This isn’t because I’m biased, but I truly do feel Carson Park is the finest stadium in the league for various reasons. It has a great view beyond the outfield of a civic park and hills in the distance. It has the best looking fan deck in the league. The sound system works well and the stone-faced grandstand gives Carson Park a true stadium feel. I’ll say this, when I first visited Eau Claire it was in the Fall of 2005 and Carson Park was set-up for football. Even with bleachers stationed in leftfield, I still thought it was the prettiest park I’ve ever been to.
2) Port Arthur Stadium – Thunder Bay, ONT
A compact, covered 3,500-seat grandstand consisting of nothing but individual seats makes this a must-see park. The fan amenities are few, with a small –seldom used –party area down the leftfield line and few promotions. However, the park is very clean, sound system is perfect and sightlines by far the best in the entire league.
]]>This isn’t because I’m biased, but I truly do feel Carson Park is the finest stadium in the league for various reasons. It has a great view beyond the outfield of a civic park and hills in the distance. It has the best looking fan deck in the league. The sound system works well and the stone-faced grandstand gives Carson Park a true stadium feel. I’ll say this, when I first visited Eau Claire it was in the Fall of 2005 and Carson Park was set-up for football. Even with bleachers stationed in leftfield, I still thought it was the prettiest park I’ve ever been to.
2) Port Arthur Stadium – Thunder Bay, ONT
A compact, covered 3,500-seat grandstand consisting of nothing but individual seats makes this a must-see park. The fan amenities are few, with a small –seldom used –party area down the leftfield line and few promotions. However, the park is very clean, sound system is perfect and sightlines by far the best in the entire league.
3) Athletic Park – Wausau, WI
Built facing the West, just before the advent of night games, Athletic Park in Wausau is quickly able to move passed that and compensate with one of the Northwoods League’s finest parks. It’s shoe-horned into a residential neighborhood with little foul ground so that almost every foul ball ends up on a neighbors' yard past either first or third base. An eight-foot tall stone fence surrounds the park giving it a very cozy feel and the energy of the crowds of 1,500-2,000 is a professional one. The fans applaud good plays, groan at bad ones and mellow when they need to be as they soak in the game. No need for them to be encouraged to cheer because the Woodchucks understand a game on June 15, that’s in the fifth inning, doesn’t need a rhymnic clap if the fans simply aren’t feeling it that day.
4) Warner Park – Madison, WI
Take Angel Food Cake and add some berries whip cream and drizzle some chocolate and WOW, that’s a dessert. It’s also what has been done to Warner Park in Madison by the Mallards since 2001. Built in 1982, the place was simply some bleachers surrounding a field but when the Mallards came in they turned the pathway down the third base line into a virtually midway, built party areas in both corners and jazzed up the park with vibrant colors. The atmosphere is one of a nine-inning party and though 5,000 of the 5,001 who attend a game on any given night don’t even know there is a ballgame going on, the place is a must visit.
5) Riverfront Stadium – Waterloo, IA
This is old time minor league baseball at its finest with a simple bowl that goes from base line to base line with a roof. There is a spot out in leftfield where a Marlboro Man used to reside as late as 1994, the typical 1980s beer sponsored scoreboard sits in right field and if one takes a moment to look around (since it hasn’t been cleaned in ages) the whole place still has various food stains, foot prints, and smells bakes into it over its entire 60 year history. The place hasn’t aged well at all, but it’s one of my favorites as it is truly minor league.
6) Wade Stadium – Duluth, MN
Regarded by many as the best in the league by players for its field surface and locker rooms, it also ranks highly among fans. An old time grandstand structure with great views and from the press box atop the roof one can even seen the various bridges connecting Minnesota with Duluth and a great sunset beyond right field (assuming one is able to duck the birds that fly by as the booth is WAAAY up there). My problem with the place, its high brick wall the goes around the circumference of the seating bowl. The only thing missing is a couple of watch towers to complete the penitentiary feel.
