Milkmaid, fine(ish) dining, Odell Runoff Red IPA, Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. Woo!
87 thoughts on “January 10, 2014: Date Night”
Just wondering. Suppose Dan Le Batard had gone on his radio show and said, "We have a poll up now on espn.com for you to vote on who you think should be in the Hall of Fame, and whoever wins our vote, that's who I'm going to vote for." Do you think the reaction would've been different?
I think the voting would have been different, at least. Much different crowd there vs. Deadspin.
I believe that saying "that's who I'm going to vote for" is the stickler; if he instead said something like, "help me decide who to vote for" he's at least not (directly) appearing to be handing his vote to someone else.
In the Mike & Mike clip someone linked to yesterday, LeBatard mentioned that he wasn't 100% sure he would have gone along with it if had been ridiculous. So he said he'd do it, and the results were reasonable, so he went along with it.
Also, the ESPN.com votes would have produced a worse ballot.
Things might have been different for Deadspin voters if one of the site's memes had been on the ballot. Like Barbaro. (Though that might be an old reference.)
BBWAA voters should be able to opt-out of voting.
I believe they can opt out.
By not turning in their ballot.
But a new ballot each year is just too tempting.
I think part of the outrage comes from the vote was handed over the evil people at Deadspin, which regularly mocks the writers speaking out against the vote.
I'm trying to find it, but I believe one write came out and just said if LeBatard had done this on ESPN, he'd have been ok with it.
Not quite on point, but I spent some time working on my letter to LEN3 last night, and this paragraph is somewhat relevant to the Le Batard situation:
Obviously the Hall of Fame voting process has itself gotten plenty of attention lately. I don't mean to jump on any bandwagons or berate or support any particular voters. Frankly, both Mr. Le Betard and Mr. Gurnick already have more detractors and defenders than either deserves. Indeed, in Mr. Le Betard's case, he knew well the consequences of his actions before he undertook them, and I feel little sympathy for him. An act of rebellion is not the same as a call for change. I only fear that, lost among the various uproars, will be the quieter, honest, call for change.
I think the whole thing just reinforces my view of the BBWAA (as a whole) as a bunch of self-important blowhards.
This.
Vikings move to a temp stadium ,raise ticket prices. Seems par for the course for that franchise.
Come see the new coach!
Most of the seats in that joint are bleachers, so that's pretty cool.
I actually know a ridiculously easy way to sneak into TCF Bank Stadium. I only used it once this past Gopher season, but I used it for every single home game last season. I'm wondering how much they are going to beef up security for the NFL, because if the same loophole exists, I might actually go to a few Vikings games!
A few years ago, we were down in Ames tailgating at the last Iowa State-Nebraska game. We went down with a family of Cyclones and didn't buy tickets, instead we just partied outside the stadium. Anyway, at halftime, half the crowd spills out to come back to their tailgating spot to drink some beer. My brother watches this for a minute, then says, "Follow me." He got everyone into the crowd to just walk back into the stadium, and ended up watching the second half and OT from about ten rows from the field.
Goldy's Locker Room?
Nope. Just a discrete, unguarded exit that goes right to the concourse.
Because it's the No Fun League, I doubt anything will be left unguarded.
just the opposing WRs. hii-yoooo!!
Or the opposing end zone.
“You just can’t do it,” he said. Sometimes hitters can pick up differences in spin. They can identify pitches if there are different releases points or if a curveball starts with an upward hump as it leaves the pitcher’s hand. But if a pitcher can change speeds, every hitter is helpless, limited by human vision.
“Except,” Maddux said, “for that [expletive] Tony Gwynn.”
Interesting read on Greg Maddux. (Forgive me if it has been linked already)
Oh Maddux. We miss you.
Spooky - did my Polar Plunge email not get through to you?
I have not gotten it. Let me check bulk mail.
Yep, there it is. I can sidebar it and then get it up as the CoC on Monday, when people are around again.
That would be great - thanks again for the assist.
so, expect Rhu to post it mid-morning on Monday.
