... True story.

The Ballad of Baxter

2012-01-15T13:01:00.001-08:00

Baxter has cancer, but he doesn’t want anyone to feel sorry for him.

The word from home on my dog come from two fronts: A disappointing pathology report and heartening dispatches from Mom.

The pathology report, performed on the tennis-ball sized tumor vets removed from Bax’s liver last weekend confirmed that it was malignant. It’s apparently a relatively slow-moving form of cancer, so it’s hard to tell how long it will hold off.

By the looks of things, it should be a little while, at least. Mom reports that Bax is doing surprisingly well, able to get out and walk and, most importantly, keep food down (his repeated vomiting, likely because the tumor was pushing on his stomach, was what landed him at the vet in the first place).

Word is, he’s now back to fighting with Mom’s dog, George, over possession of rawhide treats and the fam is even having trouble keeping Bax from trying to jump up on the furniture (it’s for his own good – no jumping allowed because he still has about 12 staples cinching together his surgical wound).

During his followup visit yesterday, the vets were reportedly also surprised at how quickly he’s recovering – once they were able to get him to come out from under their table and stop shaking (he clearly hasn’t forgotten what the put him through last time).

So it seems the surgery has at least prolonged his life.

It’s hard to know how much time he would have left even without the cancer. When we got him from the Humane Society in 2005, he was listed as three years old. But the first time we took him to the vet, we were told, “Oh no, this dog is much older than that. So we think he’s somewhere between 9 and 12 now.

Which is not young for a 20-pound dog, but we got a little spoiled because our last dog, Shaggy, made it to 17.

To understand my attachment to Baxter, you need to know a little bit of my history with Shaggy. She and I grew up together, essentially. We picked her up at the shelter on my fifth birthday, shortly after we moved to a new house with a nice big yard next to the Sauk River.

I lived in that house until I left for college and she was always there waiting for me when I came in, madly wagging her tail. After angst-filled days of junior high and high school, I’d come in, drop my backpack on the floor and just sit there on the stairs with her and let her remind me that, in the words of Stuart Smalley, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and dog-gone-it, people like me.”

At the end of my senior year of college, I landed in the hospital, my circulatory system torn apart by meningitis. While I was there, Shaggy, her sight and hearing almost completely stolen by age, developed pneumonia. I never got to say goodbye.

A year later I was still recovering, at home in Minnesota and confined to a wheelchair while I rehabbed what was left of my legs. Mom and I decided it was time to get another dog.

So we went back to the Humane Society and, as I wheeled past one cage after another filled with frenzied, barking dogs, I came upon a furry, white-and-brown mutt sitting calmly in a corner, unfazed by the chaos.

“That’s the one I want,” I immediately thought.

His name was “Bear,” but I renamed him “Baxter” after Ron Burgundy’s dog. I needed a little comic relief.

As soon as we got home, I used my arms to push myself out of the wheelchair and onto the living room couch. Baxter looked up at me for just a second, then jumped into my lap. From then on, we were best buds.

He was really the perfect dog for that time and situation. He wasn’t much for running, so he didn’t mind at all that I couldn’t run, or even walk. The one bit of physical activity he did occasionally enjoy was retrieving one of his cloth toys so we could play tug-of-war. And that was actually quite good physical therapy for me. It helped me strengthen the grip of the right thumb that was going to have to get me through most every manual task for the rest of my days.

Most of the time all Bax wanted was to sit next to someone and be petted. And he didn’t mind if it was me with my torn up hands. He didn’t care about the scars or the missing fingers and he taught me not to care about them as much either.

God gave me a great gift when he set that dog in my path.

So it was tough leaving Bax when I went east for grad school, and I had been hoping to bring him here to Topeka with me, after the busy legislative session.

But now I’m sure it’s best for him to stay home with Mom, Dad, Grandma and Dan. His greatest joy has always been being around people and at home there’s almost always people around.

He’s done so much for me, he deserves that love and attention for as long as he has left. As long as he has that, he'll be happy, cancer or no cancer.

Maryland's Latin Kings rise... and fall.

2011-04-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

So I haven't blogged in awhile... a long while. A lot of my time has been consumed by work/school, but now my time in the National Press Building is over. It went crazy fast. For over a month I've been working on a story about a branch of the Latin Kings gang that sprang up in Maryland in 2007 and was taken down by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives last year. Went to several weeks of a murder trial, read through a pile of other court documents and scored an extended interview with the ATF agent who leads the anti-gang unit that spearheaded the investigation into the Kings. It ended up turning into a two-part magazine-style narrative:

Part 1: The Crown Topples: The Swift Rise and Brutal Fall of Maryland's Latin Kings

Part 2: The Crown Topples: The Swift Rise and Brutal Fall of Maryland's Latin Kings

Public transit sells out (maybe), Govt. shuts down (maybe) and basketball

2011-02-27T10:54:00.000-08:00

Another variety-filled week. The D.C. Metro system is in a major cash-crunch and is discussing selling the naming rights to its stations to corporate sponsors. I found that this is a bit of a national trend, so I wrote a story about it that featured Portland, a city most people think would be resistant to such measures.

Then I moved on to the growing talk of a federal government shutdown. It's been written about extensively out here, so I decided to take a new tack, focusing on a few small businesses in areas that are rife with government workers and exploring how a shutdown would hit them. It gave me the opportunity to incorporate a little color in the writing.

Then I got called in for special duty at the Post, covering Saturday's women's basketball game between Georgetown and top-ranked, legendary Connecticut. Georgetown made the defending champs look pretty darn ordinary, even if the Huskies ultimately prevailed.

Budgets, Beards, Ponzi Schemes and a Wrestling Championship

2011-02-20T17:06:00.000-08:00

Another busy week. It started off with me tackling a story on the federal budget (which, if you haven't been paying attention, is not in great shape).

There was also a verdict in the $70 million Ponzi scheme trial I'd been following, so I spent most of Friday at the federal court house in Greenbelt. The court reporter was kind enough to give me a rough draft of the closing arguments, which I'd missed because I was trying to comb through the federal budget. Luckily the verdict didn't come in until about 1 p.m., so I had the whole morning to barrel through those 210 pages of closing. So, advice to young journalists covering the courts: get in good with the court reporters. Their help is invaluable.

Saturday I covered the Maryland Independent State Wrestling Tournament (basically the state tournament for private school kids). Pretty familiar territory for me, as a veteran of many Kansas wrestling state tournaments. But a team from our coverage area won it for the first time in school history, which is always cool.

I also finally filed my story on beard bans and the police officers who challenge them in court. Really, it's much more of an issue than you might think. There's a skin condition, Pseudofolliculitis barbae, that's common in black men and it's irritated by shaving. I interviewed a dermatologist about it and made a video to accompany the story. Then Fox News picked the story up on Sunday and sent it nationwide via its website. Pretty cool, even if they did re-arrange my paragraphs in some, I think, confusing ways. That's part of the news wire biz, I guess. Once the copy's out of your hands (or off your hard drive) it's not yours anymore.

Week in review

2011-01-29T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a taste of what I was working on this week (it was busy):

First a story about the Maryland delegation's reaction a little speech called the State of the Union

Then I got the call to fill in for the old alma mater's newspaper to cover KU basketball player Thomas Robinson's heartbreaking tale The photos really tell the story. Great job by the AP guy.

Then the weekly wrestling update, this time about an undefeated kid with a fearsome name

Then I finished up the week by asking people at an apartment complex how they felt about not being told that a fugitive characterized as "armed and extremely dangerous" was spotted near their homes.

All in all, a pretty satisfying week.

Staying true to my roots

2011-01-17T11:03:00.000-08:00

I've been living out here on the East Coast for about half a year now, but I'm still Midwestern to the core. How do I know? Simple: I still make eye contact with people on the street in downtown DC. In fact, I still sometimes say "Hi," no matter how many times they've reminded me that's just not done here by walking coolly by without so much as a nod.

People are serious here. They're in a hurry, they're on the phone, they don't want to be bothered, I get that. But it makes the city feel kind of lonely, when you're surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people and none of them want to acknowledge your existence. Yes, I still wear some of the same clothes I wore in high school, but I don't think they're tattered enough yet that people are mistaking me for a hobo trying to hit them up for money. And it's not as if I'm marveling at the tall buildings with a big, hick grin like Mary Tyler Moore ready to throw my hat in the air.

On the Metro (DC's version of the subway), on the other hand, I'm not invisible. Far from it. There's perhaps no greater blow to the male ego than when a young lady gets on the train, looks at the open seat next to you, looks at you, and then remains standing near the doorway. What she's saying is, "I could sit in your general vicinity, but I'd really rather stand... in five-inch heels... on an unsteady surface... while carrying this 20-pound purse. That's how much I want to avoid you."

Fortunately, though, at the end of the day I get to go home to my little Salvadoran sanctuary in the suburbs, where people still smile at each other and say "Hi" (or gently correct me when I say "Buenas dias" at a time of day that calls for "Buenas tardes").

There's definitely good things about living out here. The different cultures, for one. Also, I've lost about 15-20 pounds in the past six months, perhaps because I no longer consume cheese and red meat at every meal. But all in all, I miss the Midwest.

My fruity adventures

2011-01-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

I love fruit. I am totally head-over-heels, crazy in love with fruit and I don't care who knows it. As we speak (or more accurately, as I type this) my mouth is watering at the thought of peeling a clementine orange and then piercing the membranes of those thin little wedges with my teeth and letting the sweet, sweet juice trickle down my throat. Ahhhhhh.

This is not new for me. I've loved fruit for awhile. During the four months I was in the hospital I probably ordered the "fresh fruit plate" at least once a day. There are many great things about KU Med, but the cafeteria food was not one of them. The meat was consistently dry and the vegetables consistently soggy (if they could even out the moisture distribution there, they might have something). But the fruit, yes, I could always count on the fruit.

When I went to Brazil one of the greatest thrills (aside from the occasional ridiculously attractive woman in a ridiculously small bathing suit) was sampling the local fruit juices. Refreshing water sipped straight from a cold coconut... the cherry-sweet kick of guarana-infused soda... the silky-smooth sherbet of a tall, thick glass of acai pulp.

So yes, I've been a fruit fan for awhile. But over the past few years I'd gotten into a fruit rut. Cost and labor concerns had me stuck on just plain old apples. They're cheap, they stay ripe for a long time, they require no preparation and they're pretty darn delicious, all things considered (even the varieties that don't have "delicious" in the name -- I think those varieties probably just had better publicists and marketing crews when the names were handed out).

Two things broke me out of my rut: clementine oranges and the Langley Park Aldi.

You see, I had given up on regular oranges because peeling them with just one full finger (my right thumb) proved to be such a pain. I could do it (I can do most things, if I set my mind to it, which I guess proves Dr. Emmett Brown correct), but it was time-consuming and messy and I usually ended up cursing at the orange like a crazy person before I had half the peel off. So one day I threw up my arms and shouted, "Screw it! No more oranges."

Then I rediscovered my darling clementines. And the first time I bought one the peel slid off easily in about three long strands. And I threw up my arms and shouted "Yes! Citrus is back in the game."

(Full disclosure: I did not actually throw up my arms or shout either of those phrases. But it's a more vivid image than me quietly and introspectively making these decisions).

Then I found the Aldi in Langley Park and my fruit horizons were broadened again. Aldi has put premium fruits in a price range where even student journalists (a combination of possibly the world's two poorest groups) can afford them. First there was the pulse-pounding mango sale. I intended to make a delicious mango salsa, but found I didn't have all the necessary ingredients when I got home. I intended to wait until I acquired those ingredients, but after one day of looking at that mango on top of my fridge, calling to me with its devilish promise of soft, sweet fruit heaven, I couldn't help myself. I devoured that entire mango in one sitting and then sat back on my futon watching old Leslie Nielsen movies while my hands and mouth turned sticky. I can hardly imagine a better way to spend an evening (which might be yet another reason I'm still single... or perhaps the perfect thing to include in a personal ad).

Aldi followed up the mango sale with an adrenaline-packed pomegranate sale. Pomegranates for $1.50 each??? I could hardly believe my eyes.

(Full disclosure: I have no idea if that's actually a good price on whole pomegranates. I just assumed it was because that Pom Wonderful juice seems to go for about $5 an ounce).

Now, opening a pomegranate and extracting the seeds is no easy task (especially when your kitchen knives come from the local dollar store) and I think I ruined a T-shirt in the process (at the time I kept telling myself, "Oh no problem, these dark red juice stains will wash right out," but now I think I was just being a huge liar). But eventually I had a bowl full of little flavor jewels that I enjoyed while sitting back on my futon and watching a DVD of 2012 (a movie that is only bearable if accompanied by delicious fruit -- seriously, it's terrible).

Now I'm just waiting for Aldi to have a sale on starfruit and/or dragonfruit. Then my life will be complete. What can I say, I love fruit. True story.

Christmas letter -- 2010 edition

2010-12-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

In a nod to the apparent path of all mass media, I'm going all-digital with my third annual Christmas letter. OK, the truth is I just didn't get around to the Christmas letter until now and it's probably a little too late to send them by snail mail.

It's been another busy year, full of change and plenty of blessings. 2010 started out with me volunteering through Americorps and working for my hometown newspaper after getting laid off from my first full-time job. It is ending with 20 Washington Post bylines, half a master's degree and a bunch of new friends.

I've been in the University of Maryland's one-year master's in journalism program now since July. It's been a great ride so far, getting to learn from faculty members who are veterans of USA Today, the Washington Post, CNN, the L.A. Times and the Baltimore Sun. After years in sports, I've been reacquainting myself with hard news writing and trying to pick up some new multimedia tricks. I'm particularly proud of this group project: College grad risks deportation to fight for DREAM Act.

I've also enjoyed getting to know my new classmates. There's about a dozen of us in my "cohort" and we come from a lot of different backgrounds (including two lawyers). The other master's students are intelligent and goofy at the same time, which means they're just the type of people I like to hang out with.

For the last four months, when I haven't been at school I've often been working for the Post. I applied for a part-time spot there as an editorial aide in the sports department — a position that includes answering phones, compiling high school box scores, designing a few pages and editing online photo galleries. I got the job and, before I even started, I was told that a slot had opened up in the high school sports writing staff. So, by virtue of my work experience and being in the right place at the right time, I got to be the paper's girls soccer writer this fall. Thus the 20 bylines, including this story, which I think appeals to non-sports audiences as well: Soccer helps sisters cope with dad's death.

I've also kept up with some of my meningitis awareness activities out here on the East Coast. In August I spoke to medical students at the University of Pennsylvania along with a friend of mine who lost her brother to the disease the same year I got it. She's now in her second year of med school at Penn and is going to be a tremendous doctor. In October I accepted one of those big novelty checks on behalf of the National Meningitis Association at a golf fundraiser in Reston. It's now displayed prominently in my bedroom (apparently the check NMA actually cashes is of normal size, despite what you may have seen in Happy Gilmore).

It's been hard being away from my family and friends in Minnesota and Kansas City. I'd still like to return to the Midwest sooner rather than later, but the job market remains tight and right now I'm confident this is where I'm supposed to be. In the coming year I will be: reporting out of the National Press Building for school (possibly on the Supreme Court), covering high school wrestling and a spring sport to be named later for the Post, and doing an independent study with one of my professors, Carl Sessions Stepp, to work on my meningitis memoir.

The book manuscript is finished, but I haven't had any luck pitching it to publishers or literary agents yet. Sessions Stepp is the former editor of USA Today and the author of two books on writing, so with his help I hope to get it more publishable.

So the world keeps spinning, and my life keeps changing. I approach the big 3-0 not nearly as settled in my career or personal life as I'd once hoped I would be at this age, but meningitis taught me to embrace life for what it is, rather than regret it for what it might be. I have good health, great friends, a tremendously supportive family and incredible professional opportunities on the horizon.

In other words, I'm doing just fine.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

My take on the TSA

2010-12-16T07:55:00.000-08:00

I got the infamous "enhanced pat-down" on my way through the Milwaukee airport Thanksgiving weekend. Since then I've been meaning to release my first-hand account of the controversial technique onto the world, but I've been busy. Anyway, here it goes:

First off, you have to remember that every time I've flown over the last six years I've enjoyed the regular, garden variety TSA pat-down. Every time I go through the metal detector I get the "Please, take your shoes off, sir," followed by my, "I can't walk without them," delivered with a completely fake apologetic smile. Then I stroll through with what's left of my feet encased in carbon fiber, and the metal detector beeps, and I'm pulled aside and someone yells,"Male assist," and the pat-down commences and if I'm lucky I get to my gate 20 minutes later.

This was the process at Reagan airport on my out of DC. But on my way back the heavyset, heavily-mustached guy in the blue TSA uniform warned me that I would be in for one of "our new pat-downs that you've been hearing so much about." Great. Game on.

It started out the normal way, with me stretching out my arms and sacrificing myself for the security of all, like Christ on the cross (OK, maybe that's a bit egotistical, but after six years of pat-downs, I feel like I deserve it). He patted down my sleeves with his gloved hands and apparently was satisfied that those were actually my arms in there and not flesh-colored pipe bombs.

Then he moved on to the legs, and here's where it got PG-13. The normal pat-down did not include any crotchal contact, but those days are apparently over thanks to Al-Qaeda's willingness to ignite its members' genitals in the name of Allah.

To be fair, the TSA guy made sure I wouldn't be caught by surprise, saying, "Now I'm just going to slide my hand up the inside of your leg until I meet some resistance." Ummmm, OK? That's not something I ever expected to hear in an airport (although I guess if I happened to be in a bathroom stall next to Larry Craig, it might not have seemed that unusual).

Then he said "If you want to go to a private room at any point, just let me know." Is it just me, or does that make the whole process seem more creepy? Still, I stood there and took it, perhaps still desensitized by the fact that dozens of doctors and nurses had brushed up against my "private parts" during my hospitalization, without the benefit of clothing.

Of course, there's been so much hype about these pat-downs that a small crowd gathered to watch me go through it. It included two small children, who stared unabashedly even as I tried to give them a reassuring smile. It crossed my mind that the pat-down probably violated everything they've learned in school about "good touch" and "bad touch." The TSA guy definitely touched me in my bathing suit area, if only for a brief moment.

But in the end I proved my non-terrorist status and was allowed to fly. And I was on Frontier so I got a warm chocolate chip cookie.

Believe it or not, I'm not angry or bitter about this (sarcastic yes, but that's just my style). Do I like these pat-downs? No. Did I like the old ones? No. Are these more intrusive and uncomfortable? Sure, but they're probably more effective for detecting the odd underwear bomb. My brother insists that the new pat-downs are unconstitutional and maybe he's right. But the tension between privacy and security is a constant and questions of constitutionality are rarely spelled out in black and white.

There are some alternatives that I like, such as bomb-sniffing dogs. But some people are allergic to dogs and some people have deep-seeded religious or cultural beliefs that cause them to view dogs as dirty and untouchable. I'd also prefer the magnetic full-body scanners (which apparently aren't operational yet in Milwaukee), but there are privacy concerns surrounding those too. I understand why some people don't want the TSA to view images of them basically naked, even if I have no problem with it.

The one alternative I don't like is racial profiling. First off, it's unjust. Making your average Arab person go through a mandatory pat-down is no more fair than making your average amputee go through one every time. There needs to be some substantial reason for suspicion (like setting off a metal detector). Race only counts as a substantial reason if you're a racist.

Secondly, racial profiling is ineffective. Terrorist groups are not racially homogenous and "lone wolves" come from all races and religious backgrounds. Racial profiling would not have stopped Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols or Ted Kacynski.

Personally I think we're spending way too much time, energy and money as a nation responding to a threat (terrorism) that is statistically much less dangerous than cancer, drunk driving or infectious disease. But we've decided as a nation that this should be a top priority and this is a democracy, so I've got to go along with it.

So I'll endure the pat-downs because I want to fly and because right now they seem to be the balance we've struck between privacy, security, efficiency and fairness. But I'd love to see a day when that's no longer the case.

College grad risks deportation for DREAM Act

2010-12-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

Congress could vote on the DREAM Act as early as tomorrow. Three University of Maryland colleagues and I just finished a semester-long multimedia profile of one young lady, Isabel Castillo, who is risking deportation to lobby for the bill. It would grant conditional legal status to people under 30 whose parents brought them into the U.S. illegally when they were under 16, if they go to college or serve in the military. Check out the full story under the "DREAM of a future" tab on this page:

College grad risks deportation to fight for DREAM Act

Soccer helps sisters cope with dad's death

2010-11-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

This didn't make it into print for space and time reasons, but I think it might be the best thing I've done at the Post so far. These are two strong young ladies.

( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/09/AR2010110903897.html)

Paywall pandemonium

2010-10-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

Used to be that the newspaper industry was a cash cow. Set up your little publication on Main Street, start pulling in legal notices and classified ads and show up at the city council meeting and high school football game once a week and you were set.

The biggest challenge was the pesky cost of buying and operating a printing press. As it turns out, that barrier to membership might have been what kept the whole thing so profitable in the first place. Once the Internet came along, any Tom, Dick and Huffington with a computer and a modem could create or aggregate news and suddenly the competition for those ad dollars was much stiffer.

So what's a suddenly destitute publisher to do? Increasingly, they seem to be banking (quite literally) on online paywalls.

At least one publisher turned his back at the "everything-on-the-Internet-should-be-free" model with the express purpose of trying to return to the glory days of print. Last year the American Journalism Review reported on Albert K. "Buck" Sherman, who installed a $345 annual paywall on his Newport (R.I.) Daily News site (http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=4813).

Why charge 138 percent more for an online subscription than a print one? In the hopes of driving more people back to the ink-and-paper Daily News (circulation 12,000), which was far more profitable. Newsweek reported that sales of newsstand copies of the Daily News went up by 200 a day and cancellations of print subscriptions virtually ceased in the wake of Sherman's uber-paywall (http://www.newsweek.com/2009/08/31/this-news-doesn-t-want-to-be-free.html). A year later, Sherman has retired as publisher but his wall is still standing (exceedingly) tall — a monument to a man who scoffed at the "everything-is-going-digital" conventional wisdom.

That seems to be a rare case, even as paywalls go, though. Other news organizations are looking for a hybrid model which will allow both their print and online products to make money. That's been the Wall Street Journal's modus operandi for more than a decade, offering some free online content and putting some behind a paywall.

That's also the direction NewBay Media went in Oct. 4, ending its practice of offering everything that was in its Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News magazines online for free (http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=132&aid=192098).

"We charged for a subscription and then we were taking all the content of the magazine that came out every week and putting it up on the Web for free, which wasn't really fair to our subscribers," Tony Savona, NewBay's marketing director, said in a phone interview. "Also, at the same time we were paying [to produce] some quality content that we were just handing over there as well, so we really did it just to put a value on both our content and our subscribers."

NewBay is still offering breaking news online, updated daily, for free. Savona said the deeper analysis of those events will be in the print product or behind the online paywall. Through the paywall's first week, Savona said complaints have been minimal.

"We haven't really seen too much negative stuff," Savona said. "It seems that people are using [the paid online content]. They're registering, so... so far, so good."

It seems that paywalls can work for trade mags or the WSJ, but those are publications with specialized audiences. How would a mass audience newspaper fare, especially in a market bigger than Newport, R.I. (pop. 26,475), where it's competing with more than just Grandma Rudy's newsletter for audience share? Well, The New York Times is about to find out.

Yes, the Old Grey Lady, who herself has not been immune from the ravages of revenue-killing digital media, will be going paywall starting January 2011 (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/business/media/21times.html).

Like the WSJ, some NYTimes.com content will remain free, and print subscribers (even those who only take the 150-pound Sunday monstrosity) will have full access. The Times is doing this is an attempt to solve the "10 percent problem," (http://publishing2.com/2007/07/17/newspaper-online-vs-print-ad-revenue-the-10-problem/), which basically broke down thusly in 2007:

NYTimes.com online unique users (12-month average): 13,372,000
Print circulation (daily): 1,120,420
Print circulation (Sunday): 1,627,062
(Significance: The New York Times has roughly 10 percent of print readership vs. online)

Total advertising revenue: $483,594,000
Online advertising revenue: $51,000,000
(Significance: The New York Times gets roughly 10 percent of its ad revenue online)

In a nutshell, print circulation was about 10% of total audience reach, while online advertising revenue was about 10% of total ad revenue. Or, as the Publishing 2.0 technology and media blog put it: "The economics are nearly the perfect inverse of what they should be."

Obviously not a sustainable model. So, The Times (in a surreal and odd bit of shameless self-coverage), quoted its own executives saying they decided on a hybrid free/paywall website because "they wanted to create a system that would have little effect on the millions of occasional visitors to the site, while trying to cash in on the loyalty of more devoted readers."

A beautiful thought, but is it possible in a city where residents can turn to two other daily newspaper websites for free local news and CNN.com for free national and world news?

It hasn't happened at The Times of London, which went paywall along with many of Rupert Murdoch's other News Corp. holdings in July. The Guardian reported (perhaps gleefully, as one of The Times' top competitors) that online readership at thetimes.co.uk dropped 90 percent in the first month of the paywall — from 150,000 registered users to 15,000 paying registered users (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jul/20/times-paywall-readership).

Yet Murdoch persists with his paywall. Is he just a stupid businessman who can't see the writing on the wall? Forbes says he's worth $6.7 billion, which seems to suggest he knows a bit about making money. Given the paltry ad revenues that come from online users, it might just be that Murdoch would prefer to have 15,000 pairs of paying eyeballs than 150,000 pairs of freeloaders.

And if some people decide they'd rather pick up a printed copy than pay online, then so much the better, financially — with a nod and a wink to Mr. Albert "Buck" Sherman.

Baltimore Orioles class project

2010-09-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Me and four classmates put together this website on the futility of the Orioles and how it impacts Baltimore. Kind of interesting, since most of the time sports coverage focuses on good teams.

http://bmore.jschool.umd.edu/summer11

An odd encounter in Philly

2010-08-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

So I met a lot of super-smart young medical students last week in Philadelphia while giving a presentation on meningitis at the University of Pennsylvania. I also met a guy named Joe on the subway.

Joe rolled onto the car in a wheelchair and stopped next to me. He was missing a leg and had some pretty nasty burn scars on the remaining leg. He noticed my hands and immediately asked what happened.

"I got a bacterial infection six years ago," I said. "A form of meningitis that got into my bloodstream and cut off the circulation to my hands and feet."

Up to that point, the conversation was not all that unusual for two amputees. Then it took an odd turn.

"You get that from shootin' dope?" Joe asked.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"You get that from shootin' dope?" Joe asked... louder.... in a crowded subway train.

"Um, no," I said.

I explained that I supposed one could get sepsis from shooting up with dirty needles, but that in my case I got it from a bacteria that lives in people's throats.

I'm not sure how much of that he understood, but he immediately launched into a long, involved, graphic story about his own injuries. While a lot of people around us gave him uncomfortable glances.

The more he talked, the more mumbly he got. In fact, by the time he'd gotten through the backstory, I never did quite catch specifically how he was injured. But as the story went on, I kept hearing the phrase, "When I was on fire..."

Three possible explanations for why that phrase kept coming up: 1. He used to play basketball and was quite a good shooter. 2. He spends a lot of time at Christian revival camps. 3. He was actually engulfed in flames at one point in his life.

I'm guessing it was No. 3. And, based on his questions for me and his inability to articulate properly, I'm guessing it might have been the result of a meth lab accident.

Then I got off the train, walked around Chinatown and found a place advertising $5 haircuts in the window. So I sat down and got my hair cut next to a guy with a tattoo of a naked girl with gigantic breasts on his arm. No kidding, those things were freakishly big.

Montgomery County DJs

2010-08-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

This was my final project for my multimedia journalism class.