7) Joe Faber Field – St. Cloud, MN
The River bats former home across the street at Dick Putz Field was my favorite in the league so while Joe Faber is newer, it actually drops down a bit. The park has a very modern feel to it with lots of concrete and cement. It’s the only park in the league in which fans enter under all the seats in a totally enclosed area reminiscent of entering a hockey arena. From there, fans walk up to their seats. No covering for any of the seats, but the trade-off is there isn’t a bad view at the place. My problem is, while some find it romantic, I find it rather unkempt and I’m talking about the ivy they have growing on the outfield wall. It wouldn’t look so bad if they didn’t try to place signage along the wall as well. So instead of looking like Wrigley, it looks like a Little League field the local fathers have let go for a while.
8) Mayo Field – Rochester, MN
If not for the fact the ballpark’s view is off that of a housing project instead of downtown –which is seen only from third base seats – this would be right towards the top. A simple grandstand structure with a small party area over the visitor’s dugout on the third base side. Nothing flashy about this place but in its simplicity it stands out. The place could use a new black and teal paint job to match the Honkers colors but overall the place is not bad.
9) Copeland Park – La Crosse, WI
Where Copeland Park sits, baseball has been played for decades but it wasn’t until the Loggers built a 3,000-seat erector set grandstand was a stadium present. A rather lifeless stadium, with cold aluminum is off-set by its setting in a civic park on the banks of the Mississippi. The scoreboard is very visible in left and the park’s various party areas bring it to life. Not a bad park, but what hurts the park is its rather “cheap” feel ranging from its Pavilion Style concession stand to the fact that this place has arguable the dirtiest bathrooms in the league and no clubhouses for players despite the franchise’s relative wealth.
10) Franklin Rogers Park – Mankato, MN
This is actually a very simple, yet very nice ballpark. A 1,500-seat grandstand featuring seats from old County Stadium, convenient parking and great views of the field. What holds the park back? No bathrooms, just porta-potties!
11) Joannes Stadium – Green Bay, WI
Titletown used to have a ballpark through the 1970s, but tore that down and in its place –on the campus of Green Bay East High – they constructed a diamond with some bleachers around it to satisfy the city’s amateur baseball needs. Since starting up in 2007, the Bullfrogs have put in a new scoreboard, given the place a paint job, livened the facility up with carnival attractions and some new seats, plus the facility features the NWL’s best bathrooms complete with deodorizer machines and murals. Still, all the kings’ horses and all the king’s men, can’t put together Joannes again.
12) C.O. Brown Stadium – Battle Creek, MI
Originally built in the late 1980s to host various amateur tournaments, this 8,000-seat ballpark welcomed minor league baseball for a decade starting in 1995. The Northwoods League moved in to take residence in 2007 and enjoys a ballpark that features a large party area in leftfield, large locker-rooms, modern concession facilities and a great surface. However, most games struggle to bring in 500 fans creating a cavernous effect making many feel lost. The scoreboard needs new lights and the sound system hasn’t been updated since the place was built. Overall, a place that would move up if more fans came through.
13) Knute Nelson Field – Alexandria, MN
Relatively speaking, Alexandria has done the best with what they have, like a school producing quality students, with less than qualified teachers. Located just off the miniscule downtown, the ballpark is shoehorned into a residential area, with a lake beyond rightfield creating odd dimensions where centerfield is only 345-feet out. The sun sets in hitter’s eyes, there is almost no room for large crowds, the fan amenities are limited and the place just feels better suited for a town ball game. However, a wrought-iron fence exterior, clean seating bowl, and creative means of developing party areas keeps this from being the worst park even though on paper it would be.
14) Mills Field – Brained, MN
For a high school field this would be considered a player’s paradise with an immaculately manicured infield and just enough seating surrounding the infield to give the place a “big-time” field. But for a Northwood’s League franchise, the place is simply subpar and for none of the reasons for why it’s a good high school diamond, It’s a classic case of a pasta meal hidden inside a greasy spoon. Games typically draw a couple dozen spectators, the ambience makes a beer-league softball game seem energetic and both teams can’t wait for a night to end.
]]>So many good choices…so few bad ones that even debating the “best” is a topic one can’t even decide upon themselves let alone with others. Hence, I want to go backwards with this and instead debate the worst baseball movies of the last twenty-five years. I use twenty-five, since I am 26 and it’s a more even number and since I’m more familiar with these. Now at the on-set, I should day that I’m still a fan of most of these as a bad baseball movie it’s like a bad piece of pizza. It’s still comforting and some good can still be squeezed out.
