Friday Night Long Snapper: Part II
Posted on May 23rd, 2008 – 12:00 PMBy Michael Rand
Continue on, Ramon, with your homage to Peter King:
FIVE THINGS I THINK I AM THINKING ABOUT
1. I think I’m thinking about Mychal Thompson. For no other reason than it it’s a beautiful Friday, a day that reminded me of few spring and summer months, many many years ago, I spent working at a popcorn shop next to the athletic footwear store Thompson worked (cough) while a freshman in college.
a. The fact the Spurs traded Thompson to the Lakers - for Frank Brickowski, Petur Gudmundsson, two draft picks and cash – because he matched up with McHale his whole career reminds me what I miss about the NBA these days: The great team rivalries.
b. Going into a Thompson vs. McHale wormhole brought me here … a very odd site obsessed with everything Celtic green, McLovin’, KG, and the (conspiracy theory) relationship between Ainge and McHale.
c. Was I secretly rooting for the Cavs? Not so secretly. Not because of KG but rather the awe that is LeBron. Okay, maybe a little because of KG.
d. The Lynx will be better than the Wolves.
2. I think I’m thinking about the best sports books I’ve read and the ones I haven’t. Saddened to see any list with Buzz Bissinger’s name above Ring Lardner’s. And so many young readers’ books never make these lists. My favorite was “Touchdown For Tommy”. What about you readers? What was your favorite sports book as a kid?
a. The word on John Feinstein’s new Glavine / Mussina book isn’t great.
b. Got home late from work to a rerun of “Field Of Dreams.” Like many readers, I’ve seen it numerous times, and each time Kevin Costner’s performance gets worse. The cringe factor at his wooden reading of the line “I only saw him years later when he was worn down by life” keeps growing. Would rather see “North Dallas Forty” every night.
c. If you haven’t read Jane Leavy’s “Sandy Koufax – A Lefty’s legacy, do it.
RAMON > FRIDAY NIGHT LONG SNAPPER (CONT)
3. I think I’m thinking about the dynamics of Minnesota sports fans. Went to a Twins day game a few weeks ago. My friend who holds the season tickets remarked it was an unusually vocal crowd for a Twins game. Seemed more like the crowd at a Low show.
Reminded of a comment another friend, a rabid hockey fan
who has been to quite a few NHL arenas, at a Wild game a few years ago. His feeling was that the X is so nice and with so many amenities compared to other arenas, that the crowd is more into the experience than the game. His name: Eddie Shore.
4. Eight Belles and Big Brown … if that poor filly wouldn’t have broken down we may have seen the racehorse version of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
a. Love the free admission coupons to Canterbury Park you get at Twins games. More than I love the left side of the infield.
5. I think I’m thinking about Carl Eller, and Mark Craig’s fine article in the Strib. The PPE’s (including Gary Larsen) represent more than Viking’s lore, but also an era of pro football (and pro sports in general) where we wanted our players to be characters more than have it. In good Westerns the heroes wore white hats; in a greats Westerns they sometimes wore black. We should take into account the joy he gave us those many Sundays and the blood and guts he left on the field for our enjoyment, before they put him out on the proverbial ice floe. Maybe I’d feel different if he had made Jared Allen money, but I feel hypocritical saying Eller shouldn’t be treated any differently than, say, this guy. We treated him differently when he was a great Viking. Now, with legal and health issues, simply blind justice? As much as Eller has to pay for what he did, the punishment not only needs to fit the crime but also the criminal. I’m sure that no one agrees with me and there are situations where I don’t agree with myself. Still, I have more sympathy than antipathy, as opposed to someone who has given nothing to society.
Reading that Eller, Marshall and Page still meet regularly for lunch made me think it would make for a good Richard Price short story. Sort of like the reunion scene at the end of “Rounders.”
16 Responses to "Friday Night Long Snapper: Part II"
Who would have known that Ramon was such a deep thinker?
What was your favorite sports book as a kid?
I remember liking the John R. Tunis books, particularly The Kid from Tompkinsville and World Series
I also liked Maniac Magee (but that’s only loosely sports related)
Catcher with a Glass Arm was pretty good, too, if I remember correctly.
I’ve looked at picking up Summerland by Michael Chabon, and Playing for Pizza by John Grisham, too.
As much bashing as Buzz Bissinger has been getting lately, and he deserves every bit of it, Friday Night Lights is a must read for anyone that played HS Football. It is still one of my favorite sports reads.
I loved Catcher with a Glass Arm, same with Look Who’s Playing First Base. Actually, all of the Matt Christopher books were favorites of mine as a kid.
Comments:
1. Sports books. I read a metric ton of those Weekly Reader sports biographies. However, the Babe Ruth one never mentioned the hookers, and the Mickey Mantle one never mentioned the insane drinking. Weird.
That said, the one that stuck with me most was The Bronx Zoo by Sparky Lyle, his account of the 1978 Yankees. I was probably way too young to be reading it (”Why are they pooping on cakes, Dad?”), but my God, it was funny.
2. My friend who holds the season tickets remarked it was an unusually vocal crowd for a Twins game. Seemed more like the crowd at a Low show.
If you’re trying to get me to buy you a beer, keep making those jokes.
3. The Eller question is way too complicated for me to tackle with the Memorial Day weekend waving at me in the near-distance. Short version of my take: what Ramon said.
Carl Eller may not be Souksangouane Phengsene, but there needs to be justice no matter who you are/were. Isn’t that the point of “justice”? At least if you believe in it. That wrongdoing will be punished equally no matter the person…
It’s idealistic, and it’s definitely not how it works most of the time, but shouldn’t we strive for it?
Could not agree more. Friday Night Lights is one of the best books ever.
I hope when I’m 60+ I’ll be able to body slam a cop onto the hood of a car while being tasered. I don’t care who you are that’s just impressive.
Now that I’ve gotten the idol worship out of my system, I don’t see any way that he can get out of this without jail time. I’m guessing it’ll be less than a year with a significant amount of probation.
Funny I was thinking about Mychal Thompson too, watching C’s/Pistons last night. When he was a Wolves commentator, he called Chauncey Billups “The Butler” because he thought Chauncey was a butler’s name. And when Billups would drive to the hoop, Thompson would say, “The Butler… Servin’ it up!”. Every time I watch Billups score, I always think “…servin’ it up!”
How long is Rand gone for? I’m jonesing for those Movie Quotes. I’m likely to snap if I don’t get my fix.
jama: I’m just surprised you’re alive after Joker’s list of Bears QBs…
Jama, bide your time with these:
“If you were my son, Mac, I would’ve smothered you by now.”
“Smothered me in gravy you big dirty man.”
“Do I look like a cat to you boy? Am I jumpin’ around all nimbly bimbly from tree to tree? Am I drinking milk from a saucer? DO YOU SEE ME EATING MICE? ”
“Want me to punch-a-size your face, for free?”
“I swear to God I’m going to pistol whip the next guy who says, ‘ Shenanigans.’”
“Hey —– what’s the name of that restaurant you like with all the goofy s— on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?”
“You mean Shenanigans? ”
“OOOOOOOOOOOOOO.”
? I think it’s a Will Ferrell Movie
Meet the Parents
? NO idea
Super Troopers
Close. They’re all Super Troopers, because that is how I roll.
“Who would have known that Ramon was such a deep thinker?”
jama - who would’ve known Ramon can’t copyedit or proofread, considering he used to do it for a living. Sheesh, that’s not what we call “clean copy” up there.