My first Capital News Service wire story

2010-08-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here's the link:

http://www.journalism.umd.edu/cns/wire/2010-editions/08-August-editions/100818-Wednesday/FirstsThird_CNS-UMCP.html

It's an article about the 1st District Congressional race in Maryland. A Republican has put up almost $500,000 of his own money to campaign against the party-endorsed candidate in the upcoming primary. Could have national implications — the seat seems primed for a Republican takeover, but a fight between the two Repubs could help the Democratic incumbent stay in power.

A day with some dogs

2010-07-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Here's another video I put together for my multimedia journalism class. Again, this isn't meant to be hard-hitting reporting, it's just supposed to show that I know how to use Final Cut to splice together these clips naturally and add some voice-over narration and titles.

It's a video with dogs, which I think most people enjoy.

My first D.C. clip (sort of)

2010-07-21T15:26:00.001-07:00

OK, so I got my first article published in a D.C. area newspaper, an African-American weekly called the Afro. That's cool and all, except that they didn't give me a byline:

http://www.afro.com/sections/NEWS/Prince-Georges-County-News/story.htm?storyid=1970

Note how it says "Special to the Afro" instead of "by Andy Marso." This is kind of a big deal, because when you're a student journalist shopping stories around for free, the only real benefit is getting a "clip" to put in your portfolio. Unfortunately, without a byline, there's no way to prove to potential employers that it's mine.

But maybe it's just as well. The lead isn't too strong (I changed it in the version I submitted for class). I still got course credit, anyway, and if nothing else it illustrates that there's a lot more media opportunities out here. I'm pretty sure there was no African-American newspaper in St. Cloud.

Still, would have been nice to get that little byline. *Sigh*

My "Man on the Street" masterpiece

2010-07-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is one of the first projects I did for my "slice" technology class (video/audio/photo). It's what's known as a "Man on the Street" interview. I just asked a few people on campus what they do to "beat the heat."

The project wasn't about the actual journalism or reporting (which is good, because weather news is not really too exciting). It was more about making sure I could frame the subjects correctly and edit their comments in a way that makes sense. My professor's main criticism was that the lighting wasn't great. He pointed out that with darker-skinned subjects you have to make sure you get good light on their faces.

Any other thoughts?

Grad school Week 2: The earth moves

2010-07-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

OK, so first week of classes is done. So far, so good. It's a lot of work, and the tech stuff seems to take me twice as long as it should, but I'm hanging in and starting to get comfortable with my schedule and workload (looks like if I give up the whole idea of a "weekend," it should be manageable. I'll start posting some of my work soon, I promise.

Meanwhile, the big news is that I survived my first earthquake! OK, so it was only like a 3.6 — not exactly The Big One. But I actually did feel it. In fact, it woke me up.

About 5 a.m. Friday I woke up to this low rumbling noise that seemed to coincide with a slight shaking of the bed. "Is that thunder?" I thought, groggily. Then it got a bit stronger. "Is that a train?" I thought, still groggy enough to not realize that all train tracks are at least a few miles from my apartment. For a moment I thought I heard some of the pictures on the wall rattle, but I couldn't be sure. Then I fell back asleep.

I woke up two hours later with my radio alarm going off and a guy telling me I'd survived an earthquake. So, there you go. Two weeks away from Minnesota and I'm already experiencing all-new natural disasters. Well, "disasters" is probably too strong. All-new natural phenomena, I guess.

Crazy.

Grad school week 1: the prelude

2010-07-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

Classes start Monday. I'm ready.

I've done pretty much everything I want to do to the apartment. I've bought and arranged furniture (not enough to fill the place, but enough for my needs), hung pictures and even carted in enough cinder blocks to jack the futon up to a reasonable level for sitting. It made me feel way too old when I had to struggle to get up from the thing.

I met most of my future classmates on Friday. Our master's group is called a "cohort," which sounds vaguely sinister to me, but I guess I'll get used to it. It seems like a friendly, intelligent bunch of people so it should be fun working with them. More ladies than guys too, which is OK with me.

My only uncertainty right now is transportation. When I was searching apartment complexes online, I Mapquested the routes to campus from each one to make sure I picked one within biking distance. Thus, my apartment is quite close to school. Unfortunately, Mapquest didn't not reveal to me that most of the short trek is uphill, at about a 35 degree angle. It's steep. I tried it today as a dry run and had to get off and walk the bike about halfway up (it's a cruiser bike, not a mountain bike, so it's only got one gear. Who knew I'd have a mountain between me and my school?). The return trip to the apartment is much easier (as long as my brakes don't go out).

It still only took 20 minutes to get to the journalism building, so I guess the bike option remains in play. Maybe if I keep at it, I'll be able to make it up the whole hill someday. And I'll have freakishly huge thighs too. It seems like we're in for several weeks of 90-degree weather, though, so biking to school may mean arriving very damp and not so sweet-smelling. That would have been OK as an undergrad, but I think grad students are supposed to strive for a bit more professionalism. Right?

There's also a shuttle bus that I could take for free ("free" as long as you've paid the astronomical tuition and fees to obtain a student ID). But it seems to appear only sporadically on my side of town. And it would be kind of frustrating to stand there waiting for a half-hour for a bus when the campus is literally within sight.

The third option appears to be driving, which is something I wanted to avoid. It wouldn't take much gas, but there's wear and tear on the car and the big thing is parking. I'd have to pay a few hundred dollars for a permit and I'm not sure I'm prepared to do that. Even if I do, it's not like open spots are always easy to find. It helps to be handicapped, but even then I might end up parking halfway between my apartment and my classroom, and it doesn't make a lot of sense to pay for that.

For now I think I'm going to ride/walk my bike. Of course, when winter comes it will probably be the bus. Which will give my thighs time to get back to normal.

A new adventure

2010-07-05T10:42:00.001-07:00

Well, I made it. I'm sitting in a Starbucks in Greenbelt, Maryland, enjoying the air conditioning (did I move to the East Coast or the tropics?) and the free internet (mine won't be hooked up until next Friday). My new apartment was a pleasant surprise. You can tell it's an old building that's just gotten a face-lift, but it's clean and much more spacious than I was expecting. I've spent the past few days buying things to fill it up (thoughts after first IKEA experience: prices were right, stuff was easy to assemble, but finding what I wanted in that crowded maze of merchandise wasn't my idea of fun).

Moving in proved easy (for me anyway) thanks to my friend Tim and his brother Mike. Mike lives in the D.C. area and Tim drove with me from Minnesota, which was no small favor (we both agreed that we'd never hack it as long-haul truckers). The two of them had most of my stuff out of the vehicles and into the apartment before I'd finished filling out the paperwork.

So really I have had very little to worry about — except for the whole "complete life change" thing. There's certainly been moments of doubt on that front. The night before I left St. Cloud I sat awake wondering "What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I doing?" I was leaving my family and most of my friends to move across the country and start school again just one short year away from my 30th birthday. The safer play seemed like staying home with mom and dad and sticking it out at the St. Cloud Times until a full-time position opened up.

But something happened on the drive out here that reminded me of why I'm doing this in the first place: I listened to "The Alchemist" on audiobook. Odd how that happened, really. As I was packing up my stuff I came across the 4-CD set, which I had never listened to. It was a gift from a long-lost friend (Elizabeth, who's off working for the parks system somewhere, probably dodging bears) years earlier. I had no idea what the book was about, but I figured a 20-hour drive to D.C. was the perfect time to give it a listen.

God's hand was in there somewhere. The story is about a young Spanish shepherd who has a dream about a treasure buried near the Egyptian pyramids. He chucks aside his safe, familiar life to trek across the Sahara after this treasure for years, learning new trades and falling in love along the way, but never losing sight of the ultimate goal. The book was all about fulfilling your "personal legend," even when life tries to beat it out of you. It was just what I needed to hear.

I believe in my talent. I believe in my drive. I believe in my personal legend. I believe that this next year will help me make it a reality.

A soccer team to savor

2010-06-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

The euphoria from Landon Donovan's Team USA-saving stoppage-time goal against Algeria has barely had a chance to settle into a deep, smiley contentment, and at least one talking head is already throwing dirt on the celebratory heart-fire.

Los Angeles Times sportswriter Bill Plaschke argued on the ESPN show Around the Horn this afternoon that the American World Cup team had not done anything to be proud of. He noted that eking out a 1-0 win against Algeria -- a team that has never advanced in the Cup -- was not exactly like the ragtag US hockey team defeating mighty Russia in 1980.

Plaschke's point is not entirely without merit. One could argue that the 1-1 draw against England was a gift by way of goalie gaffe, while tying Slovenia and barely topping Algeria does not suggest a squad ready to take its place alongside Brazil and Italy on the world stage.

But in soccer, perhaps more than any other sport, the final score does not necessarily tell the story. You've got to actually watch the game to know how it went. And any Americans who watched all three of Team USA's games know they have at least one thing to be proud of: resilience, resilience, resilience.

Nothing has come easy for this team (except, perhaps, that gift-goal against England, which is admittedly kind of a big "something."). The Americans suffered several injuries going into the Cup, losing a possible starting striker (Charlie Davies) and seeing a defensive cornerstone (Oguchi Onyewu) enter the tournament achey and rusty. The Americans have had two goals in three games called back for no good reason. The Americans have had to come back from two early deficits, deficits that would have folded many teams.

Soccer squads are not exactly known for mental fortitude. A team that goes down 1-0 generally loses. A team that goes down 2-0 almost always does. Goals are so hard to come by that scoring one is inspiring and allowing one is deflating. But Team USA has clawed back from two deficits to earn ties and kept playing through a stolen goal and a million missed chances to finally break through against Algeria.

This team simply does not quit. Some of that is likely due to coach Bob Bradley, whose steely gaze, perpetually firm-set jaw and even-keel approach seem to have rubbed off on his squad. But I like to think that this dogged, never-say-die attitude is also an American trait. It's the trait of a laid-off Detroit auto worker who spends his severance pay on computer classes. It's the trait of a young NYC teacher who has far too many students and far too few resources, but still shows up every day energetic and engaged. It's the trait of a nurse in Minneapolis desperately trying to wade through all the patients in a perpetually overcrowded emergency room so that none of them have to suffer needlessly.

No, the results for Team USA thus far have not been particularly impressive, but the way the Americans have gotten those results have been plenty impressive. The Americans have not always played great, but they have, unfailingly, played gutsy.

Shortly after today's stirring win, Donovan said, "Today I feel damn proud to be an American." And there were millions nodding their heads in agreement.

What Lost meant to me

2010-05-23T21:00:00.001-07:00

I'm not going to claim I'm the world's biggest Lost fan (some of those folks are crazy) and I'm not going to claim that I have any special insight into the show. But I will say that the show has a sort of meaning for me that I'm not sure another TV program ever will match.

When Lost premiered in October of 2004, I had been out of the hospital for about a month. I was living in a cramped apartment with my parents and grandma, stuck in a wheelchair, my hands still wrapped in bandages, mostly helpless to function on my own. My life at that time consisted mostly of trips to the hospital for physical and occupational therapy, with a lot of staring at TV and computer screens in between.

So, like millions of people across America, I sat in my living room, ready to kill a few hours by watching this new show. I had seen the many previews and was intrigued by the premise. I'd always liked the book Lord of the Flies, and this seemed similar.

The pilot did not disappoint. The plane crash featured cinema-quality special effects and the island scenery was breathtaking. But what drew me in that very first night were the characters. I felt a sort of connection with them. Like me, they had been through a trauma and were left confused, scared, clutching at strands of an old life that had unraveled.

It became an appointment for me every week, something to look forward to in an otherwise dreary, boring existence. Jake, Kate, Hurley and the rest became almost like friends (as slightly pathetic as that might sound). I saw every second of every episode that first season.

As the series wore on, I have to admit I fell away from it a bit. There were still great moments, emotional moments like hardly any I'd ever experienced watching TV ("Not Penny's Boat"). But I missed more and more Lost "appointments" as the seasons went on. My life got back on track, and I didn't always have my nights free for TV, especially this year. Also, when the show introduced time travel and alternate dimensions, it became a bit harder to follow.

But when I watched tonight's pitch-perfect series finale (after spending an hour reading episode guides to catch up) it was still a nostalgic experience for me. Unlike 99 percent of TV these days, this was a show that made you think, and made you think about important things. Perseverance, love, betrayal, hope, despair, hate, sacrifice, redemption, human nature, togetherness.

For me, it also made me think about how to move forward after an illness that changed my life forever. At a time when I really needed to do that.

My grad school choice

2010-05-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I turned down Columbia University, arguably the top name in journalism instruction. Am I crazy? Perhaps. But given the value I'll get at the University of Maryland - the school I chose over Columbia - perhaps I'm crazy like a fox living a cushy life under a backyard deck in Olathe, Kansas.

Maryland made my decision quite a bit easier late in the game. The Terps offered me a fellowship that will pretty much cover all the tuition. The only condition: that I start in July. So I said, "Gee, let me think... um, SURE." Frankly, I was pretty intimidated by the idea of taking out a bunch of loans to get a journalism degree, so that was a nice load off my mind. But it isn't the only reason I chose Maryland.

After talking to the dean there, I learned that I'll be able to test out of at least one, and possibly two, of the early courses that seemed a lot like ones I took at KU. So that pretty much addresses my main concern with the Terps' academic program. By starting in the summer I'll also be able to finish in less than a year (read: before I'm 30), which is pretty awesome.

Columbia's a great school, but I think I may have been more drawn to the idea of a Columbia degree than a Columbia education. The Maryland program is more flexible. I'll be able to cover a number of different topics and maybe even take a sports reporting course taught by Kevin Blackistone (that name means something to ESPN addicts like myself). Maryland's got all kinds of great teachers. They recently lost a couple of well-known faculty members, but the program is still littered with Pulitzer winners. It's known for producing good writers.

Yes, it would have been amazing to live in New York for a year, but the DC area is nothing to sneeze at. Yes, Columbia's professional network is pretty much peerless, with alums at basically every major media outlet. But Maryland's network reaches far and wide too, and given that I already feel like I have a pretty good relationship with the dean there, I think I'll be in a better position to access that network. In the end, that was a big part of what sold me on Maryland: the people. Not that the people at Columbia and Northwestern weren't great too, but I just felt like I connected with the profs and administrators I met at Maryland more.

The goal is still to get a full-time reporting job and if that comes along in the next month I'd have to rethink my plans. But right now I'm prepping to become a Terp in July. And I'm pretty psyched about it.

Target Field

2010-04-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

It's now been a little more than a week since my buddy Tim and I went to our first Twins game at the new stadium. Let me preface this by saying I am 1,000 percent against taxpayer funding for pro sports venues. I think it is the worst kind of corporate welfare there is. That being said... Target Field is pretty sweet.

The sightlines are outstanding. We were about as far up in right field as you can be and it still felt like we were close to the action. The Twin City skyline was behind us in all its semi-impressive glory and the sun was shining (at least it was in left field — we were in the shade, which was a little chilly, but not bad). There's many more food choices, including gelato and even a fresh fruit cart – although I'm not sure how many apples they're going to sell for $3 apiece. Then again, it's hard to find anything there for less than $3. I got two small tacos from Senor Smoke's (Juan Berenguer shout-out, for all you hardcore Twins fans) for $5. They were tasty, if not particularly filling.

It was a great day for a ballgame and the place was packed. The Royals, of course, didn't cooperate. They insisted on bashing out a rare 10-5 win (Alberto Callaspo for MVP!), but I left feeling pretty satisfied. At $17 for each seat the ticket prices weren't rage-inducing, but I still miss the $5 seats at the Dome.

The one complaint both Tim and I agreed on was the rightfield bathroom, which seemed like an afterthought. It was a cramped, triangular room with only one door in and out, which made for an uncomfortable bottleneck. Maybe it wasn't built with sellout crowds in mind, but you would think it should have been.

Anyway, maybe the other bathrooms are better. And when you've got a great view and there's a good team on the field, it's hard to complain. Except when the taxpayers have to pay for it. That I think we should always raise a fuss about, no matter how enjoyable the finished product is.

Master's tour, final leg: Columbia University

2010-04-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

At first glance Columbia seems quite similar to Northwestern -- amazing program, untenable price tag. But there are a few things that make Columbia more enticing.

I was admitted to the Master's of Arts in Journalism: Health and Science reporting concentration. That is a very small program that will ensure I get plenty of individual attention from professors who, for the most part, are also award-winning authors. My classes will all be small and they'll generally be full of people who have as much or more (usually more) professional experience than me. I will also have the opportunity to take graduate-level classes at Columbia outside the J-school, in subjects like psychology, public health, or pretty much anything else related to my concentration that I can fit in. There's no doubt I'd have to work my butt off just to stay afloat in this program. On one hand, that's kind of scary. On the other hand, maybe that's just what I need — to be challenged, pushed, forced out of my comfort zone. Could be a great thing.

Columbia is also in New York City, which, aside from the astronomical cost of living, is the perfect place for a journalist (or student who is an aspiring journalist). It's a huge place full of people from every corner of the globe, so there's a million stories. Its the media capital of the world, so there's lots of places to work and people to network with. NYC also happens to be probably the only city in the USA where knowing a little Italian might come in handy. In fact, it helped me speak to a bunch of old ladies when I visited Ground Zero last weekend. (Side note: Old ladies really take to me. I'm not sure why this is, and it doesn't seem to translate to their granddaughters, but the NYC trip only reinforced it).

That said Columbia's not cheap. It's not as expensive as Northwestern, though, in large part because it's only a nine-month program versus 12 months at Northwestern. The nine month duration is also attractive. For some reason it seems like a plus to be able to get done with school before I turn 30. I know age ain't nothin' but a number (RIP Aaliyah), but I'm still not crazy about being a 30-year-old college student. The downside of a Master's program condensed into nine months is that, like Northwestern, no graduate assistantships allowed.

It's hard to pass up Columbia. In a lot of ways Columbia IS journalism — they have pictures of Pulitzer up all over that place, for Pete's sake. I was fairly surprised I got in; that was a nice e-mail to get. But it just doesn't seem wise to incur a massive amount of debt getting a journalism right now, no matter where that degree comes from. I've put in an appeal for more financial aid. If I get good results from that, and a guaranteed spot in on-campus housing (rent is a tad steep in NYC, as you might have heard), then I'd have to take a good, hard look at Columbia.

Otherwise, I think I'm a Maryland man.

Master's tour, second leg: Northwestern University

2010-04-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

After spending two days in Chicago at Northwestern University's Master's in Journalism open house, my impressions are this: 1. It's a great program, 2. It's a large program, 3. It's a ridiculously expensive program.

1. It's a great program:
Just about anything you can imagine doing in media, you can do at Medill (Northwestern's school of journalism). If you want to start a magazine, you can do that. If you want to make a documentary film, you can do that. If you want to start your own news website, you can do that. If you want to report in Chicago, you can do that. If you want to report in DC, you can do that. If you want to report in London, Dubai or Cairo, well, you have to fill out an application and pay for an extra semester, but there's at least a decent chance you can do that. It's like a smorsgasboard of media and if you're passionate about journalism, I can see how you'd be like a kid in a candy store there.

2. It's a large program:
This was a turn-off for me. Last year they had 90 students start in the fall. That seems like a heck of a lot for a master's program if you ask me. Maryland had fewer than half that. The current students Northwestern brought in to talk to us insisted that they still got as much individual attention as they could possibly want, but I'm skeptical. One of them said he had a class with 38 people in it, which is not my idea of graduate school. Even the open house seemed ridiculously crowded at times, especially when they brought all of us to downtown Chicago to check out the Medill newsroom there. On the one hand the size of the program helps Northwestern maintain a great professional network -- more grads out in the workforce make for more connections once you get out of school and start job hunting. But I don't like the idea of paying a bunch of money to be just another fish in a rather crowded pond.

3. It's a ridiculously expensive program:
Ah yes, the price. Truly one of the greatest sticker shock moments of my life when I saw it. The all-inclusive estimate for the 12-month program (tuition, fees, room and board) comes to... wait for it... wait for it... about $83,000. That's right, $83,000. Have you picked your jaw up off the floor yet? I was awarded a $20,000 scholarship, which is nice and all, but the rest of my financial aid package consisted of four different loans totaling about $60,000. Loans that have interest rates of up to 7.5 percent. I was told that teaching assistantships are not possible at Medill ("Our program is too rigorous. We just don't think our students could handle it"). Taking out that much in loans seems crazy. I think that much debt would just be an absolute crushing weight on me. I mean, it's not like I'm getting a master's in chemical engineering. Even in the best of times it would not be easy to pay off those kind of loans with a journalism job. Right now, with the economy uncertain and the industry in flux, it seems like an exceedingly risky proposition. Especially for someone like me, who can't exactly go get a construction job if this whole journalism thing doesn't work out.

Conclusion: I like Northwestern a lot. It's in the Midwest, which feels comfortable. It's very close to my brother, sister-in-law and two adorable little nieces (see photo below), which is enticing. The campus is beautiful and it's right on Lake Michigan. The journalism program is globally renowned, with highly visible alums and all kinds of exciting opportunities. But the size of the program left me feeling like there's not many personal touches. I didn't get the same warm reception I got at Maryland. At times during the open house it honestly felt like Medill was a journalist factory, just trying to churn out as many alums as possible. Then there's the price, which makes me think that the only people who can honestly afford to go to Medill are the ones whose last names are on some of the buildings on campus. I've been brought up to not spend money I don't have. I just can't justify going into that kind of debt. I think I have basically ruled out Northwestern.

The University of Maryland

2010-04-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

So I just returned from the first leg of my three-pronged "Master's in Journalism" tour: the University of Maryland. I would say my impression was about 75 percent positive.

First the good parts:

I loved the people. I met with the associate dean, the graduate coordinator, a professor and a handful of the current master's students. All of them gave me more than an hour of their time. The fact that it was Good Friday and there were hardly any classes going on may have freed up some of their time. But they all seemed genuinely interested in answering all my questions and just generally chatting.

I liked DC. I saw the cherry blossoms (beautiful--see photo below) and the FDR Memorial (powerful) and got to catch up with some old friends. I even found a cool little sports bar/lounge that I could see becoming a regular hangout if I do decide to spend next year at Maryland.

I really like the price. Maryland is about half the cost of my other two schools, Northwestern and Columbia. And I was told that it would be a snap for me to get a graduate assistantship, all of which provide 10 free tuition credits per semester and some of which apparently pay up to $21,000 for a year of working 20 hours a week. That's more than I make now working 65 hours a week. Between an assistantship and my Americorps award, it's conceivable that I get my master's at Maryland and graduate debt-free. That's huge.

Now the not-as-good stuff. The curriculum is a mixed bag. I would be required to take some classes that are very similar, if not identical, to some I've already taken at KU. That seems like a waste. It will take a full semester before I can work in the DC news bureau, which is really the experience I'm going for.

The other thing is that the main reason I'm going to grad school is to get a really good newspaper/magazine job when I get out. I think the other two schools might have a slight advantage in that department. The dean admitted that Maryland's program is more of an up-and-comer, whereas Northwestern and Columbia are old standbys that have larger networks of journalism grads. That being said, he also said he couldn't recall a master's student during his tenure who didn't get a job soon after graduating, though he noted that not all the jobs were in journalism. At least two of the current students I talked to had been published in the Baltimore Sun, so that's great exposure.

So, it's not perfect, but then maybe perfect doesn't exist. Maryland is pretty darn good. And there's a decent chance I could do it debt free, so what do I have to lose, right? Unless either of the other schools can come up with a darn good financial aid package, I'd have to say Maryland is the frontrunner.

Bouncing back from a tough loss

2010-03-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

About a year ago this time, I was serving my last days as a sportswriter at The Olathe News after getting laid off. I was down — not because of a loss of income (it wasn't that much anyway), but from other losses. Loss of relationships, loss of role within a community, loss of a job that never felt like a job. It was not an encouraging time.

In the 12 months since then I have helped 46 kids learn to read, written the article that got the most hits on the St. Cloud Times website in 2009, finished a book and begun shopping it to literary agents, and been admitted to three of the top Master's in Journalism programs in the country.

I write this not to toot my own horn (well, maybe just a little bit), but to illustrate an important point: life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.

Times are tough right now. Jobs are not easy to find, especially if you're set on finding one in a specific profession or specific geographic area. But if you're open to new possibilities and willing to work more hours than you used to for less money, there are still opportunities.

Everybody needs a little help. I had help from a stimulus package that brought my COBRA health care premiums down from a crippling $400-some per month to a manageable $100-some per month. I had help from a federal Americorps program that allowed me to make about $750 a month and have health insurance in exchange for tutoring kids who were behind on their reading. I had help from two parents who welcomed me (and an occasionally ornery dog) back home.

With a little help and a little motivation, you can turn a negative into a positive relatively quickly. I think this is something I learned, in part, from playing sports growing up. Sports teach you at an early age that life isn't always fair. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, you're still going to lose. There's some things you just can't control — like the weather, the strength of the opposition, or the health of the newspaper industry.

But you can always control the way you react to losing. You use it as a motivator, you use it as an opportunity, you don't let it drag you down — then you're a winner. There's always another game or another season coming up, after all.

Hope for health care

2010-03-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

Health care reform is here. But for how long? Republicans have already launched their "Repeal the bill" drives and if the current political climate holds, they might actually have the votes to do it next year.

There's a lot of backlash out there right now and, given the rage-inducing rhetoric, it's not hard to see why. Even long after the "death panels" lie was debunked 1,000 times over, Palin and Bachmann continue to try to convince us that this bill will kill our grandmas (oddly, my grandma supports the current reforms. Apparently she doesn't realize that Obama was signing her death warrant with all those pens).

Then of course there is the large segment of the population that would have been against anything a Democratic president/Congress proposed. These are the people who don't grasp the cognitive dissonance of saying, "We don't want a government takeover of health care... and don't you dare touch Medicare, either!"

It's important to know what's actually in the bill, so you can decide for yourself if it's a good thing, rather than reverting to talking points. Here's a pretty easy-to-understand summary:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000846-503544.html

There are legitimate, reasonable worries about the bill. Yes, there will be penalties for businesses that don't provide insurance. But we live in a country with an employer-based health insurance system. If employers stop offering health insurance (as more and more do every year), the system will collapse.

Yes, there are individual mandates and forcing people to buy a private company's product or face a $675 fine bothers me on an ideological level. But for it to be feasible for insurance companies to cover people like me with pre-existing conditions, they're also going to need premiums from people who are relatively young and healthy. This is an instance in which practicality trumps ideology, at least from my perspective.

There will be new taxes on tanning salons, but if your product causes cancer, I have no problem asking you to pay a little extra to treat cancer. There will be new taxes on capital gains, but there's a reason that's called "unearned income" and it seems kind of unfair that those dividends were exempt in the first place, while the labor of plumbers, electricians and teachers was not.

The bottom line is that most of the Americans who are currently uninsured will be able to get insurance under this bill and the Congressional Budget Office (non-partisan, as I'm sure you've heard) estimates that it will reduce the deficit by more than $140 billion over the next decade.

I would have liked to see the Democrats come up with a more cohesive, simple plan instead of taking this patchwork approach. But there's little doubt they've made my life better simply by including these patches:

Starting in 2014, insurance companies cannot deny coverage to anyone with preexisting conditions:

This is very important to me. I wish it would come sooner, because I'm unsure what kind of coverage I'll be able to get in grad school next year (I've been accepted to Maryland, Northwestern and Columbia -- more on that in future posts). But the fact that it will eventually be a reality at least gives me some peace of mind for the future. As a journalist it's looking more and more like I will spend a good chunk of my life between jobs, working part-time or free-lancing. Lasting, reliable employer-based insurance may not be something I can count on and this gives me other options.

Annual and lifetime "caps" on coverage are a thing of the past:

This is also huge. No longer will I or fellow amputees be shut out of the latest prosthetic advances because of arbitrary limits on how much an insurance company is willing to pay for them in a year or a lifetime. Shouldn't a medical professional, rather than an insurance agent, decide what kind of artificial limb you need to live well?