]]>So many good choices…so few bad ones that even debating the “best” is a topic one can’t even decide upon themselves let alone with others. Hence, I want to go backwards with this and instead debate the worst baseball movies of the last twenty-five years. I use twenty-five, since I am 26 and it’s a more even number and since I’m more familiar with these. Now at the on-set, I should day that I’m still a fan of most of these as a bad baseball movie it’s like a bad piece of pizza. It’s still comforting and some good can still be squeezed out.
5) The Sandlot – This circa 1992 flick about a 1960s group of adolescents who play baseball in a vacant lot is Americana at its finest, but I believe totally overrated. It’s a movie with little staying power and one that has too many irritating flaws. The premise is sweet and wholesome, but the side-story about a menacing dog and blind James Earl Jones doesn’t fit. Let alone the hard to believe ending in which the nerd becomes the LA Dodgers play-by-play announcer. No c’mon…all of pbp’ers should be outraged!
4) Hardball – Earlier this decade Keanu Reeves looked to master the diamond, much like he did in the 80s in hockey with Youngblood and the 90s with the “replacements”. Long story short I’ve never seen this flick, though have had chances on a few bus rides but it never soaked me in. The story about an inner-city team has failed to even be recalled by many.
3) Major League Three – Back to the Minors: The first two Major Leagues are classics, with stunningly believable action, storylines and creative characters. However, this 1998 stretch of the franchise has thankfully been forgotten by most. The story features Scott Bakula and the dude who played Jefferson Darcy on Married with Children. Need I say any more. Sad thing is, Bob Uecker nearly kills his Harry Dole character in this movie, making an embarrassment not only of Harry, but of himself.
2) Rookie of the Year – Its hard to believe, but the kid who plays the star Henry, in this 1993 movie is the same kid who gets to…you know…with Tara Reid in the first American Pie. It’s a clever movie, lacking in believability and brought down further by a pointless John Candy radio commentary. However, the movie likely did cause a few kids to break their arm on purpose just in case it would speed up the fast ball.
1) The Rookie – There is plenty about this 2004 movie that I like, from the realistic action and story that is kept fairly close to the truth. The movie came about shortly after Disney’s remarkable “Miracle” and has been of excellent moments. However, poor casting of Dennis Quaid, who is quite honestly terrible as a pitcher is aggravating. He is impossible to fall in love with in the movie and the whole story of an unforgiving father/son relationship is something I haven’t been able to back-up in reading about the real Jim Morris.
]]>However, on a recent trip to St. Paul to watch a minor league game, and watching a friend devour a $7 Gyro, I began to think…”What is THE ballpark food.” The selections have gone a long way in just a couple decades as ballparks offer more, and improve their quality beyond what was previously a slight improvement over rural Montana gas station hot dog quality.
I know what everyone is thinking…it’s the hot dog…but is it really. Think about it, yeah many people gravitate towards the dog, and some have their only wieners when at the park, but with all the other choices, and with people looking for something more filling at the concession stand, is the hot dog still the grand standard?
What about the burger, the hot dogs boisterous and lavish partner? It’s a meal at restaurants…but at the ballpark, burger quality is rarely good as a 16-year old hourly employee makes sure to burn everyone to the consistency of a keyboard so as not to even come remotely close to having any dry meat on the inside.
Brats/Sausages lose out because every region is different, from the “real” Italian sausages of the Northeast, to the bastardized hot dogs Wisconsinites have to settle for (aka: brats) there is too much difference as one of the keys has to be uniformity.
Chicken – same as burgers…usually the cooks ruin it
Beer/Soda – Nah…we all have that at home too often as is.
Then it hit me, could the true ballpark food actually be peanuts? Think about it, for despite Planters best efforts, rarely do any of us have peanuts except at the park and when we get there, we are perfectly happy with having to crack open the shell to get to the meat. It’s the only food product sold that we have to work to eat, and people are more than content doing it.
There is a reason ballparks are littered with shells after every game…peanuts are a great seller and something people feel just a little “naughty” about getting. Whereas the person who always gets the hot dogs feels they must get a dog, peanuts feel as though a “special” treat as its something we never eat at home.
End of discussion…peanuts are the true ballpark food.
