The Red Sox lost 18-3. Let's just focus on that or something.
226 thoughts on “April 18, 2012: Awesome Game”
I wonder how long Liriano's going to stay in the rotation. The Twins don't have a lot of good options, but still, five earned runs and less than four innings isn't something you can put up with for a long time.
I was wondering the same thing. It might be time to become a reliever. It's a non-contending season anyway, so they might really try to make him a decent starter, but we'll see how long their patience lasts.
yeah, our bullpen is bereft of lefty relievers!
Have to replace Perkins, who surely will be needing rotator cuff and Tommy John surgeries.
And probably has for years now.
I'm really tired of people referring to him as the Twins ace. He hasn't been an ace for a long time (no-hitter included).
Outside of a a month in 2010, was there ever a time when he was the Twins starter we (as fans) most wanted on the mound? I would have always taken Johan in 2006.
He was the guy I wanted on the mound pretty much every time he came up in the rotation in 2010. I still hold out some hope for him because I really like him, but I think he's going to need to go somewhere else to succeed.
His entire 2010 season was quite ace-like: 2.66 FIP, 2.95 xFIP, 2.92 tERA. He ranked third, second, and tied for fifth among qualified pitchers in the majors in those categories.
For a time in 2006, Liriano was the most dominant pitcher in baseball. I would've picked him over Johan during that time.
I see Michael Cuddyer had some more doubles last night. he has hit 7 so far this year and sports a .372/.400/.651/1.051 slash line.
The residents of F***ing, Austria are getting tired of all the f**ing jokes.
Austria is such a long word. Let me suggest it be abbreviated to "A".
A month? How about all of 2010? He led the team in ERA and rWAR in 2010 and I he started Game 1 of the playoffs. He struck out more than a batter an inning that year and had an ERA+ of 112. Then in 2008, he had three terrible starts at the beginning of the season, was sent down to the minors and then came back in Aug. and went 6-1 with a 2.74 ERA the rest of the season with a 3/1 K/BB rate.
Oops, this was supposed to be a response to the Dread Pirate.
Still, there's a big difference in my mind between being a good pitcher, and being an ace. Media folks should just say "He's the Twins' best pitcher" (if this is in fact true) instead of "He's the ace of the Twins staff."
I like this response, but I'm still a little gun-shy about the whole "F-Bomb as Ace" discussion. /glances towards spooky/
😉
I think the "good pitcher" vs. "ace" discussion is pointless semantics, but in any event, that discussion happened at a point where Liriano was really bringing it.
Now, though, I'm as done with him as anyone else. I keep waiting for a "return to form" that just isn't coming.
We can do pointless semantics for hours here. Why would we want to throttle ourselves??
Oh, I love a semantics showdown. I'm just not sure that people say "ace" with any idea what they mean. What's the cutoff? Some call the staff's best starter the ace, some call the staff's longest-tenured pitcher the ace, and some say that not every staff has an ace. I don't like the undefined terms.
I'll disagree with the last case (although people do use it that way): if Doc Halladay were miraculously picked up by the Twins, he would be the ace, longest tenure be damned. But in any case, the Twins broadcasters would do best to quit calling Liriano the ace.
I'd define it as someone who could reasonably be one of the 30 best starters in the majors.
So that's probably the 45 or so best starters in the majors. I don't think the Twins have one of those.
But I don't want to argue because I'm not really married to my definition.
it becomes pointless when you go with "ace-type"
I'm so happy that Bert came up with this construction. It totally softens the need for clear lines.
The real point is, whether you deign to use the term "ace" or not, his entire 2010 season was a lot better than merely "good".
The REAL point is, this is no longer 2010 *puts head on desk and silently sobs*
*ding*
Sure. That's unfortunate. But I'm saying the people who are acting like he hasn't been at all a great pitcher for any extended length of time in seven years are wrong.
I'm sure some people who were on one side of the semantical argument before 2011 started felt vindicated by that season and this season so far. I'm also sure they didn't have the mystical power to foresee his egregious drop in velocity between 2010 and 2011, though. If I'd known he was going to lose that much off his fastball, I would've been more likely to recognize 2010 as an anomaly rather than project him to pitch reasonably similarly going forward. The likelihood that it was an anomaly, though, doesn't change that it happened and it was excellent.
On the plus side, Liriano leads the league in ERA at 11.91. Oh, wait I had that sorted the wrong way, never mind.
It drifts into the forbidden zone, but Souhan's article today is particularly egregious. Especially when you consider that the guy he destroys voted for the bill.
I talked to a couple of interns at the capitol and they've never heard of a public record of votes being cast.
Iseewhatyoudidthere.
In general, seeing the sports guys cover the political process has been... interesting. And by interesting I mean it's been really, really bad.
That Kardashian line at the end was a real sick burn! Really nailed 'em with that one!
He has a special ability to just barely miss a joke when it's really relevant, and has he never noticed that his previous columns never hold up because he relies so heavily on vapid pulp culture?
I'm not going near a Souhan "article" again. Maybe once the editors move his column to the gossip section I'll reconsider.
I purposely did not link with this in mind.
And I'm thankful. That's a missing link no one is looking for.
I'd love to see someone write about the fact that the Los Angeles stadium situation is a mess right now. The project next to the Staples Center is all but dead and the new Dodgers owners are talking about a new ballpark, including the places where a football stadium could go. Unless the NFL is open to moving a team to an "NBA City" (Salt Lake, Portland, San Antonio...) I don't see the Vikings move anytime soon. Unfortunately for the Vikings I think politicians and citizens realize that too.
I like Bob Collins. He has a certain amount of grumpy old man to him on Twitter, but the blog is usually first rate. He deserves a bigger platform.
A certain amount? Dude, he's like 150% grumpy old man.
That said, yeah, I love him.
The only quibble I have with Bob Collins is that he's friends with my cousin on the Book of Faces. My cousin is completely bananas about numerous Forbidden Zone things, so it makes me slightly annoyed that Bob Collins would tolerate her as a friend.
The Dome got a new roof, they took the swastika out of the middle, and still the Vikings complain? I'm tired of people ragging on the Dome. Unlike those football palaces in other cities, it's in a central location, not riddled in debt, and is used more than 8 times a year.
The Dome is fine for typical fans, but it's not great for the team in terms of producing revenue. I get that, but I think if the team really has that much money to gain from a new stadium, they ought to put up the money themselves. Or at least more than they are offering. I think there would be some benefit to the community in constructing a new stadium, it's just a matter of how much that benefit is relative to how much the community is being asked to pay. I mean, if they want to move, eff 'em, but I can't fault them too much for trying to get public financing for a new stadium.
All true, but Wilf didn't get to be a bajillionaire real estate developer by giving up an extra $100MM or more when he doesn't have to. He was/is VERY close to getting the deal he wants from the state. The NFL could build a stadium with cash if it wanted to... but why do that if other people will give it to you?
Of course Wilf is going to milk this for all it's worth. I'm just saying that from the politicians' standpoint, there is a finite contribution that the stadium makes, and they ought to draw a line somewhere.
It seems like they're drawing it here.
He does have one point: Some of our elected officials are often no smarter than the guy who writes in the comments section of an online newspaper, "Your stupid."
But he left out the other undeniable fact, which is that those elected officials are still smarter than the shmuck who wrote the online newspaper article on which the guy was commenting.
He is just unbelievable. He would get slaughtered in any respectable high-school debate event.
Forget whether the Twins are winning or losing in any given year: Target Field is a remarkable success story that has invigorated downtown Minneapolis and the North Loop while costing taxpayers less than what I just remembered I keep in my change receptacle in my car armrest.
A new Vikings stadium on the south side of downtown would do the same for that portion of our city.