Those two specific reforms give my long-term future much more certainty and stability. But I worry about how they'll be enforced. Our health care system is still based on a for-profit insurance industry and having me as a customer is quite simply not profitable. No doubt insurance companies will look for any possible loophole to avoid taking me on or paying my claims.

That's what makes all this rage toward the bill so befuddling to me. It is change, and I understand that change is scary, but it really isn't that much change. There's no single-payer system, there's no public option, there's nothing in this bill that should evoke comparisons to Soviet Russia or Nazi Germany. It is not as dramatic as what the Clinton administration advocated 15 years ago. It is not as dramatic as what Harry Truman advocated 50 years ago. Heck, it is not as dramatic as what Teddy Roosevelt (a Republican) advocated 100 years ago. It actually is quite close to what the Republicans proposed as an alternative to the Clinton plan.

Today's bill does not fundamentally change the current health care system. It maintains the same private insurance foundation while adding subsidies and legal tweaks to give more people access to that system.

As President Obama himself said on Sunday night, "This is not radical reform."

But it is a step in the right direction. Please America, let's not backtrack.

A girl, a Chihuahua mix, a success story

2010-03-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

I started volunteering at the Tri-County Humane Society this week as part of my ongoing quest to complete the 1700 hours of service I signed on for with Americorps. Monday was my orientation, but that was mainly just paperwork. Tuesday was when I started getting down and dirty with the dogs (and cats, grudgingly).

I cleaned out some cages, played tug with some puppies, replaced a peed-on blanket, retrieved a skittish cat from under some low shelves (without getting clawed, thank you very much) and did an industrial load of laundry. But the really exciting thing was... I got a dog adopted!

OK, so I didn't actually do the paperwork (I'm not qualified apparently, although I feel like I'm pen-and-paper gifted). But I did greet the prospective adopter, take out the dog she wanted, supervise as she played with it and answer her many questions (with the help of the handy-dandy info packet that I snatched off the cage before we went outside). After about an hour this gentle, quiet, four-year-old white Chihuahua mix had a new home with a very good-looking young lady. Gotta admit, I was a little jealous of that dog (for the record, she mentioned that the dog's fear of children was no problem because it was just "me and my boyfriend" at home — not that it would have made any difference. I've gotta keep things professional, right?)

So it was an outstanding day, very rewarding. If you or anyone you know is looking for a pet (and lives in central Minnesota, preferably), stop by the Tri-County Humane Society. There are some great dogs there (and cats too, if that's your thing. I don't understand it, but I'm not gonna judge).

Time for a "War on Cancer"

2010-02-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

I've had it with cancer.

Like most people, I've always had a certain animosity towards the disease, but it's been building recently and Tuesday the camel's back received the straw that it just couldn't handle.

I was at Madison Elementary, tutoring a kindergartner on her letter sounds when it happened. This adorable little girl, Sofia, noticed the black bracelet on my arm and asked me about it. These rubber "cause" bracelets have become kind of cliche, but this one was given to me by a mother who lost her daughter to meningitis at the National Meningitis Association conference last year, so there's plenty of compelling reasons for me to wear it: 1. To honor Rachel's memory (if you're in the mood for a good cry, check out this tribute video some of her friends made:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBDTu6uUdNY

2. To give me a reality check every time I start feeling sorry for myself because my hands look weird or because I can't play basketball any more. I was one of the lucky ones.

So I explained the bracelet to Sofia and I watched as this always-vibrant and sometimes even annoyingly energetic 5-year-old suddenly turned as serious as I'd ever seen her. "My auntie died too," she said. "She had cancer. The doctors couldn't help her." As is common with kids that age, her emotions suddenly swung the other direction and she flashed a giant smile as the rollercoaster went back up: "I have a big family," she said. "I still have lots of aunties and cousins." Then the rollercoaster crashed back down: "But I miss her."

That was when I decided I just couldn't stand cancer anymore. It needs to be wiped off the face of this planet as soon as possible. It frustrates the hell out of me that there's so little I can do about it.

Cancer took my maternal grandfather long before I ever got a chance to know him. It left my Grandma a widow in her mid-40s. Sometimes me or my brothers have asked her about marrying again, but she always just says that burying one husband was hard enough. She doesn't want to risk going through that again. After almost 40 years, the wounds are still raw. When she hears glowing reports about the Mayo Clinic, she gets bitter. "They couldn't save my husband," she says. There's a heartbreaking echo between her words and little Sofia's: "The doctors couldn't help her."

Several other more distant relatives have also fought or are still fighting cancer. I guess I could say it runs in my family, but I think we're probably not that far out of the norm. Either I'm getting more aware of all the cancer around me, or it has become oddly common.

My friend Jess lost an eye to a rare form of it a few years ago. She thought she had it beaten, but it came back and she just recently had another major surgery to remove facial tumors. She just wants to be a regular college student and instead she has to worry about surgeries, pain and insurance. If you'd like to help her, go here:

http://jessicaroark.org

Of course, she's not alone. Several walls at Madison feature fliers about Ryan Prow, an eight-year-old boy with relatives at the school who is being treated for Ewing's Sarcoma. Imagine that for a minute — being eight years old and going through regular chemo and radiation. When I was eight I thought it was a tragedy when I fell off my bike and skinned my knee. Ryan's family is holding fundraisers to help pay for his care as well.

My friend Sarah, who works with me at Madison, recently lost a young family friend to cancer. My friend Matt, who I lived with in Olathe, recently sent out a prayer request for this friend who recently learned she has cancer:

http://future-and-a-hope.blogspot.com

These are young, vibrant people. We need to do something about this.

I know money is very tight right now, and the words "government spending" seem to send a certain portion of the U.S. population into a frothing rage, so here's my zero-sum proposition: The Department of Defense's budget was $500 billion dollars last year, which seems obscene in a time when we have few real threats to our national security. Calling Al-Qaeda a real threat is giving it too much credit. As I pointed out in my earlier post, those guys aren't evil geniuses and the reality is, there aren't really that many of them. There is no threat out there that even remotely compares to Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia, yet we keep buying tanks, fighter planes and weapons of mass destruction at a ridiculous rate. And the irony is, these weapons aren't even particularly effective against terrorists.

So why not take half of that $500 billion and put it toward cancer research, prevention and treatment? How many more lives could we save with $250 billion to fight cancer? I don't know, but I'd sure like to find out.

That's the best I can come up with. Anyone else have any suggestions?

A month's worth of blogging

2010-02-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

So it's been almost a month since my last blog. Which is what happens when you're working 60 hours a week and trying to edit a book so that it's ready to send to agents/publishers. Anyway, here's a quick-hits version on stuff I might have blogged about if I had the time/motivation:

1. Be careful about eating at sub shops around 3:30
The only reason I'm blogging today is that I'm staying home to recover from a nasty bout of food poisoning that I think I can trace back to a Bo Diddley's sub I had Saturday afternoon. My theory is that they used ingredients that had been sitting out since lunch time. That was the most miserable night I've had in awhile.

2. The Saints and Drew Brees are good
Watching the pre-Super Bowl hype (in between frequent trips to the bathroom) on Sunday I was annoyed by how much hot air was spent debating whether Drew Brees needed to win a championship to be considered an "elite quarterback." First of all, it's completely subjective and just semantics anyway. That being said, how can you look at that guy's numbers and not say he's an elite quarterback? Football is a team game and one guy can never carry an entire team to a championship no matter how good he is. Dan Marino ring a bell? I'm glad the Saints won just so the talking heads can put that time-filler argument to rest.

3. The Saints and Drew Brees are not good enough to rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward
All the post-game hyperbole about "how much this means to the city of New Orleans" also became ridiculous. I'm glad Saints fans had something to go nuts over and New Orleans got a brief economic boost from people partying, but it's still just a football game. It in no way erases Hurricane Katrina or heals the wounds of losing homes and loved ones. It's football, not manna from heaven.

4. Brett Favre proved me wrong
The old guy hung in there a whole season and was just plain great. Sure his interception at the end of the NFC championship was mind-bogglingly dumb, but he had far fewer of those this season than I expected. You can't blame him for that loss. The O-line let him get popped around like Heidi Montag's nose and Adrian Peterson looked like he was trying to hold wet soap every time he carried the ball. Here's hoping Favre comes back for one more try, although if he doesn't Donovan McNabb would be a nice consolation prize.

5. ACLs are a fool-proof argument against intelligent design
Somebody has to figure out a way to buttress our athletes weak anterior cruciate ligaments. In the span of a few weeks, the KU women's basketball team lost its best all-around player, Danielle McCray, and top young playmaker, Angel Goodrich, to ACL tears. What could have been a breakthrough season now looks very shaky. These injuries are way too common.

6. Why don't we stop giving terrorists too much credit?
As Jon Stewart wisely pointed out, it has been six years since the "shoe bomber" and the best plan Al-Qaeda could come up with in that time is "send another guy on a plane, but this time put the explosives in his underwear." These guys are not criminal masterminds. Yet we're spending $500 billion a year mostly to fight the few thousand of them that are out there. Some perspective might be in order here. What if we put that money toward cancer research instead? How many more lives could we save? Personally I'm much more concerned about dying of cancer than dying at the hands of a terrorist. And while we're on the subject, why is there any outcry about trying terrorists as criminals in U.S. courts rather than as "enemy combatants" in military tribunals? "Enemy combatants" sounds suspiciously like "soldiers" to me, which is exactly how these Al-Qaeda fanatics would like to think of themselves. I'd prefer to call them criminals and lump them in with other murderous thugs. That's all they are. They are not bogeymen, they are not "masterminds" they are just common, murderous thugs and if we start treating them that way maybe they will find it a bit more difficult to recruit new members. Marginalize them rather than glorify them. If it was good enough for Timothy McVeigh, it's good enough for foreign terrorists too.

7. The Timberwolves are almost worth watching now
Four wins in a row is not going to turn their season around at this point, but it's certainly a start. Al Jefferson is looking like his old self, Ryan Hollins is becoming better than anyone ever thought he would and Corey Brewer is showing that he's a legitimate NBA starter, even without a reliable jumper. I would like to see Jonny Flynn assert himself more, though.

Lindsay's come back to me

2010-01-15T14:47:00.001-08:00

Ok, I'll admit it, I had a crush on Lindsay Whalen as I watched her lead the Gophers to the Final Four while I was at KU. It didn't have much to do with her looks. She's cute, but I don't think I'd look twice if I saw her on the street. On the court, though, she's mesmerizing.

Now that Whalen's coming back to Minnesota, consider me one of the thousands who are suddenly taking an interest in the Lynx again. She's everything that's great about women's basketball. I don't care how many times Candace Parker and Brittney Griner dunk, the women are never going to compete with the men when it comes to playing above the rim. But that doesn't mean women's basketball isn't entertaining. In fact, often times the women play with fundamentals and teamwork that are much more what Dr. Naismith had in mind.

Whalen's not super athletic, but she's got the right mix of fundamentals and flair. She can shoot the 3, she can handle with either hand and cross over behind her back or between her legs with ease and her passing and ball fakes make defenders look silly. She's just got that rhythm, that feel for the game that is hard to quantify, but very exciting to watch. The best way to describe it is probably that she knows what's going to happen before it happens.

The Lynx gave a lot to get her — a No. 1 pick and another talented point guard, Renee Montgomery, who's substantially younger. But it's still a no-brainer. Whalen's going to up attendance probably by 50 percent or more. And I might be one of those in the stands some nights.

Thoughts on other sports news:

Gilbert Arenas (and Javaris Crittendon, for that matter): I'm sick of the whole "gangsta gun culture." Guns aren't "cool," and they're not toys. They're tools and very dangerous ones at that. They need to be treated with the utmost respect. He should have his contract torn up, he should never be able to buy another gun as long as he lives and if he has to spend a few months in prison, that wouldn't bother me.

Mark McGwire: He used steroids. Duh. Leave him and the other retired 'roiders out of the Hall of Fame since that's the only punishment we can really mete out at this point.

Vikings vs. Cowboys: Cowboys are arguably the hottest team in the NFL, but the Vikes have had two weeks to get healthy and prepare and are very tough at home. Plus the Vikings haven't gotten people's hopes up enough to totally break their hearts yet. Prediction: Vikings 28, Cowboys 21

2009 Christmas Letter (Part 3 — finale)

2009-12-24T08:29:00.000-08:00

Since moving back home it has been nice seeing more of Mom, Dad and Grandma, but I plan to move out and move on this summer. I am applying to grad schools (right now my favorites are Northwestern, Columbia and Maryland) and weighing some other options. If conditions ever improve in the newspaper biz there may be full-time work at the Times and there's also the possibility I could have a book published.

Oh, I didn't mention that? That's right, the book, the infamous "Meningitis Memoir" (not the working title) is in its last throes. It is now about 128 pages in single-spaced, 10-point font and I'm thinking that is about enough. Only two more challenges lie ahead: finding someone who will publish it, and then, if I should be so lucky, finding the emotional strength to release this intensely personal work into the hands of the public.

So, if all goes well, perhaps at this point next year there will be a book out with my name on it, just in time for the holidays ("Makes a great gift!"). If I sell any, another international trip may be in my future. After all, that Swiss girl is still out there somewhere.

God bless us, everyone,
Andy

2009 Christmas Letter (Part 2)

2009-12-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

After returning from Europe I sent out applications for the three or four newspaper jobs that were open across the country (OK, that's an exaggeration. But only a slight one). Finding no takers, I decided to take the opportunity to give back to my hometown. I left Kansas and signed up for the Minnesota Reading Corps, an AmeriCorps program that places reading tutors in schools across the state. Since August I have been at Madison Elementary in St. Cloud, tutoring 17 kids in grades K-3, 20 minutes per kid, five days a week. It has been tiring, but rewarding. Seems like every day the kids say things that are alternately touching, hilarious and heartbreaking. I have bonded with many of them and it will be tough to leave when my year of service is up.

Upon returning home I also received a call from the the St. Cloud Times, which was looking for some part-time staff. Since September I have been working three nights a week there. I mostly take calls from high school coaches and write briefs, but I've been able to do a few full sports stories and have also found myself becoming the receptacle for all the news stories no one else wants ("Find a local angle on the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down? Sure, I'll take a stab at it"). In short order I went from working 0 hours a week to about 60. I'm still making less money than I was in Olathe, but I feel very productive.

Because of my limited income, I felt it prudent to move back in with Mom and Dad when I returned to St. Cloud. So far the move has been pretty seamless for all the humans involved. Baxter, however, does not get along with their dog, George. George likes to romp and play, which tends to interfere with Baxter's extensive sleep schedule. He is becoming a grumpy old man.

(To be continued... again)

2009 Christmas Letter (Part 1)

2009-12-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and family,

This second annual Andy Marso Christmas letter finds your protagonist at the end of a year full of changes. As you can see from one of the enclosed photos, I now have a second adorable niece (although the chilly Milwaukee weather ensured that you can't see too much of her). Elizabeth was born in September and she and her older sister Ellie get along wonderfully so far. Ellie is three years old now and is a little chatterbox. Elizabeth is a quiet, serene baby. It's a nice mix.

The other big changes started in March when I was laid off along with most of the rest of the staff of The Olathe News. Not sure exactly what the impetus was. Something about the "worst economic collapse since the Great Depression" coupled with the "demise of the newspaper industry as we know it," or some such thing. Losing my job was not a surprise (it was the third round of lay-offs in a year), but it was disappointing. It was a job that never felt like work and I had grown close to many of my co-workers.

But one thing my battle with meningitis has taught me is that you have to be willing to embrace life's detours and see where they lead. This particular detour took me first to Europe, which was easy to embrace. I used a portion of my severance pay and my suddenly-ample free time to visit friends in Germany, Italy and France, with a solo trip to Switzerland in between. For those of you wondering about my health, I took about a 10K hike through the Alps (see other enclosed photo), so I guess I'm doing alright.

It was my first trip to the Old Country since college and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had just one regret, and it brings me to a bit of advice for any single, male readers: If while on a train you strike up a conversation with an attractive Swiss girl who says she is on her way home to Zurich, do NOT be honest with her and say you're headed to Lucerne. Instead say, "What a coincidence, I'm going to Zurich too! And I could sure use a tour guide." (These great ideas always come to me well after the fact).

(To be continued)

Questions entertainment news should be answering

2009-12-09T17:28:00.000-08:00

The Tiger Woods Saga has proved once again that TMZ and E! have so much more reporting resources at their disposal than their topics of coverage merit. My take on Tiger? Yes, what he did was despicable, but it was not shocking. Rather than telling me who the latest floozy who says she slept with him is, I'd like to have TMZ or E! answer these questions:

1. What ever happened to Lark Voorhies (Lisa Turtle) from Saved by the Bell? Everyone else from the show, even Dustin Diamond, has at least gotten a little TV time since it ended. She just seemed to disappear.

2. Why did they wait until Ralph Macchio was like 35 to make Karate "Kid" III? And, given all that time between sequels, how could they not have come up with a better script?

3. How in the world is there enough material to have an entire TV series called "I didn't know I was pregnant?" Ladies, how has the "I thought I was just constipated until a baby fell in the toilet" scenario played out more than once or twice in human history?

4. On average, how many times a day does Hugh Hefner have a "senior moment" and call one blond house-bimbo by another blond house-bimbo's name?

5. If Steven Seagal makes an arrest on his new reality show, "Lawman," is it actually legally binding?

6. Does Chris Tucker just jet around the globe until he runs out of money and then make another "Rush Hour" movie? And if so, how can I get that gig?

7. Has anyone ever gotten more mileage out of knocking up a high school girl than Levi Johnston?

8. How's Phil Mickelson's wife doing in her cancer fight?

The Thankful blog (a few days late)

2009-11-28T09:16:00.001-08:00

In honor of Thanksgiving, a few things I'm thankful for (while trying not to duplicate too many of the things I was thankful in this summer's blog):

1. Adorable nieces: Ellie is about 3 and a half now and she knows all her alphabet, can count to 10 and loves to sing and dance. Elizabeth is only 3 months, but she is an incredibly smiley, happy baby, which is about the most you can ask for at that age.

2. College campuses on Lake Michigan: Northwestern University has a pretty good recruiting tool. I don't know if I can see myself going there for grad school yet, but I sure enjoy imagining this beach full of college girls on a summer day.

3. Minnesota friends: The last five months since I moved have been better than I thought they'd be in terms of social life. It's pretty nice to just fall back in with a group of friends as if you'd never left.

4. Kansas City: Winter break can't come fast enough. I miss so many people down there and can't wait to go to Oklahoma Joe's, watch college basketball (KU and MidAmerica) and enjoy the relatively warm (as in, not below zero) climate. New Year's will be a blast.

5. Walking around a big city: It was amazing just to be able to walk around Chicago, get on and off the El, look at all the different shops and restaurants and just basically enjoy being mobile and independent. Appreciate your health every day. It's such a gift.

Addendum (one more thing I'm thankful for):
The approaching end of the college football season. Gophers + Jayhawks = Yikes. C'mon guys, give me something worth watching next year, please.

My experience with Mark Mangino

2009-11-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

All of a sudden the media consensus seems to be that KU football coach Mark Mangino is a jerk and an asshole. With Mangino allegedly under investigation for poking a player in the chest recently, the Lawrence Journal-World has run what seems like an article a day dredging up all of Mangino's less-than-friendly-deeds. There was the time five years ago when he cussed out a referee at his son's high school football game, the time two years ago when he cussed out a parking attendant who gave him a ticket on campus and the time four years ago when he accused the officials of favoring Texas after a game. And interviews with several former players who say Mangino was too hard on them.

The timing just seems a bit odd. For several years, as Mangino led KU to one bowl game after another, the local media basically did nothing but sing his praises, even as many of these incidents occurred. Now, with KU on a five-game losing streak, the local paper is busy letting everyone know that this finger poke was just the latest in a series of events that suggests Mangino was a jerk all along.

Taken on a case-by-case basis, the evidence is somewhat flimsy:

1. Yes, he was wrong to scream at the officials at his son's game. He's supposed to set a better example and be a better ambassador for KU. But if yelling at the refs at your kid's HS game is the standard for jerkhood, then I have encountered a few thousand jerks in my five years of covering high school sports. It's unfortunate, but it happens all the time. At least Mangino apologized later. Most parents don't.

2. As far as the parking attendant incident, again, he was out of line, but again, he wasn't out of the ordinary. Many students don't make it through four years at KU without getting into at least one yelling match with the parking department. They're commonly called the "parking Nazis," for Pete's sake. Again, the situation was "resolved internally," which to me suggests that Mangino apologized, and possibly gave the attendant some free football gear. Again, if this is the standard for jerkhood, then there are hundreds of jerks walking free on the KU campus right now.

3. Mangino criticized the Big 12 officials for a terrible call after the Texas game, and he actually was relatively calm about it. There was no screaming, there was no swearing. He just said, "You know what that call was about: BCS. That's right, dollar signs." I don't agree with him. I don't think the refs were really trying to make sure that Texas got into a BCS bowl to make more money for the conference. But I do think they were a bit blinded by the burnt orange of the Texas jersey and the tradition that comes with it and gave the Longhorns an incredibly generous call that cost KU the game. And when Mangino said what he did at the post-game press conference I -- and I would guess a lot of other KU fans -- yelled, "Right on!"

4. As for the criticism of former players, I don't think you could find a Div. I coach who was loved by all the players he ever coached. There's over 100 players every year that's he's responsible for on and off the field -- over 100 testosterone-soaked young men who have been taught that hitting people is a virtue. I don't condone verbal or physical abuse, but you have to have a bit of a heavy hand to keep order in that situation. Not everybody is going to appreciate that.

Again, taken one-by-one, these incidents don't seem like much. But lumped together, as they have been in the Journal-World, they paint a picture of an overbearing asshole with a hair-trigger temper and no consideration for other people. My one experience with Mangino was quite different.

Much of the media attention about my battle with meningitis focused on my four-month stay in the hospital. But the months afterward were difficult too. I was confined to a wheelchair, still depending on my parents and brothers to help me with everyday tasks like showering and using the bathroom. I was still coming to terms with being a quadruple amputee and, with my mobility severely limited, fighting extreme boredom.

During this difficult time in my life, Mangino called my parents and invited me to come by his office and chat for awhile. He didn't know me, but he'd read the newspaper reports and knew that I was a sports fan/low-level sports writer. So my younger brother drove me to Lawrence one day and then pushed my chair into the elevator and up to Mangino's office. Once there the coach gave me that year's media guide and a nice polo shirt, just like the ones the coaches wear (actually I think it might have been out of Mangino's personal closet -- it was way too big for me). Those things were nice, but as far as I was concerned, the best thing he gave me was time. Mangino spent nearly an hour talking to me and Dan, chatting about the upcoming season, how the team was still struggling, but he saw signs of things turning around, what he thought of some of the other teams in the Big 12, etc. We also talked some about his family, including his daughter, who was a fellow KU journalism grad.

Mangino was friendly, forthcoming and jovial. I don't remember him using a single curse word. Maybe it was just cause he was talking to a kid in a wheelchair who had just lost most of his fingers and toes. Even so, he wasn't getting anything out of it. There was no press release about our visit and the Journal-World didn't report on it. It was just me, him and my brother, talking football. It was a welcome distraction from the difficulties I was going through in my daily life.

Mangino is a complicated human being, like most human beings are. Does that one hour I spent with him paint a complete picture of the type of person he truly is? Probably not. But neither does putting together every nasty thing he's done in the past five years in one newspaper article.

Sports vs. News writing

2009-11-14T11:41:00.001-08:00

My latest newspaper job, working part-time at the St. Cloud Times, has given me the opportunity to write articles for both the news page and the sports page. It's usually the assignments nobody else wants (like high school swimming for the sports page and finding a local angle on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on the news page), but these days if you want to make some money writing, you kind of need to take what you can get.

Anyway, this dual role has brought up an interesting question for me: should I keep trying to find a sportswriting job after I'm done with AmeriCorps, or move over to the news page permanently? Of course, this all depends on the newspaper industry getting its act together and figuring out how to survive in the Internet age, which is not a given. But I've decided that I still want to chase that dream of writing for a living — at least for a few more years — no matter how hair-tuggingly frustrating it can be.

So, the question is, sports or news. Each has it's own appeal.

Sports
1. I am intrinsically drawn to it — Simply put, I just love the heck out of sports. Not really sure why, but I just do. This time of year I really miss my old gig at The Olathe News. The high school football playoffs are in full swing and the college basketball season has just started at MidAmerica Nazarene University. Those were the kind of days when I couldn't wait to go to "work."

2. It's not hard to find story ideas — There is always material and it's always easy to find. There are athletic directors, sports information directors and plenty of average Joe mom and dads in the stands eager to tell you what's going on in the local sports scene.

3. You get to sleep in — Sporting events don't start 'til at least 3:30 p.m. That means you can comfortably sleep until 10 every morning. And, at the risk of exposing the lazy nature I'm constantly fighting, there's nothing I like more than sleep.

4. I have experience — I've written a few hundred sports articles over the past five years. There's rarely a sports assignment that I don't feel entirely confident about executing.

5. People admire you — Tell any guy you're a sportswriter and there's about an 80 percent chance he'll say "Whoa, that sounds awesome," even after you explain that you cover preps and small college and not the pros. Most women are, at the very least, neutral about it. Tell people you're a news reporter and a lot of them think of either the paparazzi or that guy on TV who is interviewing a mother whose son was shot to death and asks, "So, how do you feel right now?"

News
1. It's usually more meaningful – As much as I love sports, I recognize that they're generally pretty insignificant and I often wonder if devoting my life to writing about games would ultimately be fulfilling. Sure, news writing can also be plenty trite, but the issues on the news page are generally more life-altering. If you can craft a story about that son who was shot to death that humanizes what could be seen as just another homicide statistic, that's meaningful.

2. It's not as competitive — It's hard to get sportswriting jobs cause a whole lot of people want them. When I applied for a sports job at the Ames Tribune this summer they said they had 150 applicants in the first 10 days they advertised the position. And that's a mid-level newspaper. It's simply easier to get work on the news side.

3. You work more regular hours — It can be a drag to sit in the newsroom writing up a high school football game every Friday night while your friends are out on the town. That's when you miss the more regular hours of the news desk. Also, if at some point I have a wife and children that I want to see once in a while, this would become an even bigger priority.

4. There's more variety – There's variety in sports, but only to a point. I'd say that about 95 percent of the articles I wrote in Olathe fell into three categories: game stories, player profiles and opinion columns. Even if every game and every player is slightly different, it does get repetitive after awhile. On the other hand, even if you're pigeon-holed in a very narrow beat on the news side, there's usually more ways you can dig into it.

5. You reach more people — Some people don't care about sports, period. But a well-crafted, interesting news story about a significant event (like say 9/11, or even something more local like the gas explosion in downtown St. Cloud 10 years ago) should draw in just about everybody in your area who knows how to read.

So there it is, pros and cons for both sides. Of course, it begs the question, why not look for a full-time position that is some sports, and some news? Those are pretty tough to find except at very small papers that barely pay enough to eke out a living. I'm probably better off focusing on one or the other. That is, if newspapers still exist after my AmeriCorps year is over, of course.

World (blah) Series

2009-10-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting here watching the World Series at work, waiting for high school football coaches to call in their scores (yes, in Minnesota they play some HS football games on Saturday once playoff time runs around). Actually I'm more listening than watching -- my desk is up against the wall and I can only see about half the TV screen. And the TV here is only about 24 inches (rough estimate), so I've only got about a foot of viewable baseball. Why have all the newspapers I've worked at (Kansan, Olathe News, St. Cloud Times) had such tiny TVs? After watching on the widescreen, 60-inch "Unger special" this seems pretty pathetic.

Thing is, it doesn't even bother me a whole lot. This is possibly the least interesting World Series in my lifetime. Yankees/Phillies? Who cares. One is possibly the most overexposed team in American professional sports and the other had no tradition outside of Mike Schmidt before last year. Blah.

