matt weighs in

I am pretty excited, just like others, for the NBA Finals, which begin tonight. I watched the Celtics or the Lakers play in and win just about every Finals throughout the 1980s, before turning the keys to the championship parade over to a certain team from Chicago in the 1990s. Multiple Hall of Famers playing basketball, the game I like the most, at the highest level possible? Sign me up for a seven-game series, please.

My quick take is that the Celtics should win the NBA Championship over the Lakers in six or seven games. The Lakers are very good at home, so will win at least two games in Staple Center, but I think the Celtics steal either game one or two in LA, eventually clinching it at home in game six or somehow winning game seven on the road.

I know it isn’t a popular prediction, that the Celtics can win game seven on the road, with Kobe Bryant trying to cement his legacy as a top-10 player of all-time, but either Ray Allen or Paul Pierce will have just enough to get it done. Kevin Garnett will match up just fine with Lamar Odom or Pau Gasol in the post, and the Celtics need just enough solid defense from Perkins to make it difficult for the Lakers big men to get comfortable in the block.

I do think that the Lakers length can give the Celtics fits, especially when Rajon Rondo attempts to get to the basket or when they close out on Allen. However, Rondo has become a master at the floater in the lane or going up-and-under after getting the defender in the air. And Allen…well, you don’t become one of the top-five pure shooters in NBA history without knowing how to get your shot off. No matter the angle, he’s always squared up to shoot.

Game one will be a nice gauge to see if the Celtics old legs are fresh for a killer series. Rondo will have to be on top of his game to handle the multiple defenders Phil Jackson will throw at him throughout the game. I think Kobe gets his points, 26-32, but the Celtics defense should bother the other guys just enough to stay in it.

In the end, the Celtics certain Hall of Famers, Garnett and Allen, along with the probable HOFer Pierce, should raise their second NBA Championship banner in three years, defeating the Lakers certain HOFers, Kobe and Coach Jackson. And I will enjoy every trip down memory lane to those 1980’s series that ABC will throw at us over the next couple weeks.

I do love this game.

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One paragraph on the blown call by umpire Jim Joyce at the end of the Tigers-Indians game Wednesday night, denying Armando Galarraga the 21st perfect game in MLB history:
I absolutely hate that this happened. Hate it for Galarraga, for Joyce, for the Tigers team and fans, and for baseball. It was a great story, turned sour. However, I don’t think Joyce should be suspended. He made the mistake, he’s owned up to it, shows he’s tearing himself up for it, and Galarraga has handled it with a class we do not often see from professional players. I’ll add my vote to expanding instant replay and will try to have more on this soon.

The Minnesota Twins open their new ballpark, Target Field, today for an exhibition game versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Over the past month, I have probably read and looked at 40-50 stories, reviews, Flickr photo streams or videos of the building, and I am insanely excited to make my first visit with the family. I estimate that the stories I’ve read represent one-fifth of the total I’ve come across, especially coming through my Twitter feed. There is a nice buzz about the Twins, which is well-deserved right now.

Here are just a few facts I have learned about Target Field:

* First Twins home game outdoors since September 30, 1981
* Target Field has a capacity of 39,504
* The infield is made up of 93% sand, allowing for quick drainage when it rains (up to an inch per hour) and is heated at or near 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Translation: the Twins will play through a lot of rain
* Main scoreboard (as of today) is the fourth largest in Major League Baseball

Two other construction notes that I find interesting are that the wood-backed seats located in select sections are the first wood seats to be added in a new ballpark since before World War II. Also, the Budweiser Roof Deck in left field is the only deck inside a MLB stadium – think Chicago & Baltimore, where decks are on top of buildings across the street.

I just can not get enough of the new field. When I was having trouble getting tickets online to a couple games when single-game tickets went on sale March 13th, I was more than happy to drive to the box office. I didn’t look around as much as I wanted to, as we had plans, but I look forward to a couple afternoon games in May.

