SBG, The World's Greatest Online Magazine

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2007-12-06T16:43:00.001-06:00

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2006-09-09T22:56:00.000-05:00

This Site Has Moved

2006-03-08T23:34:00.000-06:00

My new site is here. I am posting over there now.

Check This Out

2006-03-08T09:44:00.000-06:00

Follow this link to the Future Home of SBG. Leave a comment and say hi!

Preview of Things to Come

2006-03-08T09:15:00.000-06:00

Stop by and leave a comment.

The Lost Weekend is Over

2006-03-07T20:27:00.000-06:00

Twins Geek is back at his keyboard.

On the Death of a Sports Icon

2006-03-07T08:47:00.000-06:00

I was talking with Lucy last night about the death of Kirby Puckett and she asked me if I felt bad about it. I said that I did feel bad. I started to reflect on why it is that I felt bad about it. I don't have a lot in common with Kirby Puckett. He was born in Chicago in a tough neighborhood. He was a black man -- a minority in a country with as yet unresolved racial issues. I was born in a

Kirby Puckett 1960-2006

2006-03-06T19:07:00.000-06:00

Kirby has passed away. May God rest his soul. When I was in college, I remember one night a bunch of us were hanging around and the Twins were coming on TV. They were playing in Detroit. Back then, Kirby was a leadoff hitter. He hit the first pitch of the game over the fence. Well, we Twins fans were going crazy. The next night, a bunch of us were watching the game again. Once again, Kirby hit

The News is Grim

2006-03-06T17:13:00.000-06:00

Mark Rosen is reporting that Kirby Puckett will be taken off life support.

Puck

2006-03-05T22:34:00.000-06:00

The news is not good.

I Don't Get it

2006-03-05T22:27:00.000-06:00

How is it possible that a movie with Sandra Bullock in it wins the Oscar for Best Picture?

An Early Peek

2006-03-02T11:32:00.000-06:00

In case you didn't know, the Twins will have their first spring training game on FSN tonight starting at 6:05. Will you be watching? Don't forget to vote in the Twins Poll on the right. You can vote up to once a day through the end of spring training.

Reason to Hope

2006-03-01T21:29:00.000-06:00

It's been a tough two seasons for people like me who are really invested in the T-Wolves. Last year, I was certain that the Wolves would challenge for the NBA title. Instead, the Wolves folded like a house of cards and Flip Saunders was the fall guy. As someone who endured the Jimmy Rodgers debacle and the Bill Blair era, I would have to say that last year was the worst season in team history.

Isiah Out?

2006-03-01T13:34:00.000-06:00

There is some speculation out there that Isiah Thomas may be on the way out in New York. Chris Sheridan is saying that Isiah probably won't be canned during the season. But, consider this. The Knicks have a total salary expenditure for this season of $124,082,763. The team with the next highest salary expenditure in the league is Dallas with $97,653,332. The median salary in the league this year

Gleeman on Big and Little Things

2006-03-01T05:59:00.000-06:00

I've been reading Aaron Gleeman almost since the beginning of his blog. Before that, I was a Twins Geek regular (don't know how I found it, but I know that he linked to Gleeman). Like most everyone else, I was hooked early. Why? Because Aaron writes stuff that you don't get in the paper. I don't link to him much because I assume that you are reading. But, I read something this morning that I had

KG Fined, Not Suspended

2006-02-27T17:02:00.000-06:00

KG picks up a $5000 fine for giving that girly man an owie. His consecutive game streak is not compromised because of it, however.

No Question, It's Tony

2006-02-27T10:59:00.000-06:00

The Strib ran a feature on Tony Batista and Our Fearless Leader Ron Gardenhire indicated that "third base is not an open competition." It's going to be Batista, and that's that. Great. Said Terry Ryan, "I don't know what happened [to cause Batista to be released from his Japanese team last year], and I don't particularly care." Doubly great. Read the article. Some [not so] nice things said about

Feel Good

2006-02-27T09:01:00.000-06:00

This may be the best sports story that I have ever seen. Unbelievable. You may have heard about this story or seen it on CBS. The link above shows a video, so if you are on dial-up, it will be tough to download all of it.

Red Letter Day

2006-02-26T20:00:00.000-06:00

Thirty years ago today, February 26, 1976 was a red letter day. My sister had just turned ten years old (happy 40th, sis!) the day before and my mother was very pregnant. We found out that my as yet unborn sibling was having some problems and needed to be induced. My mother had Rh- blood, and my sibling had Rh+ blood, and as a result, my mother's body was attacking the baby's red blood cells.