A couple of things stick out at me here. Since when has Top Jimmy been in the business of being the Twins apologist? But more importantly, I don't think he fully understands that 81 events at a stadium is more than 8 events plus 2 preseason events at a stadium. He's also seems to forget the season that these sports are played in. When I go to the Bullseye I usually spend a bit of time walking around the near north. We generally hit a bar for a beer, but mostly we just wander the hood spending an afternoon outside.
If the Vikings are serious about bringing an MLS team into the fold, that can really add a lot of value to a downtown stadium. 17 league games plus probably 2-3 friendlies most years, maybe a preseason game, plus if the team is successful there are MLS Cup playoffs, US Open Cup games, and CONCACAF Champions League games. If it's a grass field, they'd have a shot at hosting some USMNT games. Sure, nothing's going to have 81 home games like a baseball team, but with an NFL and MLS team you'd probably get about 30-35 home events per year.
MLS Cup playoffs, US Open Cup games, and CONCACAF Champions League games
That's shooting mighty high for a Minnesota franchise.
I know, I know, but the Minnesota Stars won the NASL playoffs last year. There's hope!
My gut feeling says a MLS team surviving in the Twin Cities is about 10%
I think the odds of an MLS team in Minnesota failing would be at most 10%. MLS teams only need about 20K/game attendance to be successful and from what I understand, soccer participation in Minnesota is high, which would bode well for having a potential fan base. Ever since the Toronto expansion (Seattle, Philly, Portland, Vancouver, and Montreal) all of the expansion teams have had great season ticket sales and done quite well. The teams with the most attendance trouble in MLS tend to be located in bad stadium situations--either not easily accessible (FC Dallas in Frisco and New England in Foxborough) or a decaying stadium (DC United in RFK, although they would still have a decent draw if they were playing better) or they are sharing a stadium with another team (Chivas USA.)
Sure, Minnesota's got a fairly crowded sports market, but if smaller markets like Salt Lake City can support a team, I think even a crowded Minnesota sports market could fit in an MLS team.
Yea. Sportswriters trying to be experts on urban development/economics is never a good idea.
They have a tough enough job figuring out if a player is hurt or just a malingerer.
They have a tough enough job correctly figuring out if a player is hurt or just a malingerer.
“He never talked to me,” Urdahl said of Souhan Tuesday. “This is pretty irresponsible. It starts with the [the original reporter] just putting the quote out there, but didn’t report the preface to the statement, which was — and I paraphrase — ‘Here’s a question I get asked most frequently, it’s on everyone’s mind, let’s get it out of the way.’”
Now that's a link I will follow. BRB.
Good read, I love that Souhan hasn't answered a call or responded to an e-mail about it. Of course, if he'd made a call, sent an e-mail or just done some basic fact-checking before writing, it would have saved him some trouble.
I'd usually wait until Beau's video game post, but meh.
Finished Mass Effect 3 on Monday... good lord is that a bad ending.
You gotta get on your video game posts again...
Also, I thought you said you were gonna rag on people who thought it was a bad ending?
The next time my posts get started, they're not stopping. I'm going to write everything out before I post another one. I'm about 3/4 done.
As far as the ending is concerned, I speculated with Cheaptoy, I think, that I wanted to play the ending before they fixed it. I didn't think it could be as bad as everyone said it was. It wasn't bad enough to ruin the entire series the way some people have said, but it was seventy kinds of awful.
I know nothing about it really, but I had some relatives ranting about it with some pretty extreme vitriol.
I see that some fans of the series organized a drive to attempt to force the developers to write a new ending.
...that's not how it works, people. Sometimes endings just suck, but a piece of art is what it is. The developers have agreed to expand upon the ending, but not change it.
It does sound like the ending was extremely vague, and if so, they do deserve the vitriol. If a player invests that much time in a trilogy, you need to reward him with a clearer ending.
Turns out that is how it works. The developers released an extended ending.
Well, yes, as I said.
It shouldn't be how it works, though. If you have more to your ending, it should be there in the first place.
I really don't like either side of this argument. Fans, it was a bad ending. TS. There have been tons of those. EA, don't buckle to the pressure to change your crappy ending.
If you have more to your ending, it should be there in the first place.
Said Peter Jackson about Return Of The King.
Weirdly enough, I think that's the type of ending most fans wanted.
I think it was just one too many for me. Or that they maybe should have had a few of them feel a little less conclusory. But I don't think you're wrong about what fans wanted.
I meant more along the lines of "that's the type of ending Mass Effect fans were looking for out of their emotional investment into the game".
I just remember I had to pee in the worst way in the theatre right around the time they
. By the time the twentieth ending came along, I was ready to explode/punch Peter Jackson in the face.
I'm pretty sure I just went to the bathroom, because I decided I couldn't hold it during the "ending" of that movie. Twice.
Or that they maybe should have had a few of them feel a little less conclusory.
Bingo. I have no issue with what was presented, but all the fadeouts were really annoying. I know their purpose was to give every story's ending weight, but because there were so many, it ended up coming off as pretentious.
The "endings" were all consistent with the book. Like spoons said, it was the way they were presented that was the headshaker.
I know they were consistent with the book, I just really had to pee.
The "endings" were all consistent with the book. Like spoons said, it was the way they were presented that was the headshaker.
Um, they really weren't, in that there was another chapter or two in there that he just skipped.
Books are long. Filmmakers have to skip stuff.
Oh, I get that spooky. It just bugs me because he added quite a few things that weren't there and took out some things I felt were really pivotal to the books (making it not consistent with them).
I think that the books tell a great story and the movies tell a different, though somewhat related, great story.
I think that the books tell a great story and the movies tell a different, though somewhat related, great story.
This is the key. For better or for worse, what screenwriters and directors are taught is that you have no obligation to the source material or its author - you only have an obligation to your audience.
Someone forgot to tell them that the audience wanted a lot less of Liv Tyler.
It makes more sense if you think of it as the ending of a 10 hour movie instead of the ending of a 3 and a half hour movie.
A lot of stuff in the books was skipped. Most importantly The Scouring of the Shire.
Tolkien obviously didn't know anything about how to end a book.
Without going into any spoilery details, I am interested to hear these "explanations" of the ending.
I wish they would leave the ending alone, but this sort of thing does have precedent. Fallout 3's ending wasn't as vague, but it was pretty dumb, and the DLC ended up retconning it out.
I just don't even know how a game would be made if the ending could be retconned. I think a lot of game developers still look at an ending as a necessary evil, or something. Every game with that much scope should be bringing on a writer to keep it together, but as I found out when I attempted to get into videogame writing, it's barely even a thing. Some companies never bring on writers. They just assume that the guys who know how to build a kick-ass level will know how to write a narrative around it. Meanwhile, game after game proves this isn't the case.
I think what really irks fans of the Mass Effect series is that poor writing wasn't a problem that any of the games had been burdened with. The story was very good, the characters were all deep and layered and, more importantly, they were integral to the game's appeal.
I will agree with you on the attitude that seems to say that endings are a necessary evil. The list of truly great games that just flat out fall apart in the last twenty minutes is mind bloggling*, and I don't think that the industry can be taken seriously as a narrative medium until that's resolved.
*I mean, off the top of my head I can think of Metal Gear Solid 2, Indigo Prophecy, Fallout 3, and Final Fantasy XIII as having endings that were worse than ME3's. The only problem is none of them had a 90+ hour buildup that was that completely cancelled out by the last five minutes.
Fallout 3 was a 90 hour build up if you were playing it right.
40 I'd buy... 90? Did you just sit out in the wasteland and listen to the radio or something? Because I did that a couple times (believe me, the bees are definitely the stingiest way back home), and I still only got about 40 hours in.