]]>A few fleeting moments with my inner psyche quickly reveals my passion is baseball (with apologies to my future first wife and any unborn children I may have with said partner) and all of its sights, sounds and subsequent smells. Maybe it’s the fact I grew up in the shadows of Cooperstown, NY, or that my father was a decent college pitcher and nepotism took hold, or that it was the only sport a “husky” child like me was good at in high school, or it could be a myriad of other factors. Anyway, I love baseball as much as anyone can love an inanimate object and this is the best time of the year.
My beloved New York Yankees are poised to turn around their season yet again (and I’m no bandwagon driver…I remember Matt Nokes and Kevin Maas and the lean years of the 80s), and the local Northwoods League Eau Claire Express are getting set to deliver their first pitch in 2008. As some of the readers here likely know, I’m the radio voice of the Express on Moose Country 106.7, and in fact, it’s the Express that brought me to the Chippewa Valley from North Dakota to work in this town, a decision I only briefly regret when I realize the region lacks a Chipotle (but makes up for with a Fazolis).
Now, I also know many of the readers here aren’t necessarily dyed in the wool sports fans, and would more than likely choose an evening of classical music over sampling a greasy brat while listening to Metallica music serenade from the speakers at a ballpark and that is fine. However, I want to take this opportunity to give everyone who IS NOT a sports fan three reasons why to attend a game this summer at Carson Park.
1) Support local events: The same argument those who advocate the performing arts and culture in the region holds true with the Express. Granted, the Express might not be as “artsy” as listening to the C.V. symphony combine numerous instruments into a pleasing three-hour tone, but its still a performance meant to entertain the local populace. It adds to the quality of life and just like having a symphony, coffeehouses and museums, its something potential business owners look at when deciding in the region is a place to move their organization (and its employees).
2) Be Seen: Express games are seen by over 2,000 fans nightly, many of whom are the heavy hitters in the region with varying levels of “pull.” Come to a game and bring along a few business cards as the person sitting next to you could be your next major client.
3) Cheap: Even if the cost of driving to the park is factored in, going to just two games all summer would only set an individual back $30 and that assumes they buy food and maybe even an unnecessary souvenir. The games are cheap entertainment for a few nights out of the summer and a way to unwind and escape from the “outside” world.
For a complete schedule and more information, go to eauclaireexpress.com
]]>So with that, I took up a co-workers offer a few weeks ago to help him coach his eight-year daughter's softball team in Seymour. No fancy press conference, not even a small blurb in the daily rags but it was still a momentous occasion that'll I forget. A simple conversation of..."Hey, can you help me coach softball?" followed by "I suppose." Having been quite the star baseball player myself, and wanting to reconnect with that on-field glory this seemed like a golden chance. Plus, I'd be fulfilling that "volunteering" requirement our internal judgement chip needs, in order to be satisfied.
I don't have any kids of my own yet, but I have enjoyed working with younger kids ever since I was a teenager and would volunteer time to go back to elementary schools for functions. For some reason, I seem to connect with them. Maybe its all that psychology training in college...or the fact I still spend Saturday mornings with a bowl of sugary cereal and watching cartoons. Either way, I relate and that is important.
Since this April's weather system has felt more like October, practices have been scarce for the Seymour Daisies, but we've had three which has been enough for me to make these observations on my first coaching position...
A) Eight-year olds have an attention span conducive to maybe a 10-minute practice (5-minutes if a playground is within eyesight)
B) Eight-year olds motor skills are a littler more developed than we may remember from our days...but they are still just as dumb. I try and I try but they just can't understand the wheel play is only good if the batter is bunting from the right side and its a situation in which the ball will be placed down the third base line.
C) There is crying in baseball
D) When a girl matter-of-factly mentions her father spends a lot of time at the bar...its really tough not to laugh at what is probably a serious problem.
I'll give updates as the season progresses. Who knows, a solid season here could grab the attention of some coaching scouts and my drea of making the Major Leagues could still happen
]]>Problem is, for many sports fans such as myself, the inability to fully and comfortably transition into spring has been exacerbated by the endless list of cancellations of local games, the halting of Sunday golf with the buddies and even just the standard after-dinner walk (as if 30-minutes of walking will burn off a large steak?) being put off. Its times such as these that I don't envy school athletic directors who must find a way to cram rescheduled games in before postseason play, and for the players themselves who want to play but at the same time don't necessarily want their high school athletic season to turn into a full-time job in May.