The NBA Gods Hate Me

2006-02-26T16:08:00.000-06:00

I wasn't watching the Wolves today, in fact I wasn't even aware that the game was on. As soon as I turn the game on, the Wolves throw the ball into KG in the post. Mike Miller flops and KG is called for a foul. He flips the ball into the first row and hits a guy and is ejected. Then, the guy is a big pussy and is carried out on a stretcher. No blood. It's not like KG fired the ball into the

Rhapsody Playlist

2006-02-25T22:49:00.000-06:00

Rhapsody Playlist: "1. Jumpin' Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones 2. Carol - The Rolling Stones 3. Stray Cat Blues - The Rolling Stones 4. Love In Vain - The Rolling Stones 5. Midnight Rambler - The Rolling Stones 6. Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling Stones 7. Live With Me - The Rolling Stones 8. Little Queenie - The Rolling Stones 9. Honky Tonk Women - The Rolling Stones 10. Street Fighting Man

I Don't Understand This

2006-02-25T08:53:00.000-06:00

Gilbert Arenas has had nights like the one LeBron James had against Washington. Arenas scored 26 points, and the Wizards shut down James in the second half in a 102-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. "We tried to pressure the ball, take him a little out of his game, and see if things might happen," Arenas said. "It's a real good win for us." James finished with 25 points, but

End to the Labor Peace?

2006-02-24T18:17:00.000-06:00

The NFLPA is rattling the sabers, saying that it is unlikely that the current collective bargaining agreement will not be extended any time soon, resulting in a 2007 season without a salary cap. As someone who detests the hard salary cap of the NFL (isn't that socialism????), I for one welcome it. I know that the NFL is pretty much a religion for a lot of people, but I'll argue that it can

Vote in the Twins Poll

2006-02-24T18:06:00.000-06:00

Over on the right, I have posted a poll on the Twins. How do you think the Twins will end up? Vote early and often (you are limited to one vote per day). I'll leave this poll up through spring training. I'm thinking third, myself. But, of course, there are differences of opinion out there. Here at SBG, The World's Greatest Magazine, dissent is encouraged. Vote now!

Damage Control

2006-02-23T16:45:00.000-06:00

Daunte Culpepper's latest missive: I want to update the fans of Minnesota and the NFL community on my status with the Vikings. Mr. Wilf and I spoke by phone on 2/21/2006 and we each shared our concerns about my present situation. He told me that the Vikings have not yet spoken to other teams about trading me. I shared my disappointment with the lack of communication and the false reports about

Hell on Earth

2006-02-23T15:54:00.000-06:00

My good blogging friend Cheesehead Craig has commented that I'm changing gears back to the game of baseball. I definitely plan on writing a lot more on baseball, obviously, as the season comes closer. Wow, what a nightmarish season this has been. Today, however, I read this, which can only be the worst thing I've seen yet: From ESPN's Rumor Central: Knicks Target Garnett Feb 23 - Some league

The Buzz is Starting

2006-02-23T11:58:00.000-06:00

Friends, I'm a fan of the Twins. That's it. I'm not a scout, I'm not an expert, I'm not an insider. I don't know anyone associated with the team or anyone associated with the MSM covering the team. I'm just an SBG with a website who loves the game and loves talking about the game. Judging by the recent comments regarding Terry Ryan, it's apparent that a lot of you out there are in the same

You Can Go Home Again (Sort of)

2006-02-22T14:20:00.000-06:00

The Magic traded Steve Francis to the Knicks for Penny Hardaway, returning Hardaway to the first team for which he played. Who would have thought during his first go around in Orlando that he'd end up like this -- a spent, overpaid player who was an attractive trade option only because of his expiring contract. Hardaway hasn't played since December 9th (he only played 72 minutes this season for

Role Reversal

2006-02-22T07:24:00.000-06:00

Last night, my lovely wife Lucy and I watched the Olympic women's figure skating short program. While I can't stand that crap, she loves it. Loves it. I got to spend some time in her shoes, as she is no fan of real sports like basketball or baseball. I sat patiently and listened as catty old men discussed the various skaters' "musicality," choreography, costumes, edges, originality, and

Mr. Taylor, Are You Listening?