Oh, don't even bring up FFXIII. I hate that game so much. The ending didn't bother me. The entire slog through the game, and the fact that I couldn't just walk away and stop playing it, that all bothered me. I'm trying to sell it now, and there's still a part of me that's saying "but what about the hunts and the trophies?" I'm trying to silence him with threats and cookies...
I'm not a completionist by any stretch, I like to finish games, having played a large portion of what was possible to play, but I'll usually skip all the little flag fetching sidequests.
FFXIII was just ridiculous the entire way through. I felt the exact way you did - I actively disliked the game, but couldn't convince myself to stop playing. Then the game got good on the planet surface below, where you actuallyg et to walk off the beaten path and do stuff....and then it insisted on tossing you right back onto that path.
I have to disagree with you about the ending, though, the story was ludicrous and nonsensical, even by Final Fantasy standards.
Then the game got good on the planet surface below, where you actually get to walk off the beaten path and do stuff
I can't even agree with this. No matter what was going on in the game's story - open or linear - it still had the worst battle system of an RPG that I've ever played. As long as you cast Libra on an enemy, you never again have to think about strategy for that enemy again. All this stuff is going on with complex algorithms to determine damage, and the player controls almost zero percent of it.
I would have forgiven this if the writing was strong, but it wasn't. There are six characters and the game couldn't get me to connect with any of them, save for maybe Lightning.
...and yet I, too, found myself unable to tear myself away from it for way too long. It and White Knight Chronicles are the worst games I've ever sunk a ridiculous amount of time into.
You didn't find Hope's epic story of revenge to be gripping?
Huh, takes all kinds, I guess.
I'd honestly forgotten about Hope.
In better hands, his story may have been gripping, though.
That's just it. It's the culmination (for me) of a 90+ hour investment in which all of the things you've done in the first two games actually matter and carry over. Not only is it incredibly vague, it's infuriatingly 'one size fits all', which really goes against the tone of the series to that point. It's a top 10 game until the end, at which point it drops drastically.
But yeah, the people calling on them to change the ending is kind of dumb. Even if they changed everything, the original ending is the one they made for the game - even if it sucks, that's what they created. It is what it is.
George Lucas!
Levon Helm in the final stages of his battle with cancer.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjCw3-YTffo
His still-recent Dirt Farmer album conclusively proved the saying, "The older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune." It's my very favorite of his albums. I'm very sad to see him go.
Terribly sad news. Free association has the phrase "a Yankee laid him in his grave" running through my head, no doubt due to the Twins. To this day no rock doc has topped "The Last Waltz."
rumor mongering at its finest
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter
First two picks are locks. No. 3 is not. Minnesota strongly debating Morris Claiborne, Justin Blackmon, Ryan Kalil, even Michael Floyd
of course they would be debating it. if the team is not discussing the best players at the position the need the most help at they should be fired. But in the end, Kalil is the pick unless they trade.
I think they're just trying to get some other team to panic and trade up.
I think it is a crafty ploy to move 2-3 spots down in the draft without being compensated for it.
I was not employed by the Vikings when this happened. So why do I always feel so embarrassed when it gets brought up?
You're employed by the Vikings?
I would have thought that meant your embarrassment level was set at a permanent high, such that nothing could increase it.
Seriously though, didn't know you worked for them.
No, I'm still not employed by them. But I wasn't employed by them at the time either.
Ah, now that you've explained it, I see what you were doing there.
I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.
Yup, the second I saw that, I meandered over to a list of Mitch Hedberg quotes, and now my day is both ruined and 900% funnier.
at least that pick was a stud player and not a Demetrious Underwood like pick
oh, lord, i had forgotten all about him.
vote Vikings
Picking on the easy target is wolfish, Rhu. But I'll back your play. Vote- Vikings
I think the Vikes need to see if some other team is dumb enough to give up some extra picks to move up, but if they pick anyone but Kalil at number 3 I'm going to throw things.
vote Vikings. Are we close to a majority yet? I can't wait until someone finally kills 'em off.
We're not getting any closer by having the votes nested. Pull it together, village!
the latest trend in curling:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuy6T7qrd4
Me: "I picked up Season 2 of Breaking Bad at the library."
Philosofette: "I know. When I saw the case my heart rate jumped. I'm not going to watch, but I feel nervous just knowing those discs are in the house."
I've decided to fast forward through all of the scenes of Skylar looking concerned but not saying anything. That cuts the episodes down to like 20 minutes each.
does she think you're going to start running meth or something? It's not a how-to video.
It isn't? *destroys meth lab*
A few years ago I heard about a dude that bought all the stuff for his new meth lab at a Target, and, unable to wait any longer to score, he put together the lab in a Target bathroom before leaving and made no attempt to hide his work from anyone.
Drug addicts, I tells ya.
There are crappy old Winnebagos parked in my area of LA/Venice all the time; I can't pass one without thinking there is a meth lab inside.
New US Soccer Jersey is out. I'm not really a fan. There's supposed to be a sublimated slash "echoing the same design on the jerseys worn by the U.S. Men’s National Team when it famously defeated England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil." Know what? Just go back to the slash design. That was classy as all get-out.
How many games did they play in the last set? Three or four? I get that changing uniforms can spur sales, but it just seems like teams change so often these days that teams barely have an identity. How much do teams lose in branding compared to what they gain in jersey sales?
Anyway, I suppose I'm really the wrong person to ask since I've never purchased a jersey. I've gotten four Twins t-shirts over the years (although I believe three of the four were gifts, if not all four), but I've always been too cheap to get a jersey. That and I think I'm personally not that comfortable with the idea of wearing sports jerseys in public.
I'm personally not that comfortable with the idea of wearing sports jerseys in public.
I feel especially this way about jerseys specific to a certain player. Something about being older than most of them now makes it seem like an even more losery thing to do.
AMR wore his Julio DePaula jersey to the caucus, but I think that's clearly funny and esoteric enough to be above the law, though.
I think it's just a personal style thing. It's hard to pull off a look if you're not comfortable in it. Some people make it work, others don't.
I think I like my Twins BP jersey a lot in theory, but not in practice. I sweat buckets in that thing. It's by far the least comfortable article of clothing I own.
I think the sport makes a big difference. Soccer and rugby jerseys are essentially shirts, so you don't look too silly wearing them. Baseball and football jerseys are to bulky for me, but some people with larger frames can pull them off. No one should ever leave the house in a basketball jersey though.
You forget hockey sweaters, by far the most comfortable item of game wearable fan apparel, particularly if you're a larger guy. To my eye they look less silly than someone walking around in a football or basketball jersey. (Obviously in Miami this would be a different story). I just don't find enough opportunities to sport my vintage Thief River Falls Prowlers sweater.
You're right, the hockey sweater was a huge oversight. But as you say they are location (and season) dependent.
No one should ever leave the house in a basketball jersey though.
Unless you play in a hardcore band. I think those dudes can pull it off.
Tool's guitarist was wearing a Knicks jersey at the show of theirs I attended. I was very conflicted.
I have my Eddie Pope jersey from 2004 (the white home version). I keep saying I'm going to get a Clint Dempsey USA jersey. I really liked the white sash on blue jersey from the last design. Maybe I can grab one on the cheap now.
Anybody who dislikes my Gary Gaetti throwback jersey can bite me 🙂
What the pirate said, only about my Everyday Eddie jersey.
It's not the jerseys we dislike, fellas. :p
I liked that meat could wander around NOLA in his Eddie jersey and a) I could immediately figure out it was meat when he was a block away and b) he could get stopped by two (or were there more) Minnesotans who happened to be down there just because of his jersey.
You're damned straight it is!
Is he being beemed up?
why are there only 12 stripes?
