Gustavus vs. St. Thomas

If you want to find me Saturday night you'll have to venture to St. Peter where my Gusties take on St. Thomas in the MIAC men's basketball championship. I can't think of many places I'd rather be on a given night than Gus Young Court. It's the Cameron Indoor Stadium of Minnesota and should draw close to 3,000 people on Saturday. Lets go Gusties!

Duke Gets Docked

Duke guard Sean Dockery is reportedly out for the season after tearing a MCL in one of his knees. Normally the loss of the back-up guard would mean little to Coach K's club, but this year the Blue Devils are unusually thin off the bench. Unless J.J. Redick and Sheldon Williams get extremely hot in March, the Blue Devils will likely not make it back to another final four.

Shove That Up Your...

Three corporations including Texas Instruments were sued in Minnesota's U.S. District Court on Thursday for a mal-functioning hands-free buttocks cleanser developed for disabled people. The device connects to a person's toilet and allows people to cleanse themselves without using their hands. One man's device overheated and shot hot, burning water up his rectum. Talk about a bad day.

Trade Time

Two major trades were announced today in the NBA and NFL. Randy Moss will apparently be sent to the Raiders for their first round pick (7th overall) and linebacker Napolean Harris. Most "insiders" will say that the Raiders got the better half of the deal, but lets see what the Vikings get with the pick and the extra salary cap room. If they can pick up a free agent like Mushin Muhammed or Derrick Mason and improve their defense then I think this is a good trade.

I would definately be worried, however, if the Vikings go into the season with Nate Burleson and Marcus Robinson as their top two receivers. I like what I saw from Burleson last year, but Robinson disappeared for games at a time which makes me think he is unreliable.

In the NBA, Steven A. Smith has reported that Chris Webber will finally give Allen Iverson and the 76's another bonified star player. The Kings get a trio of players in return with Kenny Thomas being the most notable. It looks like a cost cutting move on the Kings part.

Seeing What Sticks

Fox Sports Net reporter Jack Haley almost guaranteed that the Lakers would be sending a trio of players to Utah for Carlos Boozer. Many scoffed at the rumor saying that the trade made no sense for the Jazz, but Haley stuck to his guns. Now the trade appears to be dead and here is Haley's weak attempt to backtrack.

"I am very confident in my report. Whether it happens or not is not important..."

Apparently now a journalist can just prognosticate anything he pleases and whether it happens or not is beside the point. Haley isn't the only guilty party come trade deadline time. Guys like Peter Gammons, Chris Mortenson and Peter Vescey just seem to throw out ten ideas in the hopes that they are seen as the first one to break the big trade. Steve Silver has spent some time explaining his frustrations with this same topic.

Bubble-icious

The University of Minnesota men's basketball team is teetering mightily on the NCAA tournament bubble. I don't know whether to be happy about the fact that the Gophers actually have a chance to make the field of 64 after last year's disaster, or whether to be frustrated because it's more than likely that Dan Monson's squad will find itself in the NIT.

Hometown Tradgedy

Three Minnesota soldiers were killed in Iraq today bringing the total count to 16. Over 1,500 American soldiers have now died in the war.

The Outsider

Potential Vikings owner Reggie Fowler was back in town and back in front of cameras today trying explain away the "oversights" on his resume. The local media continues to refuse to give Fowler the benefit of the doubt and that could be for several reasons.

It could be hangover from the Tom Clancy situation or it could be because some people really want to see Glen Taylor, a native Minnesotan, get the team. The Clancy situation I can understand, the Taylor situation I cannot.

One of my high school classmates opined that if the resume situation does mean Fowler is out, that at least there is another potential buyer (Taylor) waiting in the wings. So you are telling me that we as Minnesotans are apalled that Fowler would lie on his resume, but we're perfectly A-OK with giving the team to a man who broke NBA rules by signing a player to an illegal contract under the table which caused the team to lose several draftpicks therefore explaining why half of the Timberwolf team will be housed in an assisted living center within five years.