2006-02-21T21:36:00.000-06:00

Steve Aschburner, Wolves beat writer for the Strib, pulls no punches in his evaluation of Kevin McHale. Aschburner says nothing that you don't already know, but the listing of McHale's boneheaded moves in the biggest newspaper in the state ought to catch Glen Taylor's attention. It's not pretty. But, you knew that.

Reusse on the 2006 Twins

2006-02-21T03:45:00.000-06:00

Ol' Patrick is pretty pessimistic on the 2006 Twins (with good reason, I believe). I don't really know how to set my expectations. I'd like to be optimistic and think that this year the Twins will get good production from the young guys and the off-season acquisitions will plug the holes and the Twins will score enough to win. Certainly, there are people out there who believe that this will be

Trading Deadline

2006-02-21T03:19:00.000-06:00

Thursday is the trading deadline. Chad Ford of ESPN speculates on three potential trades for the Wolves. Option #1: Minnesota sends Marco Jaric, Rashad McCants, Trenton Hassell, and Eddie Griffin to New York. New York sends Stephon Marbury to Minnesota. Option #2: Minnesota sends Jaric, McCants, Mark Madsen and Griffin to Orlando. Orlando sends Steve Francis to Minnesota. Option #3: Minnesota

Ugk-Ly

2006-02-19T22:19:00.000-06:00

Those All-Star uniforms were just about the ugliest things I have ever seen. I couldn't see the numbers. The two tone uniforms were just terrible. Yuck.

Top 60

2006-02-18T06:38:00.000-06:00

Tonight, TNT will add ten names to the "top 50" players in NBA history. This is, of course, not an official list, made even more unofficial by the fact that it is the on-air personalities on TNT that will be making the selections. There are 20 players nominated. There is a certain 29-year old forward who is a 9-time all star, 7-time all NBA, 6-time all NBA Defense, 1-time MVP who has lead the

Another Trade on the Horizon?

2006-02-17T16:33:00.000-06:00

Next Thursday is the NBA trading deadline. Speculation runs rampant regarding whether the Wolves will make a deal. Coach Casey, what do you think? "I haven't heard anything," coach Dwane Casey said Wednesday night, before his players and assistants scattered for four days of R&R. The Wolves will convene in Washington on Monday evening for their next practice. "As a matter of fact, I haven't

The Lohse Arbitration Case

2006-02-17T10:35:00.000-06:00

From the PiPress: Lohse, who broke into the majors with the Twins in 2001, has never reached an agreement on a contract with Minnesota. Acquired as a minor leaguer from the Chicago Cubs in 1999, he made the Twins renew his contract before the 2003 and 2004 seasons, when he was a pre-arbitration player and had no negotiating power. Last year, Lohse and the Twins went to a hearing over a

Minor League Deals

2006-02-17T08:07:00.000-06:00

When you see the Twins sign a guy like Rueben Sierra to a minor league deal, if you are like me you sigh and think if only we had some good young bats in our system that were ready to go. You might also say we do have guys better than him and I doubt he'll make the team. You may also think that such is life when the payroll is limited. But what do you think when you hear this? The Yankees

He Who Represents Himself...

2006-02-16T15:21:00.000-06:00

You know the rest. In the face of trade talk, Daunte Culpepper issued a carefully worded e-mail to Sid today. Here is the text of that e-mail. Because I am getting so many requests to comment about reported trade talks, I thought it best to make a clear statement that hopefully won't be misinterpreted. I have found over the years that 'people with knowledge of the situation' are usually the

Hoo Boy

2006-02-16T08:29:00.000-06:00

Chris Sheridan writes about his favorite team, the Knicks, on ESPN.COM: The Knicks remain hot for Steve Francis, who shot 3-for-15 in Orlando's loss to Miami on Wednesday, and there are some in the organization who believe a late run at the eighth and final playoff spot in the East is not such an absurd notion. New York would have to finish 26-4 to end the season with a .500 record, but .500

Jim Peterson Speaks the Truth

2006-02-15T21:16:00.000-06:00

Tonight, Jim Peterson said that the Wolves starting lineup should be Banks, Hassell, Davis, KG, and Blount. And Eddie Griffin should be the first big guy off the bench. And Madsen shouldn't play. The Wolves won tonight, but the rotation that Casey has been using hasn't exactly been successful. As I have pointed out, when he concentrates on rebounding, Griffin is one of the very best

No Surprise

2006-02-15T13:28:00.000-06:00

In a decision that should surprise no one, Kyle Lohse won his arbitration case with the Twins for the second consecutive year.

