Wolves 2014-15: Leader of the Pack Returns

English: Kevin Garnett playing with the Minnesota Timberwolves (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Minnesota Timberwolves have joined the trend of local pro sports teams bringing back star players and fan favorites on their way to retirement, mostly to shore up the remaining goodwill they have left and to perhaps sell a few tickets and jerseys.  The Vikings brought back Randy Moss for what turned out to be a brief second act, and are now working on Adrian Peterson (though he's reportedly having misgivings about coming back here).  Torii Hunter returned to the Twins after several years away, spending time with the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers.

Now the Wolves are the latest to spin the "Welcome Back Kotter"  theme in reclaiming Kevin Garnett, for whom they traded Thaddeus Young to the Brooklyn Nets.  Previously, they also put out the "re-welcome" mat for Flip Saunders, who last coached the team in 2005.

Garnett played his first 12 NBA seasons in Minnesota starting in 1995, having been signed right out of high school.  He led the Wolves to eight consecutive playoff appearances, culminating in the 2004 Western Conference finals that they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.  Two unhappy years later, KG was sent packing to the Boston Celtics.

Garnett is still the greatest and most popular Timberwolf in the franchise's history.  But he's 38 now, and in his 20th NBA season.  He's already won an NBA title with the Celtics in 2008, which continued another trend of Minnesota-based players who achieved their championships somewhere else.  He's nearing the end of his career, and has mentioned at least once that he'd like to own the Wolves someday.  So presumably Garnett will just play a little, mentor the younger players and cash a few checks before calling it a career.

Garnett returns to a franchise that hasn't been relevant since he left town, save for Kevin Love.  The Wolves are 11-42 at the All Star break, thanks mainly to veterans like Ricky Rubio getting hurt and rookies Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine being thrust into service.  The Wolves aren't the worst team in the NBA (that dishonor goes to the New York Knicks), but most basketball pundits believe they have the brightest future IF ONLY the Knicks or Lakers don't get there first.  And the Wolves' management doesn't screw it up like they usually do.

The Timberwolves will not make the playoffs this season, but you already knew that.  They will, however, be competitive in jersey sales as fans will queue up to purchase the new version of Kevin Garnett's old #21 uniform (or some officially-licensed knockoff of it).  Back on the court, the returning leader of the pack is expected to teach his new teammates something Wolves fans have been waiting to see since he left--how to win.  If Kevin Garnett succeeds in doing that, his work is done.

A Super Bowl Respite From Reality

New England Patriots logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After two weeks of talk about deflated footballs, a player who spoke to the media only because he had to, and an NFL commissioner whose horrible year exposed him as an empty suit, it was time to kick off the 49th Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona.  A record TV audience (according to NBC) of 114 million witnessed quite a spectacle.

The Game

The New England Patriots claimed their fourth Vince Lombardi trophy since the tandem of quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick started winning them in 2002, defeating the defending champion Seattle Seahawks 28-24.  Brady, who threw for four touchdown passes, won the game's Most Valuable Player award and the keys to a new pickup truck.

But the Patriots would have lost this game had it not been for one of the dumbest calls in football history.  With seconds to go and the ball near New England's goal line, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted in the end zone by Patriots rookie Malcolm Butler.  Wilson talks a lot about dreams in his insurance commercials, but this one was a nightmare he may never live down.  And his coach Pete Carroll can explain all he wants about why he called the play the way he did.  Well, it didn't work and the Seahawks have to live with it until next season.

No matter what you think about the way the Patriots do business, whether it's allegedly spying on other teams, allegedly deflating footballs during a conference championship game, Brady gets away with too much, or Belichick is really Beli-cheat, you can't argue with the results.  Seven Super Bowl appearances in 15 years.  Four championships.  Not many others can say that.

The Halftime Show

Katy Perry isn't the greatest singer in the world, but she does know how to put on a show.  A mechanical lion during "Roar" that puts "The Lion King" to shame.  Dancing sharks.  Reviving the careers of Missy Elliot and Lenny Kravitz.  Kids knowing the meaning of "I Kissed a Girl" before parents did.  And a fireworks display during Perry's performance of --what else?--"Firework".  Only one question:  Where was Snoop Dogg?

The Commercials

Companies poured tons of money into this year's Super Bowl ads, hoping to make an impact on the biggest TV audience of the year.  So how come most of them were pointless and depressing?

• Budweiser once again topped the charts with another puppies-and-Clydesdales  ad, which makes it official:  America loves cute puppies.  So what does that have to do with selling beer?
• McDonalds is offering hugs and fist bumps in exchange for burgers in a limited-time promotion.  Considering how much trouble the Golden Arches has been having lately, this can't end well.
• Someone spills a bottle of Coke on Internet wires, leading to a takeover of communications with positive messages.  Now that's creepy.
• Nationwide insurance sees dead children.   Haley Joel Osment, call your agent.
• Why is Nissan using "Cat's In The Cradle", a song made famous by Harry Chapin, to promote safety in its cars?  Chapin died in a car accident in 1981.
• The ad about refuting stereotypes concerning running or throwing like a girl would have been a lot more effective if it came from a more mainstream product than feminine pads.
• The NFL-approved domestic violence ad looked more like it belonged on an episode of "Law & Order:  Special Victims Unit".
• Were the so-called "dad ads" really intended to shame fatherless children and those who choose not to be parents?

There it is, your brief respite from the real world.  Because soon enough, the NFL will be back in the news as controversies over concussions, domestic violence, racist team nicknames, deflated footballs and whatever else happens to come up dominate before next season begins.  That's why football is America's Game.