Hey Justin Morneau now follows me on twitter! First celeb/athlete to do so. (I have a friend who is followed on twitter by Pete Seeger -- that would be so cool) Not sure what caught his eye. I'm thinking it was the Souhan/Barriero sniping.
Thats pretty cool !
Nevermind. It's a twitter account that tweets about Morneau, not actually him. :o(
At the beginning of 2013 I stated here that my New Years resolution was to find a way to move back to Minnesota.
...missed it by 10 days.
Sweet. I hope the Milkmaid and I are soon to follow. We've looked at a few places but everything hinges on her getting a promotion that, while she is qualified and has fervent support from VPs at her location, is a job desired by many, many people in the company.
I just came to realize recently that I've lived in SoCal longer than anyplace in my life. My dad was a pastor, so we moved around when I was a kid. I lived in central Idaho for about 12 years total if you count college and I lived in the Twin Cities for six years before going to college plus a summer in college, but I still kind of think of the Twin Cities as my home, mainly because my parents retired there and because I follow the Twins and Gophers more than any other sports teams. We moved here in the summer of '99 so my wife could get a teaching job and haven't left and have no plans to leave. We are happy here, but I do still miss the Twin Cities. Well, at least from late spring to early fall.
I think I've now lived in MO longer that MN, with 5½ years of L.Angeles sandwiched between.
5 years in San Diego and now 13.5 in greater Sacratomato, I've now lived longer in California than I did in Spamtown.
I've been in South Dakota my whole life, but in several different towns. The longest (other than growing up) was Wessington Springs (17 years), which I consider my home town much more than the town in which I was raised.
In my 36 years outside my mother's womb, I've spent only 10 in Minnesota, yet that's where I identify my homeland. Both my parents were born there though I was born in Montana (1 year). Lived in STL for 18 years, and now Central Illinois for 7.
I would love to do that someday, but I have to stay down here mostly for career reasons. I do love Madison, though, so I'm not eager to move away just yet.
I also love Madison. I'd give a move back to Minnesota (in the distant future) close consideration, but just about anywhere I'd care to live in the state – with the exception of Minneapolis – would get a veto from Mrs. Hayes because cold.
I have the opposite issue. I suspect we'll be moving to Duluth eventually* to avoid the temps above 75 or so.
* A very long eventually.
Duluth is at the top of my list.
Yeah, I'd totally move to Duluth if my career were to take me there.
My parents, who live north of Grand Rapids, have mostly declared that they won't be spending winters in Minnesota any more. 'bout time, was my retort. I'm campaigning for 6 months here, 6 months there, until they are ready for assisted living.
avoid the temps above 75 or so
mmhmm.
Also, Linds and I would love to live in Duluth (we've vacationed there several times) , but I think she's a bit concerned about the winter driving up there.
I've always wanted to live in Duluth*, but my wife grew up on the Range and has absolutely no desire to return to her old stomping grounds/live any further north than we already do.
*I wanted to go to UMD but by reputation, it wasn't "academically rigorous" enough for my mother...ended up in Morris.
Is Morris more academically rigorous?
Well, it is more isolated, for whatever that counts.
It has (or had, anyway) a good reputation for academics within a certain segment of smaller liberal arts colleges. Supposedly great value when compared with St. Johns, St. Thomas, Carlton, Hamline, etc... certainly wasn't my first choice but for the $6000 tuition #'s.
and it's more isolated.
I lived in Madison for a little over a year. Great place to live.
I'm on my fifth place in the last two years. This time in 2012 I was in Prague, then 4 months in Iowa, a year in Buffalo, 3 months outside DC, and now Austin. And if plans come through, I'll be back to Prague by the summertime. If not, I sincerely hope I can stay here and be happy for awhile.
Welcome back!
I can't believe that we're coming up on our 6th year back in Minnesota.
In June, we moved into the house that I think we'll be in for a while so I'm finally getting rid of the packing materials for things like the stereo, television, power tools, etc.
We have tried to get back to Minnesota, but I don't think it's in the cards for us. We spent two years in buffalo, five (+1 extra for me) in Albuquerque, three (-1 for me ) in west Texas, and now 1.75 in New Orleans.
