NFL Declares Mutiny on Bounties

New Orleans Saints Coach Sean Payton after team's Super Bowl win, 7 Feb. 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)In response to evidence that New Orleans Saints players had been targeting--and deliberately trying to injure--opposing quarterbacks such as Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers for thousands of dollars, while coaches either encouraged the practice or looked the other way, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell decided to show some spine (unlike other commissioners) and meted out the following punishment for the decidedly un-Saintly behavior:

• Head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the 2012 season without pay.  That means he's just lost over $7 million.
• Some assistants and the Saints' general manager got partial suspensions.
• The Saints were fined $500,000, with their second-round draft picks for this year and next taken away.

What will happen to the players involved is the other shoe to be dropped soon.

Goodell wanted to send a message that the violence leading to concussions and other serious injuries on the field have been negatively impacting the game, and will no longer be tolerated.  Which is hardly a surprise because, due to the growing number of former players threatening legal action for the league's alleged indifference to their health problems caused by injuries, they've been going in another direction for some time.  For instance, quarterbacks are now being treated as protected species, to the consternation of certain defensive backs.

It would be nice to think that Goodell's actions eventually will result in a kinder, gentler NFL.  Since the league (and football itself) became America's national pastime because of the violence and action it sells, the chances of that happening are not good.  Anything less, and the NFL will be faced with empty stadiums and declining TV ratings.

As for the Saints, this has transformed them from a feel-good story in post-Katrina New Orleans into the dirtiest team in the NFL.  Besides offering cash bounties for injuring the other team's player, they were one of the league leaders in roughing-the-passer penalties.  But you can't argue with the results.  After all, the Saints did win a Super Bowl, and the NFL is not going to take that away from them.  Who says crime doesn't pay?

Hockey's Grim Fairy Tale

Benilde-St. Margaret's, a private school based in suburban Minneapolis, won the Minnesota State high School Class AA boys hockey championship Saturday night.  Grant Besse scored all five goals as the Red Knights defeated Hill-Murray 5-1.

As wonderful as Besse and his teammates' performance was, everyone who watched the tournament knew it wasn't about them.  Instead they were playing for Jack Jablonski, who's not even a member of the varsity squad.

In a junior varsity game in December 2011, sophomore Jablonski was checked into the boards from behind head first by an opposing player.  The result was a spinal cord injury, which doctors say would negate the use of his legs.  In an instant, Jablonski's life changed forever.

Since then, there have been the usual fundraisers in and out of Benilde to help offset the medical bills Jablonski's parents have been getting.  At school, kids who didn't care too much for Jablonski or for hockey joined those who did in rallying to his side.  Talk about peer pressure.

The Minnesota State High School League and other hockey organizations almost immediately issued stiffer penalties for hits like the one that took out Jablonski.  That's great, but the new rules are only effective as long as the officials don't swallow their whistles.  It also goes against a culture that runs from peewees to the pros:  If you're not knocking somebody's block off on the ice, then you're not really playing the game.

The local news stations in the Twin Cities have pretty much made Jablonski their mascot, just like they do with every subject who happens to have "special needs".   They get TV airtime because they're great for the suburban mom demographic they cater to these days.  So Jablonski was subject to the usual patronizing profile during sweeps month of a person whose "challenge" is supposed to inspire us all.  How the Jablonski family allowed this is beyond anyone's comprehension.

Thus was born the perfect storm when Benilde qualified for the iconic hockey tournament at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center.  They already had a built-in audience because of Jablonski, so TV ratings figured to be high.  And so were the constant reminders of his plight during local newscasts and tournament coverage.

The unranked Red Knights didn't disappoint.  They swept through Edina, Lakeville South and Hill-Murray as if the seas had parted, making you wonder if the other teams had gotten the memo about not messing with the fairy tale by actually beating Benilde.  It made the whole tournament look like a WWE-style setup, preordained from the start.

And there was Jablonski, looking like the Grand Poobah in his wheelchair, cheering on his team from the safety of his suite at the 'X".  The celebration would have been complete if he had been allowed on the ice to be with the team as they accepted their medals, if the MSHSL hadn't deferred to their attorneys due to insurance issues.