You want them to recognize both North and South Carolina? Separately?
Dude, SC is way cooler.
I think they were omitting Rhode Island.
Well, nobody really seems to know where the border is.
Every single one of her players that completed their eligibility on the court graduated from college. Every. Single. One.
You say that like you think the point of college is to get an education.
That's certainly impressive, but less so given that women have no hope of riches through playing professionally. In fact, many of the top players in the WNBA make a lot more money playing overseas in the offseason.
That's certainly impressive, but less so given that women have no hope of riches through playing professionally. In fact, many of the top players in the WNBA make a lot more money playing overseas in the offseason.
Your second sentence challenges your first, socal.
I'm not sure what you would consider "riches". But a large handful of these women make pretty good incomes from basketball and basketball-related activities. I would also add that the LARGE majority of D-I male former college basketball players fail to make "riches" from playing the game.
Many WNBA players travel to Europe in the off-season to play in international women's basketball because of the much higher salaries. According to ESPN affiliate website Ballin Europe, a player with no WNBA experience can earn between $6,000 and $7,000 a month while playing in the top leagues in countries like Spain and Italy. A player with WNBA experience can earn an average of $13,000 a month while playing in the same tier league. Elite players, like Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, earned annual salaries in the hundreds of thousands of dollars while playing aboard.
add: In 2008 Rebekah Brunson was making 30,000 Euros per month with her Italian team, which was around $45,000 per month. Tax-free. Plus, I think, an apartment and a car.
Emeritus. That was all.
Drogba scores for Chelsea just at half time to take a 1-0 over Barcelona.
the match was pretty darned boring until the last 5 minutes before half
I will be sad if Barca lose this, but I feel like they can overcome any result at Camp Nou.
Drogba gets the old kick in the balls.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CH04yEieX0
Bite your tongue HomerDome!
Messi's not gonna Mauer it.
80th minute, still 1-0 Chelsea. If history is any indication, Chelsea should give up a goal in the next 5 minutes.
Wow. Sometimes the goal is so wide open that you drill it as hard as you can over the top.
My anti-jinx worked! Chelsea 1-0. Off to Barcelona next Wednesday.
Tuesday, actually. Don't be late!
I don't like Chelsea, and Frank Lampard is 3rd on my list of people I don't like from Chelsea*, but credit where it's due - that long diagonal pass to get things started was a beauty.
*He'd be #1 on any other team, but playing behind John Terry and Ashley Cole will bump anyone down a notch or two.
Lampard and Terry are the epitome of guys that are easy to hate, unless they are on the team you root for.
wow. that was quite a shank by the Barcelona player
It was blocked.
That was insane.
If it's a Bayern-Chelsea final, the European football media will be collectively weeping. They want that Real Madrid-Barca showdown so badly.
And yet they are playing this weekend in La Liga.
Phil Mackey @PMac21
The #Twins designated Luke Hughes for assignment to make room for Jason Marquis.
Well, it's not like we have many better starting options. (We don't, right?)
Marquis was going to be activated regardless. The decision came down to losing a bench player or a reliever. I'm guessing Liriano's short start sealed Hughes' fate. I would have preferred Burroughs being DFA'd, but I imagine he's the "veteran clubhouse leader" that Gardy can't go without.
Ugh. That sounds about right.
Why not Parmelee instead of Hughes? It's not like Chrissy Parm is getting a lot of play on the big club.
Hasn't he started 7 or 8 games?
8. And he has the 5th best OPS among Twins with at least 10 at bats. Which says more about the rest of the team than him, but still.
Although I do have some affinity for the Aussie, why would you send Burroughs over Hughes? Age?
.268 .330 .419 .749 in 8 years in the minors
.317 .400 .445 .845 in 8 years in the minors
The way the starters are dropping, Marquis will probably be the staff ace!
heehee
He's one of the top 150 or so starters in MLB.
So, how big is the pitching staff now, 13?
More like 10-11 pitchers, 2-3 groundskeepers.
Ugh, the 13-man pitching staff was the straw that convinced me to stop blogging. Such a mind-blowingly stupid idea on so many levels.
And yet it is becoming so common I wouldn't be surprised we start hearing talk of expanding rosters to 26. I remember when 11-man staffs were the norm, but now it seems like everyone is at least 12.
It would be simpler to just allow teams down by 7 or more runs to use a pitching machine in lieu of a human being.
If that were the case, how long would it take AMR to pick up a PITCHING MACHINE Twins jersey?
I've just realized that I want 28-man rosters!
Dick Clark dies of "massive heart attack", he was 82.
Immune to aging (the last painful appearance on New Year's Rockin' Eve notwithstanding), but not to death.
the world's oldest teenager.
I imaging Johnny Carson pawning Ed McMahon off on him. "Dick, don't you have some videos to show Ed?"
My assistant did not know what American Bandstand was. I'm old. Sigh.
to be fair, it hasnt been on since 1989
Yeah, hence the "I'm old. Sigh." part.
You ARE. Sigh.
Dude, 1989 is like just a couple of years ago in "old guy years".
My graduating class from HS!
1989 is actually a specific year I've used to bemoan my aging. One of my brothers was born in 1989, and when I realized he treats 1989 - Ted Bundy's execution, Exxon Valdez, Tiananmen Square - as this indistinct thing in his mind, like 1977 always was to me, it made me feel old for the first time.
My sister (younger by 3 years) was born in 1989. I don't remember a time before her. She's just always been there. My brother, born in 1992, I do remember going to the hospital and everything.
What's American Bandstand?
Rock the Garden lineup: Howler, Tune-Yards, Doomtree, Trampled by Turtles, The Hold Steady.
I approve.
i think you spelled that second one wrong.
I'm not plaYing ThAT gAMe.
Not too shabby.
I'm thinking I'm going to go down there the week after that to see Death Grips & Midnight Evils.
Sheesh, that lineup is pretty incredible. Outside of DoUcHeBaG. Of course, Sheenie and I always go to the Hennepin County Fair that night for the Demolition Derby, but I might buy two tickets and resell if we don't change our minds.
I dOn't kNOw anYthiNg about them except the one song, which is okay. It's a good high-energy lineup.
Buy now - they sold out to members in about a day last year.
They are long gone. I spent about half an hour trying to buy a couple, to no success.
Already sold out, dammit. I got "in" about 10 minutes ago at the end of class to buy 2 tickets, but logged off because I didn't want to be so conspicuous in class. As soon as I check again after classed ended, it sold out. What a great lineup. Guess it's demo derby time again this year (and seriously - it's ridiculously fun if you've never been, come join us there).
Wow. I should've bought 6.
Yes, then we could have been with strategery.
It's almost too perfect.
well hot dog. I got a job interview tomorrow.
Good luck!
Give 'em hell.
I with Gary.
So a few years ago, I posted my parents' prom picture on the Book of Faces. Ellen DeGeneres just shared it on her page about 45 minutes ago and it already has 12,000+ likes and 1800 comments. Hilarious.
Sue for royalties!!!
16,000+ likes and 2300+ comments now. SBG, you knew him before he was famous!
i had a video of my cats that i threw up on my[_____] back in the day that sat there for months. then i checked it one day and it had somehow gotten up to 200k+ views and the comments would make a stribbie blush. just for fun, i submitted it to AFV, and it was accepted (it was definitely not big prize worthy).
Keeping in mind what happened last year in Vancouver (gave up 3 goals in the final 8 minutes to erase a 3-0 lead), Sporting KC is absolutely dominating Vancouver tonight.
It's 3-0 right now, KC looking for its 7th straight win to open the season.
This team looks scary good right now.
so, naturally Vancouver scores almost immediately after I posted that. They had better not give this up again.