So I take this time to plead with Mother Nature...give us our spring. We've been beaten, allowed to get back up, only to be beaten again. Please let us go.
]]>Having grown up in a pro sports environment, the notion of high school sports being anywhere near as exciting as the postseason for even a minor league hockey playoff series was as far-fetched as imaginaing a pink dog with angel wings cooking waffles for a green elephant. It was so inane my head hurt like a Sunday hackers' back after a round of 18. This year has been my first covering high school sports for Clear Channel (including Moose 106.7 which is calling the Colfax games) and as the year went on that opinion changed little...until the playoff time. All those random games at gyms on a Tuesday night in December (which ultimately mean little because EVERYONE makes the playoffs) are more than compensated by the excitement of the playoffs and that goal everyone has of reaching Madison (as if it were Cancun, or Paris or some other hot destination).
And driving around Colfax this week made me realize what it truly means to a town...and that the excitement generated by a state tournament run is as powerful (albeit on a smaller level) as anything a pro team can do.
The amazing thing is, this tiny town is sending six buses of fans to the game and that doesn't count the dozens who will drive themselves to Madison and may already be in Mad-Town. Reports have surfaced that while classes will still be on tomorrow at the school, there will be only around 100 students left in grades K-12!
My only question is...who are these 100 students and where the heck are their parents. Even if one despises sports and sees no point to a schools sponsorsing such activity and the blantant truism that will be going on, its still a community event that is unparreled for a town of 1,200. Assuming most of these 100 students in question are elementary age, and there parents simply can't take time off of work and I can understand that excuse but its the only one that will fly in my air space.
My best wishes go to the Colfax Vikings and to head coach Joe Doucette who is truly a class act who has waited a long time for this return trip.
]]>But, America is built upon the premise of second chances and fresh starts and thanks to Joe Doucette's Colfax girl's basketball team I'll be back down there on Thursday morning. Some may remember that I gave Mondovi the edge to make the state tournament in DIII and slighted Colfax as a byproduct but I have enough of an ego cushion to admit I was wrong. Thanks to a softer region and then excellent shooting and the ability to stay out of foul trouble in their sectional games, the Vikings are back at state for the first time since 1994.
The 2007-2008 Colfax Vikings are proof that to make a run in the playoffs, a little luck and then great play are needed. The luck came in the form of being placed in a regional that gave them a by and was one in which they were the lone team above .500%. They then proved they belonged in the sectionals with a dominated win on Thursday and a great comeback versus an Osseo-Fairchild team that was viewed to be the favorite.
So I am heading back to state and hopefully this stay is longer but that is up to Colfax. Many of the post-game comments were a little troublesome as players were quoted as saying they were "just happy to be going down to Madison" and things of that nature which is usually a foreshadow to a quick exit. However, that was right after the game and as the days go on, usually that attitude changes.
]]>However, for many young athletes throughout the state, its their mecca, their land of oz if you will and that includes basketball. This weekend its the boy's state basketball tournament and we are live at the Kohl Center this weekend for the Regis and North games. For the kids, its a memory they'll not soon forget as they play in a "real arena", on a statewde television network, and experience the "big time."
Funny thing is, for all the extras who come along, all those stomach tingly feelings rub off like greasy provolone cheese that has melted in the philly steak sandwich. Parents get to experience watching the game from the "real arena", coaches get to experience having a statewide television network camera follow their every move as if they were Phil Jackson composing the Lakers offense and students get to bring their chants and shenaigans to the "big time"
Heck, even us broadcasters get in on the action as we must elevate our game to coincide.
]]>However, for many young athletes throughout the state, its their mecca, their land of oz if you will and that includes basketball. This weekend its the boy's state basketball tournament and we are live at the Kohl Center this weekend for the Regis and North games. For the kids, its a memory they'll not soon forget as they play in a "real arena", on a statewde television network, and experience the "big time."