As great as the ballpark is, the 2010 Twins team should be nearly as impressive. The front office has built a lineup to win now, and the offense should have no problem scoring runs. If they were still playing in Metrodome, I don’t think the team signs free agents Orlando Hudson or Jim Thome, and they might not have given lengthy contracts to OF Denard Span (5 years) and SP Nick Blackburn (4 years). Joe Mauer was always going to get his money.

The estimated payroll of $96 million (50% higher than opening day 2009) is a direct result of the expected revenue the team hopes to pull in from the new Target Field. That, and the owners are some of the richest people in Minnesota, so, yeah, they can spend some money in the coming years.

One of the Twins items I came across on Twitter within the last week was a Twins fan and blogger looking for 2010 Minnesota Twins predictions. I thought, “Hey, I can do that!” Without further delay, here are my Twins predictions for 2010:

Twins-Specific Predictions
- Twins MVP: Joe Mauer (best in the A.L. has to be best on the team, right?)
- Twins Top Pitcher: Scott Baker (expect big things from Big Spot Scott)
- Twins Best Rookie: Danny Valencia (when he makes it to Minneapolis)
- Twins Most Improved Player: Francisco Liriano (could average 12+ Ks per 9 innings)
- Bold Predictions (think of several if you’d like): Mauer, Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel, Jim Thome, Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer finish with 15+ homeruns (I would say 20+, but not sure Thome gets enough at bats. Also, whoever becomes the closer will finish with 30+ saves.
- A.L. Central Prediction (Standings): Twins, White Sox, Tigers, Indians, Royals
- Three Keys to Success for the Twins: 1) someone emerging as primary closer 2) M & M boys’ health holds up through October 3) one starter getting 20 victories.

Rest of the League Predictions
- A.L. MVP: Mauer or Mark Teixeira
- N.L. MVP: Hanley Ramirez (the only one to supplant Pujols here)
- A.L. Cy Young: Felix Hernandez (his talent & team allow him to explode)
- N.L. Cy Young: Roy Halladay (move to NL will be very good
- A.L. Rookie of the Year: Michael Brantley
- N.L. Rookie of the Year: Jason Heyward (this guy will be good for a long time)
- A.L. Breakout Player of the Year: Denard Span (nice lineup behind him & he will produce)
- N.L. Breakout Player of the Year: Stephen Strasburg (awesome pitching prospect)
- A.L. Comeback Player of the Year: Francisco Liriano
- N.L. Comeback Player of the Year: Chris Carpenter
- A.L. Playoff Predictions: Twins, Yankees, Rays & Mariners
- N.L. Playoff Predictions: Phillies, Cardinals, Braves & Dodgers
- World Series Prediction: Yankees beat Phillies (these teams might meet in W.S. for next five years)

I really want to pick the Twins to win the World Series, but not having the number one starter like other teams and losing Joe Nathan as their closer costs them in the post-season once again. Nathan would have been better this October than last year. The Twins will score runs, challenging the Yankees for the MLB lead this year, but will just miss the World Series.

It will be a very successful year for the Minnesota Twins, and fans should enjoy the season. We have our Twins gear, thanks to a long trip to Target the other day, and we’re ready to watch outdoor baseball at Target Field for the first time in downtown Minneapolis.

Sports fans of Minnesota teams just finished one of the most exciting six-month stretches in recent memory. The two favorite teams in the state were relevant and played meaningful games late in their season. Between the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings, we were treated to some great action on and off the field by both teams. The Twins made a late-summer, early-fall run in the Central Division, the Vikings signed Brett Favre, the Twins played a first round playoff series against the New York Yankees, and the Vikings played like a Super Bowl contender for most of their season. Overall, there were great moments, and fans had every reason to be engaged and optimistic for their teams from mid-August 2009 to late-January 2010.