Twins History

2006-02-15T04:42:00.000-06:00

Will Young has written about the deal that sent Rod Carew to the then California Angels. This is an excellent piece and I encourage you to go read what he has written. It's hard to believe how ugly that thing got. Nice work, Will!

Good Service!

2006-02-14T21:38:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I took Lucy out for Valentine's Day. We went to Bonfire in Eagan. We've been there before and the food has been a little spotty, but I thought it was a place that we could probably get into without a problem. We waited for half an hour, which wasn't too bad. When we sat down our hostess said that our waitress was named Kelly and that she was really nice. She also said when she was

Rumor Central

2006-02-14T18:33:00.000-06:00

From ESPN.COM: Feb 14 - The New York Post reported Sunday that Denver, Orlando, Portland and Seattle were interested in trading for Penny Hardway and his $15.7 million expiring contract. On Monday a league executive who spoke with Isiah Thomas told the newspaper that a fifth team is slowly emerging and could be the Timberwolves or Lakers. According to the newspaper, the Knicks and Lakers were

Hey! Did you hear?

2006-02-14T10:41:00.000-06:00

Wolves Lose. To Toronto. At Home. Even though it was close, the Raptors lead pretty much the whole way. This team's unraveling is worse to me than all the years of blatant incompetence.

Perception v. Reality

2006-02-13T19:30:00.000-06:00

Perhaps I'm just crabby. With the performances we've seen from the Wolves last year, the Twins last year, the Vikings, and now the Wolves again, I'm inclined to be a little negative. When the Twins declined my advice to revamp the lineup by trading Hunter and signing some good players, well, I've been surly. There is some feeling that the Twins will better offensively as compared to last year.

Been There, Done That

2006-02-11T22:49:00.000-06:00

Will Young lists the venues where he's seen various sporting events. I thought I'd put my list out there, too. MLB Metropolitan Stadium (Twins) HHH Metrodome (Twins) Kaufmann Stadium (Royals) Busch Stadium (Cardinals) County Stadium (Brewers) Old Comiskey (White Sox) Wrigley Field (Cubs) Three Rivers Stadium (Pirates) Veterans Stadium (Phillies) Camden Yards (Orioles) Yankee Stadium (Yankees)

Wolves Lose

2006-02-11T22:23:00.000-06:00

In other news, the sun expected to rise in the East tomorrow.

Things To Do

2006-02-11T18:52:00.000-06:00

Not taking in the Wolves game tonight. Got things to do. What you ask? Based on the way they are playing, just about anything qualifies as more important.

Burning Ring of Fire

2006-02-11T15:52:00.000-06:00

I seriously doubt that I'll ever watch another movie starring Sylvester Stallone again. Even though he's made a couple of pretty good movies (Rocky and First Blood), the balance of his work leaves me with a generally sick feeling. If you've ever seen Cobra or the absolutely deplorable Demolition Man, I think you know what I'm talking about. What a waste of time. The thing I remember most about

Movie Theater Blogging

2006-02-10T21:25:00.000-06:00

Hey, it's your best buddy SBG, and I'm sitting in the SBG theater waiting for "Walk the Line" to begin. My date, Lucy, went to get some popcorn. I'm glad I didn't spend more than 5 minutes listening to the Debacle at Target Center. The movie is about to begin. Come back later for a review.

What the World Needs is a $2 NBA Ticket

2006-02-10T14:11:00.000-06:00

Love him or hate him, you have to admit that sometimes Mark Cuban makes sense. From the Dallas Morning News: Mark Cuban never wants fans to avoid Mavericks games because seats are too expensive, so he decided to make good on a promise he made years ago. The owner said then that when his payroll became more manageable, he would pass the savings on to fans in the form of lower prices. On Thursday

Wild for Sale?

2006-02-10T09:38:00.000-06:00

Sid reports that the Wild might be for sale at a price of $200 million. I've been wondering why the Wild didn't take the plunge into the free agent market when players were available at a discount following the lockout. Seems like maybe the owner wants to cash out. What is delicious is this nugget from Sid: The word from two sources is that the hockey team will earn about $20 million this year.