Funny thing is, for all the extras who come along, all those stomach tingly feelings rub off like greasy provolone cheese that has melted in the philly steak sandwich. Parents get to experience watching the game from the "real arena", coaches get to experience having a statewide television network camera follow their every move as if they were Phil Jackson composing the Lakers offense and students get to bring their chants and shenaigans to the "big time"
Heck, even us broadcasters get in on the action as we must elevate our game to coincide.
When I was working in minor league hockey, I never understood the significance or joy in a state tournament. To me, it was a bunch of kids playing in a special event that shouldn't in any way effect those who aren't closely assoicated with the said athletes. Needless to say, that opinion has changed.
As long as Regis and North are in the tournament, we'll be here with observations and don't forget to tun in at 1400am or sportsradio 1400.
]]>It also means that these two large institutions, playing in a conference loaded with other schools pushing 10,000 students must compete at a level predominately filled with private schools whose usual enrollment is under 3,000 if not 1,500.
That may all change in the next few years as the NCAA is seriously considering the adoption of a so-called Division IV, which would serve as an option for smaller schools while freeing up DIII for larger schools who for a multitude of reasons don't want their athletic programs to be saddled with the financial burdens that are accompanied in DII and DI (most notably scholarships).
Personally, I think this is the perfect time to make the move as more schools than ever has athletic programs and DIII is already busting at the seams with programs (over 400 as of this year). The problem when so many schools are in one governing body is that a clear and focused path is impossible to decipher amongst the various levels of institutions. If you're entire extended family has a say in where Sunday night dinner will be held, there is sure to be difficulty in finding a centralized theme and goal and that is the case with DIII and it's enviable with so many schools.
Places such as UW-Eau Claire and the rest of the WIAC, as well as a few dozen other DIII programs are actually the same size, if not larger than many smaller DI one schools (mine for instance was 5,000 students). However, these programs must compete with schools that enroll a fraction of that and in the end; it plays a major underlying role in the athletic programs. The smaller schools are leery of playing the larger schools because of the disparity, and when postseason selection time comes around, there are more than a few that feel committee frown upon the larger schools and lean towards the smaller (truer) DIII size institutions.
Its actually amazing the set-up has lasted as long as it has with little change except for the marketplace itself shifting with schools fluctuating between divisions, typically going up but sometimes heading down for various rationale. Think of all that has changed in the span of nearly forty years, ranging from appliances to television to movies to...well...this contraption called a computer. Still, throughout that time the NCAA has had this three-division set-up and it has worked out well. Its just that the time has come for change.
The development of DIV would also raise the stature of the WIAC, bringing it out of the lowest classification and helping give the conference some added credibility in its various local markets in an ever-expanding competition for people's entertainment dollars and entertainment attention.
]]>However, let's all face the facts people...Eau Claire North is the CLEAR CUT favorite to win the Division I regional, if not the sectional and go on to Madison in two weeks. Many of the area's local television sportscasters are close friends of mine, but quite frankly, for the past few weeks their never ceasing talk about the fact "any team" could pull the regional out has been misguided. Is it simply impossible for my sports brethren to actually go out on a limb and say who the favorite is instead of throwing the blanket of "parity" over everything. That blanket is as comforting as the one we all slept with when we were four, but mush like that blanket, its now full of holes and lived out its effectiveness.
]]>However, let's all face the facts people...Eau Claire North is the CLEAR CUT favorite to win the Division I regional, if not the sectional and go on to Madison in two weeks. Many of the area's local television sportscasters are close friends of mine, but quite frankly, for the past few weeks their never ceasing talk about the fact "any team" could pull the regional out has been misguided. Is it simply impossible for my sports brethren to actually go out on a limb and say who the favorite is instead of throwing the blanket of "parity" over everything. That blanket is as comforting as the one we all slept with when we were four, but mush like that blanket, its now full of holes and lived out its effectiveness.
Sometimes a favorite isn't a team that is dominant, but is one that is set-up the best to make a run and has shown the ability to win in various fashions throughout the season. Let's look at North. Granted they didn't ransack the Big Rivers Conference, and a play here or there could've turned their season the other way but that didn't happen. Instead, North found legitimate ways to win all season with various weapons. Some nights it was the post play of Anderson and Brown. Other nights, Kleist keyed the attack from the small forward position.