August 18, 2009, began with the Twins six games under .500, playing in Texas against the Rangers who were 17 games over .500. That night, Joe Mauer hit two homeruns in a 9-6 come-from-behind Twins win. Oh, and earlier in the day, the Vikings officially signed Brett Favre, turning them into an immediate Super Bowl contender and media obsession. August, September, and October put Minnesota in the middle of the sports world, as the MLB season came to a close and the NFL season started to heat up.

The Twins win against the Rangers was the beginning of a great stretch of baseball to end the season, where they won 31 of their last 45 games. They survived losing Justin Morneau and being three games out of first place with four games left to finish tied with the Detroit Tigers atop the Central Division. This set up a one-game playoff at Metrodome, which would close to professional baseball when the Twins season ended. Game 163, on a Tuesday night, achieved instant classic status, as it lasted 12 epic innings. The Twins won on a single by Alexi Casilla in the bottom of the 12th that scored Carlos Gomez, who slid head-first at home plate and leapt high into the air, expressing the joy 55,000 screaming fans shared.

The noise from the Twins-Tigers game was just a carryover for what had happened the previous night in the same building. Brett Favre led an undefeated Vikings team on Monday Night Football against his former team, the Green Bay Packers. Favre had joined the Vikings and immediately made them his team, leading them to two road victories against inferior teams and two hard-fought home victories, including the dramatic game-winning touchdown with :02 left against the San Francisco 49ers. Minnesota fans collectively settled in for the fall, believing in the team and Favre, all building up to his first appearance against the Packers.

The build-up was huge, but even more so since it was Monday Night Football on ESPN (as though they needed an extra reason to pump up Favre wearing purple). The Twin Cities were electric, since the football game was the first of two huge games in consecutive nights in Metrodome. As you know, Favre performed well, leading the Vikings to a 30-23 victory. In the two games against the Packers, he finished with seven touchdown passes, zero interceptions, and two victories, which proved to be huge in leading the Vikings to the NFC North Division title and earning the first round bye in the playoffs. There was a lot of optimism for a nice Super Bowl run for the Vikings, which was not matched when the Twins met the Yankees in the fall.

The Twins did not fare that well against the Yankees, getting swept out of the playoffs. At least they gave us some exciting moments. They scored first in the series opener, only to see the Yankees score the final seven runs, losing 2-7. Game 2 was the one that really hurt, as the Twins had a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning. Joe Nathan, Minnesota’s great closer, gave up a leadoff single to Mark Texiera, before facing Alex Rodriguez. On cue, in new Yankee Stadium, Rodriguez tied the game with a two-run blast to right center. The Twins had a chance to take the lead in extra innings, but could not score with the based loaded and nobody out in the top of the 11th. The Yankees then won it in the bottom of the inning. Down two games to zero in the series, the Twins returned to Metrodome for one last game, but fell 1-4, ending their season much later than anyone thought on that day in mid-August when the beat the Rangers. They played great baseball down the stretch and now move to their new home at Target Field. MLB returns to the outdoors in Minneapolis. But not before the Vikings had the whole state buzzing.

The Vikings went 10-1 in their first 11 games before stumbling late in the season. They lost three of their final five games, all on the road. Their last lost was against the Bears in Chicago, when they still had homefield advantage in the playoffs on their radar. They got down 0-16 at halftime, but beginning with the second half of that game, the Vikings played perhaps their best stretch of football of the season. They scored 30 points in the second half, before falling in overtime, ending their bid at homefield.

The final week of the season, they rolled over a New York Giants team who had mailed in their season, since they had nothing for which to play. However, the Vikings still put 44 points on the board, giving them some confidence heading into the playoffs, where they had a first round bye. Fans were excited and looked at the long shot possibility of hosting the Packers in the game to go to the Super Bowl. We watched as the Packers lost a thriller in Arizone, and we moved on. The Vikings second round opponent was the Dallas Cowboys, whom many had jumped on as possible NFC favorites, since they had played pretty consistent football down the stretch.