SBG in the News

2006-02-09T22:34:00.000-06:00

Kind of. One of my loyal readers MV has been advertising on Seth's website and tonight his "blogvertising" was featured on WCCO TV. The story was talking about blogs and how many people read them and a certain blog that is your daily source for half-baked crap was shown in the video. Check out MV's site Banjo Brothers here and his "Guard Dog Watches" here.

Checking In

2006-02-09T20:25:00.000-06:00

Hi all. I'm tired tonight. The game against Cleveland was disappointing but familiar. The Wolves raced out to a big lead, but couldn't hold on. Here are the numbers. PlayerMINPTSTS%REB/40ASS/40PTS/40POSDISTGENKevin Garnett462148.815.655.2218.2625.51.200.98Ricky Davis443351.46.364.5530.0033.731.661.08Trenton Hassell431351.92.791.8612.0915.180.770.94Marcus

Ricky Ain't Shy

2006-02-08T19:24:00.000-06:00

He's casting like nobody's business. So far he's making, which is good. He's got 11 and the Wolves lead early 19-6. Cleveland's point guard, Eric Snow is no offensive threat, which makes it a lot more palatable to have AC on the floor. AC really gets the ball moving, penetrating and dishing. I'm looking forward to see Marcus Banks.

KG v. LeBron

2006-02-07T22:54:00.000-06:00

It's KG vs. LBJ Wednesday night in Minneapolis. LBJ is 2nd in the league in PER and KG is fifth in the league. Two of the best in the league square off. Check it out.

Which One?

2006-02-07T08:41:00.000-06:00

Given a choice, which career would you rather have? 1. You are a success right away and win a championship. But you suffer a career ending injury very early in your career. 2. You play a long time and are a very good or even great player, but never even sniff a championship. Vote now. Which Career Would You Rather Have?Super Bowl Ring and Early

I Do Not Believe What I Just Saw

2006-02-06T22:23:00.000-06:00

The Wolves beat the Suns by two points in Phoenix tonight. KG gets seven of the Wolves' last 11 points and blocks a shot as time runs out to preserve the win. The Wolves did not play Marko Jaric or Eddie Griffin. The Wolves played a small lineup a lot tonight and they could get away with that against a small Phoenix team. KG scored 12 points early but was scoreless until his seven point outburst

Wolves v. Phoenix

2006-02-06T20:11:00.000-06:00

The game has just started. I'm expecting another loss. The news here tonight is that Mark Madsen and Anothony Carter are starting over Marko Jaric and Eddie Griffin. AC has 16 DNP-CDs so far this year. And he's starting tonight. We are adrift. I'm here for in game comments.

Twins Win in Court

2006-02-06T18:01:00.000-06:00

From the Strib: A judge ruled Monday that the Minnesota Twins don't have to play in the etrodome beyond the 2006 season, increasing pressure on lawmakers to approve a stadium funding package this spring. I'm not surprised with this ruling. I wrote about this back on January 9th. My belief was that the Twins, who have not signed a lease since their 1998 agreement expired after the 2003 season,

Super Recap

2006-02-06T08:51:00.000-06:00

This was the first time in a while that I have gone to an honest-to-goodness Super Bowl party. Lucy and I went to a friend of a friend's place for the Big Game. We missed all of the pre-game hype (thank God) by going to Target. One guy at the party was screaming at the referees the whole game. Then, he said right before half -- let's turn it over. I don't to see the Rolling Dead. Needless

Reusse on Detroit

2006-02-05T11:35:00.000-06:00

At the heart of it, Ol' Patrick is just a great writer. Nice column.

No Good

2006-02-04T23:33:00.000-06:00

The Wolves get killed in Oakland tonight 109-77. That was the worst performance of the year by far. Here are the ugly numbers. PlayerMINPTSTS%REB/40ASS/40PTS/40POSDISTGENEddie Griffin20440.012.000.008.0070.730.57Justin Reed241046.55.003.3316.6716.421.420.69Kevin Garnett301550.814.672.6720.0017.421.200.94Marcus Banks32523.03.756.256.2514.531.940.57Mark Blount17325.57.060.007.065.880.720.51Mark

Casey Calls Out Jaric

2006-02-04T11:38:00.000-06:00

I don't like it when a coach uses the media to challenge a player. I like the idea of keeping that stuff in the lockerroom. But, Dwane Casey spoke up about Marko Jaric, questioning his passion and desire. Rick Alonzo of the PiP quotes Mr. Casey: We've got to have his passion, his hustle, his scrap. He didn't have that in the Detroit game. He didn't have that in the Boston game. Whatever the