I'm grateful I have a career where the best opportunities ARE in Minnesota.
This says so much about our favorite local media guy.
Star Tribune Sports @StribSports
Is @rickyrubio9 turning out to be yet another #Twolves draft mistake? That's what @SouhanStrib thinks. http://strib.mn/1cIoNys #NBA
1500 ESPN @1500ESPN
.@SouhanStrib is explaining his column today ripping Ricky Rubio. Stream live at http://1500espn.com
I saw the headline of that and immediately left. I don't even care what his (ir)rationale is.
Yep. I dont click on Souhan columns unless someone posts it here and says its 'a must read'. Ricky Rubio is not Johnny Flynn.
(Correction: An earlier version of this story cited Hatch's shot as the game-winning shot. It was his first shot of the game. Loyola defeated Notre Dame 87-59)
Oops. To be fair, the crowd and the players on the bench did go nuts like it was a game-winning shot.
I was trying to compile all my Great Purge data, and I can't find any record of the purge in 2010. I fear it was just a comment on WGOM That Was. Do we still have access to those comments somewhere?
Hey socal, you might want to take the kids to see this.
JoePos has a HOF series going. Nice piece on Eddie Murray.
I've decided to give up drinking anything that calls itself a Belgian IPA. For whatever reason, I don't feel like the hops go very well with the yeast.
This. "Belgian" and "IPA" just don't need to be combobulated. They are not peanut butter and chocolate, damnit.
"They should trade him," one Eastern Conference executive said. "No one thinks he's staying. Everyone knows he wants to go to the Lakers."
Its an interesting article if you are not up on what kind of damage Kahn did with that Love contract, but I just hate how no Minnesota sports teams can never have the good players. Joe Mauer to Boston or New York. Love to New York or LA. Maybe I have a complex when it comes to my favorite player and my favorite teams.
I'd say your complex is more with how the national mediots cover your favorite players and teams. (I think I have it too.)
I hate to beat a dead horse (because that's pretty high on my list of things I don't like when others do it. Also very high on that list is hypocrites, so I'm in for a two-fer), but you could always just not read that sort of stuff.
I don't think you understand how the Internet works, mags.
Thus far it's been a pretty bad year for snow in the Sierras, that's for sure.
one more map:
Actually, that's the map of the Canadian Military takeover of the US in the Great North American War
Yellow is 2053
Red is 2054
Blue is 2055
White is 2056
Anyone know what day I have for the Best of '13 VJ duties? Don't know where the schedule is. (thanks)
Just wondering. Suppose Dan Le Batard had gone on his radio show and said, "We have a poll up now on espn.com for you to vote on who you think should be in the Hall of Fame, and whoever wins our vote, that's who I'm going to vote for." Do you think the reaction would've been different?
I think the voting would have been different, at least. Much different crowd there vs. Deadspin.
I believe that saying "that's who I'm going to vote for" is the stickler; if he instead said something like, "help me decide who to vote for" he's at least not (directly) appearing to be handing his vote to someone else.
In the Mike & Mike clip someone linked to yesterday, LeBatard mentioned that he wasn't 100% sure he would have gone along with it if had been ridiculous. So he said he'd do it, and the results were reasonable, so he went along with it.
Also, the ESPN.com votes would have produced a worse ballot.
Things might have been different for Deadspin voters if one of the site's memes had been on the ballot. Like Barbaro. (Though that might be an old reference.)
BBWAA voters should be able to opt-out of voting.
I believe they can opt out.
By not turning in their ballot.
But a new ballot each year is just too tempting.
I think part of the outrage comes from the vote was handed over the evil people at Deadspin, which regularly mocks the writers speaking out against the vote.
I'm trying to find it, but I believe one write came out and just said if LeBatard had done this on ESPN, he'd have been ok with it.
Not quite on point, but I spent some time working on my letter to LEN3 last night, and this paragraph is somewhat relevant to the Le Batard situation:
Yes.
Excellent.
