't even make the Iceland volcanic ash/Mighty Ducks connection this week. EGREGIOUS, I know.

Thankfully my fellow native Minnesotan, Joe, has done this for me (and he did so in a way that is way funnier than anything I ever could have written).

Everyone should read his post here. It's not everyday that someone can effectively fuse Wolf the Dentist Stansson, Jersey Shore, The Tea Party, and a vague hint of actual science, into a succinct 5 paragraph post. That's what being a cracked out law student will do to you, I suppose.

Also look what I came across while googling for this post- this is what Charlie Conway looks like today:


If my love affair with Tim Riggins doesn't work out (or as LH suggested, he proves to be too busy with his ab work to take care of the kids), then I guess I would take Chuck as a consolation prize.

Monday, April 5, 2010

I also didn't know it was pronounced "Shuh-SHEF-Skee"

I’ve mentioned this before, but I think I’m relatively knowledgeable about sports. That is to say I have about 10 nuggets of knowledge that I can rattle off to lure in dudes at bars. Three of them involve the 1991 “Cinderella Series” starring the MN Twins, and two involve the Mighty Ducks trilogy. The rest is through sheer osmosis of the ESPN blaring constantly at my house. For the most part, other than diligently following Bill Simmons on Twitter, I don’t pay attention. So, like a small child brought to anti-abortion rallies at age 6, I’m in the dark about a lot of things and am only hearing one side of the story.

Leading me to my point- according to this article I just read, people don’t like Duke basketball?! Until five minutes ago, I thought they were America’s team, that everyone hated UNC with a burning passion, and that Coach K was a universally beloved figure. It turns out the opposite is true, but my family’s unwavering (and now, seemingly random) obsession with the Blue Devils had me confused.

It’s easiest just to support Duke at my house, just like it is easiest for snot-nosed kids to sneer at the opposition outside a family planning clinic. The difference is that I won my bracket due to my indoctrination, whereas the uninformed kids might grow up to believe that Michelle Bachmann is a courageous and intelligent leader. "Ignorance is bliss" is only a good plan when no one grows up to watch Fox News.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

We're gonna win, Twins, we're gonna scoooore

I just knew this was going to happen. I moved home and tried to keep my identity intact, all while my family looked at me like I was an alien. It may have been the morningstar veggie burgers, the hummus, or skipping out on family pizza night for sushi with the girls. They didn't appreciate me overtaking the fridge, but I've been pretty good at staying strong on the food front.

It's the ESPN front that I'm worried about. My brothers and dad are sports fanatics, and I have unwittingly jumped on board. This week I found myself voluntarily watching Sports Center alone. Upon seeing that the Mets had lost an important game, I silently cheered, knowing that the Brewers' playoff hopes weren't dashed yet. I understood a bad joke an announcer told about the Manning brothers' inconsistency. I read Pete Rose's wikipedia article, found out he had only bet for the Reds, never against them-and decided that he should be in the Hall of Fame. My jaw dropped when I saw that USC had lost to an unranked team in a Thursday night matchup that should have been a cakewalk. I feel confident that I could use the phrase "Manny being Manny" appropriately.

All in all, I am thinking that being knowledgeable about sports could be almost as much fun as celebrity gossip- and ten times more useful. Plus, the discovery of Bill Simmons has made me realize that you can use all kinds of pop culture references to better understand professional sports.

What clinched this renewed interest in sports was going to the Twins game on Thursday. Not just any Twins game, mind you- the third and final game of their sweep against the White Sox. The team we are currently rivaling against in order to win the AL Central. Yes, I did know all of that without googling.

My dad, trying to get me pumped for the game, explained its importance on our drive to the Metrodome.

"You see, if we win this game-"

"We would be a half game up against the White Sox with only three home games left to play in the regular season."

"Yeah, okay good. And do you know why that's important?"

"Because our only hopes for winning the playoffs are winning our whole division. We don't have a shot at the Wild Card because both the Rays and the Red Sox are in the same division and have way better records than us, so the loser of the AL East has already clinched the AL wildcard. Right?"

"Right..."

See? It's a good time. I'm also thinking that the MLB playoffs could be a welcome distraction from the shitstorm that is American electoral politics. Go team!