The Vikings thoroughly outplayed the Cowboys in all phases of the game, winning 34-3, putting them in the NFC Championship game in New Orleans. We were very confident the Vikings could go to the Big Easy and win the game, and you could see purple on Bourbon Street for days in advance of the game.

The Vikings and Saints played a great game, another instant classic involving a Minnesota team. The Vikings could not close it out, losing in overtime after having a great chance to win the game with a field goal in regulation. They proved they were a really nice team, moving the ball against the Saints all game, stopping the Saints’ potent offense, and put themselves in position to advance to the Super Bowl. In the end, turnovers by Favre, Peterson, and the receivers were too much to overcome. After a great season, the Vikings ended their playoff run with a “Stomach Punch” loss – and the fans might still be feeling it.

The last six months have been very exciting for Minnesota sports. I put it on par with a stretch in 1991-1992, when the Twins won the World Series, Minneapolis hosted the Super Bowl and the Final Four, and the Minnesota North Stars made it to the Stanley Cup (they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins). I was only 13-14 years old at the time, but I remember it as an unbelievable time to live here. The Twins and Vikings provided memories for fans young and old with timely plays, clutch performances, exciting finishes, and playoff baseball and football. For those two days in early October 2009, Minneapolis was the center of the sporting world, and those of us cheering for Minnesota wins were rewarded with great performances.

The teams couldn’t “get the money” in the end, but no one will say it wasn’t worth the ride. With an impending contract extension for Joe Mauer, Francisco Liriano throwing darts in Winter League, and pitchers and catchers reporting for the Twins in a few weeks, we’re about to start all over again. Many Vikings’ fans are hoping Brett Favre will announce he will return for one more season, as the pieces are mostly still in place for another run to the Super Bowl next year.

As great as this time has been, we’re ready to look forward. I think there are good things to come in 2010 for Minnesota sports fans. The Twins and Vikings will be the teams that provide the excitement.

Sports prognosticators like to use the phrase, “On paper, [insert superior team here] is so much better than [insert inferior team here].” Usually, it’s a big market team named as the superior team and a team from Minnesota, Milwaukee, Memphis, etc. who receives the inferior label. Such is the case in the American League Divisional Series that begins tonight between the MN Twins and NY Yankees.

The Twins earned their way into the playoffs, whether they deserved it or not. They beat a badly slumping Detroit Tigers team in their epic play-in game Tuesday night. Orlando Cabrera, Jason Kubel and Michael Cuddyer have been on fire at the plate and the Twins’ relievers have been really good since September 1st. The team looked dead in the standings a month ago, but that was before they improbably reeled off 17 wins in 21 games to come all the way back and defeat the Tigers. Sure they needed some final Metrodome Magic, but I’ll make no apologies, as the Tigers faltered late and didn’t earn the playoff spot.

Which brings us to the series against the Yankees. I heard the lineup they’re running out there tonight, and I don’t know a more packed lineup in baseball. Jeter, Damon, Texeira, Rodriguez, Matsui, Posada, and Cabrera (who would bat 3-6 in most lineups). After Alex Rodriguez returned to their lineup, when many thought the team was underachieving, they really took off, passing the Rays and Red Sox over the summer, and never looked back. They will be hard to beat this post-season. Their pitching isn’t deep after Sabathia, so if the Twins can somehow steal one in New York, it’s their only chance to upset the mighty Bronx Bombers.

I don’t see the Twins winning three games against the Yankees. New York will win the first playoff series in the new Yankee Stadium in four games. Perhaps Minnesota and the fans in the Metrodome can provide one final miracle before saying goodbye to the 2009 season. Win Twins!

The Minnesota Vikings moved to 4-0 in gunslingin’ fashion. Many in the media are comparing Brett Favre’s performance on Monday Night Football to that of a surgeon, slicing the Green Bay Packers defense with the precision of a very delicate surgery. I would argue that he was more of a butcher, leaving the Packers pass defense a chopped and bloodied carcass on the Metrodome Mall of America Field turf.