At Portland, the Wolves Fritter One Away

2006-02-04T07:17:00.000-06:00

I didn't watch the Timberwolves/Portland game last night, but this morning, I took a look at the write up on ESPN.COM and I just want to throw up. Minnesota loses 89-85 at Portland. Okay, that's bad enough. Then I see KG line. 12-13, 3-5, 27 pts, 15 rebounds, four assists, three blocks. KG is 12-13, and the rest of the team is 24-61. That's 39%. HOW IN THE WORLD CAN KG PLAY 44 MINUTES AND ONLY

Chukker on the SB

2006-02-03T09:48:00.000-06:00

I talked to my mother last night. She doesn't give one hoot about the Super Bowl and has never read this site. She did inform me, however, that Chuck Klosterman was at the Super Bowl and was writing about it on the Internet. She also told me that he takes good care of his parents. I don't know if that was some sort of dig at me, but in any event, I will tell you that the Chukker has nice

Another Trade for the Wolves?

2006-02-03T09:25:00.000-06:00

New York Knicks fan Chris Sheridan writes about the likelihood of every team in the NBA making a deal before the trading deadline. Here's what he has to say about the Wolves. Status report: The departure of Wally Szczerbiak had the underpublicized short-term effect of placating Kevin Garnett, who plans to reassess his long-term commitment to the Timberwolves over the summer. Concerns: Marko

Cris Carter on Daunte

2006-02-03T09:16:00.000-06:00

Reusse got Cris Carter's thoughts on Daunte Culpepper: I can't imagine two darker years for the Minnesota Vikings than trading Randy Moss one year and Daunte Culpepper the next. These are the most talented men to play their positions in the history of the franchise.

Playing Time

2006-02-03T05:46:00.000-06:00

Steve Aschburner writes about how playing has been distributed on the Wolves since the trade. The 4 C's have gotten 109 minutes (out of 240). Wally and 'Kandi were 61 minutes. So the rest of the team has lost 48 minutes. Who's getting minutes cut? Jaric Hudson AC I love AC but he's a 12th man. He can't shoot, but he plays within his game. 12th man. Jaric and Hudson have been two of the

Miami 101, Cleveland 73

2006-02-03T05:41:00.000-06:00

Cleveland had won seven straight games coming into Thursday night's tilt in South Beach. That streak is over. Shaq Daddy, Wade, Payton, and Alonzo Mourning made sure that Bron-Bron went home unhappy. That Miami team is starting to come together, and they could be formidable at playoff time. If any team can give Detroit a run for its money, I'm thinking it's the Heat. Wade is jaw droppingly

Super Hype

2006-02-02T17:43:00.000-06:00

I've got a post coming tonight on the Super Bowl. Not this Super Bowl, SBXL, but the whole thing. Of course, the Super Bowl is great for the league, but from a pure sports standpoint, I believe it's an abomination. The game itself is secondary to the hoopla. Lucy and I are probably going to a Super Bowl party. The person who is throwing the party is a friend of a friend. I don't know for

Looking On the Bright Side

2006-02-02T05:41:00.000-06:00

There's not a lot of happy things to say about last night's loss to the Pistons, but it's not like it's the end of the world or anything. Here are some reasons to forget about last night. 1. The Wolves aren't alone. The Pistons have been doing this to just about everyone. They are outscoring their opponents by almost 10 points a game, and that includes their six losses. The Pistons have

Truthiness

2006-02-01T22:31:00.000-06:00

The Colbert Report is just about the best show on television.

Drat!

2006-02-01T16:58:00.000-06:00

I'll not be able to watch the big Wolves/Pistons game tonight (not Lucy's fault), but I'll be around and checking the site from time to time. Any thoughts on the game can be posted here.