Matt Cain goes 9 innings and gives up 0 runs and gets no decision. Cliff Lee went 10 and gave up 0 and will get no decision. Its obvious these pitchers dont know how to win a game.
I wonder how long Liriano's going to stay in the rotation. The Twins don't have a lot of good options, but still, five earned runs and less than four innings isn't something you can put up with for a long time.
I was wondering the same thing. It might be time to become a reliever. It's a non-contending season anyway, so they might really try to make him a decent starter, but we'll see how long their patience lasts.
yeah, our bullpen is bereft of lefty relievers!
Have to replace Perkins, who surely will be needing rotator cuff and Tommy John surgeries.
And probably has for years now.
I'm really tired of people referring to him as the Twins ace. He hasn't been an ace for a long time (no-hitter included).
Outside of a a month in 2010, was there ever a time when he was the Twins starter we (as fans) most wanted on the mound? I would have always taken Johan in 2006.
He was the guy I wanted on the mound pretty much every time he came up in the rotation in 2010. I still hold out some hope for him because I really like him, but I think he's going to need to go somewhere else to succeed.
His entire 2010 season was quite ace-like: 2.66 FIP, 2.95 xFIP, 2.92 tERA. He ranked third, second, and tied for fifth among qualified pitchers in the majors in those categories.
For a time in 2006, Liriano was the most dominant pitcher in baseball. I would've picked him over Johan during that time.
I see Michael Cuddyer had some more doubles last night. he has hit 7 so far this year and sports a .372/.400/.651/1.051 slash line.
The residents of F***ing, Austria are getting tired of all the f**ing jokes.
Austria is such a long word. Let me suggest it be abbreviated to "A".
A month? How about all of 2010? He led the team in ERA and rWAR in 2010 and I he started Game 1 of the playoffs. He struck out more than a batter an inning that year and had an ERA+ of 112. Then in 2008, he had three terrible starts at the beginning of the season, was sent down to the minors and then came back in Aug. and went 6-1 with a 2.74 ERA the rest of the season with a 3/1 K/BB rate.
Oops, this was supposed to be a response to the Dread Pirate.
Still, there's a big difference in my mind between being a good pitcher, and being an ace. Media folks should just say "He's the Twins' best pitcher" (if this is in fact true) instead of "He's the ace of the Twins staff."
I like this response, but I'm still a little gun-shy about the whole "F-Bomb as Ace" discussion. /glances towards spooky/
😉
I think the "good pitcher" vs. "ace" discussion is pointless semantics, but in any event, that discussion happened at a point where Liriano was really bringing it.
Now, though, I'm as done with him as anyone else. I keep waiting for a "return to form" that just isn't coming.
Pointless semantics, you say?
We can do pointless semantics for hours here. Why would we want to throttle ourselves??
Oh, I love a semantics showdown. I'm just not sure that people say "ace" with any idea what they mean. What's the cutoff? Some call the staff's best starter the ace, some call the staff's longest-tenured pitcher the ace, and some say that not every staff has an ace. I don't like the undefined terms.
I'll disagree with the last case (although people do use it that way): if Doc Halladay were miraculously picked up by the Twins, he would be the ace, longest tenure be damned. But in any case, the Twins broadcasters would do best to quit calling Liriano the ace.
I'd define it as someone who could reasonably be one of the 30 best starters in the majors.
So that's probably the 45 or so best starters in the majors. I don't think the Twins have one of those.
But I don't want to argue because I'm not really married to my definition.
it becomes pointless when you go with "ace-type"
I'm so happy that Bert came up with this construction. It totally softens the need for clear lines.
The real point is, whether you deign to use the term "ace" or not, his entire 2010 season was a lot better than merely "good".
The REAL point is, this is no longer 2010 *puts head on desk and silently sobs*
*ding*
Sure. That's unfortunate. But I'm saying the people who are acting like he hasn't been at all a great pitcher for any extended length of time in seven years are wrong.
I'm sure some people who were on one side of the semantical argument before 2011 started felt vindicated by that season and this season so far. I'm also sure they didn't have the mystical power to foresee his egregious drop in velocity between 2010 and 2011, though. If I'd known he was going to lose that much off his fastball, I would've been more likely to recognize 2010 as an anomaly rather than project him to pitch reasonably similarly going forward. The likelihood that it was an anomaly, though, doesn't change that it happened and it was excellent.
On the plus side, Liriano leads the league in ERA at 11.91. Oh, wait I had that sorted the wrong way, never mind.
It drifts into the forbidden zone, but Souhan's article today is particularly egregious. Especially when you consider that the guy he destroys voted for the bill.
I talked to a couple of interns at the capitol and they've never heard of a public record of votes being cast.
Iseewhatyoudidthere.
In general, seeing the sports guys cover the political process has been... interesting. And by interesting I mean it's been really, really bad.
That Kardashian line at the end was a real sick burn! Really nailed 'em with that one!
He has a special ability to just barely miss a joke when it's really relevant, and has he never noticed that his previous columns never hold up because he relies so heavily on vapid pulp culture?
I'm not going near a Souhan "article" again. Maybe once the editors move his column to the gossip section I'll reconsider.
I purposely did not link with this in mind.
And I'm thankful. That's a missing link no one is looking for.
I'd love to see someone write about the fact that the Los Angeles stadium situation is a mess right now. The project next to the Staples Center is all but dead and the new Dodgers owners are talking about a new ballpark, including the places where a football stadium could go. Unless the NFL is open to moving a team to an "NBA City" (Salt Lake, Portland, San Antonio...) I don't see the Vikings move anytime soon. Unfortunately for the Vikings I think politicians and citizens realize that too.
You mean like this?
I like Bob Collins. He has a certain amount of grumpy old man to him on Twitter, but the blog is usually first rate. He deserves a bigger platform.
A certain amount? Dude, he's like 150% grumpy old man.
That said, yeah, I love him.
The only quibble I have with Bob Collins is that he's friends with my cousin on the Book of Faces. My cousin is completely bananas about numerous Forbidden Zone things, so it makes me slightly annoyed that Bob Collins would tolerate her as a friend.
The Dome got a new roof, they took the swastika out of the middle, and still the Vikings complain? I'm tired of people ragging on the Dome. Unlike those football palaces in other cities, it's in a central location, not riddled in debt, and is used more than 8 times a year.
The Dome is fine for typical fans, but it's not great for the team in terms of producing revenue. I get that, but I think if the team really has that much money to gain from a new stadium, they ought to put up the money themselves. Or at least more than they are offering. I think there would be some benefit to the community in constructing a new stadium, it's just a matter of how much that benefit is relative to how much the community is being asked to pay. I mean, if they want to move, eff 'em, but I can't fault them too much for trying to get public financing for a new stadium.
All true, but Wilf didn't get to be a bajillionaire real estate developer by giving up an extra $100MM or more when he doesn't have to. He was/is VERY close to getting the deal he wants from the state. The NFL could build a stadium with cash if it wanted to... but why do that if other people will give it to you?
Of course Wilf is going to milk this for all it's worth. I'm just saying that from the politicians' standpoint, there is a finite contribution that the stadium makes, and they ought to draw a line somewhere.
It seems like they're drawing it here.
He does have one point: Some of our elected officials are often no smarter than the guy who writes in the comments section of an online newspaper, "Your stupid."
But he left out the other undeniable fact, which is that those elected officials are still smarter than the shmuck who wrote the online newspaper article on which the guy was commenting.
He is just unbelievable. He would get slaughtered in any respectable high-school debate event.