I thought the Vikings would win by around 10 points, which was close to the 30-23 final score, and I think I’m comfortable with how the last five minutes played out, when the Packers cut the lead from 16 points down to 7. However, it seemed like the Vikings outplayed the Packers by more than what the final score indicated. And I’ll take that, since it means they’re 4-0, leading the Bears by one game in the division and two games up on the Packers. The win also moved the Vikings to 3-0 in the NFC, which could come into play when deciding home-field advantage in the playoffs.

My Vikings’ MVPs for the game are:
* Favre ->Not a surprise, considering the game he had. But it was surprising how well he played against his former team, based on the Vikings’ passing game previously this season. Maybe the end of the 49ers game last week, when he threw the TD with :02 left, gave Favre and the receivers confidence to trust each other and be more on the same page than they’ve been so far. Whatever happened in practice last week, we’ll take it.
* Packers offensive line ->What a mess that unit was. They knew they were going to have to be perfect throughout, and they weren’t even mediocre for any stretch of the game: 8 sacks given up (4.5 to Jared Allen), multiple hits on Aaron Rodgers, no consistent holes for the running game, and no push at all when they were at the one-yard line going for an important TD in the 2nd half. They need to work stuff out in the coming weeks, or the Packers will be out of the playoff picture before the midway point of the season.
* Jared Allen, Ben Leber, Sydney Rice (tie) ->Allen was a beast. Besides the 4.5 sacks, he had multiple hits on Rodgers and had him on the run a few other times. The Packers coaches rarely gave the left tackle help, and Allen took advantage. Leber continues to make plays when they’re needed. He single-handedly kept nine points off the board in the 2nd half. Seven when he made a tackle at the one-yard line on the goal line stand, and another two when he tipped the two-point conversion pass, keeping the score 30-20 in the 4th quarter. He came up big. Rice, like Leber, continues to make plays and is growing as a 3rd year wide receiver. He’s caught a touchdown pass two straight weeks and made the two huge recoveries on the onside kicks to end the game (side note: those were spectacular onside kicks by Crosby of the Packers. Drove the ball into the ground where it bounced hiiiiiigh up in the air. The Vikings did a great job of fending off the rushing Packers, so Rice had time to jump and get the ball). With Bernard Berrian showing signs of being over his hamstring injury, having Rice on the other side as a bona-fide weapon makes the Viking offense quite scary.

Overall, a great night at MOA Field for the Vikings, their fans, and for Brett Favre against his former team. He downplayed the game all week, but we know, based on his reactions on the TD passes, that it meant a little bit more than any other game.

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The Minnesota Twins, too, play a huge game at the Metrodome (I think it’s still called the Metrodome for them). Anyway, the Detroit Tigers caught a break by having a day off before today’s deciding baseball game. The Tigers limped into game 163, having lost 4 of 7 games the previous week to blow the American League Central Division, a division they led since May.

Scott Baker is pitching for the Twins, and I really think he is going to earn his nickname “Big Spot Scott.” He’s going on plenty of rest and should pitch superbly, if he’s able to control his nerves. The Tigers counter with a 20-year old rookie in Porcello, who should end up with the AL Rookie of the Year. I think this spot will be too big for him, and the Twins’ hot bats will continue to stay on fire.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Twins get to Porcello early, with 55,000 screaming fans panting for more Metrodome magic after last night’s football game. Joe Nathan will close out the game, and I predict Minnesota wins by 2-3 runs.

Bring on the Yankees!

I am not outraged. Read almost any sports writer on the main sites, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, etc, and they are outraged. What a bunch of high-horse, sit-on-a-pedestal, I-need-to-write-this-because-this-is-what-the-readers-expect nimrods.

I don’t like that Alex Rodriguez and many others took steroids to help stay sharp during the long season and help improve their already very skilled game (Miguel Tejada was just charged in court today for lying about his use). However, for these writers and sports talk guys to come out and say that baseball, past, present and future has forever been tarnished is absolute bologna. Unless they’ve had their head in the sand for the past decade, the revelations by Sports Illustrated in the last few days are not new, and how they obtained the results probably falls under the category of criminal.