Lakers 130, Knicks 97

2006-02-01T08:57:00.000-06:00

Chris Sheridan from ESPN.COM: The Knicks' 30th loss of this lost season was so dreadful, it was pitiful. [Kobe] Bryant went to the free throw line 26 times, making 23, and stayed in the game past the midpoint of the meaningless fourth quarter just to be certain he made it to 40. Update: I should add that Sheridan is the guy that was praising the Knicks about three weeks ago and how they were

At Detroit

2006-02-01T06:13:00.000-06:00

The Wolves are playing in Detroit tonight. This will be an interesting game, considering the path the Wolves have been down in the last two weeks. The Pistons are coming off of a rare loss in New Jersey last night and that is another angle to look at. Will the Pistons be angry about their 11 game streak being snapped? Have the Wolves caught them at the right time? Or will the Pistons just

Call Me Dante Barbuda

2006-01-31T16:08:00.000-06:00

As you probably know, Michael Vick has been known to use the alias "Ron Mexico" when he um, gets treatment for his, um, affliction. How anyone could not laugh at that name is beyond me. I crack up just thinking about it. Ron Mexico. Puuuh-leeze. Turns out that you, too, can get a "Ron Mexico" name, you know, just in case you need one. Go here and try it out. I typed in the name that my mother

NFL Weight Limit

2006-01-31T12:52:00.000-06:00

The NFL is seemingly made of teflon -- nothing sticks to it. While sportswriters will pile on the NBA and MLB with reckless abandon, the NFL is nearly sacrosanct. Of course, I have a personal bias like everyone else. But, for my money, the NFL has steadily become less interesting to me over the years, even as it becomes more and more entrenched as America's game. I've talked about this at

Sierra signs Minor League Deal with Twins

2006-01-31T11:57:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Seth Stohs, who sent me this information. Ruben Sierra, 40, has signed a minor league deal with the Twins. Also, Tim Raines! Jr., that is.

The Chukker at the SB

2006-01-31T10:16:00.000-06:00

SBGville native Chuck Klosterman is blogging the Super Bowl for ESPN.COM. So far, we've found out that Chuck's GPS "inexplicitly" quit working in Detroit. For more malapropisms and half baked thoughts (something must have been in the water back in SBGville, along with the arsenic), check him out this week.

Boston Reaction

2006-01-31T07:36:00.000-06:00

Reaction from the "Greatest City in the World" after last night's clubbing by the Wolves. Five rows back, around midcourt, a fan raised a sign that read: ''Blount for MVP." Nobody at the Target Center found the message ridiculous, not after what Mark Blount showed his new hometown crowd.He was engaged in every play, passionate, aggressive. He was the player Celtics executive director of

Trade Talk

2006-01-30T21:30:00.000-06:00

Back in mid-October 1989, I was up in Fargo watching the Vikings play Cheesehead Craig's Green Bay Packers. In one of the most memorable games in Vikings history, newly acquired Herschel Walker literally ran out of his shoes in a 26-14 victory for the purple. I had been concerned about how much the Vikings had given up, but after the game I was ecstatic. Like everyone else, the thought in my mind

Stunning

2006-01-30T17:51:00.000-06:00

BEMIDJI, MINN. -- As many as 39 people may have heard about Jeff Weise's plans to take guns into Red Lake High School last spring, federal authorities told victims and families of the shooting victims today, some family members said.

T-Wolves Take on Boston Tonight

2006-01-30T16:01:00.000-06:00

Boston... Boston... Let's see. Who do they have on that team? Paul Pierce, yeah. Brian Scalabrine, mm-hmm. Antoine Walker? Nah, he's down in Miami. We all know that Larry Bird isn't going to be "walking through that door." They do have a G-F from Miami of Ohio by the name of Wally Szczerbiak, who actually may not play tonight, due to the scheduled birth by C-section of his second child. Do you

Where Were You?

2006-01-29T21:08:00.000-06:00

I mentioned earlier that twenty years have passed since the Challenger explosion. It was certainly one of the biggest "I'll never forget it" moments of my life. As a follow up, I guess I thought it would be interesting to hear about the top "I'll never forget it" moments of your lives. I'm going to exclude personal moments -- the death of family members or the birth of my brother or my own

Wally World Continues

2006-01-29T20:53:00.000-06:00

Wally Szczerbiak leads the Celtics in minutes (41) and points (20) as the C's lose to Milwaukee 83-79. Wally shot 8-15. Olowokandi got his second DNP-CD in as many games. If you are looking for criticism of Wally's game, you are not getting it here. He has limitations, that's for sure. But, I've always thought he's played hard and he is certainly an elite shooter in this league. No question

It's Comcastic!

