Monday (a star is born?) edition: Wha’ Happened?
Posted on January 28th, 2008 – 8:31 AMBy Michael Rand
For a weekend that involved no football (unless you were tracking Tom Brady’s ankle with a GPS device), it turned out to be pretty good. The Morneau/Cuddyer signings led natually into TwinsFest. We watched an entire Wolves game Friday night (yes, they have earned the right to go back to their given name). As painful as the ending was to diehards, it reinforced two things in our mind: one, this team has figured things out to a certain degree. They’re playing more like a 30-win team now than a 10-win team. We thought they would slide backwards Sunday night against the nets; instead, the budding superstar named Al Jefferson dropped 40 and 19 on the Nets in a nice victory. That’s 3-2 in their past five, with the two losses being close ones to Denver and Boston. Speaking of Boston, number two: That game Friday reinforced that for as great as he is and as much as he was loved here, Kevin Garnett can not only often be neutralized in big games, but he also doesn’t yet understand what it is to be a winner. Popping out his jersey after a one-point home victory over the worst team in basketball in which he was very mediocre? That was lame. He appears to still have some distance to travel mentally if he is going to help lead Boston to the promised land. … Saturday, we watched a fair amount of figure skating. Yes, you heard that right. We also caught the tail end of the Gophers hanging on for dear life to tie the Badgers in puck and earn one point in Madison. Will there be a WCHA Final Five in St. Paul without the local squad? Sunday, we caught the second half of LeBron vs. Kobe (some say they had teams with them, but we saw no evidence of that).
So: We’re not here to say we don’t need football, but we were surprised at how well we managed to adapt. Next week is the big game; if we can manage to bridge the gap with a few weeks in February, we’ll be home free in March. But it’s not going to be easy. What’s your sporting plan for next month?
14 Responses to "Monday (a star is born?) edition: Wha’ Happened?"
Reading about gutting it through to spring training gave me this most stellar thought..That is, why not rent or borrow 1 or 2 vans for tru blues like us to drive to Ft. Myers !! for spring training ! I mean my esteemed Packers are history and your Vikings were only a footnote this year so animosity over that should be long done, and if not I could always take the alias of Docket or Rave or Joker11 and off to see Delmon play we go…in the sun !! I’ve never seen a Twins game (or any game) in Florida and in dreary Mn March, it will be gas.
And here’s where the Star could kick in. I have a WiFi compatible notebook as I’m sure do many and all those sportswriters down there aren’t plugging in to dial-ups to send their reports so they do too, so, as a novelty, I think the Star might love reports from REAL reporters, we bloggers in the quite reasonable exchange for motel, food and gas expenses to and from Fla. And with this much lead time, I’m sure RandB could swing this. The Star would love this, since it’s getting stale and needs a Hunter Thompson approach to sports before I jump off a bridge watch all these prepubescent girls figure skating…or worse..the men. So RandB get us some vouchers ! We would be great announcers…I have no doubt
RE: Kevin Garnett. I always liked him and thought he was a classy individual, after listening to him whine last year and seeing his display friday night, I am rethinking my stance. That was bush league at best.
RE: sporting events over next month. Hitting the undefeated SWARM this weekend, then going to start getting ready for state wrestling at the end of FEB. I sure I am in the minority in the fact that I really could care less about the Superbowl. I cant stand either team and somehow hope that they both lose…Is Jessica Simpson available to cheer for both teams?
Sporting plan for the next month? Guitar Hero 3
My knee is healing up might nicely, and I can use my old brace….hockey game anyone. Location and time open
College Basketball is getting into full swing that is what is going to consume my February. Well that and trying to figure out why Michael Cuddyer should get paid over $8 million per season.
You missed out on a good college basketball game yesterday. Duke/Maryland showed why the ACC is the best college basketball to watch.
I have a question: Has their been an NBA game with worse coaching than the Wolves/Celts game on Friday? Wittman continues to show why his coaching record is below .300 and Doc Rivers might be one of the 5 worst coaches in the NBA. When you have KG, Pierce, and Ray Allen how can you only beat the Wolves on a last second tip in?
8-35 earns them back their name? For shame, RandBall–your standards are low.
And despite what Sid, Chad, Sludge and especially Lake want everyone to believe, this was not a big game for the Celtics. Maybe slightly moreso for KG, but saying that Friday night’s game showed that KG can “often be neutralized in big games” is absolutely asinine. A true statement, but this game offered no proof, because it just wasn’t big.
For the Celtics, no game will be big until the playoffs at this point. Such is life in the NBA, and why the only attention I pay to it is when forced to endure the folks at KFAN discussing it.
Why watch when you can play, that is can you play 
t51: you just said it was a big game for KG (which it was); therefore, it is valid to say he can be neutralized in big games. He gets too hyped up when the money is on the line (Game 7, western semis vs. Sacto excluded). He rarely shows the cold blood of a winner. Friday was a perfect example.
I think KG’s problem in Beantown is that he is too comfortable just taking what is given to him. When he was with the local team he would occasionally just decide to dominate and he doesn’t do that with the Celts. Part of that is because he wants to make sure that Pierce and Allen get theirs and he doesn’t want to step on their toes.
I watched the Raptors/Celics game last week and it was the same KG. He ended up losing at home and not doing anything to take over at the end of game. If Keanu Reeves has taught me anything it’s that winners want the ball at the end of the game.
If Keanu Reeves has taught me anything
I know Kung-fu
Did anyone watch at least a minute of the NHL All Can’t-Pronounce-The Last Name Game?
(I did only because I was scrolling up from the Discovery Channel to the NASA Channel and ran into VS.)
Miking the goalie in the third period was genius! Especially while he’s doing color commentary while letting in the last-minute winning goal!
Which was the only watchable part of the game. Ramon… I’m so flabbergasted I’m going to finish this comment in the third person… Ramon knows no one wants to get hurt - but have a little pride! It’s a contact sport! They tackle at the Pro Bowl! They play for home field advantage at the MLB game! Okay, the NBA may lighten up on the boards and defense but at least they put on a show.
Ramon likes hockey. He’s sipped Dom out of the Cup. But Pee Wees play harder than that. They could at least hit and play at the same speed they do in practice. Thankfully Ramon watched only ten minutes of the third period of this travesty before continuing on to the NASA Channel.
Because, as we all know, this is NASA’s 50th anniversary. Go ‘Nauts!!
Nobody want to play, ay. I be nice with ya. Just keep your eye on the rock (and it will the bust ya in the mouth Hardehar)