Journalists, especially in these 24 hour news, gotcha journalism days, will do anything to get a scoop and get themselves noticed by the masses. Selena Roberts and David Epstein probably did do some great investigative work, but at what expense? At least four people should probably go to jail for leaking A-Rod’s name from the list of 104 players who tested positive in 2003. From what I’ve heard/read, the tests were supposed to remain anonymous, with no names attached. If 5% of the tests from that year came back positive, mandatory testing was supposed to automatically kick in the next year – 7% were positive. The results were supposed to be destroyed, as baseball had no official penalty for a positive test then.

Where are the other 103 names? Why is A-Rod alone taking the hit for this, besides being the big name? Are there other motivations? If you were one of the players from 2003, whether you are on that list or not, aren’t you upset, because now the whole season is under suspicion and therefore you are too? 104 players equals 4 full baseball teams, which means about 10% of the players that year were using steroids.

How can many of these journalists justify ripping A-Rod without roundly ripping the management of the game back then and demand that all names be released? From the clubhouse to the board room, they had their head in the sand for decades, and they’re just sitting in their high-rise offices, collecting their millions, washing their hands of the whole situation. Hell, the journalists themselves, who today are on the stump saying the game will never be the same are the same ones who ignored the signs throughout the 90s.

I just don’t like it. I hate that players, good players, even MVPs and Hall of Famers made the decision to juice. But, I hate it even more that there are people getting paid to write and lazily jab and wag their finger at players who were trying to get better, as they sit on their fluffy couch eating potato chips. Roberts and Epstein will make the sports radio rounds as they talk about scooping this story. In my opinion, they should stop by their lawyers’ offices to begin their case to defend their sources leaking confidential information.

A-Rod doesn’t owe anyone – not the Texas Rangers owner, not the Yankees, not the Commissioner – an apology, except the fans. And he did that in a pretty decent act of contrition in his interview with Peter Gammons the other night. You could tell on his face that he was upset, both for doing it and for getting caught (illegally – I just can’t let the leakers go, on this), but he said he was sorry, said he’ll move on, which is what we all need to do when it comes to the issue of baseball and steroid use. It’s old news, the game is moving on, their stiff banned-substance policy in place. But some are stuck in the past. The players can’t be suspended, they can’t be fined. I will say that it would be a great gesture if A-Rod donated some of his earnings from 2001-2003 to charity (he is being honored soon for his $3.9 million gift to his school). He has the money. It would be a good gesture and maybe it would help restore his character amongst the writers.

My guess, though, is they might extend a hand of goodwill to him, but are just as likely to write that giving away the money is just a stunt to help his image. These knuckleheads want it both ways, will write the angle that they think will get them the most readers and have no regrets. It’s lazy. I am not outraged at the players at this point. I’m outraged at the outrageous response.

I don’t know if everyone at catnamedpig has been as enthralled by the Olympics as me, but we’ve spent a little bit of time in front of the tv for the last week. In saying “a little bit,” I mean, of course, from 7pm until after midnight. Siena’s usually there for the first hour, Laura gives up by 10pm, and I’ve been in it for the long haul.

I don’t exercise really at all, except for playing basketball on about 14 Sundays each year. But I might take up swimming, which like most kids, I spent everyday doing in the summer during my youth. We’ve been doing it with Siena and Elliot almost every weekend this summer, and then watching the Olympics this last week has made me think, like a lot of people, that it might be fun to get into it again.

However, unlike in my youth, when I would spend three-to-four hours at the pool every afternoon, I fear that I won’t be able to stick with it, as swimming laps isn’t nearly as fun as diving off the diving board, playing marco polo or tag and trying to dunk my friends. In fact, my guess is that I will be out of the water within 30 minutes the first time I try to actually swim.