I think the whole thing just reinforces my view of the BBWAA (as a whole) as a bunch of self-important blowhards.
This.
Vikings move to a temp stadium ,raise ticket prices. Seems par for the course for that franchise.
Come see the new coach!
Most of the seats in that joint are bleachers, so that's pretty cool.
I actually know a ridiculously easy way to sneak into TCF Bank Stadium. I only used it once this past Gopher season, but I used it for every single home game last season. I'm wondering how much they are going to beef up security for the NFL, because if the same loophole exists, I might actually go to a few Vikings games!
A few years ago, we were down in Ames tailgating at the last Iowa State-Nebraska game. We went down with a family of Cyclones and didn't buy tickets, instead we just partied outside the stadium. Anyway, at halftime, half the crowd spills out to come back to their tailgating spot to drink some beer. My brother watches this for a minute, then says, "Follow me." He got everyone into the crowd to just walk back into the stadium, and ended up watching the second half and OT from about ten rows from the field.
Goldy's Locker Room?
Nope. Just a discrete, unguarded exit that goes right to the concourse.
Because it's the No Fun League, I doubt anything will be left unguarded.
just the opposing WRs. hii-yoooo!!
Or the opposing end zone.
Interesting read on Greg Maddux. (Forgive me if it has been linked already)
Oh Maddux. We miss you.
Spooky - did my Polar Plunge email not get through to you?
I have not gotten it. Let me check bulk mail.
Yep, there it is. I can sidebar it and then get it up as the CoC on Monday, when people are around again.
That would be great - thanks again for the assist.
so, expect Rhu to post it mid-morning on Monday.
Hey Justin Morneau now follows me on twitter! First celeb/athlete to do so. (I have a friend who is followed on twitter by Pete Seeger -- that would be so cool) Not sure what caught his eye. I'm thinking it was the Souhan/Barriero sniping.
Thats pretty cool !
Nevermind. It's a twitter account that tweets about Morneau, not actually him. :o(
NBA logos redesigned as Soccer badges
awesome
At the beginning of 2013 I stated here that my New Years resolution was to find a way to move back to Minnesota.
...missed it by 10 days.
Sweet. I hope the Milkmaid and I are soon to follow. We've looked at a few places but everything hinges on her getting a promotion that, while she is qualified and has fervent support from VPs at her location, is a job desired by many, many people in the company.
I just came to realize recently that I've lived in SoCal longer than anyplace in my life. My dad was a pastor, so we moved around when I was a kid. I lived in central Idaho for about 12 years total if you count college and I lived in the Twin Cities for six years before going to college plus a summer in college, but I still kind of think of the Twin Cities as my home, mainly because my parents retired there and because I follow the Twins and Gophers more than any other sports teams. We moved here in the summer of '99 so my wife could get a teaching job and haven't left and have no plans to leave. We are happy here, but I do still miss the Twin Cities. Well, at least from late spring to early fall.
I think I've now lived in MO longer that MN, with 5½ years of L.Angeles sandwiched between.
5 years in San Diego and now 13.5 in greater Sacratomato, I've now lived longer in California than I did in Spamtown.
I've been in South Dakota my whole life, but in several different towns. The longest (other than growing up) was Wessington Springs (17 years), which I consider my home town much more than the town in which I was raised.
In my 36 years outside my mother's womb, I've spent only 10 in Minnesota, yet that's where I identify my homeland. Both my parents were born there though I was born in Montana (1 year). Lived in STL for 18 years, and now Central Illinois for 7.
I would love to do that someday, but I have to stay down here mostly for career reasons. I do love Madison, though, so I'm not eager to move away just yet.
I also love Madison. I'd give a move back to Minnesota (in the distant future) close consideration, but just about anywhere I'd care to live in the state – with the exception of Minneapolis – would get a veto from Mrs. Hayes because cold.
I have the opposite issue. I suspect we'll be moving to Duluth eventually* to avoid the temps above 75 or so.
* A very long eventually.
Duluth is at the top of my list.
Yeah, I'd totally move to Duluth if my career were to take me there.