Therein lies where most people are fearful of publicity supporting North...the fact its not always Anderson and Brown that are the focal point of the offense. People scream that head coach Pat Hammond is under utilizing these players, whereas I say he is a genius. Even when Anderson and Brown aren't touching the ball they are a factor by their sheer size and the ever present notion that they MAY get the ball. However, the team has many weapons and no one knows where the attack will come from. As long as guard Paul Hahn is out there pivoting the offense at the point, the team has a steady hand and can go in different directions.
The argument given is that North has lost to Menomonie, and Memorial gave them a scare a couple weeks ago. My opponents to the claim that North is a clear-cut favorite will say that the coaches have been talking about the "wide-open race" and the fact "anyone can beat anyone on any given night." Funny thing is, I bet these coaches said these things last year, the year before that and every year since Dr. Naismith got bored and needed a use for a peach basket.
This isn't to say there is no reason to play the games, for North could be upset. A poor shooting night, an opponent playing well, etc. However, it would be just that...an upset and one that should be viewed as a surprise. North is vulnerable, but I'm willing to give them the distinction of being my pick to win the region, and I'm close to giving them a pass to Madison as well.
I'm so sure of this that I've made it known to many in my inner-circle, and now to the entire Western Wisconsin region, that if North were to be tripped up before the sectional final that I will grow my hair out for one full month. Being that I'm already shaved, the traditional bet of shaving one's head can't apply but I can go in reverse. It'll be a little depressing if I have to realize once again that I have the classic horseshoe pattern and the day's of the boyish curls are as long gone as afternoon G.I. Joe PSA's and Mr. Hooper, but at least I'm not taking the simplistic way out of analyzing sports by saying everyone is equal.
Side Note:
A month ago, a list of overused clichés was sent out by Lake Superior State, one of those studies that is Grade A filler for the end of the year news cycle. In sports, parity has been past it's prime for about a decade when NFL commentators beat it into the ground with a heated bench in the late 1990s. Problem is, sportscasters continue to drag out the cliché like a tired looking 40 year old who continues to dress like she did in her twenties. The look is there, but the sizzle and substance are missing.
Parity, when it comes to sports, was a hypothesis born out of the NFL's rapid decline of dominant teams in the late 1990s.
]]>Ideas can sometimes be like an Apple. They look great at first, and taste even better when bitten into. But the longer it sits there, unfinished it grows uglier and no longer looks nor tastes as sweet at first. Thus is the case with NBC's resurrecting of American Gladiators. Hyped up in November (when the writers' strike was commencing) the show has been on since early January and isn't necessarily all that bad. In fact, it's entertaining but it doesn't change the fact the idea sounded better than the product.
]]>Ideas can sometimes be like an Apple. They look great at first, and taste even better when bitten into. But the longer it sits there, unfinished it grows uglier and no longer looks nor tastes as sweet at first. Thus is the case with NBC's resurrecting of American Gladiators. Hyped up in November (when the writers' strike was commencing) the show has been on since early January and isn't necessarily all that bad. In fact, it's entertaining but it doesn't change the fact the idea sounded better than the product.
Maybe it's that when things are brought back we want them exactly the same, but that is never the case. Heck, even when Fox brought back Family Guy, there were changes such as Stewie was no longer concerned with world domination.
The original American Gladiators was true reality television, and watching its reruns from the early 1990s on ESPN Classic reminds us all how athletics in general have changed.
This reincarnation has brought back many of the same events, the gladiators themselves don't seem to be carrying hams under their arm skin and its more believable they aren't sipping steroid cocktails and whenever Hulk Hogan is involved there is something special. However, there is something missing and I've figured it out...Mike Adamle the original play-by-play announcer. He made the show, as his calls made it seem like a legitimate event, not some game show.
All of this has gotten me to think...Chippewa Valley Gladiators!!! We fabricate our own eliminator at the Indoor Sports Center and the potential matchups are endless
Bill Markquart (Markquart dealers) vs. Andy Lamb (Anderson Ford) to see who is truly the area's number one car dealer commercial personality.
Dandy Doug Michaels vs. Nate Larscheid in a battle of local meteorologists. More than ¾ of those who turn into local news watch only the weather, so who is the best
Keldric Stokes (Predators) vs. the QB from a local flag football champion squad to determine the best QB in the region.