The most recent Sports Illustrated tried to trump up the Series by casting it as an epic battle between two of the game's top sluggers -- Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez. Through the first two games I believe the two of them were a combined 0-for-25 with 24 strikeouts. OK, so that's an exaggeration, but they've both been gawd-awful. At least that's what I've read. I hadn't been able to bring myself to watch a single inning of this snooze-fest until tonight, and I'm only pseudo-watching it now because I'm being held against my will. Just have to keep reminding myself that I'm gettig paid to be here.

Of course, some of my apathy might just be baseball fatigue (though I adamantly reiterate that I care not one bit about the Yankees and Phillies). It is almost November, after all. How in the heck did this season manage to drag out so long? At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old man whining about the "good ol' days," I remember when the World Series used to be played in October. Exclusively in October. Now we've got two teams in the frigid Northeast desperately trying to get a series in before the snow starts to fly.

I believe what happened was some TV exec decided that they needed to add a bunch of off-days to the playoff schedule so that no two games were played simultaneously. It's hard to televise two games simultaneously on the same station, after all. And then the baseball commissioner and owners all bowed down to that exec and said, "So let it be written, so let it be done, Oh Mighty Bringer of Television Revenues."

Be interesting to see how this whole "November baseball" thing works out if the Twins ever make it to the Series in their new outdoor park. I don't know precisely what the temp was here today, but it cold enough that several of the trick-or-treaters were in their "witch-wearing-parka" costumes.

I would certainly be a lot more interested in a "Twins vs. Anybody" Series in November than I am with the current Series. But I don't think I would try and get tickets. I'm not sure how much I would pay to watch 4 hours of baseball outdoors in sub-freezing temps. Hopefully I'll at least be near a bigger TV if said hypothetical Series ever comes to pass.

Yeah, NBA! (Seriously)

2009-10-25T15:08:00.000-07:00

I'm probably one of the few people excited to see the Timberwolves open the regular season this week. It's not that I'm a huge fan of the NBA. I much prefer college basketball — the games are shorter, often less sloppy, and always more intense. I'd take a ticket to a Kansas-Missouri regular season game over an NBA Finals ticket any day.

That being said, I guess I've just been living away from an NBA team long enough to work up a bit of nostalgia for it. Of course, it would be nice to be back to have a team better than the T-Wolves, who finished 24-58 last year. But there's some things I'll enjoy seeing with my hometown squad.

I'm looking forward to seeing how Al Jefferson manages to amass the 20 points and 10 rebounds I see by his name in nearly every box score. I always liked Karl Malone in part because he put up 20 and 10 almost every game without fail. That kind of consistency over an 82-game schedule is pretty remarkable, and Jefferson seems to have it. Just hope his nagging injury isn't too serious.

Speaking of injuries, it will be awhile before anyone gets to watch Kevin Love, but I'm also looking forward to seeing more of him. There's something poetic about big men who can pass. Adds some much-needed tempo to the NBA game.

Overall, I've always been more interested in guards, though, so the addition of Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions to the Minnesota roster are quite welcome. I enjoyed watching Sessions play against KU when he was at Nevada and watching Flynn lead Syracuse past UConn in that six-overtime game last year.

That's really one of the most fun parts of the NBA for me — watching the guys I used to watch in college. Nostalgia again, I guess. It's a powerful feeling.

My prediction for the T-Wolves: 35-47. Unless Jefferson misses significant time. Then they'll be lucky to win 25.

Twins 2010 hopes rest on Liriano

2009-10-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Like most everyone else in MN I was excited about the way the Twins ended the regular season — winning 17 of their last 21 including a pressure-packed victory against Zack Greinke (who ought to be the AL Cy Young, team record be damned) on the final weekend and an extra-inning thriller against the Tigers in Game 163. It was a great run and provided some nice "in-your-face" redemption for much-maligned guys like Nick Punto and Delmon Young, who played big roles. But my main thought was to savor it while it lasted, because I figured it wouldn't continue in the playoffs.

The playoffs are generally won by teams with power pitching, and the Twins just didn't have that. They didn't have a legitimate ace, so they figured to be battling uphill against whoever they faced. Throw in the fact that it was the Yankees, who went out and bought two legitimate aces in the offseason, and the Twinks were the longest of long shots. So how can they change that next year? There's no simple answer.

Some in the media have suggested a new manager, citing Ron Gardenhire's dismal career playoff record. But the manager can't come in for a key strikeout with the bases loaded and one out. Just getting the Twins to the playoffs this year was a monumental task for Gardy. He had to deal with a starting rotation ravaged by injuries and inconsistency, a bullpen that occasionally couldn't find the strike zone with a Garmin (Jessie Crain/Jose Mijares ring a bell?) and a line-up with too many outfielders and not enough infielders (how long can a manager be expected to mask significant holes at second, short AND third?). Down the stretch Gardy showed that if you get him the players (Pavano, Cabrera, and a couple mediocre bullpen arms), he'll make it work. They don't even have to be great players, just a slight step up from Alexi Casilla and Armando Gabino. Gardenhire's not the problem.

Joe Nathan's not the problem, either. I've also seen it suggested that the Twins should jettison him and his big contract after his horrendous letdown in Game 2 against the Yanks. But it's hard to argue that the guy's washed up after he had 47 saves and a 2.10 ERA this season. The Twins problem has generally been that they don't get to Nathan with a lead often enough in the playoffs. He has two years left under contract and while the Twins probably shouldn't be thinking extension (he'll be 36 at the end of it), they shouldn't be thinking "dead weight," either.

There's some issues with the line-up for next year. The Twins either need to re-sign Cabrera or find somebody else to play shortstop (one of the Toronto guys, Scutaro or McDonald, could be an option). Unlike many people, I think Punto is fine at second. Yes, he is often a black hole in the batting order, but most teams can afford one of those, especially if he is a dynamic defensive player who can bunt runners over reliably (he needs to stop sliding into first, though, that is getting beyond annoying). Third base either needs to go to Danny Valencia if he's ready or maybe think about moving Cuddyer over there to ease the outfield jam. He's obviously got the arm for it. Or there's always Brendan Harris in a pinch, though he seems better suited for spot duty at second.

With a few tweaks, the Twins should be fine offensively and defensively. But their playoff hopes still rest with the front of their rotation and there's no easy answer for that. Even if they do get Pavano back, he's more like a No. 2 or 3 playoff starter, not an ace. Ditto for Scott Baker. The Twins need another guy up front. But where do they get him? There's not a lot of great starting pitchers on the free agent market and even if there were, we all know the Twins wouldn't come close to winning the bidding wars for them. There's probably not enough top-flight prospects left in the system to swing a trade for a guy like Roy Halladay for one year, either.

As far as I can tell, the Twins hopes rest on the surgically-repaired left elbow of Francisco Liriano. Yes, Liriano was pretty bad this season (5-13 with a 5.80 ERA), but it often takes more than one season to recover from Tommy John surgery. There's still a chance that, with an entire off-season of conditioning, Liriano will regain his muscle, those crucial four or five MPH on his fastball and some of the movement on his once-devastating slider.

If he can get back to 2006 form (and remember he's only 25), then the Twins suddenly have that intimidating ace who strikes fear in the opposition and puts a swagger in his teammates. They have that strikeout pitcher who can rise up and shut down a two-on, one-out rally. And they have a suddenly-formidable playoff rotation of Liriano, Baker, Pavano, Blackburn. As No. 1-2-3 starters, Baker, Pavano and Blackburn are less than average. As No. 2-3-4, they stack up with almost anybody.

Liriano's resurgence. It's a slim hope, but without it the Twins are probably destined for yet another "struggle mightily to make the playoffs only to be eliminated immediately" season.

Things I think I think

2009-10-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

Apologies to Peter King for stealing his column headline, but it seemed like the best label for a blog that is all about catching up on the sports happenings I've been neglecting lately.

1. Brett Favre's last-second heroics vs. San Francisco: Enjoy them while they last

OK, so that was a lot of fun. It seems like it's been a long time since any magic happened in the Vikings' favor in the last few seconds of a game. We all remember times when it's gone the other way (Gary Anderson's missed field goal, the Cardinals' last-ditch, playing-for-nothing, Viking-playoff-eliminating touchdown pass).

Watching Favre complete that pass (with a serious assist from Greg Lewis, who hasn't gotten enough credit for making a tough catch and getting his feet down) and improbably snatch victory from the jaws of defeat was pure purple euphoria. But, at the risk of raining on the parade, I have to wonder how much more he can do that. He's about to turn 40 and the Vikings have protected him about as well as David Letterman has protected his reputation this year. Favre is a tough guy, so no doubt he'll keep trotting out there unless he's got a bone sticking through the skin. But those hits will add up, and it seems likely he'll wear down in the second half of the season like he did last year.

2. 2016 Summer Olympics going to Rio: It's about time, but I wish they'd waited 4 more years.

Mixed feelings on this one. First off, I think it's great that South America is hosting for the first time. Millions of people who have never had a chance to see the Games up close and personal may now get to. Rio will be a great backdrop too — it's by far the most beautiful city I've been to. And I have several Brazilian friends who I know are justifiably excited about it (though not as excited as they are about hosting the World Cup in 2014). I'm happy for them.

But Chicago probably would have been my best shot to see an Olympics in person — it's only about 8 hours from St. Cloud by car with plenty of train and plane options from Minneapolis, as well. And I have friends who live there and a brother who lives an hour away, so lodging would have been no problem. So I guess I'll just to have to console myself with the thought that international superstars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Shawn Johnson probably won't be competing any more in 2016. Maybe it will be a boring Olympics with no historic performances, right?

In any case, I appreciate the President trying to bring the Olympics to the U.S. like Tony Blair did for London (2012). Chicago had the infrastructure to make money off it and it would have been fun for us Midwestern sports fans.

3. Jayhawks behaving badly: Get it together, guys

A group of basketball players from my alma mater, KU, got into a brawl recently with a group of football players on campus in front of a few hundred of their fellow students. Campus police are investigating. On the one hand, not that big a deal — in four years of college I saw plenty of fights fueled by ego and testosterone. Typical male macho idiocy, for the most part.

On the other hand, I think these guys need to punished more than your average Joe College (Idiot). They're receiving scholarship money not only to play sports, but also to be visible, high-profile ambassadors for the university. They need to understand that, as important as they think they are, representing KU athletically is a privilege, not a right. Along with that privilege comes responsibility, meaning they should be held to a higher standard of conduct than the average student. Bottom line: every player in the upcoming police report, football and basketball, should be suspended at least one game.

Oh, and special message for Tyshawn Taylor, the point guard who dislocated his thumb punching somebody: maintaining your street cred is not as important to your financial future as maintaining your limbs. Think about it.

4. Eric Decker: the most underrated player in college football

OK, so I know the Gophers lost to the Badgers... again. But I always love watching Eric Decker play wide receiver. Everybody and their sister knows that when the Gophers throw it's probably going to him, but he still finds a way to get open and anything that hits his hands seems to stay there.

He had 8 catches 140 yards 1 touchdown today. He's had at least eight catches in all five games this season and at least 110 receiving yards in four out of five. If he doesn't get some Heisman buzz soon, I might start writing letters to Lee Corso.

5. St. Cloud Diocese puts moratorium on communal cup: Uhhh, duh.

This has nothing to do with sports, but I feel the need to comment on it. Why did the Catholic Church have to wait for swine flu to start re-thinking the wisdom of having hundreds of people drink out of the same cup? Bacterial meningitis can spread that way too, and, in case you hadn't heard, that can be pretty nasty too.

Health care — part 4 (conclusion)

2009-09-11T16:06:00.001-07:00

So how did we get here? How did we get to the point where tens of millions of Americans have no health insurance; where thousands more are losing it every day; where hundreds of millions who do have insurance are paying more in premiums, deductibles and co-pays and getting less coverage in return? In short, what has happened to health care in America?

There is not just one answer, of course, but changes in the insurance industry can not be left out. In the past several decades health insurance companies have merged and merged and pushed smaller companies out of business to the point where, today, a handful of giants control almost the entire market in many regions. These giants are publicly traded, which means they are under extreme pressure to push profit margins higher and higher every quarter. Their stockholders basically demand it. And the industry has been very successful at delivering those profit increases, but their main methods for doing so have been to push sick people off their rolls, reject people with "pre-existing conditions" outright, increase premiums and out-of-pocket provisions and install arbitrary annual and lifetime benefit maximums. Basically they have gone out of their way to serve only the people they think least need coverage, because they are the most profitable clients.

As profits have increased, these companies have not passed the savings on to consumers. Quite the opposite — businesses and individuals have paid more. Instead the money has gone to things like executive compensation, to the point where some health insurance CEOs have made more than $100 million in a single year. And there's no where else to go because the competition has been squeezed out.

These changes can all be summed up in one statistic. A few decades ago an average of 95 percent of premium payments to major health insurance companies went right back to the consumers in the form of benefits paid. Now that number is in the high 70s or low 80s at most insurance giants. The rest is profit, and lots of it.

This interview of a former insurance industry insider is long, but telling. I highly recommend it:

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/watch2.html

Because of the relentless search for profits, private insurance is failing to adequately provide for our country's health care needs. Meanwhile, government programs like Medicaid are picking up the country's sickest — often in emergency rooms — because private insurance has left them behind. We simply can not keep this up, and we're reaching a day of reckoning. Many critics of President Obama's proposed reforms have asked, "How can we afford to do this?" I would ask them, "How can we afford NOT to?"

In our country we have a policy of not turning people away at the emergency room — of not letting someone die in an E.R. waiting room simply because they have no insurance and little income. It is a noble principle, but it's also extremely inefficient. We simply can not wait for people's illnesses to become emergencies before we treat them. That is an incredibly expensive way to operate. At the very LEAST we should cover all preventative and diagnostic care to keep our citizens' manageable health problems from becoming expensive crises and treat ALL contagious diseases to keep them from spreading and becoming expensive outbreaks. The best way to lower health care costs is prevention, prevention, prevention and for our own pocketbooks we need to make one fundamental decision: cover ALL preventative care, or start letting people die in the E.R. waiting room. Doing anything in between is just foolish, no matter how well-intentioned.

How do we pay for it? It's certainly not impossible. Australia provides all its citizens basic medical care with a 1.5 percent tax on all income and a 1 percent surtax on individuals who make more than $70,000 a year. So for a maximum of 2.5 percent of their income, Australians have the peace of mind of knowing that all their fellow citizens have access to vaccinations, mammograms, colonoscopies and other cost-saving medical measures.

I don't even think we need an income tax, though. Here's my suggestions:

1. Tax all cosmetic surgery. Vanity is tying up the services of thousands of plastic surgeons who could be caring for burn victims, breast cancer survivors or people with congenital deformities. That vanity deserves to be taxed. And just think how much care would be paid for by "Hollywood liberals."

2. Tax sugars and saturated fats. Our food pyramid already tells us we should consume as little of these as possible, so why not put our money where our mouths are (pun intended). I love food as much as the next guy, but I'm also realistic about the health problems associated with consuming too much fat and sugar. It's a huge problem in our country and it deserves to be taxed. For people who think this is too harsh, here's a balancer: an annual tax rebate for anyone who can produce a recent physical exam that shows they have a healthy cardiovascular system. That way those who eat poorly and don't exercise would pay the most, those who eat poorly but exercise enough to offset it would break even and those who eat well AND exercise would actually get money back.

3. Tax tobacco products. A no-brainer. If you admit that your products cause health problems even when used as directed, then you should pay to treat those health problems.

These tax measures and the money we could save by covering people before their conditions are critical would greatly reduce health care costs. It's a good financial decision.

But it's not just about finances. It's about morality. It's about a simple moral question: When the factory owner is sick, does he deserve better care than the workers who make his factory go? Both rely on each other, society can do without neither. Here's another simple question: Is a life valuable only if it contributes mightily to a country's GDP, or is every life valuable and worthy of saving?

I believe the latter, in part because I am a Christian. I believe that all human life, unborn and born, is sacred. Having a job and insurance does not make a life more sacred and worthy of saving than another. After all, it was Jesus who said, "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'"

Is that our national ethos? Are we truly a nation based on Judeo-Christian values like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and caring for the sick — of sharing people's pain because we are all one body?

I would like to think so, but the things I have seen the past few months suggest otherwise. Last night, for example, I heard Joe Wilson yell at the President as he addressed the entire Congress. Wilson swears that it wasn't a pre-meditated attention-grabbing stunt. He swears that it was an authentic outburst of emotion that he just couldn't control.

So what was it that stirred such anger in Rep. Wilson? What issue made him so emotional that he would break all decorum with an outburst that everyone agreed was basically unprecedented? Was it genocide, slavery, war, torture or imprisonment without trial?

No. It was the idea of sharing the burden of caring for a sick person who crossed a political boundary without the proper paperwork. This was the idea Rep. Wilson found so odious, so hateful that he just could not contain himself. And thousands of people who call themselves Christians cheered him on the next day in the form of campaign contributions.

Is this the true character of our country? Is our "rugged individualism" really an excuse to say, "What's mine is mine, and the concerns of others don't concern me"? Are we truly prepared to say, "My anti-government principles trump your need for medical care"?

Are we so short-sighted as to believe that the health care deficiencies that burden our friends and neighbors today won't be the same ones that come to haunt us tomorrow?

Health care — part 3 (death panels)

2009-09-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

The "death panels" argument in the health care debate is hardly worth mentioning, since no one in any branch of government has ever actually proposed them. But somehow the idea that health care reform would include such panels has gained a remarkable amount of traction, in part because certain irresponsible politicians used baseless fear-mongering to drum up animosity towards their political opponents. So, unfortunately, the idea of "death panels" needs to be addressed, and debunked, as many times as possible.

Where did the "death panels" fallacy come from? From a provision in one of the proposed health care reform bills that would require coverage for voluntary "end-of-life discussions" with a patient's normal doctor. Bear in mind the proposal was specifically to mandate coverage for the these discussions, not mandate the discussions themselves. Bear in mind also that end of life planning between doctor and patient is strongly encouraged by groups like AARP and the AMA to prevent families from having to make heart-wrenching decisions if a loved one is incapacitated and being kept alive on machines with no real hope of recovery. Bear in mind also that this particular part of the reform bill had broad-based support on both sides of the aisle until a select few fear-mongerers decided to target it as an attack point in the reform bill and label it "death panels."

Associating voluntary, end-of-life planning between a doctor and patient with a government "death panel" that would decide who gets medical care and who gets "put out to pasture" is not only a vile distortion, it's just plain nutty.

Let's break through all the rhetoric and propaganda and just use our logic and critical thinking skills to puzzle this one out. Why would any politician want to institute "death panels?" The only upside would be that it would save some money. But as recent deficits have shown, saving money is not really high on the priorities list of anyone in Washington. One of the most frequent and vociferous criticisms of President Obama and the current Congress is that they spend far too freely. So if that is the case, why would they institute arguably the most unpopular program in American history — death panels — just to save money? You can not argue that President Obama has no consideration for the federal deficit AND that he wants to institute "death panels" just to keep from adding to the deficit. That's not logical.

We will never see "death panels" in a democratic society because it would be a hugely unpopular program that would scuttle any chance of getting re-elected. And let's be honest, getting re-elected is the foremost goal of the vast majority of politicians. Who would be most angry over "death panels?" Seniors. Who votes in the greatest percentages in nearly every election? Seniors, and their numbers are only increasing as the Baby Boomers age. Instituting "death panels" would be political suicide, which is one very logical reason, aside from all the moral ones, that you won't see them in any health care bill. We already have government-run medical coverage in the form of Medicare, Medicaid and the VA, and no one in any of those programs has had to go before a "death panel." At least not that I've heard.

It's more likely, in fact, that someone on private insurance will die because of restricted medical coverage. While politicians are answerable to the electorate, health insurance executives are answerable first and foremost to stockholders. Those stockholders want to see profits, and they want to see them increasing every quarter. That means installing lifetime maximums, annual maximums and exemptions for "experimental care."

Because we have government safety nets in the U.S., it's rare that people fall through the cracks and die for lack of ability to pay for a medical procedure. Rare, but it does happen. Take the case of Nataline Sarkisyan, for example. Sarkisyan was a young California girl who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004 at age 14. As her health deteriorated, she received a bone marrow transplant from her brother in 2007. Up to that point her parents' insurance company, Cigna, had paid for much of her care. But when Sarkisyan developed complications from the bone marrow transplant and her UCLA doctors recommended a liver transplant, Cigna balked. The company deemed the liver transplant "experimental" and therefore not covered.

Her doctors protested. They sent letters stating that similar patients have a 65 percent survival rate with a liver transplant, but that she certainly would not survive without one. Cigna denied the claim again. UCLA declined two livers while waiting for approval from Cigna. Sarkisyan's family was also informed that they could proceed with the transplant if they could make a down-payment of $75,000 for the procedure and the expensive follow-up care.

Instead they took their story to the media, and got the California Nurses Association to rally outside Cigna's headquarters. Eventually the public outcry became a P.R. nightmare for Cigna and, after several national news stories, Cigna agreed to make an exception and approve Sarkisyan's surgery. But it was too late. Literally hours after Cigna changed its mind, Nataline Sarkisyan died. She was 17.

Should UCLA have agreed to do the surgery without pay? Maybe. Should Sarkisyan's parents have sold their car, mortgaged their home and taken out every loan possible to try and pay for the procedure? Maybe. But they HAD insurance after all, insurance that was supposed to keep their life from falling apart completely if their daughter got sick. Instead they fought a losing battle against a giant insurance company while watching their daughter slowly die.

Government "death panels" are not what we should be afraid of. Insurance company profit margins are.

Health care — part 2 (socialism)

2009-09-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

I belong to several support groups for amputees or meningitis survivors on Facebook. Occasionally I will go on the discussion boards for these groups and talk about prosthetic items like the ProDigits. When I ask for advice on how to pay for these items, invariably some cheery Canadian will respond, "Move to Canada!" I appreciate them taking the time, of course, but this suggestion is neither practical nor particularly uplifting to me.

What is it about Canada that makes it so friendly to amputees? In Canada they have socialized medicine, in which each citizen pays a certain amount of taxes to share the health care burden of the entire country. Every citizen has at least basic health care coverage — if they want more they can buy supplements from private insurance companies.

Socialized medicine, more than anything else, has become the lightning rod for rage and bitterness in the current debate over U.S. health care. And yet the current proposals — even the ones that include a public, government-run option, are a far cry from Soviet Russia. I have had one person tell me that if a public option passes she is moving, because she doesn't want to live in a socialist country. I wondered just where she planned to move to. If a public option passes our health care would be more socialized than it is now, but it still wouldn't be as socialized as the health care systems in Canada, Australia, Israel, Japan or pretty much all of Scandinavia and western Europe.

Statistics suggest that those countries are out-performing us in health care. In 2000 the World Health Organization ranked the U.S. 37th globally despite the fact that we are No. 1 in per capita health care spending. Ahead of us on the WHO's list are nearly all the western European nations, along with Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore and even some South American shockers like Chile and Colombia.

Those rankings take into account several statistical measures of health across several demographics. One key measure is life expectancy. My older brother has told me that life expectancy is an all but worthless measure of a country's health — that it should be pretty much ignored. This violates my sense of logic. Life expectancy should not be the ONLY measure, because clearly there are cultural factors that can skew it, like diet, pollution, violence, etc. But it seems fairly intuitive that people tend to live longer in countries with better health care.

The U.S. currently ranks 35th globally in life expectancy. Above the U.S. there is a smorgasbord of countries with much more socialized health systems like Finland, Germany, the U.K., Italy, New Zealand, Israel, Japan, etc.

It seems clear that in many other countries socialized medicine works, or at least works better than the medicine we have here in the States. There may be "rationing" in the sense that the people with less urgent medical needs are served after those with more pressing needs, but that is also called "triage" and it's something that is done in emergency rooms all the time. Besides, we already have rationing here in the States. Here our care is rationed based on who is most able to pay. In countries with socialized medicine it is rationed based on who is in the greatest need. Clearly any rationing that is going on in Finland, Germany or Japan is not preventing their citizens from living longer than ours.

Yet many Americans still recoil at the very idea of socialized medicine. But why? Medicine, after all, is a social concern. Your health effects my health and vice versa. American mythology includes a tradition of "rugged individualism," but the truth is, none of us live in a vacuum. If my neighbor gets the flu because his vaccines aren't covered, that becomes my concern as well. If my co-worker can't come to work because he can't afford his medication, that effects my productivity. Paying into socialized medicine is kind of like paying into your local fire department. Everyone contributes whether they use it or not, because we'd like to know that if our neighbor's house is burning down, someone is going to come put it out before it spreads across the whole block. Similarly, maybe we would all willingly contribute to a public health care fund if we acknowledged that having a healthy national populace benefits all of us.

Italy has been savvy about this, calling its socialized plan Servicio Sanitario Nacional. This links health care to sanitation, which everyone seems to accept as a social cost. If you live in a city you pay for garbage removal, whether you use it or not. (On a side note, for those who think that government can't effectively run health care, I have been to Italy. I've lived there and seen the incredible bureaucracy and near-constant political upheaval up close. If Italy's government can run the No. 2 ranked health care system in the world, I think our government can at least move us up from No. 37).

In fact, in the U.S. we already have socialism in several areas. Our roads, water, police, fire departments and schools are already socialized. We seem to accept that our country is better off when some industries are run with the first priority being something other than the profit margin. Isn't it possible that health care is among those industries?

I have heard it argued that socialized medicine is bad because it takes away the incentive to stay healthy. This also offends my sense of logic. No one goes shopping for expensive medical procedures the way they would go shopping for a yacht for one simple reason: expensive medical procedures usually go hand-in-hand with painful, life-sapping diseases. I've had 16 surgeries and never once did I wake up and think, "Man, I hope I don't have to go through that again, because that was really expensive." Every time I woke up and thought, "Man, I hope I don't have to go through that again, because I'm in horrible pain right now."

Health care, probably more than any other industry, has a built-in incentive to avoid using it. Namely, that getting sick is painful and debilitating. That is a far more powerful incentive to stay healthy than any financial incentive. That is why socialized medicine can work where socialism in other industries might be wasteful.

Health care — part 1

2009-09-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

There is no good time to get bacterial meningitis. In many ways, the timing of my illness was awful. I missed out on my college graduation ceremony, I missed out on living with my buddies, Randy and Clay, and I missed out on a nascent relationship with a girl I liked a lot.

But financially the timing could hardly have been better. You see, I was still under my dad's health insurance when I got sick, and that made a huge difference.

My dad had worked for the same company for more than 20 years, and the company had rewarded him with excellent coverage. In the two years following that day in April 2004 when I nearly died, I amassed nearly $2 million in medical bills and my dad's insurance paid almost all of it. The doctor who first saw me at the campus health center marvels at this. She has told me several times, "You were so lucky. That kind of coverage doesn't exist any more."

My dad has said the same thing. He told me his coverage has been cut significantly since then. The premiums are simply getting too expensive and his company, like many, can't afford to cover its employees and their families to the extent it used to (I will attempt to delve into the reasons for this in future blog posts).

When I started working at The Olathe News, I got my own coverage. I still carry it now, under the COBRA program. It, too, is a pale shadow of the coverage I had five years ago when I got sick. Even after meeting my $250 deductible, I have to pay 20 percent of almost all expenses out of pocket. The only things covered completely are hearing exams, physicals and immunizations. I have an annual max of $3,000 out-of-pocket, which I usually reached the last few years. The main costs? Infections due to sores on my damaged feet, "tweaking" surgeries to revise my stumps or fix my thumb joints and prosthetics, prosthetics, prosthetics (more on that next paragraph). Now, $3,000 out-of-pocket per year may not seem like a millstone around my neck, but I was making only $24,000 (pre-tax) working full-time for the newspaper, so it was a significant (1/8) chunk of my income. Fortunately I had money from charitable donations in a fund my family set up for me that I could put toward the out-of-pocket costs. Otherwise I would have been piling a lot of medical debt on high-interest credit cards.