The thing is, none of this is Jablonski's fault.  He didn't set out to become famous by getting knocked out in a hockey game and ending up paralyzed for life, but that's the way it turned out.  Who knows?  He might end up changing the game of hockey for the better.  Then again, he also might have inspired some troubled kid to do damage to his body, blame it on somebody else, and get all the attention he'll ever need from family, whatever friends he has and the media.

After the TV stations stop fawning over Jablonski and find another paralyzed individual or cute child with a fatal disease to exploit for ratings, he and his family face a tough road ahead.  Medical costs will pile up, and donations aren't nearly enough to cover the insurance, so taxpayers will end up footing the bill.  He won't be able to live independently, with caregivers watching his every move. 

After the fairy tale comes the reality.  Even Cinderella had to pick up the pieces after the clock struck midnight.

Best wishes to Jack Jablonski and his family.  They'll need it.

We Have a Stadium Deal. Now What?

Image via WikipediaBy the 2016 NFL football season, the Minnesota Vikings could be playing in a stadium large enough to swallow its current Metrodome home, and be built for less than a billion dollars.

The Vikings, the state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis came to a tentative agreement this week on a proposed $975 million stadium, to be built on the Metrodome's east parking lot.  It would have a fixed roof (though a retractable one is optional), seat 65,000 (though it could also be expanded for big events such as the Super Bowl), and have enough left over for a Vikings Hall of Fame.

Now comes the fun part.  The Minnesota Legislature, the Minneapolis City Council and the NFL have to approve the stadium.  And they have a few weeks to do it, since the Legislature is scheduled to adjourn sometime in April.

Because financing for the proposed stadium includes electronic pull tabs and diverting previously established  local taxes, both the Legislature and City Council are extremely reluctant to give their OK to this.  It boils down to familiar arguments over such things as the expansion of gambling, letting the people decide in a referendum, and the propriety of building another monument to professional athletes in tough economic times.

This is also about jobs.  According to Governor Mark Dayton, the stadium would create 13,000 construction jobs and 2000 permanent positions--all without one dime in public money.  Not to mention all the employment that comes from bars, restaurants and other types of commerce that comes with a stadium.

For the past two decades, we have heard constant nagging from the local pro sports franchises about getting new facilities to replace the ones they have, and begging local officials to give them the money so they don't have to pay for it all themselves.

• The North Stars moved to Dallas rather than play one more season at the outdated Met Sports Center in Bloomington, near where the Mall of America now stands.  So millions were spent to build a new hockey arena in St. Paul to attract the NHL expansion team that became the Wild.
• The Twins spent years getting out of the Teflon dome that was made for football, and into the sunshine--even to the point of almost moving the team to North Carolina--before finally landing at Target Field.
• The Vikings' attempts at getting out of their no-longer-adequate Metrodome, and into newer digs in the northern suburbs have always fizzled.  Until now.

Let this be the last time for awhile that a Minnesota pro sports franchise gets the palace they (and their fans) think they deserve.  There is so much more to take care of, but two decades of stadium talk has been a time suck.  This new proposal is not the best one there is for all involved, but it beats the alternative of having no pro football at all.

Legislators and City Council members, the ball is in your possession.  What are you going to do with it?

Davy Jones (1945-2012): The 'Cute Monkee'

Davy Jones of the Monkees at a press conference in Sydney, 1968 / photographed by Greg Lee for Australian Photographic Agency (Photo credit: State Library of New South Wales collection)Davy Jones, the actor and singer who became a teenage idol in the 1960s with The Monkees, died of a heart attack on Leap Year Day at age 66.  Think of him as the Justin Bieber of the era.

To anyone in our audience who isn't a Baby Boomer (or even if you are), an explanation of who The Monkees were is in order.  They were a pop group created in the mid-60s by TV and music executives to be an American counterpart with The Beatles, and other British-based rock bands of the time.

After numerous auditions involving actors and singers, four were chosen to comprise the group--Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork.  Since they were supposed to resemble the Beatles, each man had their roles.  For Jones, it was Paul McCartney, the "Cute Beatle".

"The Monkees" debuted on NBC in the fall of 1966 as a fast-paced comedy with music segments.  At the same time, the songs that were introduced on the show made their way to Top 40 radio and to record stores.  Most of the hit records ("Last Train to Clarksville", "I'm a Believer", etc.) were sung by Dolenz, but Jones contributed with "Daydream Believer", "Valleri" and "I Wanna Be Free".  Many of the tunes were written by some of the top songwriters in music at the time, including Carole King and Neil Diamond.