Four or five years ago, I agreed to swim ten laps in a swim-a-thon for the YMCA, for which I raised maybe $25. For some reason, after finishing ten laps, the lifeguards keeping track of the swimmers pushed me to go for 20. I have no idea why, but I agreed, even though I rested about 30 seconds after laps seven, eight, nine and ten. I was breathing hard and wanted to go home.

Ten minutes later I was done – that’s one length per minute if you’re scoring at home. I pulled myself out of the water, walked wearily to the locker room, sat on the bench and almost passed out. I distinctly remember putting my head between my legs, so I didn’t fall over in front of the 3-year-old boy and his dad on the other side of the room (side story: When I was 15, I passed out in a McDonald’s in Mankato, MN, while waiting in line to order breakfast. I was ok, thanks to the 7-year-old boy behind me who broke my fall. My VFW baseball teammates didn’t let my ego recover for awhile, though).

So, with that in mind, I might begin to swim and get some exercise outside of lifting up two kids every day. I expect to be eating as much as Michael Phelps does within 3 months.

I’ve also been following the Minnesota Twins A.L. Central Division race pretty closely and wish they could somehow get in front of the White Sox by a game or two soon. Every time the Twins have pulled ahead in the standings, they lose the next game and fall behind again. I was skeptical when they called up Francisco Liriano two weeks ago, but am very happy they did. The results have been great.

And speaking of the Twins, I’m excited about their new ballpark.

I was moaning and groaning a month ago about election season and how I really didn’t want it to be here, how I couldn’t believe we had been hearing from candidates for over a year now and how the primaries and caucuses shouldn’t happen until closer to spring. I don’t think I’ve changed my mind much on this; however, I am very, very excited about the Democratic candidates and am having a hard time deciding who I whole-heartedly support (maybe I need Bush to come be my “decider”).

Sure, I placed a vote at the MN caucus on Tuesday night, but was it for who I really believe in? Should I support the candidate who has pretty much started a movement across the country and has songs inspired by his speeches? Or do I support the candidate who knows exactly what she’ll do from day one and won’t waste any time if she steps into the White House on January 20, 2009?

According to the Presidential-match survey I took later on caucus night, I probably wrote down the wrong name. But I don’t feel bad at this point, because I know I will be supporting either the first female or first African-American President of the United States come election time in November.

Damn, that feels good to write.

Other thoughts…

It’s a good thing Laura planned an awesome 31st birthday for me last week. I had been bummed leading up to it, because the Johan Santana trade finally went through. You know how I feel about this. I could not feel more terrible about the Twins upcoming season. The only 2 things I’m seriously looking forward to are seeing if Liriano will be the same as he was before and knowing that I’ll ride the light rail to the Metrodome to watch a game, which will make Siena and Elliot very happy (and me).

Next, the Super Bowl…that freaking Super Bowl. Eli Manning – Super Bowl MVP, Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Patriots not coming up with one stop in the 4th quarter when they needed it. 3rd and 11 – 1st down. And most unbelievable of all…The Great Escape, as I call it. 3rd and 5, 2 defensive hands on his jersey, he spins away, heaves it just to get rid of it and a guy with 7 catches all year (7, right?) pins the freaking ball to his helmet as he’s falling to the ground AND HANGS ON while a guy is punching at the ball, his helmet and him. No way the Giants should have won that game. No way they should have even had a chance to win that game. No way the Patriots should have come out as conservative as they did to begin the game and NO WAY SHOULD ELI MANNING EVER BE SUPER BOWL MVP OVER TOM BRADY, RANDY MOSS, BILL BELICHECK AND THE PATRIOTS DYNASTY.

If I was a betting man, I would have been taken to the cleaners. I chastised everyone who picked the Giants leading up to the game. I still think it was a bad bet to make, but you can’t argue with the results. If you took the Giants, you shouldn’t have, but enjoy your filet mignon, nice bottle of wine and bippity-boppity-bacon wrapped shrimp you can buy with your winnings.