The 20 percent out-of-pocket policy is frustrating, but definitely not the most frustrating part of my plan. That would be my $10,000 annual max for durable medical goods. For most people that would be plenty, but for a quadruple amputee it is very limiting. You see, prosthetics are included under "durable medical goods" and $10,000 will barely get you started in the world of prosthetics. A below-knee prosthetic leg runs about $7500. An above-knee leg costs at least twice as much and can cost up to $40K for a top-of-the-line model with a computerized knee (which is obviously the best kind for walking naturally).

My prosthetics consist of two custom-fit fiberglass braces that encompass both legs almost up to the knee and a molded toe-filler to take the place of my missing digits down there. Each brace costs just under $5,000. So, obviously, if I get both of them replaced in one year, I have maxed out my durable medical goods allowance. I wear my braces out about every two years. My prosthetist has said I have "a very active lifestyle." I'm just trying to live like I used to.

With all my coverage wrapped up in lower limb prosthetics, I have few options for my upper limbs. There is an exciting and possibly life-changing new prosthetic hand called the i-Limb that I am very interested in. It includes a "ProDigits" option that is the first dynamic prosthetic hand made especially for people like me, people who just need fingers and not the whole hand. It's also the first-ever prosthetic hand with fingers that move independently rather than as a claw, which provides a more natural grip.

http://www.touchbionics.com/professionals.php?section=6

I believe this technology has the power to change my life and make everything I do, from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to bed, about 100 times easier. Unfortunately each of these hands costs about $20,000. My prosthetist was initially very excited about this option for me. He even took molds of my hands and sent them to the company that makes them, Touch Bionics. They said I was a great candidate. Then my prosthetist found out about the $10,000 annual cap and said there was nothing more he could do, unless I was willing to shell out the rest out of my own pocket. He suggested I join the Amputee Coalition of America to lobby for prosthetics to be taken out of the durable medical goods category. I did as he suggested, meeting with aides for Senator Roberts, Senator Brownback and Rep. Moore from Kansas. As far as I know, nothing changed.

It seems I have three options: 1. Dip into my charitable fund and use up a sizable chunk of the money that was supposed to last me the rest of my life. 2. Wait until I get a new job with better coverage. 3. Wait for the price of ProDigits to go down.

There has been much talk lately about how a government-run health plan would lead to "rationing." In this instance, though, my care is already being rationed. It is an insurance agent and not a government bureaucrat getting between me and what medical professionals say would be best for me, but the difference doesn't seem all that significant.

Going out on the private market and getting a plan with a more friendly durable medical goods allowance is not an option. Because of my "pre-existing condition" most companies consider me uninsurable on my own. I am fortunate to still have access to my prior work coverage through COBRA, even if it now costs me $125 a month it (it was actually supposed to cost me $450 a month, but a federal subsidy in the stimulus package brought it down to $125).

Once my COBRA runs out, I'm not sure where I'll be. I will have coverage under Americorps soon, but that will only last a year. I was listening to a man from a business lobbying group on the radio the other day. He said his organization was against a public health care option AND against any mandates forcing businesses to provide coverage for their employees. What does that mean for a person like me, who can't get private, individual coverage? More and more businesses are dropping health care benefits because they are simply getting too expensive. There is no guarantee my next full-time job will even offer health care. So, if I can't get health insurance at work and I can't get it from the government and I can't get it on the private market, where can I get it?

This is the entirely practical question about the future of health care that concerns me. Will I have access? That's all I want. I don't know if that means a public option that everyone is eligible for, co-ops with similar openness or heavy government regulation that forces insurance companies to accept people with pre-existing conditions without saddling them with sky-high premiums and stingy coverage.

I just know that I don't want to spend the rest of my life worrying about health care costs because of an illness that I got when I was 22.

Kids say the darndest (and coolest) things

2009-08-27T18:59:00.001-07:00

School starts late in Minnesota - by law the kids can't go back until after Labor Day. I have heard this is because the resort owners have a powerful lobby and want Minnesota families to go on one last revenue-producing summer vacation. I don't know if that's true or not. Seems a little far-fetched.

Anyway, my job with the Minnesota Reading Corps has already started, so, until the kids return to school, I am basically doing odd jobs to get my required hours. Today I was out in front of my school, Madison Elementary, repainting the (District) "742 - for you!" sign on the sidewalk. It wasn't a bad odd job to be assigned to. The weather was beautiful, and there's a certain satisfaction I get from jobs like painting, where you can see tangible progress.

As I was sitting on the concrete, painting, a young boy rode up on his bicycle. For confidentiality reasons, I can't give his name, but he said he was a fourth-grader at Madison. I introduced myself and we got to talking for awhile about the painting I was doing and the reading instruction I'll be doing once school starts. It wasn't long before he asked that question I'm always half-expecting when I meet someone new: "What happened to your hands?"

This question, as it pertains to the new job, has me a little anxious. I will soon be meeting hundreds of elementary school kids, about 20 of whom I will work with on a daily basis. I know I look a little different and sometimes I wonder how they will react to me. Will they be scared? Will they not want to be around me? It's a little irrational, I know, but I worry about these things sometimes.

So, having thought about what I would say ahead of time, I told this kid on the bike that a long time ago I got sick and the doctor had to take some of my fingers and toes off so that I would get better. But I was fine now and, even though I looked a little bit different, I could do pretty much everything I used to do.

The boy, of course, had some questions. "What sickness did you get?" (Meningitis, but you don't have to worry about getting it because there's a shot that you can get when you turn 11 that will protect you). "Did it hurt when the doctor took off your fingers and toes?" (Yes, it hurt, but they gave me medicine to take most of the pain away). "Could you still drive a car?" (Yes, I actually drive better now because I can't talk on the phone and drink a 40-ounce pop at the same time. I have to focus more on the road).

I told him again that I could do pretty much everything I used to, it just took me some time to figure out how to do it again. I had to try and try and keep practicing until I got it right. And he said, "Kinda like when I was learning to ride my bike," which I thought was a pretty smart analogy for a fourth-grader.

After that there was a lull in the conversation. I kept painting and he just watched for awhile. Then, out of the blue, the boy broke the silence by saying, "You know, it's kinda cool to see somebody without any fingers working so hard."

Talk about your all-time nicest things to say. As far as I could tell, what he was saying was, "I am inspired by the fact that you don't let your disability keep you from being productive." That is probably one of the best compliments I have ever received, and I'm sure this boy didn't have any idea his words could make that kind of impact. I walked around with a big, goofy grin on my face the rest of the day. I think I'm going to like working with kids.

Who's No. 2?

2009-08-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season of fantasy football drafts, and an intriguing question will be answered in the opening minutes of every draft going on in every corner of the country. Not "Who's going to be the first pick?" Barring a preseason injury (GASP, knock on wood repeatedly) Adrian Peterson will be taken first In about 95 percent of drafts — not just in leagues full of unabashed Vikings homers. The really interesting question is "Who should be the No. 2 pick?"

It looks like an agonizing decision, which makes it all the more likely I will be picking second.

Yahoo Sports has Michael Turner ranked No. 2 overall, which is a trendy choice. But I'm not sold. Turner has had just one year as a starter and, though it was a great year, there were some red flags. He was wildly inconsistent, going for 42 yards against the Buccaneers in Week 2 but 152 yards against them in Week 15 and 56 yards against the Panthers in Week 4 but 117 yards and 4 TDs against them in Week 12. Peterson was "Plug-and-play" from Day 1. Turner was "Feast-or-famine."

The conventional wisdom is that you should generally take a RB with the No. 2 pick. But if Tom Brady is healthy and can put up numbers like he did two years ago, he's a very enticing option. Those are big "ifs" though, especially when you're essentially betting your season on them. Yahoo has Brady ranked below guys like Frank Gore, Steven Jackson and Chris Johnson, which I think is a bit of a stretch, but it would also be a stretch to take Brady at No. 2. Peyton Manning or Drew Brees would be safer QB picks but they're both likely be off the board by the end of the second round.

Larry Fitzgerald is coming off the best postseason known to man. It would be easy to pull the trigger on him at No. 2, especially if you like players from Minnesota. But he's no longer working in the offensive schemes of Todd Haley and his quarterback, Kurt Warner, is getting old and has to hit the wall someday.

So No. 2 should probably be a running back. But who? Maurice Jones-Drew (only topped 100 yards twice last year), Matt Forte (still relatively unproven), Brian Westbrook (a walking disabled list) or DeAngelo Williams (can't possibly hog as many Carolina TDs as he did last year)? As far as I can tell there's no sure thing. My advice to whoever gets the No. 2 pick? Trade down.

The death of the Dome

2009-08-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I attended what may well be my last Twins game at the Metrodome. For as long as I have been alive the Teflon-covered circle has been the "home of the Twins," but next year they will start playing outdoors at Target Field.

The Dome certainly has its drawbacks. After several decades without a good scrubbing, the ceiling is a dirty gray that is not exactly as romantic as looking at an unobstructed starry night sky. There are a lot of outfield seats that are about as far from home plate as St. Paul (though that doesn't stop inebriated fans from yelling, "C'mon, that was right down the middle," when they disagree with the umpire who looks a little like an amorphous black or light blue blob from that distance). The artificial turf causes almost cartoonish bounces that turn slap-hitters into Tony Gwynn, which was probably not what baseball's founders had in mind.

But there's a lot of things I'll miss about the Dome, too, beyond just the obvious "no rain-outs and always 75 degrees with low humidity" selling points:

1. It's always been affordable — One of the nice things about watching baseball in a football stadium is that there's a lot of seats, even if some don't provide the most desirable view (see paragraph 2). That means high supply and low demand and reasonable prices. When I was a little kid going to my first games, my parents were able to get tickets in the cheap seats for $3, which won't get you into a Little League game now. During high school and college we could get in for a paltry $5 once a week on "Student ID Night." Hmm, buy an extra value meal or go to a Twins game? Not a hard choice. Even this past Saturday, at 28 years old and with no special discounts, Tim and I were able to get in for a very reasonable $10 each. My guess is those prices will no longer be around once Target Field opens.

2. It's a cool place to hang out — The Dome was always a great place to gather with friends, especially before we were 21. The low prices meant we could all afford to hang out, socialize and sometimes even watch a little baseball in a parent-free environment. It was a good place to meet girls, although lately all the girls there are in love with Joe Mauer, which is hard to compete with.

3. It never sold out (figuratively. In terms of selling all the seats, that occasionally happened) — The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome is named after a Minnesota luminary. Target Field is named after a Minnesota corporation. But maybe we should just be glad that Target outbid Tampax.

4. It's a great home-field advantage — The Twins were able overcome a lot of bigger market teams with high-priced sluggers over the years by using speed and their wacky turf to turn slap-hitters like Greg Gagne and Nick Punto into serviceable starters. And there was something hilarious and exhilarating about watching grown men on opposing teams throw up their hands in confusion and frustration when they lost fly balls in the dingy roof, only to have them drop a few feet away.

5. It has history — The Twins won two World Series under that filthy old dome. Frank "Sweet Music" Viola mowed down hitters there. Juan Berenguer "boogied" there. Kent Hrbek drilled towering homeruns there. Jeff Reardon and Rick Aguilera pitched electric ninth innings there. Torii Hunter made countless impossible sliding, leaping, sprawling, diving catches there. Kirby Puckett hit a walk-off homerun to force a World Series Game 7 there in 1991 — probably the most famous at-bat in Twins history. That's a hard act for Target Field to follow. Here's hoping it at least comes close.

A second chance

2009-08-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

Michael Vick is back in the NFL. Wow, that was fast.

When Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday I have to say I was surprised. He's a dynamic, unique player, so I figured someone would sign him eventually, but I thought it would take a little more time (and perhaps a few more injuries to prominent QBs) for a team to decide he was worth the P.R. headache.

I still stand by my earlier opinion that Vick (and all felons) should spend at least one probationary year on the practice squad to earn their way back onto the field. That won't happen in Vick's case, but I'm begrudgingly accepting the situation as it stands. Vick will start the season as a back-up to Donovan McNabb, so he won't be just handed a starting position and a leadership role straight out of prison, which I think is a good thing. And his contract is one year for $1.6 million, which, while more than I think he deserves, is reasonable by NFL standards. Most of it will go to paying his debts anyway, so he won't be handed his previous life of luxury straight out of prison either, which I think is as it should be.

I would be more angry about it if Vick hadn't done everything right so far to earn a second chance. He's expressed remorse without making excuses. He's sought mentoring from Tony Dungy, who may be just the kind of stand-up father figure he needs. He's worked with the Humane Society to speak out about the consequences of dog fighting.

That last partnership may be the most key aspect of Vick's comeback. It's certainly an odd pairing — the most famous dog abuser in human history volunteering with the Humane Society — but it has tremendous potential to benefit both parties. As the president of the Humane Society recently pointed out, Vick allows the organization to reach audiences they could never hope to get through to in the past. And Vick desperately needs the support of a group like the Humane Society to mitigate the PETA attacks that are almost certain to descend on Philly soon. There are a lot of people who will never forgive Vick, and will never forgive the Eagles for signing him.

I'm a dog lover myself. Everyone who knows me knows that my buddy Baxter is close to my heart. But I'm ready to move on, and assume that Vick is truly sorry, he's learned his lesson and he's going to respresent the NFL well and turn his story into a positive. I'm sure there will be plenty of people protesting Vick's reinstatement. I just wonder how many will also protest if and when Donte Stallworth comes back. After all Stallworth killed a person and, whether accidental (DUI in Stallworth's case) or not, we should be able to muster up just as much righteous indignation for his victim as for Vick's.

New gig

2009-08-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

So I had my Minnesota Reading Corps orientation today. Nothing too special — a few of those get-to-know-you icebreakers that I don't think I'd done since college, about 4 or 5 hours of PowerPoint presentations going over the handbook we'd just been given (we can probably read that on our own if we're in the Minnesota "Reading" Corps, right?) and a website tutorial that short-circuited rather quickly once we found out that the website wasn't ready to accept our usernames yet.

Here's the particulars of the program:

--It's a division of AmeriCorps, which is like the domestic Peace Corps.

--I will be tutoring kids in grades K-3 at Madison Elementary School (St. Cloud, MN) to help them get up to grade level in reading.

--The program is funded by the federal government and administered by the state. My living allowance (roughly $800 a month after taxes) will not come out of school district funds and I will not be taking anyone's job.

-- I am bound by strict confidentiality rules regarding the kids I'm tutoring, so I won't be blogging about them :)

My initial impressions? Yes, AmeriCorps is a federal program and it does seem to be ruled by a rather complicated, multi-tiered bureaucracy with all kinds of committees, coordinators and administrators, all explained through nearly-indecipherable flow charts. But I think my program, the Minnesota Reading Corps, is an excellent investment.

First of all, it's very targeted and focused. Some of the other AmeriCorps positions I looked at seemed to have vague and ambiguous goals (hey, if it's good enough for our troops in Iraq, I guess it's good enough for AmeriCorps volunteers too, right?). But the MRC has a very simple, straightforward mission: to teach kids to read so they'll be able to handle their textbooks from 4th grade on. It also has very stringent methods for tracking effectiveness. As I understand it, I will be collecting and recording data on the kids' progress daily. Data that will be used to determine how well the program is working and what kind of difference I'm making.

Clearly defined goals, a proven method for meeting them and meticulous data to record how well they're being met. It's no wonder the MRC is one of the rising stars of AmeriCorps. Right now the program is unique to Minnesota but 20 other states have inquired about it and are interested in copying it.

http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/36087739.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUss

So, in that sense, I'm a pioneer, and that's exciting. At this point I'm itching to get done with the PowerPoints and get on to the business of teaching kids to read.

The simple joy of soreness

2009-08-02T21:35:00.000-07:00

My legs were slightly sore today, but it was a good kind of sore. The kind of sore that you know you've earned and that you know will make you feel better in the long run. In my case I earned it with a two-hour bike ride with my buddy Timmy through most of St. Cloud's north side on Saturday.

It was not the first time I rode a bike since my amputations. Public transportation was somewhat limited in my trip to Brazil last year, so there were a couple of bike rental experiments there. Riding on the paved biking/running path along Copacabana Beach was pretty successful. The cobblestones and steep hills of tiny Parati were less friendly. But I only fell once.

Then I spent about a year without getting back on the bike, before deciding it was time. Last week I bought a bike, a Raleigh Coasting model that looks like a sort of modern version of Pee Wee Herman's bike, except it's all black. It's not really my style, but it's set up well for a person with minimal hand dexterity, which obviously appealed to me. It has coaster brakes on the pedals like the ones we all used to use when we were kids, so I don't need to struggle with hand brakes. It has three speeds but shifts through them automatically (I don't really know how this feature works, but it gives me one less thing to occupy my hands with, so I'm all for it). I can grip the handlebars pretty well with my right hand so, after strapping in my left hand with some Velcro, I'm pretty much good to go.

It's weird, being able move fast under my own power. Not Lance Armstrong fast or anything, but fast enough to cool me off on a hot day. It's also kind of weird to go so hard that my lungs start burning a little and I have to slow down to catch my breath. Never really got to that point on the stationary bike — guess I just wasn't motivated enough cycling in place.

I was never a big fan of it before — exertion, strain, muscle aches. But, believe it or not, after a few years without it you find you miss it. It's nice to be sore when you've done something to earn it.

Media the biggest loser in Favre Saga

2009-07-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

So it looks like Brett Favre isn't coming to play for the Vikings. Zippity-gosh-darn-do. I'm just glad the story is over. Although, let's be realistic: it's probably not over. It's never over with Favre. There will be rumors that he just wants to skip training camp and will make a comeback in time for the last two preseason games. There will be rumors that he just wanted to skip the preseason and will sign in time for the regular season opener. There will be rumors that he didn't want to wear down over the course of a 16-game season again and will join a championship contender in Week 8.

If there's one thing we've learned about Favre it's that he doesn't know when to quit and even when he thinks he knows when to quit, he doesn't know when to quit thinking about whether he really wants to quit. And the fact that this is now a non-story won't keep the national sports media from trying to make it a story. Hell, it's been a non-story for months and yet desperate sports reporters from across the country have tried to fill space with breathless "updates" nearly every day. "Oooh, the Vikings' trainer was in Mississippi today talking to Favre. Oooh, two Vikings sent text messages to Favre today. Oooh, Favre looked great throwing a buttonhook to some high school kid today." Honestly guys, I know the summer is slow, but are you that starved for content?

BTW, those were the real winners in the Favre Saga — the players from Oak Grove High in Mississippi who got tons of national TV exposure because Favre was playing catch with them. Except for the one kid who couldn't get his hands up fast enough and ended up taking a Favre missile in the face. Having that clip play over and over again on ESPN is not going to help you get a date for Homecoming.

The biggest loser in the saga? I honestly don't think it was the Vikes. As much as Favre has been romanticized, it seems often forgotten that he is the NFL's all-time interceptions leader. The Vikings have a solid defense and a great running game, what they need is a caretaker quarterback who can keep the defense honest without throwing the ball to the other team. I'm not sure if T-Jack or Sage Rosenfels can be that quarterback, but I'm pretty sure Favre can't be. His "I-can-fire-any-pass-into-triple-coverage" ego won't allow it.

Favre wasn't the biggest loser, either, though. Sure, he missed out on some money, but he already has plenty. He missed out on another championship shot, but he already has a Super Bowl ring and there's no guarantee he would have gotten another. Meanwhile, he avoided playing with a mediocre receiving corps and an offensive line built for run-blocking, not pass-blocking (if you've ever seen Bryant McKinnie trying to back-pedal, you know what I'm talking about).

I'd say that the people with the most egg on their faces are the sports reporters who for months have acted like this was basically a done deal. Since I returned to Minnesota the Star Tribune has been running a daily Favre-Meter and for all of July the meter has been stuck somewhere between "Almost a sure thing," and "Get your purple No. 4 jersey." Now it turns out all the "careful research" and "well-informed" sources behind that reporting were wrong. Dead wrong. 180 degrees wrong. Once again, by rushing to judgement and substituting speculation in the absence of actual story developments, the media looks foolish. As if laying off hundreds of copy editors hadn't already made it look foolish enough (BTW, Star Tribune, Ron Gardenhire is the Twins' "manager" not the Twins' "manger." And spell-check isn't going to catch that, so you might actually have to do a thing called "editing").

Yep, the Favre Saga made the media look pretty stupid. Then again, maybe we're the stupid ones for still believing what we read in the newspaper/see on TV/glance at in the blogosphere. You could make a case that the biggest losers were the Vikes fans who took the Strib's advice, jumped the gun and bought those purple Favre jerseys. They're out $50 or so.

Of games and gaming

2009-07-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Babs has asked me to try and write some about video games (those of you who know Babs will not be surprised by this). I don't really consider myself much of an authority on the subject. Back in junior high/high school/college I used to play a lot of Warcraft (I and II), Starcraft and several EA Sports games (soccer, basketball, football, etc.). When I was killing time by myself in college I'd sometimes play Snood. When a bunch of us were killing time, we'd often play Bomberman. I didn't particularly enjoy Bomberman, but it was a four-player game and kind of a social outlet.

Since college ended I'm not really much into gaming, though. I'll play the occasional round of Guitar Hero (yes, it's possible, even with my finger limitations) or take the mic for a song on Rock Band. But I've avoided the World of Warcraft time vacuum. I'm not about to judge anybody who spends hours a week gaming, though. I typically spend hours a week watching sports on TV, which is similarly unproductive. You can complete a quest on Warcraft, or watch your favorite baseball team win a game, but your life is not going to change substantially in either case.

Babs has said that he doesn't understand why it's generally more socially acceptable to sit in front of a TV screen watching football for nine hours on a Sunday than it is to sit in front of a computer screen playing WoW for nine hours. I have to agree with him. Both are pretty much time wasters. And neither is usually a good way to meet women. When I think back on the amount of time I spent both watching sports and playing video games in college, I can't help but think, "Maybe that's why I didn't get many girls." Of course, there may be several other reasons, but that one's easier on the ego.

Yes, in the grand scheme of things, sports are not nearly as important as our society makes them out to be. The money involved in pro and major college sports has gotten absolutely obscene. I understand that and yet, I can't be too cynical about sports because they probably saved my life. If not for my interest in pro sports, I wouldn't have started playing them myself and I wouldn't have been nearly as active. I've never been in great physical condition, but playing sports has helped keep me reasonably healthy, especially in my heart and lungs.

I needed every bit of that cardiovascular health in the weeks following my hospitalization with bacterial meningitis. The toxins that ran through my body while I was unconscious really did a number on my internal organs. My respiration and heart rates were off the charts. It was as if I was jogging for days at a time, non-stop. Some of the nurses actually told my parents they had never seen someone keep up those rates for as long as I did. There's no way I could have done it without all those marathon sessions of pick-up basketball that I played in college. Three hours was about the average, but four or five was not unusual, especially on nights when the competition was good.

Could I have gotten the same cardiovascular benefit from going out and jogging on my own? Yes, and I probably could have gotten it in much less time. But I wouldn't have done it. I've never been much into exercise just for the sake of exercise. But if it's exercise for a competitive purpose, it's much more appealing to me. And it has been for a long time. That's one reason I still watch sports, write about sports and love sports.

I don't get the same thrill from the competitive aspect of video games. I don't know why, but I don't. So don't expect too many gaming blogs from me (sorry Babs).

Twins' latest bargain buy

2009-07-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

Some people like their baseball teams to be free-spending, power-hitting, power-pitching juggernauts. Me, I appreciate a good bargain. I'm still wearing clothes I've had since eighth grade and I fully intend to run my economical compact car into the ground before I get a new one. So, I kinda like rooting for a team like the Twins, who watch their dollars and are unwilling to mortgage the future to try and snag a few extra wins this year.

The Twins' big mid-season move last week was to sign veteran free agent second basemen Mark Grudzielanek. Reaction from most of the local sportswriters has been to scoff about the tightwad Twins and how they missed a chance to really help themselves by trading for a young up-and-coming second baseman like Felipe Lopez or Freddy Sanchez. I disagree. After watching Grudzielanek play for the Royals for the last three years, I think he's a better option.

The Twins almost certainly would have had to give up at least two pretty good prospects to get Lopez or Sanchez. They didn't have to give up anybody for Grudzy and, though I haven't seen any specific terms of his contract, it had to have been dirt cheap (at least by pro sports' completely warped standards). He's 39 and missed the last two months of the 2008 season after having ankle surgery. He hasn't played a MLB game in nearly a year, so it will take him some time to get up to speed. He can't command much of a salary because he's not a long-term solution at second base.

But the Twins didn't necessarily need a long-term solution. They're still hoping that will eventually be Alexi Casilla. What they needed was a back-up plan and another option to push Casilla, who's hitting under .200. Grudzielanek is a good buy for that role. He may be getting old, but he's still got it. He hit .299 in 86 games last year and won a Gold Glove as recently as 2006. Much has been made of Sanchez' career .302 batting average but Grudzy's is not far off at .290.

Maybe Grudzielanek will never play a game in a Twins' uni. Maybe his ankle will act up, or maybe he will find that at his age he suddenly just doesn't have it anymore. Or maybe, best case scenario for Twins fans, Casilla will get his stuff together and the Twins won't need Grudzy. If so, it's not a big deal — they didn't give up much to get him anyway. But it's just as likely that Grudzielanek will join the Twins some time in the next few weeks, play reliable defense and hit in the high .200s like he always has. Plus he's always been known as a consummate professional who's great in the community and the locker room. He's not likely to upset a team's chemistry and that's a very important quality for any mid-season pick-up to have.

Basically, I'm glad the Twins didn't rip up their farm system to try and get Sanchez or Lopez. Grudzielanek is a better player than he gets credit for and is a great, cheap stopgap measure.

And here's more good stuff for MN sports fans. Jonny Flynn has looked pretty darn good in the NBA summer league and, if this interview is any indication, he's a smart, articulate kid who already talks like a leader:

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2009/07/18/nba_20090718_flynn.nba/index.html

Gin Blossoms

2009-07-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

On Friday I went to Minneapolis and saw the Gin Blossoms live for the third time. It was the second time I'd seen them for free and I must say, "Gin Blossoms" and "free" are three of my favorite words.

Why do I like this band so much? It's hard to put my finger on. Most people only know the Gin Blossoms vaguely, as one of those alt-rock bands that had a couple radio hits in the '90s. Most probably don't know that they're together and touring and recording again (which, come to think of it, may be why they're playing free — though sponsored — shows relatively frequently). I recently met a girl who was going to Arizona State University, which is in Tempe, where the Gin Blossoms originated. So of course, I got all excited and started talking about the band and all I got from her was a blank stare. No idea who they were. I was surprised at the time, but now that I think about it, why would she know the Gin Blossoms? She was probably 9 or 10 years old the last time they had a hit song on the radio.

Back in the mid-90s though, they had a good run with offerings like "Found out about you," "Hey jealousy," "Follow you down," "Until I fall away," and "Til I hear it from you." You'll notice that some of the song titles sound confusingly similar. Well, some of the songs themselves sound confusingly similar as well. My friend Tim said it's kind of like the Gin Blossoms found a certain chord that worked for them and then just kind of stuck with it.

I agree with that, so why is it that I bought three of their albums, still listen to them regularly, and go see them live whenever it's convenient? Maybe I just really like that one chord they play. Maybe it's because their lead singer, Robin Wilson, has a voice that I think most anyone would agree is pleasing to the ear. Maybe it's because their lyrics, while not earth-shattering or profound, are straightforward and easy to relate to ("You can trust me not to think — And not to sleep around — If you don't expect too much from me — You might not be let down").