Who would the Gladiators be? Hmmm...that I won't touch but I guess we could take the entire Blugold's football team.
]]>Regardless of one's varying degree of interest in spectator sports this is a topic that crosses-over and binds together the two most basic factions of American culture. Those who are sports jocks and those who are in the artsy-fartsy camp. I will admit, it's a rather simplistic and narrow-minded categorization of American cultural allegiances but when the various layers of the lasagna are removed, in the end this truly is the meat filling. Those who are interested mostly in sports and those who prefer more of an artistic pleasure.
Anyway, this is a topic that pulls the two sides together even if their rat ionizations come from different angles, like two siblings asking for a curfew extension but each with different plans.
The Chippewa Valley needs a 4,000-6,000 seat Civic Center, not at all different than the one that is 20-years old in La Crosse, and soon to be built in Wausau.
Civic centers, an arena, a convocation center, call it whatever, but a region of this size to have lasted this long without one is equitable to the troops being able to stretch out their supplies at Valley Forge. The area has a variety of small indoor arenas and performance centers, but again they are a small, antiquated and not up to modern standards. They are miniature golf courses competing with pristine 18-hole championship links within a 6-hour drive of Western Wisconsin.
Those craving "art" demand a new arena for larger performing acts to come to town and in turn, increase the musical and artistic involvement of the area. From a sports angle, a new facility would serve as a showcase center for high school sports tournaments, the possibility of being a new home for UWEC athletics and could also serve as the catalyst for bringing in our own USHL franchise, minor-league basketball or even indoor football.
The plans to renovate Hobbs are as well intentioned but misguided as that nice elderly Aunt that always gives you $5 for your birthday. It's a nice gesture, but doesn't really do much in the end.
Money is always going to be an issue and one knows I sure as heck don't have $30 million dollars, even in that fake overseas account I play with in my dreams. However, area leaders need to band together and figure out a way to produce such a facility. One that could possibly go downtown somewhere and further spur development that is already underway (BTW: Arenas have a great track record of enhancing ongoing development...just not starting their own).
I say save your money for Hobbs and take that $6 million, find a way to finance though increased sales taxes in the area (I.E. a 0.01 hotel tax) and give the region a crown jewel of a civic center.
This isn't just a sports issue, its something that would benefit everyone in the region no matter what their interest is. Unless someone has an affliction towards "fun" I can't see why someone wouldn't go along with this.
]]>Then I passed gas, feel asleep and woke up with a headache in the morning from overstretching my brain
It did get me thinking about area high school basketball and the fact the regular season has little barring on the playoffs. Seedlings are determined, but regional pairings decided over the summer in some backroom in a Stevens Point coffee shop.
Going off that, I'm not sure the outcome of the January 29th showdown between Colfax and Mondovi will affect my views on the Dunn-St. Croix girl's race and who I think is slated to get out of this area to Madison. Consider me in the passenger seat of the Mondovi bandwagon (I'd prefer not to drive...then I can sleep on the ride). Both teams are ransacking through the DSC this year as they steamroll competition that looks overmatched.
Where I give Mondovi the edge is in the depth. The Buffaloes roll out nine-deep, have great guards and of course solid play underneath not just by Anna Cole, but by others such as Tara McDonough and Jamie McKillip who may be even more effective than Cole. While every team focuses on Cole, its Mondovi's supporting cast that takes advantage. Then there is Shonnice Hawkins, a freshman who is easily two years ahead of her time and would start on most BRC squads now.
Colfax is better defensively, and has the hot outside shooting of Courtney Doucette and a strong inside player of their own in Kelsey Laramy. They've been there before and Joe Doucette has the most DSC wins of any coach (boy's side included). Still, there is that gut feeling and the gut never lies.
Now don't misconstrue this as being a supporter for the Buffaloes. Shauna Brion is a nice women as their coach, and the fans down there are very supportive but if they don't win I won't be any more upset than if other teams from the area loses before reaching Madison. My room isn't decorated in Mondovi colors, and being a New York Jets fan, I wouldn't be caught dead in the Buffalo Bills logo Mondovi masquerades as its own.
All I'm saying is they are my pick. Let the debate ring and who knows, this could turn out to be a preview of the sectional final in March.
]]>