Finally, KG (may) come to town on Friday. Doesn’t look like he’ll play, but I hope the Timberwolves still do some sort of video tribute to him before the game or halftime.

He put this franchise on his shoulders for 11 years and despite managements’ mis-management of the team, took them to the playoffs more times than they should have gone and played with anybody they asked him to play with. He put up hall-of-fame numbers while making hall-of-fame money.

He was worth every penny.

Well, it may have finally happened. Reports are out that the Minnesota Twins have screwed over the fans and traded Johan Santana. If it goes through, time, of course, will tell whether or not the Twins got enough in return, but I am beside myself right now.

We don’t know if any of the players coming in return will definitely be on the field opening day, and this was the one thing they needed to get – at least one proven player that could help out right away. I don’t care that he went to another league. If this is saving grace for fans to make it ok to them that Johan was traded, so be it, but it’s a smoke screen.

Maybe the Twins were in an impossible situation with Johan. Break the bank and sign him or trade him and get raked over the coals for not getting enough back. I guess Terry Ryan got out at the right time. Maybe he knew the direction the team was going in the off-season and didn’t want that to be his legacy. The Twins needed to open the new stadium in 2010 with Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter and Johan Santana. Now, 2 of those 3 are gone.

Out of everyone who was on the roster on Tuesday morning, Johan was the only one that casual fans would make a point to go to the ballpark to see. We’d look at the pitching match-ups to see when it was his turn to take the mound, and we’d make our way to the park. Only Santana could get 30,000 people into the Metrodome for a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon game.

For other reactions, read La Velle E. Neal III’s blog over on StarTribune.com or Rube Chat at KFAN’s website.

Random thoughts on the sporting world heading into the last weekend of 2007:

* Has anyone cared about the bowl games, yet? You know a playoff is needed when the biggest story, so far, is whether or not a guy on the sidelines (not even a coach, player or trainer) touched a bouncing ball before his team recovered. Even if he didn’t touch it, shouldn’t they have been penalized for all those guys being on the field, which would give the other team the ball back anyway? Apparently, Chris Jessie is the head coach’s stepson and in charge of coordinating the team’s travel and hotel reservations. And he’s on the sideline of a bowl game. Oh well. There is a BS in BCS (one of my favorite sayings, by the way).

* KG won’t let the Celtics slow down all year. I doubt they’ll match the Bulls’ 72 victories from ’95-’96, but damn, he has lit something under Paul Pierce that will carry them to a #1 seed in the East and well into June 2008. However, is it possible that KG’s current team sets the all-time win record, while his former team sets the all-time loss record? Can’t wait to see the outcome of their Feb. 8^th game at Target Center (note to Laura: that’s close to my birthday).

* NBA season has 6 months to go? Maybe thoughts on that another time, although it is now more intriguing than it has been in years. I miss “NBA on NBC” – one of my favorite lead-in tv musical anthems of all-time. I know some of you are humming it right now.

* I believe the Vikings blew their season last Sunday night at home against Washington. Win and they were in the playoffs, which no one could have foreseen after 34-0 in Lambeau. I heard the guys on KFAN’s morning show (AM-1130 in the Twin Cities) talking after the Washington game that if it had been outdoors, instead of in the ‘dome, the outcome would have been different. Really? What part of this Vikings team is so tough that playing in 18 degree, snowy weather gives us more faith in them to produce in such a huge game?

* I think the Giants will beat the Patriots, leaving the Pats 15-1 on the year. I want them to go 16-0 and win the Super Bowl (since the Vikings will be out of it, of course), but the Giants seem to do something every year to save Tom Coughlin’s job. They’ll win this game, giving them 11 wins, then won’t do much in the playoffs, but he’ll still have his job and that constipation-type pained look on his face.

* Johan’s still here, so I have hope the Twins will re-sign him. By the way, less than 2 months until pitchers and catchers report.

Happy New Year to all and to all a big drink!