This must be that Minnesota nice that everyone always talks about shining through.

You're cut off

Minnesota state legislator Tom Emmer of Delano proposed stricter punishments for sex offenders in a bill introduced today. Emmer wants judges to be able to order castration for cruel and repeat offenders. The castration would take place chemically by feeding men female-hormone drugs.

While I do agree with tougher penalties for all crimes including sex offenses, I think the idea of castration is ridiculous and borders on cruel and unusal punishment. We don't cut the arms off of men who beat their wives. Lock them up and throw away the key if you have to, but don't start eliminating body parts.

Gusties Clinch MIAC Title

My alma mater, Gustavus Adolphus, clinched its second consecutive MIAC men's basketball championship yesterday with a 72-60 win over Macalester. The win was the Gusties 15th in a row and gives them a 19-5 record on the season. Ranked 21st in the latest Division III men's poll, the Gusties are looking to make their tenth trip to the NCAA tournament in the last 15 years under head coach Mark Hanson.

One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure

The NHL cancelled its season today and let me say that I couldn't be happier. As an admitted basketball fan, I love the fact that hockey highlights are not clogging up my Sports Center telecasts this winter. If I could pronounce half the names in the NHL, I might be able to name ten or twelve current players. The league has serious issues that need to be addressed that have nothing to do with money or a collective bargaining agreement. I'm talking about the fact that too many games end 2-1 or 2-2. It's a typical American opinion, but I just can't get myself to love a game that has a 33 percent chance to end in a tie. A simple rule allowing a shootout would automatically add appeal to the game.

The Pity Awards

I'm going to have to stop watching award shows like the Grammy's after Ray Charles cleaned up tonight. You can't tell me that Charles would have even been nominated if he was alive. There are other ways to honor dead musicians than giving them grammy's. Green Day deserved the awards and that's all there is to it. The same thing happened at the Country Music Awards last year when Johnny Cash won practically every award given.

McHale's Army

I think Kevin McHale had to fire Flip Saunders because of his own inability to move either Sam Cassell or Latrell Sprewell. McHale couldn't make a player change so he was forced to change coaches to make it appear like he tried something. Personally I think it's going to blow up in his face and the Wolves will probably finish seven to ten games below .500.

Dobson's a dope

I wonder why James Dobson hasn't come out vehemently against the popular show Desperate Housewives. The show clearly promotes adultery which according to the Bible is as dirty of a sin as homosexuality. Isn't Dobson worried what this show might do to families? Or is the name of his organization just a way to cover up his bigotry?

Duke 71 UNC 70

Another classic college basketball game tonight in Durham, North Carolina as the Dukies top the Tar Heels by one. Undoubtedly if there is one sports venue that I could attend a game at it would be Cameron Indoor Arena. It's actually a little depressing that I'm now 27 years old and have yet to make the trip to Durham after all these years of faithfully following the Blue Devils.

Priorities people!

Last year state legislators set a record at the capital by getting practically nothing done as party lines remained solid as a brick. The biggest story to come out of the current session makes me wonder if any progress is going to be made this time around.

Apparently a fiery debate over naming a highway after Ronald Reagan had everyone about to boil over in St. Paul last week. I don't pretend know the procedures set in place at the state government level, but shouldn't the proposed bills be introduced and discussed in accordance with some level of priority and importance.

I love Ronnie and all he did for the country, but we can get back to naming highways AFTER we settle a budget defecit, issues with public education and a constitutional amendment surrounding gay marraige.

Change for change sake

The Minnesota Timberwolves lost their sixth straight game tonight as the team fell below the .500 mark for the first time this season. If major changes don't take place soon someone needs to check the pulse of GM Kevin McHale and head coach Flip Saunders.

Saunders refuses to make changes in his line-up despite the fact that Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell continue to do more to hurt the team than help it. Saunders told play by play announcer Chad Hartman tonight that the Timberwolves were just "a few possessions away from having a five game winning streak than a five game losing streak." Flip! Wake up! Change the status quo or you might be looking for a new job.