Those are all valid reasons for my love of GB, but I think there's something more. I think it's partly because their music was the soundtrack of a simpler time in my life — when I was 15 or 16 and just discovering some of the wonderful things in the world, like girls and cars and independence. When I didn't worry about lay-offs and health insurance and gas prices ($0.89 per gallon back then, as I recall. I could put a half-tank in my Geo Prizm using just the spare change in the car). When terrorism was just something going on way over in the Middle East and, as far as I knew, I lived in a country that was the world's leader in economics, entertainment and social justice. When my dreams seemed more like inevitabilities and all the options I needed to shape my adulthood however I pleased seemed to stretch out in front of me. When I had four normal limbs and could run so fast that my hair blew back or catch a baseball with hardly a thought.

It's not that I'm fixated on that time on my life, or wish that I could go back forever. The things I've learned and experienced since then have given me a much richer perspective on life, a much greater appreciation for family and friends and a much stronger spirituality. I wouldn't go back to the mid-'90s for good. But sometimes it's nice to visit and the Gin Blossoms always help me do that.

Greinke did Royals proud

2009-07-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Carl Crawford was named MVP of the MLB All-Star game Tuesday basically for one homerun-robbing catch (I assume it was for that and not for going 1-3 at the plate with a single, no RBI and no runs scored). It was a great catch (though not as good as the catch Torii Hunter made on Barry Bonds in the All-Star game a few years ago), but here's an alternate pick for MVP: Zack Greinke.

Now it's fair to say that Crawford was in the game much longer than Greinke and it's hard to give the MVP to a pitcher who only threw one inning. But I dare you to find a player who was more dominant while he was in that game than Greinke. Of the 16 pitchers who threw, Greinke was the only one to strike out two batters. And despite striking out two batters (which obviously requires a minimum of six pitches), Greinke needed just 10 pitches to complete his 1-2-3 inning. Eight of the 10 pitches he threw were strikes and it seemed like all eight of them hit a different corner of the strike zone (apparently when Zack pitches the strike zone is an octagon. Or I'm not a geometry wiz).

At one point, after Zack struck out David Wright on a bending, mid-80s slider (that he set up gorgeously with several mid-90s fastballs), announcer Joe Buck said "That's just filthy." And that was the only way to describe it: ridiculous, nasty, tie-a-white-flag-to-your-bat-and-surrender-now pitching that left Wright, Raul Ibanez and Shane Victorino helpless. Those are supposedly three of the best hitters the NL has to offer and Greinke made them look like Little Leaguers.

As a Twins fan I'd like to say that Joe Mauer, who was catching for him, had something to do with it. But the way Greinke's stuff looked, I think Mauer could have called just about any pitch and it would have been unhittable.

“It’s better trying to catch him than trying to hit against him,” Mauer told the KC Star. “You know what he has, all four pitches working, and you just have to deal with it.”

This was a performance Royals fans could savor and be proud of. Greinke was not one of KC's token All-Stars like Mark Redman (2006) or Ken Harvey (2004). He earned his spot and once he got in the game he was as good or better than any of the other guys there. That should give the fan base a nice boost going into the second half of the season. At 11 games back, the division race is now a long-shot for the Royals — they'll have to reel off a pretty good winning streak pretty soon to get back in it. But regardless of where the team sits in the standing, the fans can still come out and watch baseball's best pitcher every five games, and that ain't bad.

Anyway, Greinke should have been the MVP, but that honor went to Crawford, who, ironically, took Zack out of the game when he pinch-hit for him. And Zack, in typical Zack fashion, was both gracious and humorous about it.

“I was like, ‘Crawford? Are you serious?’ ” Greinke told the Star. “But he got a base hit, so it’s acceptable. And he robbed a homer, so I guess that worked out all right. It could’ve been me. That pitch was probably right down the middle. I would’ve crushed it.”

Church and Rock do mix

2009-07-12T10:25:00.004-07:00

Going to the Basilica Block Party this weekend reminded me of how much I love Minnesota in the summer. It was pretty idyllic to listen to good music with the Minneapolis skyline providing the backdrop on one side and the historic basilica providing it on the other. The weather was just about perfect both nights, warm and sunny. Every once in awhile we'd get a refreshing touch of cool northern breeze — nature's air conditioner. It was pretty relaxing.

The only part of the block party that usually causes me any anxiety is that there's two stages and it's sometimes hard to choose what band I want to see more. Friday I started out by getting my first taste of Romantica, a local Twin Cities band with an alt rock feel. They were quite entertaining, even if the lead singer seemed to be affecting a Bono-imitation Irish accent when he talked to the crowd between songs. Maybe it wasn't entirely fake — their song "Fiona" suggests at least some Irish roots, and is also a great sample of their sound.

Next up was a trip to the main stage for Mat Kearney, who is one of my favorite up-and-coming singer-songwriters. For my money one of the highlights of the weekend was seeing him perform "Closer to love" :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbdxzSHn-QM

Best line: "I guess we're all one phone call from our knees."

After Kearney we got to see the reunion of the Jayhawks, a Minnesota institution (despite their decidedly "Kansas" name). They were good, especially the guy on lead guitar. But after about a half hour all the songs started to sound the same. Basically the Jayhawks are a band that's cool to listen to while you're doing other things (or if you're high, judging by the two squinty-eyed dudes who were jamming out next to us). So, before the Jayhawks were done we hopped over to the other stage and caught the end of the Black Crowes' set. It was kind of disappointing. Seemed like a bunch of long-haired dudes who just got together for an impromptu jam session — long guitar solo, then long drum solo, then long harmonica solo, then long keyboard solo, etc. But we did get to hear "Hard to Handle" when they were finally done with all that, so that was nice.

Day 2 was highlighted by Matt Nathanson, who played a great set of music and was also pretty darn funny. He played his hits, of course, like "C'mon get higher," and "Car crash" and also some ultimate audience-participation cover songs like "Jessie's girl" and Don't stop believing." He also did a rollicking version of the song "Laid" which is technically a cover, I guess, but he recorded a version of it for the American Wedding soundtrack, so it's kind of his, too. In between he ripped on self-absorbed music stars like Miley Cyrus and Eminem, and didn't spare the sarcasm when talking about the cinematic brilliance of American Wedding, which I thought was gutsy, considering he played a part (albeit a small one) in that project.

After Nathanson I stayed near the main stage for the Counting Crows. It was the second time I've seen them and the second time I've left early. I think I like the Counting Crows, but maybe I only like the Counting Crows of the '90s. I stayed there for almost an hour, then went over and caught the last 20 minutes of The Hold Steady's set and found myself wishing I had come over earlier. The Hold Steady is super-fun.

So that was the block party. I got to hang out with old friends and listen to great music outside in great weather at a great venue. Sure there were a lot of 50-year-olds trying to act 25 and a lot of 15-year-olds trying to act 25. Sure it was crowded and all the food and drinks were overpriced. But, all in all, it was a pretty nice way to spend a summer weekend.

Damn Yankees

2009-07-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I was looking forward to moving back to Minnesota was that I would be able to watch the Twins on TV a lot more. So, of course, in the first three games I watch they get swept by the Yankees at home. That runs their season record against the Evil Empire to an awesome 0-7. Of course, this is nothing new. The Twins won their division in 2002 and 2003 despite going a combined 0-13 against the Yanks.

So why is it that a relatively good team has so much trouble taking even one game from the Yankees? Sometimes I think it's because the Twins try too hard against New York. They're a team that's built on pitching to contact, playing loose and smooth in the field and stringing together base-hits. But against the Yankees it seems like the pitchers try too hard to nibble at the edges and end up walking way more batters than they usually do. The fielders are too eager to try and turn the bang-bang double play or make a Herculean throw and end up making more errors than they usually do. The hitters are too eager to hit the game-turning homerun and end up striking out more than they usually do.

Then, of course, the Yankees are the Yankees and their history gives their current players more star power than comparable players on other teams. For some reason Derek Jeter's strike zone is much narrower than Joe Mauer's strike zone and Mariano Rivera's strike zone is much wider than Joe Nathan's strike zone. There's no use whining about it. The MLB umpires grew up on the same legends of Gehrig, Mantle and the Babe as every other baseball fan, and the Yankee uniform has an effect on them, subconscious or not. It is what it is.

What makes the Yankees most infuriating to the rest of the nation, though, is their bottomless pocket book. While the Twins have to spend years drafting and developing a top-flight starting pitcher like CC Sabathia or AJ Burnett, the Yankees can go buy both in the same off-season. It's terribly exciting for their fans, but maddening for everybody else.

At the National Meningitis Association conference this year my friend John, who's from New York and a Yankees fan, made a comment about how good Mauer is going to look in pinstripes. That's what it's like to be a Yankees fan. You can look at other teams' best players and, instead of being envious, just say, "Well, he's going to play for us someday." And often you'll be proven right. Look at A-Rod, Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, etc.

Mauer's contract with the Twins runs out after next season and there's every reason to believe the Yanks will make a serious run at him. He'll only be 27 and he's a catcher who can handle a pitching staff, throw out runners, lead the league in batting average and, recently at least, hit for power. There's only been a handful of those kind of catchers in MLB history (in fact, Johnny Bench is the only one who readily comes to mind). Oh yeah, and Mauer also is humble, good-looking, great in the clubhouse and the community and handles the media with ease. And he's never had even the hint of a performance-enhancing drug scandal. He's a PR guy's dream, a manager's dream and a teenage girl's dream, all in one sideburned package.

The Yankees will probably offer him an obscene contract that the Twins can't even come close to matching, even with the new stadium they're opening in 2010. The Twins will likely (hopefully) try to pre-empt them with a long-term extension this winter, but it will still be up to Mauer and his agent as to whether to sign it. It will be a huge payday either way, but it will likely be more huge (huger?) if he waits for free agency. His buddy, MVP first baseman Justin Morneau, has said he will stop talking to Mauer if Mauer leaves the Twins. The jury is still out on whether Morneau was kidding or not.

It is hard to imagine the state-wide outcry that would ensue if Mauer left. He is the Golden Boy here, a St. Paul native who tore through the football, basketball and baseball ranks in high school and then spurned a full scholarship to play quarterback at Florida State for the chance to sign with the hometown Twins. His high school exploits are spoken of like Paul Bunyan tall tales: "Did you know that Joe Mauer once threw an 80-yard touchdown pass... to himself?" "Did you know that Joe Mauer once dunked from the 3-point line?" "Did you know that Joe Mauer only struck out once in four seasons at Cretin-Derham Hall?"

The last one's actually true, but the line seems to blur sometimes when Minnesotans talk about Mauer. He is a source of great pride and has a chance to be the greatest sports legend in state history. But before he can match Kirby Puckett, he has to do something that Puckett did. Midway through his career Puckett called a teary-eyed press conference to announce that he was spurning other contract offers to re-sign with the Twins, the team that had given him a chance and developed him into the player he had become. In turning down more money to play for his hometown Chicago White Sox, Puckett cemented his place in the hearts of Minnesotans. When the time comes to sign his next contract, Mauer can either do the same, or he can break those hearts.

To the regular person it seems absurd. Mauer's already going to get tens of millions of dollars every year. Why would he leave that kind of love in Minnesota for a few million more each year in New York? Still, it would be just like the Yankees to find yet another way to infuriate and demoralize Twins fans.

Leaving home, coming home

2009-07-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

I am now officially back in good ol' St. Cloud, Minnesota, starting a new chapter in my life. It's a bittersweet transition. I'm glad to be home for a year, seeing more of my parents, my grandma and my high school friends. But I already miss my friends down in Kansas. I'm torn, but it's nothing new. It's kind of been that way ever since I left Minnesota to come to KU; it's just that now the roles are reversed.

When left for college I always had it in the back of my mind that I would return to my home state at some point. It wasn't supposed to be a permanent move. But things got very comfortable down in Kansas and I had a lot of fun. A lot of that is due to my roommate Matt, who, until yesterday, I had lived with for eight of the past nine years (we were briefly separated by one life-threatening illness). He definitely kept things interesting — how many guys do you know who would get out of a car and dance to a Neil Diamond song in the middle of a crowded street?

A friend of mine from work once said that Matt and I had an "epic bro-mance." Perhaps that explains why neither of us had much luck with the ladies in recent years (girls, I assure you, my relationship with Matt has always been entirely platonic). Well, our bro-mance will continue, but it will be long-distance for awhile.

Of course Matt's not the only one I left behind in Kansas. There's probably a couple dozen folks that I will miss hanging out with on a regular (or semi-regular) basis, many of whom were at at least one of the three going-away parties that Matt organized for me. But the trade-off is that I get to renew relationships with people up here. On the drive back I stopped and visited Greg Koetter — who has been one of my best friends since about fifth grade — and his wife. When I left their house, instead of saying, "Well, I guess I'll see you in a few months," I was able to say, "Maybe I'll see you this weekend." That was a good feeling.

This post is getting a bit rambling, so I guess I'll just try to get to the point (or figure out the point I've been meaning to make): This was not an easy move. I'm not usually one to second-guess myself once I've made a decision, but during the last few days I started to wonder if I shouldn't just stay in Olathe and collect unemployment checks. Ultimately I still think this is the right choice. I think my Americorps job will be very rewarding and being able to reconnect with my family and old friends up here will give me a whole new set of priceless memories. But, in coming home, I was also leaving a home. And that's kind of a sad feeling.

Feeling the draft

2009-07-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

OK, so when the T-Wolves drafted point guards with their first three picks (No. 5, 6 and 18) at first I wondered if Kevin McHale had somehow grabbed the reins again and was intent on dragging the team back to NBA Draft hell (see William Avery, Ndudi Ebi, Rashad McCants, trading Brandon Roy for Randy Foye).

But after looking over the full results of the draft, I don't feel quite so infuriated. The thing is, there just wasn't a whole lot of eye-popping talent in this draft. The Wolves passed on a few interesting guys like Jordan Hill and Stephen Curry, and a few raw prospects with star potential like DeMar DeRozan and Austin Daye. But all of them were flawed. No sure things.

Obviously the Wolves were looking for their "point guard of the future" in this draft. But it was a good move to trade the one they got at No. 18, Ty Lawson, for a future first-round pick. More likely than not, it will come in a more talent-laden draft.

That leaves the No. 5 pick, Ricky Rubio, and the No. 6, Jonny Flynn. Both have their flaws. Rubio's biggest flaw is that he may never play for the Wolves. The 18-year-old Spanish heartthrob has expressed some serious reserve about leaving his European team for Minnesota. Not shocking, really, coming from a young guy who has spent his whole life in a country that usually only sees snow high in the Pyrenees.

If Rubio does suit up for the Wolves, he would at least put much-needed butts in the seats. He's been playing pro since he was 14, he got international exposure in the Olympics and he was arguably the most-hyped player in the draft. Whether his presence would result in a lot more wins is debatable. Rubio is flashy — he handles the ball like it's part of his body and has court vision that gives him that rare "oooh, aaaah" passing ability. But he's also skinny, not particularly fast and not a particularly great shooter.

He's certainly got potential. If he hits the weights hard for a couple of years and works on his shot he could be a Jason Kidd-type. Otherwise he'll remain a defensive liability and an offensive novelty.

Rubio is a reach that could be a jackpot. If he works out he could work out huge. If he busts he could really, really bust. That's where the Flynn pick comes in. Flynn doesn't have the upside, the intrigue, the flashy game or the international following. But he's a solid, safe pick. He's shorter than Rubio, but he's strong, fast and proven. He's not a great 3-point shooter, but he's a great defender who can create off the dribble for himself or teammates. Best of all, at Syracuse last year he had a habit of coming up big in big games (25 pts, 5 assists vs. KU; 24 pts, 6 assists at Memphis; 34 pts, 11 assists vs. UConn in the Big East tourney).

If Rubio signs with the Wolves they've got an exciting, talismanic new face with Flynn as a valuable back-up plan. If he doesn't sign they should at least get good value because they own his rights. Then they go all-in with Flynn. Either way they've given themselves a major upgrade at point guard (not a huge accomplishment — Sebastian Telfair is easily upgrade-able). Throw in Wayne Ellington as a spot-up shooter to replace Mike Miller with the 28th pick and the T-Wolves did alright for themselves. It's not the type of draft that will overhaul the squad and put it in the playoffs immediately. But it was a decent "slowly-building-a-winner" type draft, which is what they really needed. And getting that in this year's weak draft was no easy task.

Birthday gifts

2009-06-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday today. Now, I'm not usually one of those people who gets all introspective about the state of my life and where it's going on birthdays. But this year those thoughts have been creeping up on me. After all, I've got no job, no house, no wife, no kids, a waning bank account and no Pulitzer Prizes. It's not exactly what I had imagined for myself at age 28.

But whenever I find myself obsessing about the things I don't have, I think it's important to take stock of all that I do have. That being the case, here's a birthday list of some of the things I'm thankful for:

1. My health — This may seem odd coming from a quadruple amputee, but I've got it pretty good right now. I haven't had a surgery or sores on my feet in more than a year and I haven't had a serious infection in more than two years. I'm healthy enough to do about 99 percent of the things I want to do on any given day, and that's a blessing.

2. My family — Moving back in with your parents is not a dream for most 28-year-olds, but having parents like mine actually makes it pretty painless. Taken as a whole, our family certainly has its differences (so much so that I sometimes marvel at the fact that we share genetic material). But we all still support each other, we all still get together most holidays and we all still talk to each other (most of the time).

3. My friends — All across the country (and in a few points overseas) I've got people I care about and love to talk to and hang out with. Some of them I've known since kindergarten. I can comfortably be my smart-ass, slightly obnoxious self around them and they don't even mind. In fact, they kind of seem to like it.

4. My country — I'm certainly not a "My country, right or wrong" type, but I do feel lucky to have been born in America. I love the fact that my country values both personal freedom and communal responsibility.

5. The world's natural beauty — I've seen the Swiss Alps and the Rocky Mountains, the green hills of Tuscany and the impossibly blue seas of the French Riviera. I've camped in the peaceful woods of my home state and I've stood at a high point in Rio de Janeiro and looked out on the Atlantic Ocean, miles of white beaches, a modern city skyline and a rain forest all at the same time. I've got a lot of unforgettable vistas in my memory banks and, best of all, there's still so many more out there for me to see.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but I didn't want to get too specific. I was trying to be somewhat universal. It's easy for all of us to take things for granted at times and focus on the things we don't have and think we deserve. Look at the list above. If you're a healthy American who has a supportive family and a group of fun friends and has gotten to enjoy some of the world's natural wonders, then I'd say you've got a pretty good life. I know I do.

An encouraging disappointment

2009-06-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

It was crushingly disappointing when the U.S. soccer team blew a two-goal lead against Brazil in the second half of the Confederations Cup championship Sunday. But after the game my thought process quickly went from "I can't believe the U.S. blew a two-goal lead against Brazil in a FIFA championship" to "I can't believe the U.S. had a two-goal lead against Brazil in a FIFA championship."

It could have been the start of a new era if the Yanks had won, but in the big picture this was still a monumental step. The U.S. men had never before played in a FIFA championship and had never before gone up two goals against mighty Brazil (the two teams have played 15 times in history. The U.S. is 1-14-0 in those games, with a 1-0 win).

In a way, the rollercoaster of emotions in the championship game mirrored the entire tournament. The U.S. players were way, way down after losing to Italy and Brazil by a combined score of 6-1 to start pool play. They were way up after a 3-0 win against African champion Egypt propelled them, improbably, into the next round. Then they reached a new high with a 2-0 win against world No. 1 Spain, a team that hadn't lost in two years and 35 matches.

The Yanks had fire, they had confidence and they had tons of momentum, which may help explain how they went up on the overwhelmingly more talented Brazilians on goals by Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan early in the championship. Give the Brazilians credit; they came out of halftime with new purpose and peppered the U.S. net. The first goal they got could be chalked up to passive defending by the U.S., but the last two were set up by impressive displays of individual skill.

The U.S. still doesn't have the horses to match teams like Spain and Brazil pass-for-pass and challenge-for-challenge for 90 minutes when both teams are going all out. Both opponents had at least a 60-40 edge in possession against the U.S. But the Yanks can still compete thanks to this most-encouraging Confederations Cup development: they have become finishers.

This is the most ethereal, but perhaps the most important quality in soccer — the ability to cash in on scoring chances when they present themselves. And now it seems like the U.S. has a handful of guys who have it. Dempsey is a finisher — his goal against Brazil was not a thing of beauty, but he was close to the net and he was able to get a touch on a tricky pass, which is what finishers do. Donovan is a finisher — his goal against Brazil was a thing of beauty, a symphony of touch and timing that, even though he was defended, was indefensible. Jozy Altidore is a finisher — after he used his considerable strength to score with a Spanish defender hanging on his back he had seven goals in just 16 games with the nationals.

Having finishers changes the game. Even if the U.S. players still can't outplay elite teams for 90 minutes, they don't have to. They will be able to outplay them for 10-15 minute spurts, and if they can cash in on those spurts they have a chance to win because of their goalkeeping. The one position that the U.S. has a history of producing world class players at is keeper and the current crew, fronted by Tim Howard, is no exception.

The finishing is one encouraging thing about the Confed Cup. The other is the players' reaction after the loss to Brazil. They had done amazing things, they had gone farther than anyone expected them to, they had beat the current best team in the world and almost beat the historical best team in the world. But they weren't satisfied. The empty look on Oguchi Onyewu's face as he sat on the pitch watching the Brazilians celebrating was telling. So were the tears that Dempsey couldn't hold back even as he accepted an individual award for his scoring prowess in the tourney.

In the long run the loss may be the best thing fror U.S. soccer. The big prize, after all, isn't until next summer when South Africa (the Confed site) hosts the World Cup. The U.S. players now should go into it both confident they can play with the best and hungry to beat the best. Stay tuned.

NMA conference

2009-06-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from the National Meningitis Association conference in Orlando, feeling inspired by my fellow survivors, though a little tired and sinus-pressurized from yesterday's lovely air travel. During my connection in Atlanta we sat on the runway for a half-hour before being told we had to get off the plane because of mechanical issues, which was good in a sense because it gave me another chance to load up on Kleenex and cough drops. Fun fact for sports fans: I also spotted either Tiki or Ronde Barber in the concourse while we were waiting for AirTran to find another plane to put us on. I think it was probably Ronde because he looked pretty slim and in shape and I assume Tiki has let himself go a little now that his playing days are over. He still seems to exercise his mouth quite a bit, though.

Anyway, it was my second time in Orlando and it's something I wish I could do more than once a year. The setting was the Villas at Grand Cypress, a swanky golf resort that is slightly more luxurious than the European hostels or American Motel 6s that I usually stay in when I'm footing the travel bills. Fun fact for sports fans: Rumor is Ken Griffey Jr. has vacationed at this particular resort. Here's a shot of my room:

Of course that doesn't do it justice, but here's the particulars: flat-screen TV, two levels (sleeping area and living room-type area with couch), whirlpool bath, patio overlooking a pond and the palm tree-shaded golf course. Oh, and a free daily newspaper too, which would be more enticing if it weren't the Orlando Sentinel (sorry guys, but it really wasn't very impressive).

The room was nice but, the thing is, I hardly wanted to spend any time there. This conference is one of the few opportunities I get to interact with other people affected by meningitis and I wanted to make the most of it. Both years I've gone there's been about 10 survivors and they come from all over the country (San Diego, Washington state, New York, Atlanta, Indiana, etc.). Some of the faces were familiar this year, some were new. It doesn't matter. Whether we knew each other beforehand or not, there's this instant bond of understanding. We're all people who had our lives turned upside down by a disease that, in many cases, we'd barely heard of.

There are few good things about meningitis, but this is certainly one of them: if you or someone you love get the disease, you have an instant group of new friends who want to help you. It's a bit of a small group, to be sure, but that only makes it more tight-knit.

What are our discussions about? A lot of things. Sometimes they're practical (wound care, pushing for more vaccination and public awareness, getting through airport security with a metal leg). Sometimes they're profound (near-death experiences, how family members deal with tragedy, adjusting to having a body that suddenly looks markedly different than most of the ones around you). Sometimes they're just kind of silly (why going to the Grand Cypress pool at night after you've had a few drinks is always awesome, how people react when an amputee tells them he/she was attacked by a shark, what it's like when your mom friends you on Facebook after NMA teaches her how to set up a profile).

Sometimes I wonder what the "normal" folks at the resort think when they're out playing the golf course and see us walking by. Maybe something like "Who are all those people with the fake legs and scarred-up arms?" We probably look a little like an Iraq War veterans support group, just with less camouflage.

But once in a while we take a photo like the one at the bottom here. A photo in which, unless you look very closely, you don't see anything out of the ordinary. A photo in which the physical scars of the survivors are overshadowed by the closeness of the group and their joy at being alive. A photo in which the people who lost someone they loved to the disease are able to smile sincerely because they know this group will remember and honor that loved one. A photo in which we're all just a bunch of beautiful people enjoying each other's company.

In solidarity with fellow sinus sufferers

2009-06-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Phillies all-star Ryan Howard recently missed a game because of a sinus infection. While some might scoff and say, "Cal Ripken never sat out because of a sinus infection," I sympathize with Howard because right now I'm fighting my own sinus battle.

My head feels like it weighs about twice as much as it should — it's rolling around like a bowling ball up there. There's a terrific pressure pushing against the back of my eyeballs and pounding in my ears as if I'm on a plane that's in constant state of steep ascent/descent. The trail of mucus running down toward my lungs has me coughing my throat raw and I've gone through about a half-box of Kleenex trying to clear my nasal passages. Every time I discard one of those tissues I have to make sure to put the trash can out of reach because it seems that there is nothing more delicious to Baxter than human snot (not one of his most endearing traits).

I'm doing my best to medicate myself: Allergy/sinus pills every four or five hours, generic Dayquil/Nyquil depending on the position of the sun, a bag and a half of sugar free cough drops so far. But it's doing little good. I remain a hoarse, sniffling, aching wretch. Food is normally one of my greatest joys in life (which probably isn't healthy), but I don't even feel like eating right now. It's not nearly as much fun when you're so congested you can't taste anything and every swallow is like a torpedo heading down your throat and exploding somewhere in the middle of your esophagus.

My one consolation right now is that I don't have a job to go to. I can stay at home and nurse my way through this, nap on the couch with Baxter and avoid going outside and incubating this illness in the already-miserable heat. Ryan Howard doesn't have that luxury, so go easy on him, Phils fans.

Soccer in a baseball stadium

2009-06-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

After going to pro games in soccer-specific stadiums in Italy and Brazil, I was a little skeptical about going to a KC Wizards game in an independent league baseball stadium (the Wizards are playing at Community America Ballpark — home of the KC T-Bones, until their new stadium is completed in 2011). But after attending Saturday's 3-1 Wizards' victory against New England, I have to say it was pretty cool.

Even with extra seating added by the Wizards, Community America only holds 10,385 fans. But a cozy stadium filled with 10,000 fans makes for a much better atmosphere than having 15,000 or even 20,000 in Arrowhead Stadium (where the Wizards used to play) which holds almost 80,000. Everyone was close to the action and the chanting coming from The Cauldron (the Wizards' special fan section full of flags and banners) rolled through the whole place.

As far as I could tell, there's no bad seats there either. Matt and I got the cheapest tickets possible, seats on the grassy outfield hill that retail for $15 (I got them for $12 on the Wizards' online ticket exchange). We were behind the end line, but right up next to the field, about as close as you can get without being a player's wife or mistress (we weren't willing to try hitting on any of the guys to get a seat upgrade, but they were probably close enough to hear us. Especially Matt — he can really project). I took this photo with just a regular point-and-shoot with 3X times zoom, that's how close we were.

Sitting on the grass may not sound too glamorous or "big-league," but it's more comfortable than scrunching your knees in behind the hard plastic seat in front of you and then fighting for armrests with the people next to you, as most of us do at typical pro sports events. It was a relaxing way to spend a nice summer evening — like being at a picnic or a family reunion with a soccer field nearby, if your family is uncommonly athletic and dresses in matching clothes.

