Who Said Public Television has to be Bad?

(Sorry about all the sports blogging lately. This time of year, between the NCAA tournament, NHL & NBA stretch runs, and spring training it is difficult for me to avoid it. Just be glad I’m not boring you with golf posts… yet.)

Every so often, as I surf through my basic cable package, I come across a scrabble board on TV. I always stop and watch for a bit. At first, a strange side-show curiosity kept me glued to the screen. But the more I watch, the more I am mesmerized by simple genius of “Totally Scrabble Tuesdays.”

Unfortunately, TST has a terrible time slot, Tuesdays at 11:00 pm (Channel 17). As you would guess most of the callers are college students, hipsters, or one of the dozens of dedicated TST groupies. It is not uncommon for a caller to be somewhat inebriated, which is either annoying or entertaining depending on your view. (Alcohol, overcoming inhibitions one drink at a time.)

It may seem silly at first, but trust me it quickly grows on you. It doesn’t take long to be sucked in by host Hamil Griffin-Cassidy. He handles the unruly and ruly* callers with the same quick wit, yet he never comes across as pompous or arrogant. His quirky good nature makes TST work.

Totally Scrabble Tuesdays has become so popular that about a month ago someone launched DefeatHamil.net. As the name suggests, its sole purpose is to help Minneapolis beat Hamil. Clearly, TST is one of the most popular public access television shows of all time.

If you are ever up at 11:00 pm on a Tuesday night, flip it over to channel 17 and soak in the Scrabble-ly goodness.

* I’ve always thought it strange that someone can be unruly but not ruly.

Silly Wildcats… Tubby is a Great Coach

Finally, finally, finally, the Gophers got a top-tier coach to come to town. Tubby Smith is a class-act AND one of the best coaches in college basketball, even if all those irrational Kentucky fans believe otherwise. I’m not ready to put any money on the Gophers to make the NCAA tournament next year, but I at least have a reason to be optimistic about the future of Gopher basketball.

The University of Minnesota has employed great coaches before. But like Lou Holtz or Brenda Frese, the Maroon and Gold are often used as a resume builder instead of career destination. (I suspect that Glen Mason had similar ambitions when he signed his first contract. But many, many poor game decisions killed his career momentum.) Because the U of MN is a Big Ten school it gives coaches instant creditability and the needed exposure to position themselves for bigger and “better” jobs. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with climbing the proverbial coaching ladder, but the revolving door is not much fun to go through as a fan.

And the men’s basketball coaches specifically, have all been fan-teasers. Bill Musselman, Jim Dutcher, and Clem Haskins all had successful seasons, but they all left the program with a black-eye. Musselman was too mean and ruthless for his own good. Dutcher conveniently ignored problems. And Haskins brazenly flaunted NCAA rules. Dutcher was the least culpable of the bunch, but each of these promising coaches left tarnish on the program’s reputation.

Dan Monson looked like the savior that Minnesota so desperately needed. He had taken Gonzaga deep into the NCAA tournament in consecutive years, even beating the Gophers in the first round of the 1999 tournament. But whether it was the NCAA sanctions, Monson’s short-comings, or some combination of the two, the program regressed.

The University of Minnesota has a storied athletic tradition, but the Gophers have fallen behind the pack in just about everything other than hockey. Besides, a school cannot lean on tradition alone. (See: Michigan basketball) But by hiring Tubby Smith, the Men’s basketball program has some ‘positive juice’ for a change. Ticket sales are way up and fans are down right giddy about Coach Smith.

At a minimum Tubby brings his great reputation and recruiting contacts. (He should have a huge recruiting advantage over Monson.) Hopefully he still has the vigor to build a program from the ground up. But even at his worst, Tubby Smith should keep the Gophers competitive. And that’s all we ask.

Ski-U-Mah

Sven is Lucky I do not Have Photoshop

Sven Sundgaard was the Celebrity Grand Marshall for St. Paul's St. Patrick's Day Parade. Saturday was a great day for a parade, sunny and not too cold. Darcy and Rick confirmed my suspicion that the Irish pubs were packed to capacity.

When I heard Sven was going to be leading the parade I was excited. I had hoped that he would wear a Leprechaun suit or at least a silly hat. But no, Sven just wore a green shirt and vest. Boooooooo.

Just the idea of a metro-sexual Norwegian Leprechaun was enough to bring a smile to my face. Add a corn-cob pipe and a pot o’ gold and Sven would have been one of the spiffiest Leprechauns ever. I challenge you to think of another celebrity that would make a more authentic looking Leprechaun.

Bruce Lee Vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

This video is awsome on so many different levels. I can't believe I've never seen this before. Enjoy...

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Duke is Dead: For Now

I have always respected the Duke Basketball program. Coach K has built a program that values hard work, smart play, STUDENT-athletes, and non-turd-ish behavior. But even though I respect them, I still hate them. And because I hate them, I was thrilled they lost last night in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

It’s not my fault I hate Duke. First, my dad loves underdogs. Whenever we watch a sporting event that doesn’t involve a Minnesota team my dad roots for the underdog. Duke never was an underdog during my formative years. Strike one.

Second, before I knew anything about the best rivalry in sports (Duke v. North Carolina), I had been a Tar heel fan. Like 99.9% of people my age I liked Michael Jordan, and Jordan was a Tar heel. So North Carolina got the early edge.

When I played basketball I was a post player. And I remember being a big Eric Montross fan. Montross was tall, a little bit clumsy, and yet an effective player. His Duke counter-part, Christian Laettner was suave, smooth, and smug. I could relate to Montross more than Laettner.