2006-01-29T20:37:00.000-06:00

I have continued to have problems with my Comcast high speed Internet access. I finally called Comcast on Saturday and they verified that I've had long stretches with no access. So, today, I had the technician out for the second time in six weeks. This time, I got a new modem. I'm hopeful that this will solve the problem. I found out that they had certain modems that they had problems with,

Culinary Report

2006-01-29T20:15:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, I discussed Lucy and my disgust with our evening out at Ruby Tuesday and I vowed to cook this weekend and report on my results. You may be asking, SBG what the hell do you know about cooking? Well, I know a little bit about it, having worked as a fry cook for four years in college. I'll admit that being a fry cook is closer to being an assembly worker than anything else, but at

An Outsider's Perspective

2006-01-29T12:56:00.000-06:00

Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News captures the Kevin Garnett situation like few have. For all the abuse that KG has taken over the years for not winnning, the immutable truth is that it is not KG's fault. It is the fault of the Minnesota Timberwolves front office. Good article.

Reusse on Pohlad's Spending

2006-01-29T11:21:00.000-06:00

No one was more critical of "Smilin' Carl" Pohlad in the 80s and 90s than PR. Today, he writes that Pohlad has been "overfunding" the team. I'm not sure what Reusse's motivation is here, other than to take a shot at the Vikings, but it's an interesting read. Personally, I'm not all that upset by the level of the payroll, actually. I've been frustrated by the loyalty to its current players --

Fire Coach Casey

2006-01-29T08:06:00.000-06:00

Wally Scxczberiak in the Boston Globe: Obviously, the calls are a lot different. The sets are very similar, because every team runs the same sets, but the options are just much more abundant on this team. We make a lot more reads and play a lot more freely. I've been in a system where we were running a lot of execution plays every time down the floor. Plays called for this guy, that guy gets

Spurs v. Wolves

2006-01-28T20:04:00.000-06:00

I'm watching the game and checking the site. Drop a comment on the game if you have one.

Peter Vescey on KG/McHale Cat Fight

2006-01-28T14:51:00.000-06:00

From the NY Post. Then again, that was before Sunday afternoon's postgame tongue-lashing by Kevin McHale. According to a source who got it straight from a Minnesota player, the Celtics' Hall of Famer and T'wolves VP of basketball operations barged into rookie coach Dwane Casey's locker room and barbecued the whole bunch for Heimliching a 19-point, late-third-quarter lead on national TV to the

Where Were You 20 Years Ago?

2006-01-28T12:37:00.000-06:00

The Challenger explosion happened twenty years ago today. I was at the Bison Sports Arena in Fargo in my basketball class (three phy ed classes were required for graduation) when word trickled in that there had been an explosion. At first, it wasn't clear what had happened, but after I got home, it was painfully clear. Watching the footage over and over, it was painfully clear how catastrophic

Happy Camper

2006-01-28T11:39:00.000-06:00

Let's just say that Ricky Davis is no Tommy Herr: "It's a great place where I wanted to be from a couple years back," said Davis, who signed a free-agent offer sheet with Minnesota in August 2002 but was blocked when his team at the time, Cleveland, exercised its right to match. During the 2002-03 season, Davis said he still checked out Wolves games and boxscores, thinking about what might have

I (HEART) Ricky Davis

2006-01-28T08:10:00.000-06:00

At least last night, I did. Starting in his first game as a Wolf, Davis made an immediate impression. He exploded for 10 points in the first quarter and kept the Wolves in the game. He kept things going with a 26-point effort, matching his new best buddy, KG and the Wolves win on the road. Yeah, it's only Houston, who have been playing for over twenty games without Yao Ming, but at this point, a

Who Said It?

2006-01-27T22:24:00.000-06:00

"I think [Kobe's] going to get 100, and I think he's going to get it in the next month."

Grandpa Weighs In

2006-01-27T13:28:00.000-06:00

Taylor on K-Mac: McHale can keep this job as long as he wants it. He is my man. He is the guy who is running the team. I don't have any problem with the way he is running it.Sid on K-Mac: After making one of the worst trades in franchise history Thursday -- acquiring Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Justin Reed, Marcus Banks and two conditional second-round picks from Boston for Wally Szczerbiak,

Cautiously Optimistic

2006-01-27T11:59:00.000-06:00

I am cautiously optimistic about the deal. I realize that the Wolves have pushed themselves further into salary cap Hell and have traded for a problem at center who is under contract for four more years. Plus, I don't like giving up the #1 pick again. If this were the Twins, I'd probably be raving like a lunatic and frothing at the mouth. But, you see, I hold Terry Ryan to a higher standard