As the Monkees' success grew, the group started raising a stink about becoming a real band instead of being a front for session musicians, because they weren't allowed to play instruments and to write their own material.  They got their wish, and with it they produced a couple of albums on their own.

When the TV show ended after two seasons, so did The Monkees as a group.  Jones made one memorable appearance on "The Brady Bunch", but other than that he did some stage acting and continued to tour with The Monkees (with or without Nesmith, who seemed to have his own agenda), as well as on his own on the oldies circuit.

Critics may carp at how artificial The Monkees were (they were dubbed "The Prefab Four"), but they were actually a pretty good band.  They had several memorable pop hits that still resonate today, and their TV show paved the way for the music videos we saw first on MTV and later You Tube.  And Davy Jones was one reason why.

The Oscars: "The Artist" Speaks Louder Than Words

Image via WikipediaThere's a new landmark in Paris to go along with the Eiffel Tower.  It's "The Artist", the mostly silent black-and white film that won five Oscars at the 84th Academy Awards Sunday night.  That includes awards for Best Picture, Michel Hazanavicius' directing, and Jean Dujardin's acting.  The last silent movie to win the Best Picture Oscar was the first one, "Wings" in 1929.

In keeping with the French theme, "Midnight In Paris" won a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Woody Allen.  In keeping with his own tradition, Allen did not show up to accept his award.

Nearly every major award, including the ones that "The Artist" won, seemed to be pre-ordained.  Not so with the Oscar for Best Actress, which went to Meryl Streep for inhabiting former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady".  But then again, it's never really a surprise when she gets nominated for nearly every movie she's in.  The last time Streep won for Best Actress was for "Sophie's Choice" back in 1982.

"The Artist" hearkened back to the days when movies were in black and white, and the transition was being made from silents to talkies.  Octavia Spencer became the fifth African American to win an Oscar, as Best Supporting Actress in "The Help".  Spencer has something in common with the first African American Oscar winner, which was Hattie McDaniel in "Gone With The Wind".  They both played maids.  This is progress?

Christopher Plummer won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in "Beginners".  At 82, Plummer became the oldest actor ever to win an Oscar.  But he'll still be better remembered for "The Sound of Music".

So how was the telecast?  It was over three hours long, but it didn't seem that way.  Billy Crystal, in his ninth stint as host of the ABC telecast (and first since 2004), was as predictable as the winners themselves.  Crystal did his usual Oscar schtick, inserting himself into clips from the nominated movies and singing a medley incorporating their titles.  It wasn't Crystal at his best, but he was better than any of the other hosts  that came along since the last time he did this.

Crystal made a couple of jokes about the Kodak Theater, which has been home to the Academy Awards for the last few years.  Kodak has filed for bankruptcy, and is thinking of taking its name off the building.  The Academy is reportedly in negotiations to move the Oscars to the larger Nokia Theater. 

If "The Artist" proves nothing else, it will become a catalyst for folks who want to check out this thing called silent movies.  May we suggest Turner Classic Movies, which is available on your cable or satellite provider.  In addition to running most of the greatest films in Hollywood history (and some not so great), TCM will sometimes carry silent films dating back nearly a century.  Most films are uncut, and are presented without commercial interruption.  If you are any kind of movie buff, this is your destination.

Wolves 2011-12: Thriving In a World Of "Linsanity"

Image via WikipediaThe Minnesota Timberwolves are no longer the biggest joke in the NBA.  Not even a giggle.

At the All Star break in this lockout-delayed and truncated season, the Wolves are 17-17 and a couple of games from a playoff spot.  Yes, we said a playoff spot.  Nobody would have believed this a year ago, when they won 17 games all last season.

The Wolves' improved play has so far made general manager David Kahn look like a genius, and Target Center in Minneapolis is seeing sellouts once again.  Rick Adelman was brought in as coach.  Kevin Love is turning in another All Star season, with a new contract extension to go along with it.  Michael Beasley is playing so well that the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly interested in him.  Nikola Pekovic has come off the bench to deliver clutch baskets.  And Ricky Rubio has shown he's ready for prime time.