A couple of things stick out at me here. Since when has Top Jimmy been in the business of being the Twins apologist? But more importantly, I don't think he fully understands that 81 events at a stadium is more than 8 events plus 2 preseason events at a stadium. He's also seems to forget the season that these sports are played in. When I go to the Bullseye I usually spend a bit of time walking around the near north. We generally hit a bar for a beer, but mostly we just wander the hood spending an afternoon outside.
If the Vikings are serious about bringing an MLS team into the fold, that can really add a lot of value to a downtown stadium. 17 league games plus probably 2-3 friendlies most years, maybe a preseason game, plus if the team is successful there are MLS Cup playoffs, US Open Cup games, and CONCACAF Champions League games. If it's a grass field, they'd have a shot at hosting some USMNT games. Sure, nothing's going to have 81 home games like a baseball team, but with an NFL and MLS team you'd probably get about 30-35 home events per year.
MLS Cup playoffs, US Open Cup games, and CONCACAF Champions League games
That's shooting mighty high for a Minnesota franchise.
I know, I know, but the Minnesota Stars won the NASL playoffs last year. There's hope!
My gut feeling says a MLS team surviving in the Twin Cities is about 10%
I think the odds of an MLS team in Minnesota failing would be at most 10%. MLS teams only need about 20K/game attendance to be successful and from what I understand, soccer participation in Minnesota is high, which would bode well for having a potential fan base. Ever since the Toronto expansion (Seattle, Philly, Portland, Vancouver, and Montreal) all of the expansion teams have had great season ticket sales and done quite well. The teams with the most attendance trouble in MLS tend to be located in bad stadium situations--either not easily accessible (FC Dallas in Frisco and New England in Foxborough) or a decaying stadium (DC United in RFK, although they would still have a decent draw if they were playing better) or they are sharing a stadium with another team (Chivas USA.)
Sure, Minnesota's got a fairly crowded sports market, but if smaller markets like Salt Lake City can support a team, I think even a crowded Minnesota sports market could fit in an MLS team.
Yea. Sportswriters trying to be experts on urban development/economics is never a good idea.
They have a tough enough job figuring out if a player is hurt or just a malingerer.
They have a tough enough job correctly figuring out if a player is hurt or just a malingerer.
FTFY
Follow up.
“He never talked to me,” Urdahl said of Souhan Tuesday. “This is pretty irresponsible. It starts with the [the original reporter] just putting the quote out there, but didn’t report the preface to the statement, which was — and I paraphrase — ‘Here’s a question I get asked most frequently, it’s on everyone’s mind, let’s get it out of the way.’”
Now that's a link I will follow. BRB.
Good read, I love that Souhan hasn't answered a call or responded to an e-mail about it. Of course, if he'd made a call, sent an e-mail or just done some basic fact-checking before writing, it would have saved him some trouble.
I'd usually wait until Beau's video game post, but meh.
Finished Mass Effect 3 on Monday... good lord is that a bad ending.
You gotta get on your video game posts again...
Also, I thought you said you were gonna rag on people who thought it was a bad ending?
The next time my posts get started, they're not stopping. I'm going to write everything out before I post another one. I'm about 3/4 done.
As far as the ending is concerned, I speculated with Cheaptoy, I think, that I wanted to play the ending before they fixed it. I didn't think it could be as bad as everyone said it was. It wasn't bad enough to ruin the entire series the way some people have said, but it was seventy kinds of awful.
I know nothing about it really, but I had some relatives ranting about it with some pretty extreme vitriol.
I see that some fans of the series organized a drive to attempt to force the developers to write a new ending.
...that's not how it works, people. Sometimes endings just suck, but a piece of art is what it is. The developers have agreed to expand upon the ending, but not change it.
It does sound like the ending was extremely vague, and if so, they do deserve the vitriol. If a player invests that much time in a trilogy, you need to reward him with a clearer ending.
Turns out that is how it works. The developers released an extended ending.
Well, yes, as I said.
It shouldn't be how it works, though. If you have more to your ending, it should be there in the first place.
I really don't like either side of this argument. Fans, it was a bad ending. TS. There have been tons of those. EA, don't buckle to the pressure to change your crappy ending.
If you have more to your ending, it should be there in the first place.
Said Peter Jackson about Return Of The King.
Weirdly enough, I think that's the type of ending most fans wanted.
I think it was just one too many for me. Or that they maybe should have had a few of them feel a little less conclusory. But I don't think you're wrong about what fans wanted.
I meant more along the lines of "that's the type of ending Mass Effect fans were looking for out of their emotional investment into the game".
I just remember I had to pee in the worst way in the theatre right around the time they
. By the time the twentieth ending came along, I was ready to explode/punch Peter Jackson in the face.
I'm pretty sure I just went to the bathroom, because I decided I couldn't hold it during the "ending" of that movie. Twice.
Or that they maybe should have had a few of them feel a little less conclusory.
Bingo. I have no issue with what was presented, but all the fadeouts were really annoying. I know their purpose was to give every story's ending weight, but because there were so many, it ended up coming off as pretentious.
The "endings" were all consistent with the book. Like spoons said, it was the way they were presented that was the headshaker.
I know they were consistent with the book, I just really had to pee.
The "endings" were all consistent with the book. Like spoons said, it was the way they were presented that was the headshaker.
Um, they really weren't, in that there was another chapter or two in there that he just skipped.
Books are long. Filmmakers have to skip stuff.
Oh, I get that spooky. It just bugs me because he added quite a few things that weren't there and took out some things I felt were really pivotal to the books (making it not consistent with them).
I think that the books tell a great story and the movies tell a different, though somewhat related, great story.
I think that the books tell a great story and the movies tell a different, though somewhat related, great story.
This is the key. For better or for worse, what screenwriters and directors are taught is that you have no obligation to the source material or its author - you only have an obligation to your audience.
Someone forgot to tell them that the audience wanted a lot less of Liv Tyler.
It makes more sense if you think of it as the ending of a 10 hour movie instead of the ending of a 3 and a half hour movie.
A lot of stuff in the books was skipped. Most importantly The Scouring of the Shire.
Tolkien obviously didn't know anything about how to end a book.
Without going into any spoilery details, I am interested to hear these "explanations" of the ending.
I wish they would leave the ending alone, but this sort of thing does have precedent. Fallout 3's ending wasn't as vague, but it was pretty dumb, and the DLC ended up retconning it out.
I just don't even know how a game would be made if the ending could be retconned. I think a lot of game developers still look at an ending as a necessary evil, or something. Every game with that much scope should be bringing on a writer to keep it together, but as I found out when I attempted to get into videogame writing, it's barely even a thing. Some companies never bring on writers. They just assume that the guys who know how to build a kick-ass level will know how to write a narrative around it. Meanwhile, game after game proves this isn't the case.
I think what really irks fans of the Mass Effect series is that poor writing wasn't a problem that any of the games had been burdened with. The story was very good, the characters were all deep and layered and, more importantly, they were integral to the game's appeal.
I will agree with you on the attitude that seems to say that endings are a necessary evil. The list of truly great games that just flat out fall apart in the last twenty minutes is mind bloggling*, and I don't think that the industry can be taken seriously as a narrative medium until that's resolved.
*I mean, off the top of my head I can think of Metal Gear Solid 2, Indigo Prophecy, Fallout 3, and Final Fantasy XIII as having endings that were worse than ME3's. The only problem is none of them had a 90+ hour buildup that was that completely cancelled out by the last five minutes.
Fallout 3 was a 90 hour build up if you were playing it right.
40 I'd buy... 90? Did you just sit out in the wasteland and listen to the radio or something? Because I did that a couple times (believe me, the bees are definitely the stingiest way back home), and I still only got about 40 hours in.
Oh, don't even bring up FFXIII. I hate that game so much. The ending didn't bother me. The entire slog through the game, and the fact that I couldn't just walk away and stop playing it, that all bothered me. I'm trying to sell it now, and there's still a part of me that's saying "but what about the hunts and the trophies?" I'm trying to silence him with threats and cookies...