The action was good too, even by Euro or Brazilian standards, I'd say. It certainly helped that the Wizards scored three goals in the first half, when they were playing towards our side of the field and were only about 25 yards away. That's pretty exciting and you can't expect that to happen every game (for those of you who are unfamiliar with soccer, the rate of scoring is generally more like the Royals' offense).

Even when they're not scoring at will, though, the Wizards are an exciting team. They have a good mix of international veterans (USA defender Jimmy Conrad and forward Josh Wolff and Argentina midfielder Claudio Lopez) and promising young guys like Herculez Gomez and Matt Besler. Besler, who graduated from Blue Valley West, provides some local flavor while Lopez, who has played in two World Cups, gives the team a Latin flair and a talisman for the many Spanish-speaking fans in KC.

The Wizards are a fun franchise to get behind and when their new stadium opens on the site where Bannister Mall used to be, no doubt it will be an excellent soccer experience. But you might want to get out and watch soccer in a baseball stadium while you still can — it's pretty good too, and probably cheaper than it will be in 2011.

Could Baxter take this animal in a fight?

2009-06-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Considering Olathe is a pretty well-populated suburb, Matt and I have had our share of wildlife in the backyard. There was a family of foxes living under the deck when we first moved in and we've seen a large, majestic owl hanging out in one of the trees back there before. But this latest animal has me stumped.

I first spotted him yesterday. I was sitting in the living room when I heard a weird scratching noise outside, so I went to the deck door just in time to see a chubby, grayish-brown mammal scratching at one of the deck posts. He slipped under the deck before I could get a really good look at him, but my initial impression based on the size and shape was, that's a beaver.

Today, though, I got a better look at him. He sauntered back onto the deck in full view while I was eating my breakfast. He even hung out long enough for me to snap some photos.

Pretty safe to say it's not a beaver, I think. There's no big, flat tail or buck teeth, plus we're not really near any major water sources, so it would be odd for a beaver to roam this far. Matt suggested last night that it might be a hedgehog, but I think it looks a little too big to me. I don't think it's a porcupine, unless it's a really young one with underdeveloped quills. Despite all my Boy Scout training, like I said, I'm stumped.

Anybody know what this thing is? Baxter likes to snoop around in the backyard and under the deck, but I'm loathe to let him go back there, whether this thing is rabid or not. He's more of a lover than a fighter. How should we handle this guy?

Twins/Royals take the division in just two moves

2009-06-08T12:00:00.001-07:00

Well, once again it appears tough to be a Royals fan. A "slump" is not really the right way to describe what KC is currently mired in, having lost 14 of its last 17 games. "Falling off a cliff" might be more appropriate.

Included in that 17-game stretch is a four-game losing streak and a seven-game losing streak — the latter quickly striking down my prediction that, due to the Meche/Greinke 1-2 pitching punch, the Royals wouldn't lose five straight games all season. (Most of the fun for sports fans reading this blog may come from keeping track of how quickly my predictions get completely shattered — next up: my Orlando Magic in seven games prediction!).

Now, this may be a silver lining, or it may be just false hope for all my die-hard Royals fan friends, but I don't think you should give up on the season just yet. As bad as they've been lately, they're still within 6.5 games of the division lead as of Monday afternoon. That's hardly an insurmountable deficit. The one prediction I've made that seems to be holding true is that it won't take much to contend in the AL Central this year. It's currently the only division with just one team above .500 (Detroit) and that team's .545 mark is by far the lowest of any division leader. Try as they might, it will be hard for the Royals to play themselves out of the race this year.

I also think things are going to get better for them soon (and not just because they really can't get much worse). Meche was struggling with a minor injury for awhile, but seems to be back in form, coming off two straight solid starts. Joakim Soria is back from the disabled list, which will help a lot if the Royals can figure out how to carry a lead into the late innings again. Alex Gordon is running again and will be coming back from the DL in a couple weeks and, if nothing else, should at least be fresh and rested after missing two months.

In my eyes the Royals only need two relatively easy moves to get back in contention:

1. Call up Kila Ka'aihue and find a spot for him — One of KC's top prospects, the Hawaiian guy with the unpronounceable name is hitting for solid average and power at AAA Omaha. The Royals have an unfortunate logjam at first base with Billy Butler and Mike Jacobs already on the roster and only one DH spot to work with. But it's time to try one of them in rightfield in order to get all three of them in the batting order. The offense has been atrocious during the current losing streaks and once it gets this bad you have to be willing to sacrifice the defense of a guy like David DeJesus (whose on-base percentage is a subterranean .286) to spark some run production. If you have a lead in the late innings you can always bring him in as a defensive sub.

2. Sign Tom Glavine — This move is probably even lower risk than calling up Ka'aihue. Glavine, 43-years-old and recently released by the Braves, could probably be had for a pittance compared to most free-agent pitchers with a proven track record. And there's reason to believe he still has some good innings left in him. First of all, he's left-handed, and as the saying goes, when you're left-handed, you can pitch forever. Just look at Jesse Orosco. Better yet, look at Jamie Moyer, who is still a starting pitcher at 46. Like Moyer, Glavine is a savvy, experienced starter with good off-speed stuff and he can almost certainly throw harder than Moyer (your mom can throw harder than Moyer). At the very least he would be a good mentor for the young starters at the back of the rotation like Bannister, Hochever and Davies, while also putting pressure on them to put together some good starts or lose their spot. Right now the Royals are starting five right-handers and adding a lefty might help everybody out by giving the hitters a different look within a three or four-game series.

That's what the Royals should do. The Twins are in even better shape to contend, only 3.5 games back despite a mediocre 28-30 start. Here's two less-than-realistic moves they could make to take control of the Central:

1. Use hypnotism to convince themselves they're always playing at the Metrodome — I'm actually halfway serious about this. The Twins are 21-12 when playing at home and 7-18 on the road. Home-field advantage does exist in baseball, but it can't explain a disparity like that. Some of it has to be mental. With the Twins playing that poorly everywhere except the Metrodome, their fans have to be a little concerned about what will happen when they move to the new stadium next year.

2. Go back in time and void the Matt Garza/Jason Bartlett for Delmon Young/Brendan Harris trade with Tampa Bay — The Twins' front office has generally made a lot of smart moves in the past decade that have kept a mid-market team contending year after year. But this trade is starting to look like a real clunker. Garza remains a fearless power pitcher who showed he's clutch in the World Series last year. J-Bart is hitting .373 this season while playing excellent defense. Harris is hitting a respectable .284, but Young's average has plummeted to .233 with only one homerun and he's still playing his "Ole!" defense in the outfield. Which means that the Rays got a top-of-the-rotation pitcher (Garza) and a cornerstone shortstop who can hit (Bartlett), for a serviceable middle infielder (Harris) and an utterly disappointing outfielder (Young) who has contributed next to nothing in terms of average, power, glove or baserunning this season. Yuck.

Anyone want to tour KC with me?

2009-06-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

My plan right now is to move back to Minnesota on July 4th weekend. I've recently realized that means I only have a month left to see all the stuff in Kansas City that I've been meaning to see in the last five years that I've lived here (nine years if you count the time I spent less than an hour away at KU).

Below is a list of the sites I'm interested in, along with their hours of operation and adult admission fees. If you live in the area too and would like to come along, let me know. Also let me know if you have any suggestions for cool stuff I may have left out. I tentatively plan to kick off the list with a trip to the Blue Room to see Ida McBeth tomorrow (Friday) night.

Blue Room

($10 for Ida McBeth on Friday at 8:30)

Arthur Bryant's/ LC's BBQ

(About $10 each)

Sprint Center and College Basketball Experience

(Wednesday-Sunday 11 AM to 6 PM, $10)

Nelson-Atkins art museum

(Wednesday-Sunday afternoons, free)

Truman home/museum in Independence

(Monday-Saturday 9 AM-5PM, Sunday noon-5 PM, $8)

Wizards game

(7:30 PM June 6 vs. Columbus or 7:30 PM June 13 vs. New England, $15)

Union Station

(Tuesday-Saturday 10 AM-4 PM, Sunday noon-4 PM, several exhibits including KC Rail Experience, and Narnia: The Exhibition- $14 reservation needed).

*National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame (Bonner Springs)

(Monday-Saturday 9 AM-5 PM, Sunday 1 PM - 5 PM, $7)

*Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farmstead (Olathe)

(Wednesday-Sunday 10 AM-4 PM, $6)

*These are not exactly "must-sees" but if I have time I might as well.

I often don't know what I'm talking about

2009-06-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

I can admit when I'm wrong and, when it comes to this year's NBA Finals, I was wrong. My Western Conference pick, the Lakers, fought their way through. But the team I predicted would come out of the East (and beat the Lakers) — the Cavaliers — fell flat on their faces.

I'll admit that early in the playoffs I got caught up in the LeBron James frenzy as he and the Cavs cruised to win after win. Going into their series against Orlando they'd put together an eight-game run of unprecedented playoff dominance and I figured it would continue. I lost sight of the fact that, as my cousin Jason pointed out last weekend, the Cavs had faced the playoff version of JV competition — a Pistons squad reeling ever since they acquired Allen Iverson and a Hawks squad racked by injury.

The Magic had something neither of those squads had: a fearsome big man who could keep LeBron from dunking all over them. For those of who who don't follow basketball (and yet for some inexplicable reason are still reading this post), his name is Dwight Howard. Howard is possibly the only player in the NBA who can match LeBron for sheer freak-of-natureish strength and athleticism. His frightening presence at the rim goaded LeBron into more jump shots, which is the weakest part of his game.

LeBron shot 29.7 percent from 3-point range in the series. If he makes those shots he's unstoppable. If he bricks them like he did against the Magic he's suddenly mortal, especially if there's a bona fide shot-blocker inside to keep him from just picking the ball up, taking two big steps and throwing down a thunder dunk.

While LeBron was lofting up low-percentage shots, Howard got chippies inside and averaged 25.8 points on a ridiculous 65 percent shooting. The Magic are well set up offensively, with shooters like Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Mickael Pietrus spreading the floor for Howard inside. When the Cavs left them to double Howard they got burned from downtown. When they tried to stay home and single cover Howard, he dunked all over guys like Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao, who were far too soft to cover him. It's a simple, but extremely effective offensive strategy.

And it may very well work against the Lakers too. The Magic have no one who can cover Kobe (Pietrus is likely to try, but unlikely to do as good a job as Shane Battier), but they had no one who could cover LeBron either and still cruised. Howard's presence will keep Kobe from getting anything easy inside and force him to rely on jumpers. He's more dangerous in that department than LeBron, but the percentages still dictate that dunks are more efficient than jump-shots.

Howard's likely to continue getting his dunks. When it comes to the Laker big men, Pau Gasol is even softer than Ilgauskas and Andrew Bynum is a foul machine who can't stay in the game long enough to have a big impact. Lamar Odom isn't tall enough or strong enough to check Howard.

The Magic will have a couple games when their treys aren't falling and the Lakers will have a couple games when Kobe can't miss from the outside and carries them to victory. But my new prediction is that the Magic win in seven games.

My last week in Europe

2009-06-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the United States now, although my return trip last Thursday kind of turned into a darker version of the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles. I left Munich by train at about 6:30 AM on my way to the Frankfurt airport, but we were an hour late in arriving because someone had jumped on that stretch of tracks, apparently to commit suicide, during the night and the police were still finishing up the investigation. Oddly enough this also happened to me when I was in Austria six years ago, so either it's not an entirely uncommon way for Europeans to end their lives, or I'm just really unlucky.

Anyway, I still got to the airport almost an hour before my flight left, only to be told that there was no way they could let me on -- that for security reasons you must check-in earlier than that. No amount of pleading would sway the ticket officer, who coolly gestured to the growing line of other passengers who were on the same train and had already been sent to re-book. After standing in that mass of unhappy humanity, I was finally able to get booked from Frankfurt to Paris to Atlanta to Minneapolis, a total of about 20 hours either on planes or in airports. Oh, and for the nine-hour stretch from Paris to Atlanta I got one of those coveted middle seats. Oh, and I had to go through security at three different airports and try to explain in three different languages that no, I can't take my shoes off because it's impossible for me to stand or walk without them.

So, the trip back home was not exactly sweetness and light, but fortunately I had two weeks worth of smile-inducing pictures and memories to help me through it.

My second week in Europe had started with a leisurely evening trip to a festival in Kaiserslautern (Germany) with the Hansen clan. I have a new respect for Brett and Cyndy after seeing how much prep work it requires to take a one-year-old and a three-year-old out for just a few hours. The festival was kind of like the Benton County Fair, only with more bratwurst stands and more booths offering beer steins as the unattainable prizes in the rigged games. I ate pretty well (brat, beer, Bavarian pretzel and chocolate covered banana -- didn't realize 'til now that there was such a "B" theme to the menu), but the highlight had to have been watching Maddy (the three-year-old) enjoy a pony ride.

The next day I went on base (Ramstein) with Brett and got to see all kinds of big dudes in camo salute him and call him "Sir," which was funny for me. Then we drove about an hour to Trier, the oldest city in Germany. It was an ancient Roman outpost and still has some pretty well-preserved ruins, most notably the Porta Nigra ("Black Gate"). We saw that, the oldest church in Germany and some crumbling Roman baths at the end of a city park. If you want a small taste of Rome, but you're stuck in western Germany, I'd definitely recommend Trier.

After saying goodbye to the Hansens the next morning, I took a short train ride to Paris for the weekend. Here's where the "sports" part of this (long) post comes in. I arrived just in time for Benny-Berthet Day at the French Open tennis tournament. This is the warm-up day after the qualifying matches but before the actual tournament starts. For 19 Euro (a little less than $25), I got admission to storied Roland Garros stadium and was able to walk freely from court to court (I got to 15 before I stopped counting) and watch the pros hit balls and play practice sets against each other. Most of the big names (Nadal, Federer, Murray, Roddick, etc.), had already finished by the time I got there (about 2 in the afternoon), but it was still a trip getting to see the pros up close. After wandering around for a bit I settled at the Center Court (I believe it's Chatrier something) and watched two practice sets. The first was a tight, exciting match-up between France's Gilles Simon (I think he was pretty highly-ranked) and Luxemborg's Gilles Muller. The second was a disappointingly sloppy walk-through between Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti and Robby Ginepri of the USA. Bottom line: Americans are awful on clay, so don't go to Roland Garros to watch them. Still, I left about 7:30 that night feeling liked I'd definitely gotten my money's worth. Then I watched the sunset on the Eiffel Tower from the Trocodero gardens, which is pretty good as far as free attractions go.

I spent my second day in Paris with Luciana Sudre, the sister of my old college roommate, Gustavo, acting as my guide. She's lived in Paris for a while and took me to some of her favorite spots, like the university - Sorbonne - and the Pantheon, where we visited the tombs of writers like Voltaire, Hugo and Rousseau (and also escaped from the sun, which was surprisingly ready to burn the back of my neck). Then we hit Notre Dame, the opera house, the Luxembourg gardens and the Tuileries gardens before the day was out. If that sounds like a busy day, it was. Luciana doesn't mess around.

After that I spent most of Monday taking various trains from Paris to Munich (note to self: next time try to make a reservation on the high-speed train out of Paris more than 15 minutes before it leaves). Munich, like Paris, I had already been to on my earlier trip through Europe, so I tried to discover some new things. I went to the Augustiner Beerhall instead of the Hofbrauhaus. I went north of the city to the BMW museum and the old Olympic park rather than visiting Dachau. And I spent more time walking down side streets and discovering little cafes near my hotel rather than hanging out in Marienplatz (the main square). I found that Munich still had plenty to offer the second time around.

So that's about it. I'm back home in MN now, and planning to drive back to Olathe on Tuesday. Once I get there, I'll try and post some of the choicest photos from the trip. Cheers, ciao, auf weidersehen, au revoir.

My first week in Europe

2009-05-21T03:14:00.001-07:00

After my first week in Europe I'm now back at Brett and Cyndy's place in Germany, glad to be rested, showered and wearing clean clothes.

I started out here last Thursday after flying into Frankfurt, spending my first night in the Hansens' clean, comfortable stone house in the little town of Bann. The next morning I hit the trains to Milan. It was about a seven hour trip altogether, but it flew by. I was going through the forests of southern Germany, the mountains of Switzerland and finally the sparkling lakes of northern Italy, so there was plenty to look at. Plus, the trains were comfortable and uncrowded.

In Milan I met up with Chris Markman at the enormous Milano Centrale, an old, high-ceilinged marble train station that I imagine is like Italy's version of Grand Central. For those of you who know Chris, he says he's doing well and sends his greetings. He looks tired though -- apparently the Church is working him pretty hard, probably to prepare him for when he gets done with seminary and has to hold down two or three parishes by himself.

Our first full day in Milan was devoted to the city center. We saw the main cathedral, which was amazing, Castle Sforesco, which was also pretty cool and La Scala, a famous opera house, which was just OK. There was a rehearsal going on, so they only let us peek in from a glassed-in box way above the stage, and it was dark in there, so we couldn't see much. We also strolled through the famous Vittorio Emmanuele covered shopping complex. It's shaped like a cross with four anchor shops in the center. There's a Prada, a Louis Vuitton, a swank jewelry store and, get this, a McDonald's. At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, the McDonald's just didn't seem to be in the same class as the other three.

Throughout the day we were also able to view the exquisite creatures commonly known as "donne Milanese" or the women of Milan. I could spend all day just watching them walk around. And then spend most of the following day trying to figure out how they squeeze into those jeans.

The next day Chris and I took a short trip out to Lake Como for another kind of natural beauty. Como is a blue jewel set in the foothills of the Alps, with quaint old towns and modern resorts clinging to the green banks all around it. The city of Como is a good place to spend a day, big enough to have a striking cathedral and plenty of gelato shops, but not nearly as crowded and chaotic as some Italian cities. We strolled along the lake, bought a couple of pizzas and then took a boat ride to Bellagio. It was pretty much an excellent, relaxing day, even if we did have to make sure we got Chris back in time to catch his train to Rome.

After seeing Chris off, I spent one night in Como and then jumped on a train for Interlaken, which is smack in the middle of Switzerland. It was a very pleasant trip, with almost constant views of the Alps (except when we were traveling through tunnels underneath them). I passed the time talking to a Swiss girl named Fabiolina, a student from Zurich. And that was also pleasant, even if her English was limited and my German basically non-existent. Tim Keymer, if you're reading, this is where I could have used your help.

Interlaken literally means "between lakes," which is an apt name, because the city lies in a valley between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, with 2,500-meter snow-covered Alp peaks all around it. I took a cable car halfway up one of those peaks to the tiny town of Gimmelwald, which is where I spent the next two nights. I stayed in a hostel and met a lot of friendly people, most of whom were Canadian (apparently the Canadian universities finish up in late April or early May, so their kids are already on their post-college European tours, while the U.S. kids are mostly still taking finals back in the States).

I still like the social aspect of the hostel, but I think I'm getting too old for some of the other aspects (the rock-hard bed, sharing a room with five other people, going down two flights of stairs to get to the bathroom, paying 1 Swiss Franc to take a shower, etc.). Still, it's hard to beat the location of the Gimmelwald hostel, with snowy peaks all around it seemingly so close you could reach out and touch them.

My two days in and around Gimmelwald were mostly devoted to short hikes from one little mountain town to another, watching goats kick and tumble down hills and dunking my head in mountain streams (you get warm hiking around, and it was cheaper than a shower). I took one long hike from the town of Murren down to the valley floor, which was probably biting off more than I could chew. It was almost straight downhill, which is a lot more difficult than it sounds. By the time I got to the bottom my thighs were literally twitching. I've never been so happy to see a city bus.

After three days without showering (you hoard your Francs like gold in Switzerland -- it's an incredibly expensive country) and a full week without trimming my beard, I certainly looked the part of a mountain man (even more than I usually do). No doubt some of the folks on the train back to Germany were wondering just how much time I'd spent up there. But I finally arrived back at Brett and Cyndy's house -- smelly, disheveled and quite furry. Thank God for their hospitality. Another few days of hostel living and I might have looked (and smelled) like a full-on Neanderthal.

On the agenda for my second week:

-- A festival in Kaiserslautern with the Hansens

--The ancient Roman city of Trier

--Paris and a visit with Gustavo (college roommate)'s sister, Luciana.

--Munich and surrounding area

--Fly home (probably dirty, smelly and disheveled again) on May 28.

My next adventure

2009-05-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving tomorrow to spend two weeks in Europe, which, needless to say, is pretty exciting. I had the time of my life when I spent a semester in Italy in 2003 and this will be my first time back.

I'll be visiting my old Cathedral High School friend Brett and his wife Cyndy, and meeting their two little kids, Madison and Hunter, for the first time. Brett's in the Air Force, stationed in western Germany. I'll also be visiting another CHS friend, Chris. Chris is in the seminary in Rome, but we're meeting up in Milan, because neither of us have been there yet. I'm hoping to see Lake Como while I'm there.

The rest of the trip is pretty wide open. I didn't make it to Switzerland last time I was in Europe, so I'm planning on spending a few days in Interlaken (or near Interlaken). My old college roommate, Gustavo, has a sister living in Paris who I may try and visit (I've been to Paris, but it's the sort of place I certainly wouldn't mind visiting again, especially since it's less than three hours by train from Brett's house). If I have a couple free days, I may try to hit up the Romantic Road, which runs through Bavaria (southern Germany).

I'm trying to leave some flexibility just to keep things laid-back. I'll try and blog a couple times while I'm there. In the meantime, here's a list of things I'm looking forward to:

1. Speaking Italian

2. The Swiss Alps

3. Traveling on trains

4. Meeting people in hostels

5. Castles

6. Italian women (two words: Monica Bellucci)

7. German beer halls

8. Brek

9. Haggling with hoteliers/merchants desperate for tourist dollars

10. Deli sandwiches made with the freshest meats/cheeses/breads

11. Gelato

12. 5-euro bottles of house wine

13. Neighborhoods where the newest houses were built in the 1800s

14. Getting another stamp on my passport

15. Two weeks without worrying if there's anything good on TV

What I'm doing with my life (at least next year)

2009-05-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

It's official: I'm Americorps material.

I had my follow-up interview at Madison Elementary in my hometown of St. Cloud, Minn., for the position of Literacy Tutor in the Minnesota Reading Corps. I spent an hour talking to Madison's principal and one other staff member and toured the school. Then I left to run some errands. Within an hour and a half my cell phone was ringing. First it was the principal, offering me the position. Then it was the Central Minnesota Americorps director, asking me where to send the contracts.

As quickly as they offered the job, I accepted it even more quickly.

Why would someone with a bachelor's in journalism and five years' experience in the newspaper industry jump at the chance to make $800 dollars a month in a completely unrelated field? There's a lot of reasons. I like kids and I like reading, and this job involves helping kids in grades K-3 catch up on their reading skills, which sounds like it could be a lot of fun. I've been given a lot in my life and this is an opportunity to give something back. Sixty percent of kids at Madison are on free or reduced-price lunches. Many are immigrants or children of immigrants (the principal estimated that 7 different languages are spoken there). They need a helping hand and if I can give it to them, that would be pretty rewarding.

St. Cloud was basically Lilly-white when I lived there. It's obviously changing a lot, and it will be exciting to delve into the city and really experience those changes first-hand. It will also be nice to spend more time with my parents and Grandma (believe it or not, I'm not dreading moving back in with them at age 27) and my old high school friends, many of whom are only an hour away in the Twin Cities.

But the thing that enticed me most about this position was that they wanted me. The principal and the other staff member I met were both excited and enthusiastic about the prospect of working with me. When they called me back they told me I nailed the interview and they had talked it over and decided they didn't want to interview anyone else. After the past few months, hearing that just felt really good.

The responses I've gotten from the newspapers I've applied at has been much different. I sent out about 10 applications, to places as far-flung as Ames, Iowa; Emporia, Kansas; Bozeman, Montana; upstate New York and Shawano, Wisconsin. I haven't had a single interview. I haven't even gotten a "We received your application, thank you very much" courtesy e-mail. The Ames job was the one I wanted the most, so I sent them two follow-up e-mails. A month later I finally got a response, a mass e-mail saying they'd had 150 applicants in the first 10 days the job was posted and that of course they were not able to grant all of of us interviews. "The position has been filled. Thanks for your interest."

I've gotten tired of the geniuses who tell me I should have known better than to go into newspapers in the first place, that anyone could have seen this coming. I know I'm not supposed to take this personally, but it kind of implies that all the articles I've written over the past five years weren't worth the paper they were printed on. That sure, my writing is OK, but no one's going to pay for it, especially when they can get somebody else's for free on some silly blog (like this one, I suppose, which spurs me to say that if you're reading this in place of a newspaper -- don't. Go out and buy a newspaper as well, because there's much more pertinent information in there).

Most of the journalists I've met have the same motivations. We're not in it for the money, because very few of us get paid much anyway. We're not in it for the fame, because aside from a few well-known columnists, we're all just a bunch of anonymous by-lines. Most of us are in it because we love to write, we love to create something out of thin air, take information people need and craft it into a clear and entertaining package. And we like the idea that once in awhile something we write might touch somebody, change a life, or otherwise make the world a slightly better place. We don't demand much money for this service, but we would like enough to live on.

I'd still like to make a living writing someday, but right now trying to find someone who will let me do that just looks like too much of a miserable, ego-crushing, uphill slog. I think I'm just kind of burned out on the whole newspaper industry and readers who would rather flock to TMZ than pay a measly $2 for the New York Times. So I'll take a year off and see if the industry can sort itself out. In the meantime, if I can teach a few kids to read and maybe even love reading so much that they'll pay a little bit to do it in the future, then so much the better. Basically, it's just nice to feel wanted again.

To Favre or not to Favre

2009-05-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

To a lifelong Vikings fan it seems almost impossible: Brett Favre, the icon of the hated Green Bay Packers, in purple. Yet it seems close to becoming reality, even if it's hard to tell precisely how close. The main figures in the situation - Favre and Vikings coach Brad Childress - have been basically mum, leaving the talking heads on ESPN to speculate without a whole lot of sourcing to back it up (something they have no qualms about). But there seems to be at least a realistic possibility of Favre suiting up for the Vikes next fall.

I've got mixed feelings about it. Early in Favre's career my reaction to him was similar to most Vikings fans: pure, unadulterated bitterness and contempt. As the years passed and Favre kept showing up to play every week with a genuine joy you don't always see in pro athletes, my contempt changed to grudging respect. Then, over the last few years, football fans were inundated by the annual "Will he retire? Will he come back" Favre Watch. Pretty soon it just got annoying and I didn't want to hear another word about him (call it "Favre fatigue").

After all the years, here's what I think about Favre: he's very good, but not as good as he's been made out to be. Yes, he's got a great arm and he's thrown a lot of touchdown passes (464, or about 27 per season). But he's also thrown a lot of interceptions (310, or about 18 per season). For some reason the turnovers have generally been glossed over or even romanticized by the NFL pundits. Where other interception-prone quarterbacks are called "reckless" or "foolish," Favre is usually called a "gun-slinger," "swashbuckler," or just a "good ol' boy tossing the pigskin around in the backyard." The broadcasters' love affair with Favre was almost creepy at times. If he really does un-retire, it's likely John Madden won't be far behind, coming back and telling Favre "I wish I could quit you."

Thos who aren't brainwashed by the "lovable gun-slinger" myth will admit that Favre is turnover prone. But so are the Vikings current quarterbacks, Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. If Favre is healthy he's a major upgrade over either of them because of his ability to thread passes into tight spots or chuck it deep. His presence would also command respect in the locker room and and help keep volatile youngsters like Percy Harvin in line. But "if he's healthy" are the key words in that sentence. Favre was pretty awful over the last half of the 2008 season with the Jets after tearing a tendon in his biceps. He hasn't had surgery to correct the problem and, if the reports are true, and Childress asked for x-rays and MRIs to confirm that the injury actually has healed on its own, that was a smart move on his part.