My parents, who live north of Grand Rapids, have mostly declared that they won't be spending winters in Minnesota any more. 'bout time, was my retort. I'm campaigning for 6 months here, 6 months there, until they are ready for assisted living.
mmhmm.
Also, Linds and I would love to live in Duluth (we've vacationed there several times) , but I think she's a bit concerned about the winter driving up there.
I've always wanted to live in Duluth*, but my wife grew up on the Range and has absolutely no desire to return to her old stomping grounds/live any further north than we already do.
*I wanted to go to UMD but by reputation, it wasn't "academically rigorous" enough for my mother...ended up in Morris.
Is Morris more academically rigorous?
Well, it is more isolated, for whatever that counts.
It has (or had, anyway) a good reputation for academics within a certain segment of smaller liberal arts colleges. Supposedly great value when compared with St. Johns, St. Thomas, Carlton, Hamline, etc... certainly wasn't my first choice but for the $6000 tuition #'s.
and it's more isolated.
I lived in Madison for a little over a year. Great place to live.
I'm on my fifth place in the last two years. This time in 2012 I was in Prague, then 4 months in Iowa, a year in Buffalo, 3 months outside DC, and now Austin. And if plans come through, I'll be back to Prague by the summertime. If not, I sincerely hope I can stay here and be happy for awhile.
Welcome back!
I can't believe that we're coming up on our 6th year back in Minnesota.
In June, we moved into the house that I think we'll be in for a while so I'm finally getting rid of the packing materials for things like the stereo, television, power tools, etc.
We have tried to get back to Minnesota, but I don't think it's in the cards for us. We spent two years in buffalo, five (+1 extra for me) in Albuquerque, three (-1 for me ) in west Texas, and now 1.75 in New Orleans.
I'm grateful I have a career where the best opportunities ARE in Minnesota.
This says so much about our favorite local media guy.
I saw the headline of that and immediately left. I don't even care what his (ir)rationale is.
Yep. I dont click on Souhan columns unless someone posts it here and says its 'a must read'. Ricky Rubio is not Johnny Flynn.
Classic troll mode Souhan.
What a great story! Except...
Oops. To be fair, the crowd and the players on the bench did go nuts like it was a game-winning shot.
I was trying to compile all my Great Purge data, and I can't find any record of the purge in 2010. I fear it was just a comment on WGOM That Was. Do we still have access to those comments somewhere?
Hey socal, you might want to take the kids to see this.
JoePos has a HOF series going. Nice piece on Eddie Murray.
I just met Harold Battiste. Wow.
Still sporting a wicked beard?
Youbetcha.
Oooooooh.
Holy smokes.
Cool.
Please don't do a Trappist IPA...
I've decided to give up drinking anything that calls itself a Belgian IPA. For whatever reason, I don't feel like the hops go very well with the yeast.
This. "Belgian" and "IPA" just don't need to be combobulated. They are not peanut butter and chocolate, damnit.
Old Man, Take a Look at My Life
I love it when other team executives (coughNYKnickscough) wants to trade all our players
Its an interesting article if you are not up on what kind of damage Kahn did with that Love contract, but I just hate how no Minnesota sports teams can never have the good players. Joe Mauer to Boston or New York. Love to New York or LA. Maybe I have a complex when it comes to my favorite player and my favorite teams.
I'd say your complex is more with how the national mediots cover your favorite players and teams. (I think I have it too.)
I hate to beat a dead horse (because that's pretty high on my list of things I don't like when others do it. Also very high on that list is hypocrites, so I'm in for a two-fer), but you could always just not read that sort of stuff.
I don't think you understand how the Internet works, mags.
It's gonna be a long, hot summer in Cali.
Thus far it's been a pretty bad year for snow in the Sierras, that's for sure.
one more map:
Actually, that's the map of the Canadian Military takeover of the US in the Great North American War
Yellow is 2053
Red is 2054
Blue is 2055
White is 2056
Anyone know what day I have for the Best of '13 VJ duties? Don't know where the schedule is. (thanks)
January 18.
(thanks, sean)
Danke! Queued up, unless it gets preempted.