I'm not a completionist by any stretch, I like to finish games, having played a large portion of what was possible to play, but I'll usually skip all the little flag fetching sidequests.
FFXIII was just ridiculous the entire way through. I felt the exact way you did - I actively disliked the game, but couldn't convince myself to stop playing. Then the game got good on the planet surface below, where you actuallyg et to walk off the beaten path and do stuff....and then it insisted on tossing you right back onto that path.
I have to disagree with you about the ending, though, the story was ludicrous and nonsensical, even by Final Fantasy standards.
Then the game got good on the planet surface below, where you actually get to walk off the beaten path and do stuff
I can't even agree with this. No matter what was going on in the game's story - open or linear - it still had the worst battle system of an RPG that I've ever played. As long as you cast Libra on an enemy, you never again have to think about strategy for that enemy again. All this stuff is going on with complex algorithms to determine damage, and the player controls almost zero percent of it.
I would have forgiven this if the writing was strong, but it wasn't. There are six characters and the game couldn't get me to connect with any of them, save for maybe Lightning.
...and yet I, too, found myself unable to tear myself away from it for way too long. It and White Knight Chronicles are the worst games I've ever sunk a ridiculous amount of time into.
You didn't find Hope's epic story of revenge to be gripping?
Huh, takes all kinds, I guess.
I'd honestly forgotten about Hope.
In better hands, his story may have been gripping, though.
That's just it. It's the culmination (for me) of a 90+ hour investment in which all of the things you've done in the first two games actually matter and carry over. Not only is it incredibly vague, it's infuriatingly 'one size fits all', which really goes against the tone of the series to that point. It's a top 10 game until the end, at which point it drops drastically.
But yeah, the people calling on them to change the ending is kind of dumb. Even if they changed everything, the original ending is the one they made for the game - even if it sucks, that's what they created. It is what it is.
George Lucas!
Levon Helm in the final stages of his battle with cancer.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjCw3-YTffo
His still-recent Dirt Farmer album conclusively proved the saying, "The older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune." It's my very favorite of his albums. I'm very sad to see him go.
Terribly sad news. Free association has the phrase "a Yankee laid him in his grave" running through my head, no doubt due to the Twins. To this day no rock doc has topped "The Last Waltz."
rumor mongering at its finest
of course they would be debating it. if the team is not discussing the best players at the position the need the most help at they should be fired. But in the end, Kalil is the pick unless they trade.
I think they're just trying to get some other team to panic and trade up.
I think it is a crafty ploy to move 2-3 spots down in the draft without being compensated for it.
I was not employed by the Vikings when this happened. So why do I always feel so embarrassed when it gets brought up?
You're employed by the Vikings?
I would have thought that meant your embarrassment level was set at a permanent high, such that nothing could increase it.
Seriously though, didn't know you worked for them.
No, I'm still not employed by them. But I wasn't employed by them at the time either.
Ah, now that you've explained it, I see what you were doing there.
I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.
Yup, the second I saw that, I meandered over to a list of Mitch Hedberg quotes, and now my day is both ruined and 900% funnier.
at least that pick was a stud player and not a Demetrious Underwood like pick
oh, lord, i had forgotten all about him.
vote Vikings
Picking on the easy target is wolfish, Rhu. But I'll back your play.
Vote- Vikings
I think the Vikes need to see if some other team is dumb enough to give up some extra picks to move up, but if they pick anyone but Kalil at number 3 I'm going to throw things.
vote Vikings. Are we close to a majority yet? I can't wait until someone finally kills 'em off.
We're not getting any closer by having the votes nested. Pull it together, village!
the latest trend in curling:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuy6T7qrd4
Me: "I picked up Season 2 of Breaking Bad at the library."
Philosofette: "I know. When I saw the case my heart rate jumped. I'm not going to watch, but I feel nervous just knowing those discs are in the house."
I've decided to fast forward through all of the scenes of Skylar looking concerned but not saying anything. That cuts the episodes down to like 20 minutes each.
does she think you're going to start running meth or something? It's not a how-to video.
It isn't? *destroys meth lab*
A few years ago I heard about a dude that bought all the stuff for his new meth lab at a Target, and, unable to wait any longer to score, he put together the lab in a Target bathroom before leaving and made no attempt to hide his work from anyone.
Drug addicts, I tells ya.
There are crappy old Winnebagos parked in my area of LA/Venice all the time; I can't pass one without thinking there is a meth lab inside.
We didn't sleep the week we watched Season 1.
pretty awesome map of real time(ish) wind currents.
Yeah, that's pretty awesome.
that whole website looks pretty cool, actually.
Atlanta-NYM is the free game on MLB.tv. It's top 2, and Ike Davis just hit a HR to put the Mets up 1-0.
Bo Jackson is currently a guest in the booth with Chip and whoever else does the Braves feed.
Highlight of my day:
http://gif.mocksession.com/2012/04/delmon-young/
New US Soccer Jersey is out. I'm not really a fan. There's supposed to be a sublimated slash "echoing the same design on the jerseys worn by the U.S. Men’s National Team when it famously defeated England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil." Know what? Just go back to the slash design. That was classy as all get-out.
More pics here
Ooh, Waldo could totally hide on the pitch and we'd be none the wiser!
Didn't you hear? (Warning: potential Forbidden Zone content)
How many games did they play in the last set? Three or four? I get that changing uniforms can spur sales, but it just seems like teams change so often these days that teams barely have an identity. How much do teams lose in branding compared to what they gain in jersey sales?
Anyway, I suppose I'm really the wrong person to ask since I've never purchased a jersey. I've gotten four Twins t-shirts over the years (although I believe three of the four were gifts, if not all four), but I've always been too cheap to get a jersey. That and I think I'm personally not that comfortable with the idea of wearing sports jerseys in public.
I'm personally not that comfortable with the idea of wearing sports jerseys in public.
I feel especially this way about jerseys specific to a certain player. Something about being older than most of them now makes it seem like an even more losery thing to do.
AMR wore his Julio DePaula jersey to the caucus, but I think that's clearly funny and esoteric enough to be above the law, though.
I think it's just a personal style thing. It's hard to pull off a look if you're not comfortable in it. Some people make it work, others don't.
I think I like my Twins BP jersey a lot in theory, but not in practice. I sweat buckets in that thing. It's by far the least comfortable article of clothing I own.
I think the sport makes a big difference. Soccer and rugby jerseys are essentially shirts, so you don't look too silly wearing them. Baseball and football jerseys are to bulky for me, but some people with larger frames can pull them off. No one should ever leave the house in a basketball jersey though.
You forget hockey sweaters, by far the most comfortable item of game wearable fan apparel, particularly if you're a larger guy. To my eye they look less silly than someone walking around in a football or basketball jersey. (Obviously in Miami this would be a different story). I just don't find enough opportunities to sport my vintage Thief River Falls Prowlers sweater.
You're right, the hockey sweater was a huge oversight. But as you say they are location (and season) dependent.
No one should ever leave the house in a basketball jersey though.
Unless you play in a hardcore band. I think those dudes can pull it off.
Tool's guitarist was wearing a Knicks jersey at the show of theirs I attended. I was very conflicted.
I have my Eddie Pope jersey from 2004 (the white home version). I keep saying I'm going to get a Clint Dempsey USA jersey. I really liked the white sash on blue jersey from the last design. Maybe I can grab one on the cheap now.
PS - For reference, History of US jerseys since the 80s. There have been some abominations.
Anybody who dislikes my Gary Gaetti throwback jersey can bite me 🙂
What the pirate said, only about my Everyday Eddie jersey.