As my affinity for North Carolina developed I got pulled into the Tar Heel / Blue Devil war. And as a college sophomore, I took a road trip to Chapel Hill to visit my friend Becky. I hung-out in Tar Heel bars, I rollerbladed around the Dean Dome, I ate at Tar Heel institutions, and partied with Tar Heel students. I had a great time, cementing my UNC fandom. Strike Two.

Finally, This year’s Blue Devils seem to enjoy playing basketball less than most other teams. Because they have had so much success, winning is tinged with expectation and seems less joyous. If they lose, they get frustrated and pout. McRoberts has been the worst. He has pouted more on a basketball court this year than anybody not named Sam Cassel.

Duke deserves respect because they have built a program the right way. But like a snobby, good-looking girl, Duke knows that it is a great program and has always acted somewhat smug. There has been too many Christian Laettners and Josh McRoberts’, and not enough Grant Hills and Sheldon Williams’. Coach K never smiles, unless he’s shilling for GMC or American Express, thereby (I would argue, unfairly) subsidizing his recruiting efforts. Duke, like its coach is ethical but ruthless. Strike 3.

Duke is an easy team for me to respect, a hard team for me to like. I truly enjoyed watching Virginia Commonwealth University beat them. But I know that my joy will be short-lived because they will re-load and add 3 or 4 McDonalds All-Americans next year, again. But I will enjoy the program’s down-time, no mater how brief it is.

Go Heels.

A Nice Day for a White Wedding

Last weekend Paula and Joe tied the knot. By every measure it was a smashing success. Despite the torrential snowfalls, everyone was able to make it… eventually.

Paula’s maid of honor and her husband were forced to spend a night in Eau Claire after their car spun-out into a ditch along I-94. Sounded like a pretty hairy situation, they were lucky no other vehicles were nearby. They waited about an hour for the tow-truck, but all things considered it could have been much worse. Blowing and drifting snow covered the roads Thursday night, but by Friday they were mostly clear.

The groom’s dinner was at the Local. We were the first group to use a new private party room just off the main bar area. It was a sweet location for a rehearsal dinner. Low, arched ceilings and dim back lighting created an intimate wine cellar atmosphere. Everyone had some delicious and filling heavy hors d'oeuvres (stuffed mushrooms, kabobs, finger sandwiches and delicious brownies to name a few.) I was very impressed.

The service itself went-off without a hitch. There were some minor disturbances, but nothing that could be said to have spoiled the beautiful ceremony. Even Lucy behaved herself. As Paula said to her after the ceremony, “You were good during the service Lucy. Good, not great, I’ll give you a B+.”

There were a number of refreshing aspects of the wedding. First, I thought it was great that the ceremony and the reception were at the same place. No one had to run around in between. The service started relatively late (4:30), and yet there was plenty of time for an unrushed dinner and reception.

I also enjoyed the non-traditional photographer. She took more cameo shots, which often turn-out better. A good photographer can capture the true emotion of a moment. There was minimal posing in the group shots, just quick efficient photography.

Finally, because it would have created an awkward set-up in the reception room, Joe and Paula decided to forgo the traditional long head table. All the tables were round. This allowed the significant others of the bridal party to sit with the party.

During my brief speech I took the opportunity to needle Joe and Paula a little bit, as well as the Green Bay Packer fans in attendance. (I would guess there was close to a 50/50 split.) I was happy with the response I got from the crowd. I avoided swearing or using hookers in a joke. It went well if I do say so myself.

There was lots of alcohol and dancing. I was a party animal until about 11:15 when the Champagne, Gin and beer all seemed to take effect at the same time. Amber and I lasted until midnight, and left about 5 minutes after Paula and Joe did.

It was a long day: Long on laughs, long on smiles, and long on love. Congrats Joe and Paula.

Careful What You Wish For…

At this time last week in Minneapolis, there were sparse pockets of melting snow. I was dismayed. I wanted some freaking snow. I like the challenge of inclement weather. Nothing adds drama to everyday activities like a good blizzard. It triggers survival mode, it awakens primal instincts. No task is monotonous when “the climate is actively trying to kill you.”

So until the snow started coming down fast and furious last Saturday, Ambular had to endure my bitching and moaning. I was supremely disappointed last Saturday morning when I woke-up to find less than an inch of snow. I was geared-up for an avalanche after listening to the local forecasters talk about the possibility likelihood of a “monster snow storm.” I was angry; I made irrational threats on Paul Douglas’ life.

As Saturday wore-on though, more and more snow fell. I was excited. Ambular, Laura, and I went to David and Carols for their sweet Hawaii 5-0 party. By the time we left all the metro roads were covered with at least 3 inches of snow. Even the free-ways were awash in white.

Everything was going fine until I tried to coax the Malibu into the alley and onto the garage. I had to shovel a path to attempt to gain enough momentum to make it up the slight incline. No luck. No problem, I’ll just try the other end of the alley. Drive to the corner, get stuck. Shovel, rock the Bu out. Get to the other end of the alley, get stuck. Shovel, rock the Bu out.

At this point it is 2:30 in the morning and my excitement is quickly being replaced with frustration. I come to grip with the fact that my car will have to spend the night on the street. I pick-out a spot near the alley entrance and shovel a spot for it. After a little maneuvering I get the Bu into its temporary home. And trudge home and collapse into bed.

Since then it has been nothing but a lot of shoveling. Another snow-dump this weekend, and I’ve had enough snow for the year.