Notice we didn't say the Wolves were perfect.  They turn the ball over too much, and get way behind the other team early, necessitating historic come-from-behind victories.  Love stomped on Luis Scala of the Houston Rockets during a game, and was rewarded with a two-game suspension.  And Martell Webster made a spectacular dunk in the waning moments of overtime against the Denver Nuggets.  Unfortunately, they only award two points for dunks, and the Wolves needed three to tie the game.

It's been so long since anyone took the Wolves seriously that people now complain when a game of theirs isn't televised.  Their contract with Fox Sports North calls for 50 regular season games, and this is the first year the team decided not to go with a broadcast TV partner, citing high production costs and low ratings.  Thanks to their shortsightedness, negotiations are under way to get at least a couple of games on a broadcast station this season.

So how long will this last?  Whether they make the playoffs or not, the Minnesota Timberwolves have made pro basketball relevant in the Twin Cites again.  Now all they have to do is measure up to the NBA's better teams.

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Now a few words about the NBA's biggest story since the lockout ended:  the rise of Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks.  He has almost single-handedly put his team in contention with his last-second heroics.  Lin's been the subject of tons of media hype, including racist headlines since he happens to be Asian-American.  TV ratings for Knicks games locally and nationally have gone through the roof.  Lin has become a pop culture icon in New York.

Because Lin plays for the Knicks, the flagship franchise of the NBA, he gets to play in Madison Square Garden, which is one of the meccas of American sports.  And the New York-based media chronicle his every move.  We hate to throw cold water on all this "Linsanity" (a term he's trying to trademark), but . . .If Lin had been playing this well for, shall we say, the Memphis Grizzlies, would anyone care?

The Dome Stays In The Picture. For Now.

Image via WikipediaThe Minnesota Vikings will stay right where they are for the 2012 NFL season.

The lease on the Metrodome (aka Mall of America Field) in Minneapolis has expired, though there's the nagging issue of two games in 2010 that weren't played there because a snowstorm brought down the roof.  The Minnesota Legislature has been in session for almost a month, with no workable stadium bill brought to the floor.  And there's no one single site anyone can agree on.

The Vikings passed on notifying the NFL of their intention to move, believing enough progress has been made on a stadium to make it unnecessary.  Truth is, they couldn't move even if they wanted to.  NFL commissioner Roger Goodell put the kibosh on any team moving to Los Angeles for next season, and has said he'd rather see the league expand to 34 teams.  (Expand where, besides LA?  London?  Toronto?  Timbuktu?)

As much as the Vikings would love to get a stadium bill passed this session, there isn't the urgency there once was now that pulling up stakes is no longer an option.  The Republican-controlled Legislature has other fish to fry, such as putting certain issues on the November ballot that they should have taken care of themselves.  Even Democratic Governor Mark Dayton, when he isn't dissing GOP legislators for the shoddy work they're doing, rates the stadium bill a tossup.

But that hasn't stopped new or existing stadium proposals from coming out of the woodwork.  Ramsey County (which includes St. Paul) still believes the Arden Hills site has a shot, but the Vikings rejected a financing plan that benefitted the county rather than the team.  A state senator from northeastern Minnesota has proposed a stadium for Duluth, which is three hours north of the Twin Cities.  Not only is it far-fetched--the NFL presumably doesn't want or need another Green Bay, but this proposal was probably meant to give hope to an economically-challenged region of the state.

The new front-runner takes the Vikings back to Point A (or close to it).  It's an area east of the Metrodome that currently includes a parking lot, a tech building and a power substation.  The Vikings seem to like this a lot better than bulldozing the Dome immediately, spending the next couple of years at the University of Minnesota while their new digs are being built.  Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak has been beating the drums for this new site.  Now all he has to do, once the agreement is in place, is to convince the City Council and the Legislature to sign off on it.  Neither are considered sure bets, to put it mildly.

Here's where we are now.  The Vikings are stuck in limbo, forced to play in a dome they no longer want to be in, and facing an uncertain future in Minnesota.  The stadium dream is slowly focusing into reality, but no one seems to have figured out a palatable way to pay for it.  And this is an election year, which means not much gets done in Minnesota's legislative branch.  Meanwhile an entire state, whether they're football fans or not, awaits the outcome of the game that would not end.