It's not the jerseys we dislike, fellas. :p
I liked that meat could wander around NOLA in his Eddie jersey and a) I could immediately figure out it was meat when he was a block away and b) he could get stopped by two (or were there more) Minnesotans who happened to be down there just because of his jersey.
You're damned straight it is!
Is he being beemed up?
why are there only 12 stripes?
You want them to recognize both North and South Carolina? Separately?
Dude, SC is way cooler.
I think they were omitting Rhode Island.
Well, nobody really seems to know where the border is.
When did US soccer become Chivas?
The end of an era.
Kinda like you, Stick.
I'll take that in the best possible light. 😉
Every single one of her players that completed their eligibility on the court graduated from college. Every. Single. One.
You say that like you think the point of college is to get an education.
That's certainly impressive, but less so given that women have no hope of riches through playing professionally. In fact, many of the top players in the WNBA make a lot more money playing overseas in the offseason.
Your second sentence challenges your first, socal.
I'm not sure what you would consider "riches". But a large handful of these women make pretty good incomes from basketball and basketball-related activities. I would also add that the LARGE majority of D-I male former college basketball players fail to make "riches" from playing the game.
add: In 2008 Rebekah Brunson was making 30,000 Euros per month with her Italian team, which was around $45,000 per month. Tax-free. Plus, I think, an apartment and a car.
Emeritus. That was all.
Drogba scores for Chelsea just at half time to take a 1-0 over Barcelona.
the match was pretty darned boring until the last 5 minutes before half
I will be sad if Barca lose this, but I feel like they can overcome any result at Camp Nou.
Drogba gets the old kick in the balls.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CH04yEieX0
Bite your tongue HomerDome!
Messi's not gonna Mauer it.
80th minute, still 1-0 Chelsea. If history is any indication, Chelsea should give up a goal in the next 5 minutes.
Wow. Sometimes the goal is so wide open that you drill it as hard as you can over the top.
My anti-jinx worked! Chelsea 1-0. Off to Barcelona next Wednesday.
Tuesday, actually. Don't be late!
I don't like Chelsea, and Frank Lampard is 3rd on my list of people I don't like from Chelsea*, but credit where it's due - that long diagonal pass to get things started was a beauty.
*He'd be #1 on any other team, but playing behind John Terry and Ashley Cole will bump anyone down a notch or two.
Lampard and Terry are the epitome of guys that are easy to hate, unless they are on the team you root for.
wow. that was quite a shank by the Barcelona player
It was blocked.
That was insane.
If it's a Bayern-Chelsea final, the European football media will be collectively weeping. They want that Real Madrid-Barca showdown so badly.
And yet they are playing this weekend in La Liga.
Well, it's not like we have many better starting options. (We don't, right?)
Marquis was going to be activated regardless. The decision came down to losing a bench player or a reliever. I'm guessing Liriano's short start sealed Hughes' fate. I would have preferred Burroughs being DFA'd, but I imagine he's the "veteran clubhouse leader" that Gardy can't go without.
Ugh. That sounds about right.
Why not Parmelee instead of Hughes? It's not like Chrissy Parm is getting a lot of play on the big club.
Hasn't he started 7 or 8 games?
8. And he has the 5th best OPS among Twins with at least 10 at bats. Which says more about the rest of the team than him, but still.
Although I do have some affinity for the Aussie, why would you send Burroughs over Hughes? Age?
.268 .330 .419 .749 in 8 years in the minors
.317 .400 .445 .845 in 8 years in the minors
The way the starters are dropping, Marquis will probably be the staff ace!
heehee
He's one of the top 150 or so starters in MLB.
So, how big is the pitching staff now, 13?
More like 10-11 pitchers, 2-3 groundskeepers.
Ugh, the 13-man pitching staff was the straw that convinced me to stop blogging. Such a mind-blowingly stupid idea on so many levels.
And yet it is becoming so common I wouldn't be surprised we start hearing talk of expanding rosters to 26. I remember when 11-man staffs were the norm, but now it seems like everyone is at least 12.
It would be simpler to just allow teams down by 7 or more runs to use a pitching machine in lieu of a human being.
If that were the case, how long would it take AMR to pick up a PITCHING MACHINE Twins jersey?
I've just realized that I want 28-man rosters!
Dick Clark dies of "massive heart attack", he was 82.
Immune to aging (the last painful appearance on New Year's Rockin' Eve notwithstanding), but not to death.
the world's oldest teenager.
I imaging Johnny Carson pawning Ed McMahon off on him. "Dick, don't you have some videos to show Ed?"
My assistant did not know what American Bandstand was. I'm old. Sigh.
to be fair, it hasnt been on since 1989
Yeah, hence the "I'm old. Sigh." part.
You ARE. Sigh.
Dude, 1989 is like just a couple of years ago in "old guy years".
My graduating class from HS!
1989 is actually a specific year I've used to bemoan my aging. One of my brothers was born in 1989, and when I realized he treats 1989 - Ted Bundy's execution, Exxon Valdez, Tiananmen Square - as this indistinct thing in his mind, like 1977 always was to me, it made me feel old for the first time.
My sister (younger by 3 years) was born in 1989. I don't remember a time before her. She's just always been there. My brother, born in 1992, I do remember going to the hospital and everything.
What's American Bandstand?
Rock the Garden lineup: Howler, Tune-Yards, Doomtree, Trampled by Turtles, The Hold Steady.
I approve.
i think you spelled that second one wrong.
I'm not plaYing ThAT gAMe.
Not too shabby.
I'm thinking I'm going to go down there the week after that to see Death Grips & Midnight Evils.
Sheesh, that lineup is pretty incredible. Outside of DoUcHeBaG. Of course, Sheenie and I always go to the Hennepin County Fair that night for the Demolition Derby, but I might buy two tickets and resell if we don't change our minds.
I dOn't kNOw anYthiNg about them except the one song, which is okay. It's a good high-energy lineup.
Buy now - they sold out to members in about a day last year.
They are long gone. I spent about half an hour trying to buy a couple, to no success.
Already sold out, dammit. I got "in" about 10 minutes ago at the end of class to buy 2 tickets, but logged off because I didn't want to be so conspicuous in class. As soon as I check again after classed ended, it sold out. What a great lineup. Guess it's demo derby time again this year (and seriously - it's ridiculously fun if you've never been, come join us there).
Wow. I should've bought 6.
Yes, then we could have been with strategery.
It's almost too perfect.
well hot dog. I got a job interview tomorrow.
Good luck!
Give 'em hell.
I with Gary.
So a few years ago, I posted my parents' prom picture on the Book of Faces. Ellen DeGeneres just shared it on her page about 45 minutes ago and it already has 12,000+ likes and 1800 comments. Hilarious.
Sue for royalties!!!
16,000+ likes and 2300+ comments now. SBG, you knew him before he was famous!
i had a video of my cats that i threw up on my[_____] back in the day that sat there for months. then i checked it one day and it had somehow gotten up to 200k+ views and the comments would make a stribbie blush. just for fun, i submitted it to AFV, and it was accepted (it was definitely not big prize worthy).
Keeping in mind what happened last year in Vancouver (gave up 3 goals in the final 8 minutes to erase a 3-0 lead), Sporting KC is absolutely dominating Vancouver tonight.
It's 3-0 right now, KC looking for its 7th straight win to open the season.
This team looks scary good right now.
so, naturally Vancouver scores almost immediately after I posted that. They had better not give this up again.
Matt Cain goes 9 innings and gives up 0 runs and gets no decision. Cliff Lee went 10 and gave up 0 and will get no decision. Its obvious these pitchers dont know how to win a game.
They need to learn from Jason Marquis.