If Favre is physically sound, the only reservation the Vikes should have about signing him is his motivation. Is he coming back because he's really committed to working hard in training camp, thoroughly preparing for each opponent and being a team leader? Or is he coming back just to play against the Packers twice and stick it to them for pushing him out? You have to wonder why he's specifically seeking out the Vikings and not another relatively strong team with lackluster QBs, like the Tennessee Titans.

You have to be careful about individual agendas in the NFL, especially at quarterback. No other position has as much decision-making autonomy, and if a quarterback is pressing in order to prove a point, it can be disastrous. Before the Vikes sign Favre they need to make sure of two things: his arm is healthy and he's not just looking to exact revenge on the Packers.

The new K is OK

2009-05-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

I got my first look at the Kauffman Stadium renovations Wednesday when I went to watch the Royals play the Mariners. Here's the changes I noticed:

1. The new facade: There's a big, round, glass facade around a good portion of the stadium with a bunch of team offices inside. It looks kind of like a small section of the Sprint Center taken and tacked onto Kauffman. It's a cool architectural feature. Makes the stadium look more modern.

2. Food: There's all kinds of new concession stands, with all kinds of new food. Burnt end and brisket BBQ sandwiches, ribs, loaded nachos, etc. etc. Of course it's all still really expensive. The new menu isn't going to make much of a difference for me. I rarely eat at ballgames or movie theaters cause I just don't like feeling ripped off. I did try the brisket sandwich Wednesday for the sake of the blog (that's what I told myself, truth is I was just hungry) The meat was lean and tender, but the BBQ sauce was pretty bland. It cost $6.50, which I guess isn't that much more than you'd pay at Gates or Jack Stack.

3. More handicapped seating: There's new big patios in the upper deck with more spaces for people in wheelchairs. Having spent a year in a wheelchair myself, this improvement is near and dear to my heart. Kudos.

4. Outfield patios: Without losing the stadium's trademark fountains, the Royals managed to put in a bunch of new decks and porches in the outfield. Some are for private parties, some are general admission. It's added some depth and some uniqueness to the outfield, giving Kauffman more of a distinct look.

5. Jumbotron: I saw this last year, but it's still striking. Really big, really clear, really impressive. They sometimes clutter it up with too many statistics and you have to wonder what the carbon footprint is on something like that. But it's great for replays and there's no denying it's supercool.

6. Bathrooms: They've replaced the urine troughs with individual, partitioned urinals in the men's room, which gives at least a little privacy (Ladies, you've never known the joy of peeing in a trough next to 30 other people. I know you're jealous). The facilities are better, but the floor was still disgustingly wet. I like to tell myself that it's just condensation from the porcelain urinals dripping onto the floor, but that seems unlikely. When you've got a high-pressure stream of urine hitting a hard surface there's going to be a splash factor -- it's just physics. My friend Tim likes to tell a story about when he was at a Twins' playoff game at the Metrodome and the bathroom floor was so wet and slick that little kids were literally running from one end to the other and sliding on their shoes. Gross, I know. It woud be nice if some bathroom renovators would figure out a better drainage system. I didn't get a look at the new women's restrooms, for obvious reasons (the beard probably would have given me away).

All in all, I'd grade the new Kauffman renovations a "B." It's not a huge change, but they managed to spruce things up and still keep most of the place's original flavor. Not sure it was worth the $250 million price tag, but it seems like you have to pay that much just to get the shovels dirty these days.

Would you put your life on the line for a haircut?

2009-05-05T13:21:00.000-07:00

When I was back in my hometown, St. Cloud, Minnesota, last week I went to Bo Diddley's for lunch, because they have the best subs (Lawrence folks may argue for Yellow Sub, but any St. Cloud native appreciates Bo Didd's). When I pulled up I noticed that the barber shop next door had a big sign that said "Concealed Carry Welcome Here."

Now, I understand that the shop owner was trying to make a political statement, sort of a passive-aggressive backlash against all the companies in town that now have signs banning concealed weapons. But, all politics aside, is that really a good business decision? Essentially what he's saying is, "I'd love for you to patronize my business, but if I were you I'd come packing heat, cause you never know what might happen around here."

If you own a grocery store that might be fine. People have to eat, after all. But if it's really that dangerous to get a haircut, aren't people just going to let their hair grow out, or maybe buy a clippers and cut it themselves? I mean, it's somewhat absurd to put your life on the line for a haircut, isn't it?

Husband: Honey, I'm going to get a haircut. In case I don't make it back, I just want you and the kids to know that I love you very much.

Wife: Wait a second, why would you not make it back?

Husband: I fully expect a violent biker gang to burst into the barber shop bent on mayhem and homicide.

Wife: A violent biker gang?

Husband: Yeah, I'm going to the barber shop next to Bo Diddley's and you know how biker gangs love Bo Diddley's. I think it's the buy-one-get-one-free lunch special. I mean, if you've got a gang of 30 hungry bikers, you're talking 15 free subs there.

Wife: I guess. Well honey, if it's that dangerous, why don't you just stay home? Your hair doesn't look that bad anyway.

Husband: No, my dear, now's the time to be brave. I may be putting my life on the line, but let's face it, this haircut is sooo last month.

Wife: Alright, but at least bring your gun.

Kind of absurd, right? And if it really is that rough out there, then where does that leave people like me, who are trigger-finger challenged? Perhaps I can apply for a concealed hand grenade permit.

Softball — It's like baseball, only more fun to watch

2009-05-04T08:32:00.001-07:00

I spent most of the weekend covering the MIAA softball tournament for the Emporia Gazette, which was a lot of fun. Emporia State (the team I was covering) won the championship and I was getting paid to write about sports, which is always nice.

But, all that aside, it was just good to watch some softball. Here's something about watching fastpitch softball that the average sports fan might not know: it's like watching baseball, only better. It's the same basic structure and rules as baseball, but there are a few key differences that make the game more fast-paced and eliminate a lot of those baseball moments where people are just standing around waiting for something to happen.

First of all, the underhand pitching style in softball is a more natural way for a human being to throw. It puts less stress on the shoulder, which allows pitchers to throw longer, which greatly reduces the number of pitching changes. Anyone who has seen a baseball manager go to the mound and bring in a reliever to pitch to just one batter knows how maddeningly boring pitching changes can be. In most softball games there's one for each team, at most.

Secondly, the bases are closer together in softball, which throws all kinds of delightful wrenches into the machine. The infielders have to move in so they'll be able to throw runners out on ground balls and their margin for error shrinks considerably. Bobble a grounder in a baseball game and you'll probably still have time to make the play. Bobble a grounder in a softball game and you've almost surely cost your team an out. That raises the stakes of each batted ball and raises the tension. It also puts a premium on being able to field your position and also back up several other positions. When there's a bunt in softball, the entire infield often has to shift.

Where baseball is more about slugging, softball is often a constant battle between speed and fielding prowess, especially if there are two good pitchers working. A lot more players in the field get involved with each play there's just more movement than at your average baseball game.

Thirdly, (and this has nothing really to do with the game of softball itself, but I'm going to mention it anyway because — whatever, whatever, it's my hot blog, and I'll do what I want!) I generally find women's softball players more attractive than men's baseball players. That's not always the case (I have to admit, Joe Mauer is dreamy), but it usually holds true. Especially with the Emporia State girls, who showed up at the park every day this weekend having obviously showered, done their hair and applied a bit of make-up. Some even wore sparkly earrings. Yet this did nothing to quell their competitive nature, I assure you. It was as if they were saying, "We're going to beat the heck out of you, and we're going to look prettier doing it."

The final advantage that softball has over baseball is that the girls who play just seem to have more fun than the boys do. A lot of baseball players put on this show of being all detached and casual at the ballpark, like, "Well, I guess I'll play baseball today, but only because I'm really good at it. I derive no joy from this, whatsoever. I'm too cool for that kind of emotion."

The Emporia State players made no secret of how much they enjoy softball and each other's company. They got in a circle and danced around before every game, they had a special chant for every teammate when they came up to bat and they did all those little psych-up rituals after each out they made in the field — slapping their gloves, twirling around, pretending to shoot a basketball. If you've never been to a fastpitch softball game it might seem kind of silly, but these girls acted like it was the most natural thing in the world.

They were having fun, and that made it more fun for everyone who was watching. Especially me, I suppose, because I was getting paid to be there.

Bulls vs. Celtics observations

2009-05-01T13:36:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought the first round of the NBA playoffs was worthless this year, I started watching the Bulls and Celtics. It's hard for the NBA to hold my attention, but I've sat through almost three full games (including the overtime Game 6 masterpiece). Since this series has set the record for most overtime games it's started to get all kinds of press from writers much more established than me (Bill Simmons' column on it: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090501&sportCat=nba )

But, for what it's worth, here are my observations on the only first round series worth watching thus far:

1. Ben Gordon and Ray Allen should stage an off-balanced, hand-in-the-face, gotta-have-it, clutch 3-point shooting contest.

2. Glen Davis is actually a serviceable NBA big man now that he can hit a 15-foot jumper consistently. But he needs to stop crying. Seriously, it looks ridiculous when a guy that big cries because he fouled out or someone yelled at him in the huddle.

3. Kendrick Perkins is a waste of space.

4. Joakim Noah is still incredibly annoying. But he always plays hard, and you have to respect that.

5. If Derrick Rose had a better jump-shot, he might be a future Hall of Famer.

6. The Bulls need Kirk Hinrich on the floor more. Rose is a better penetrator and Gordon is a better shooter, but Hinrich is their most complete guard and he's done the best job defending Allen. Of course, the blown lay-up last night probably won't net him any extra P.T.

7. It's fun to play, "Which big man will make a silly face next?" with Kevin Garnett and Brad Miller. Garnett's facial expressions have gotten him more TV time than a lot of the guys who are actually playing.

8. If Rajon Rondo had a better jump-shot, he might be a future Hall of Famer.

9. How can Paul Pierce look so slow and still get seemingly any shot he wants?

10. John Salmons might be the best player no one has ever heard of. Which, after six years in the league, begs the question: when did he get so good?

11. Stephon Marbury might be the worst player everyone has heard of. Which begs the question: when did he get so bad?

12. Seriously, this Rondo vs. Rose match-up is athletically delicious. It's too bad neither of them can shoot.

13. Ray Allen is turning into Jesus Shuttlesworth like 15 years after the movie was made.

14. Thank God that Garnett isn't playing. With him, the Celts would have rolled and we wouldn't have nearly this much drama.

15. Is there any way Game 7 (Saturday) can live up to the first six?

My Sears auto nightmare

2009-04-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

I was all ready to make the trek back to Olathe from my parents' house in Minnesota on Wednesday morning. The car was packed, the dog was ready, the sandwiches to eat on the road were made. Then I found out I had a headlight out.

I debated just letting it go and hitting the road, but rain was falling pretty steadily, so I figured I'd better get it taken care of to avoid getting pulled over. So I dropped the dog back at home and drove to Sears, figuring I could get a new bulb and get it installed there fast.

When I got to Sears they had one of those drive-up auto shops, where you pull your car in yourself. I pulled up and the garage door opened, but there were two cars in front of me, so I just idled in front of the garage for awhile. The door stayed open, stayed open, stayed open, so I figured I was hitting the sensor. The cars in front of me moved, I pulled forward and when I was almost in the garage, I heard a loud crash and a screeching of scraped metal and felt the car shake. The industrial strength garage door had dropped right on the roof of my Toyota Corolla.

Once I cleared the door I quickly put the car in park and hopped out to survey the damage. My first reaction was "God *#%& it, son of a ^&*#@, how does that even happen?" The teenage mouth-breather Sears employee who arrived on the scene's first reaction was "Whoa dude, that sucks." Gee, ya think? The roof was scratched and deeply dented and the antenna busted off.

So the mouth-breather (who was probably also a stoner, given his instinctual, completely inappropriate use of the word "dude") goes and gets his supervisor, a short, wrinkled troll-looking "dude." We spend the next hour and a half filling out incident reports, talking to the other customer who witnessed the whole thing (a nice, older Indian guy named Ramesh -- he pretty much backed everything I said) and waiting for a "loss prevention" Sears guy to come and take pictures. By this time I had also called my dad in from work as reinforcements. I'm going on 28 years old now, but I still feel like a little kid in those kind of situations, afraid I'm going to get taken advantage of.

So while we're waiting on the loss prevention guy, the troll guy starts trying to make small talk, asking me what I do for a living. I tell him I'm a laid-off journalist, which initiates this maddening conversation:

Troll: "Oh, newspaper man, huh?"

Me: "Yeah. At least I used to be."

Troll: "Yep. Looks like newspapers are going the way of the ol' horse and buggy."

Me: "So I'm told." (At this point I'm wondering if this guy is deliberately trying to piss me off).

Troll: "I guess if people were smart, they would have known that these things were taking over the world." (He pats his ancient, yellowed PC, which looks like it couldn't take over a game of minesweeper).

This is the point where the conversation ends because I am so enraged I know that if I open my mouth I'll start screaming. This guy's garage door just crunched my car and now he's giving me a "I just pulled this tidbit of wisdom out of my butt" lecture about why I lost my job? What school of customer service did this genius graduate from? These are the times when I wish God would have left me with at least one middle finger.

Fortunately Dad is there to back me up. Literally shaking with anger, he shoots back, "Yeah, and if people were smart, there'd probably be more cars in this garage too."

Troll: "What do you mean?"

Dad: "I mean, years ago, this garage used to be full every time I came in. Looks like business has fallen off quite a bit."

The troll doesn't really get what he's driving at and launches into some speech about how bad it is for the auto industry all over the place and how GM is shutting down all kinds of dealerships. That's true, but business at most repair shops is actually up, because if people aren't buying new cars, they're generally spending more to repair their old ones. What Dad was driving at, of course, was that business was bad at this particular Sears because the troll and his crack staff were less than competent.

Anyway, we finally got everything settled, although apparently the responsibility is on me to get three different estimates for the repairs and then fax them to Sears. Seems like a lot of my time wasted because of their screw-up. The only good thing I'd have to say about the whole situation is that the loss prevention guy, Derek, actually seemed very smart and sympathetic. Oh, and the headlight got fixed. I finally hit the road, although the loss of my antenna had put my radio reception at somewhere around half-capacity, which is just what you want on an eight-hour drive -- one less entertainment option. Thank God for mp3 players. Anyway, I made it, safe and sound. Here's the proof (I'm holding the antenna):

LeBron and Kobe are ruining the NBA

2009-04-28T18:28:00.001-07:00

After skipping the entire regular season I started watching the NBA again now that the playoffs are on. I've found that I can probably take another month off from it. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have sucked all the suspense out of the league.

LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers swept a suddenly old and feeble Detroit squad, winning every game by at least 11 points. Kobe's LA Lakers lost one game (by two points) to the Utah Jazz, but were never really in trouble. Their four wins also all came by double digits. It's gotten to the point where LeBron and Kobe are almost impossible to guard and it gives the games a boring inevitability.

The Jazz have a 24-year-old kid named Ronnie Brewer who actually looked like he was doing a good job guarding Kobe. He's 6-foot-7, strong and quick, and he generally didn't give up anything easy. But it still seemed like Kobe was just toying with him:

"OK, I'll just dribble over this way for awhile, then cross over and dribble the other way for awhile, now pick it up and give you a couple head-fakes. Wait, you're still here? Alright, guess I'll just rise up over you and hit a 20-foot fadeaway jumper."

No fair, really. Brewer was in his shirt most of the series and Kobe still averaged more than 27 points a game. Something about Kobe rubs me the wrong way. Part of it has to do with that whole "I'll go ahead and commit adultery with some hotel employee I just met and then buy my wife's love back with a giant diamond" thing. Part of it's just that he seems insufferably smug. I'm not a huge fan of his, but I have to admit, the guy is really good.

But LeBron might be even better. He doesn't toy with defenders so much as overpower them. It hardly seems physically possible that a guy that big and strong (6-foot-8, about 265 pounds of mostly muscle) can also be that quick and agile. If you're defending him and he gets one step ahead of you in the lane you've got three choices: let him go, bear-hug him, or get dunked on. Hard. Detroit had no Ronnie Brewer to even make life a little difficult for LeBron. He averaged 32 points, 11 rebounds and 7.5 assists in the opening round of the playoffs, which are numbers that would make Jordan proud.

The individual dominance of Kobe and LeBron is special, but it's not the kind of basketball I like to watch. My favorite basketball team of all-time was the MidAmerica Nazarene University squad that won an NAIA championship in 2007. It was a group of guys who were very skilled, but not athletic enough to take over a game by themselves, so they had to play together, move the ball and trust each other. I vividly remember a play where one of the Pioneers saved the ball under his own basket and it turned into a fastbreak lay-up on the other end after all five players touched it with only one or two dribbles total. That's the kind of basketball that gets my blood flowing, the old "five pistons, firing as one," as they say in the movie Hoosiers.

After just one week of NBA playoffs I'm already tired of watching LeBron and Kobe dominate people one-on-one. There's a reason there aren't a lot of spectators rushing out to watch people play one-on-one: it's boring. Give me some good old-fashioned NAIA ball any day.

Of course, at this rate LeBron and the Cavs and Kobe and the Lakers are on a collision course to meet in the Finals. Now that could be fun, as long as they guard each other (which probably won't happen very often, because they need to conserve energy for the offensive end). My prediction? Cavaliers top the Lakers in seven games. It's LeBron's time, this year and for the foreseeable future. Which means more boring seasons ahead.

Chiefs vs.Vikings drafts: the safe pick vs. the wild card

2009-04-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well, the 2009 NFL Draft is over. No, I did not watch the 30-plus hour, wall-to-wall television coverage (I had some more important stuff to do, like stocking up on surgical masks in advance of swine flu and staring off into space). No, I have not read the bios of all 300-plus players. But if, for whatever silly reason, you want to know what I think about how the Chiefs and Vikings did, read on:

Chiefs

I would grade the Chiefs a “B.” In his first draft with the team GM Scott Pioli appears to have gone for big, solid linemen who will probably remain anonymous to all but the most ardent Chiefs fans, but should be able to do their jobs. Not a lot of flash, but some substance. It worked for him in New England, so it’s hard to second-guess him.

But Pioli’s first choice, taking LSU defensive Tyson Jackson with the third overall pick, is still a bit of a head-scratcher. Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, considered by many talking heads to be the top overall player in the draft, was still available, as was Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree, who was voted the best wide receiver in college football the last two years running.

Curry has perfect size for his position and was the fastest linebacker at the combine (4.56-second forty-yard dash). He’s considered incredibly versatile, which would seem to make him a natural fit for the Chiefs’ upcoming four-linebacker defensive scheme. Crabtree’s numbers were over-inflated in Texas Tech’s “pass-first-and-ask-questions-later” offense, and he’s not super fast or super big for a receiver, but he’s still a stud. He has freakishly long arms, and vacuum-seal hands that don’t let anything escape. Plus, he runs great routes. He may not be the next Jerry Rice, but he could be the next Isaac Bruce, and that ain’t bad.

It’s hard for me to see passing on either of those guys for Jackson. Jackson is a big dude who may turn out to be a great run-stuffer, but he’s relatively slow for a D-lineman (5.00 forty). He’s probably not going to make a lot of plays unless they’re run right at him. Rest assured, if Carl Peterson had made that pick Chiefs fans would be storming Arrowhead Stadium with torches and pitchforks. Pioli’s gets a pass because of his track record, but he’s risking his honeymoon period. Even if he knew Jackson was the guy he wanted most, he should have traded down to get something else in addition to him. Jackson was between 15 and 20 on most draft boards, so Pioli could have dealt down eight or nine picks and still been pretty confident he’d be there. On the plus side, Jackson is by all accounts a high-character guy who attends church religiously (pun intended). And that’s an underrated strength in the NFL.

Kansas City’s other picks are similar – not flashy, but solid. Alex Magee from Purdue is another run-stuffing D-lineman, just a little bit smaller and even slower than Jackson. Donald Washington (Ohio State) looks like a possible steal in the third round – a cornerback who never made many interceptions but has good size and speed for his position. Colin Brown (Missouri) is gigantic, provides much-needed depth on the O-line and some local flavor. Quentin Lawrence (WR, McNeese State) and Javarris Williams (RB, Tennessee State) are reportedly crazy fast, and I like the idea of taking skill players from small colleges late in the draft. They’re often overlooked and underappreciated. If KC gets anything out of Jake O’Connell (TE, Miami of Ohio) or Mr. Irrelevant, Ryan Succop (K, South Carolina), it’s a bonus.

Vikings

I would grade the Vikings a “C,” with the potential to go up or down, depending on Percy Harvin’s urine tests.

Harvin, of course, is the ultra-talented receiver of questionable character who slipped to the Vikes in the late first round. Sound familiar, Vikings fans? Highly-touted wide receiver with crazy stats, a taste for pot and a history of arrogance and poor sportsmanship? Yes, it is a little reminiscent of Randy Moss, except that Moss is 6-foot-4 and Harvin is 5-foot-11. Harvin is undoubtedly a special athlete, but the Vikings should be a little concerned that they might be getting Ted Ginn, Jr. with a bad attitude.

Another fun fact on Harvin, who somehow got into the U of Florida: he scored a 12 on the Wonderlic test, one of the worst marks of any of this year’s draftees. That roughly corresponds to an IQ of 84, which is troubling, but might explain why Harvin smoked pot a few weeks before the combine, at which he knew there would be mandatory drug testing. Genius, Percy, sheer genius. He was also suspended multiple times in high school, once for bumping a football official and once for fighting a basketball opponent. Promising. Harvin might turn out to be an explosive playmaker who keeps his nose clean, or he might turn out to be a cancer. This is the opposite of a nice, safe, Pioli pick.

Harvin’s talent will also afford him a honeymoon period. At his first Vikings’ press conference, the local media seemed charmed by his gaudy, white Miami Vice-style suit and its accessories (“Oh, he wore gator-skin shoes and he was a Florida Gator in college! How cute!”). To me, it seemed like another repulsive “Look at me!” moment from a guy who has a history of them. With no proven, veteran quarterback to keep him in line, Harvin could be trouble. But maybe Adrian Peterson will rub off on him.

Minnesota’s second-round pick, Oklahoma O-lineman Phil Loadholt, looks safer off the field, and should be solid, if unspectacular on it. He’s a giant: 6-foot-8, 340 pounds, and he faced some pretty good D-lineman, like Brian Orakpo of Texas, in his college days. He’s also slower than molasses going up a hill in January (as my friend Greg used to say), but you kind of expect that from a guy his size. With him, Bryant McKinnie and Steve Hutchinson, the Vikes’ O-line should terrorize most defenses with their run-blocking, and terrorize most Old Country Buffetts, as well. Their slowness afoot will leave them vulnerable to pass rushes off the edge, but with Peterson at RB and the two-headed turnover machine of Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson at QB, the Vikes are going to want to keep it on the ground as much as possible anyway.

The Vikings’ other three picks were: Asher Allen (Georgia), an undersized cornerback who says he idolizes Antoine Winfield, which can only be a good thing; Jasper Brinkley (South Carolina), a hard-hitting linebacker with good size and decent speed who seems like a pretty good value for a fifth-rounder and Jamarca Sanford (Ole Miss) a safety who will be lucky to make the team. The Vikes went heavy on the SEC guys, which is a good idea in the early rounds, but you’re probably not going to find many hidden gems from that well-publicized conference in the late rounds.

Allen and Brinkley have potential, though, and Loadholt could end up being a 10-year starter (though probably never a Pro Bowler). But this draft will be remembered for Harvin. That could be a good thing or a really bad thing for Minnesota.

This could be the year for the Royals -- really

2009-04-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

Every spring my Kansas City friends say, "You know, I really think the Royals could get back to the playoffs this year." (I'm paraphrasing, and I still used quotes and I know that's wrong, but come on, it's a blog... lighten up). They're joking, but only half-joking. You can see it in their eyes, that little glimmer of hope that accompanies every April, whether you're a spoiled Yankees fan or a long-suffering Royals fan.

Usually I just nod and smile and say something like, "Yeah, you never know, this could be the year. Stranger things have happened." I don't want to crush that glimmer of hope. Of course, what I'm actually thinking is, "Right, the Royals are in the playoffs this year, just as long as all the other teams come down with five-month dystentary."

But this year, when I say this could be the year, I actually mean it. As of Wednesday, the Royals were in a three-way tie for first place in the AL Central and I actually think that could hold up. The three teams at the top were only 7-6 and I think that sort of winning percentage is probably going to be good enough to stay in the race. Win 85 games and you've got a real chance to take the division this year. Win 90 and you're in really good shape.

There's no dominant team in the Central this season. Every squad has flaws. The Twins were picked by many pundits to win it, and, though I'd love to see it happen, I have my doubts. The Twins have five solid starting pitchers, but no dominant ones (unless Francisco Liriano returns to his pre-reconstructive elbow surgery form, which is kind of like asking Hendrix to be the same guitarist after breaking all his fingers.). The Twins also have bullpen questions (aside from Joe Nathan) and not a lot of power in the lineup. Maybe I'm overly pessimistic about them right now because, as I write this, they're getting blasted by the Red Sox. But I just don't see them dominating this division.

Of course, the Twins could still end up on top because no other Central team is particularly scary either. The White Sox have power hitters and a couple good starters, but their on-base percentage could be dismal this year. The Tigers have bought themselves a loaded offense, but haven't proved they can pitch and field consistently enough to be a playoff team. Cleveland has no starting pitching beyond Cliff Lee, who is flaming out like Britney Spears so far this year.

That leaves the Royals, and while they still have weaknesses, they're not nearly as glaring as they used to be. They're still power-starved, but signing Mike Jacobs has helped. He had four homers in his first 13 games as a Royal and, even if his batting average falls below .250 like last year, he'll still be a bargain. The Royals smartly bought power at a time when it had gone out of vogue, getting a 30-homer guy like Jacobs for $3.275 million per year (yes, that's considered a bargain now for a Major League power hitter and yes, that's fairly ridiculous to anyone who has a real job).

Bringing in Coco Crisp was another savvy move. Not only does he have an adorable name that the Kauffman kiddies will love, he also makes KC's outfield defense doubly better. He shores up the centerfield spot and also frees up David DeJesus to go to one of the corner spots, where he's well above average.

So the Royals have some power, but not as much as the White Sox or Tigers. They've improved their fielding, but they're still not up to the Twins' standard in that category. The Royals have something that no one else in the Central has, though: Gil Meche and Zack Greinke. Unless Lee recovers his Cy Young form, they look like they might be the best two starting pitchers in the whole division, and they happen to play for the same team. Right now it looks like no one else in the Central will have a 1-2 punch as good as Meche/Greinke.

I'll be the first to admit I was skeptical when the Royals signed Meche for more than $11 mill. per year. I figured they'd grossly overpaid for a guy who'd only once had an ERA better than 4.48 in six seasons with Seattle. I'll be the first to admit he's proved me wrong. His first two seasons with KC his ERA was 3.67 and 3.98. In his first three starts this season it's 2.25 and he's striking out more than four batters for every one he walks. He looks like a true ace, and yet he hasn't been KC's best pitcher in the first few weeks of 2009.

That honor goes to Greinke, who has been the best pitcher in all the Majors. He's 3-0, has not given up a single run and is striking out more than a batter per inning. His stuff is dominant -- mid-90s fastball with multiple above average breaking pitches -- and he's only 25. I watch Meche's success with a little bit of resentment, because he's making me look foolish for doubting him. But I can't be anything but happy for Greinke. The struggle with depression that nearly derailed his career is well-documented and seeing him overcome it so decisively is inspiring. Watch enough of his interviews and you get the impression he's a really thoughtful guy with a clever, dry sense of humor (for a list of quippy Greinke quotes, check out this site, after you're done reading my blog, of course: http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?p=5656495 ).

With Meche and Greinke pitching back-to-back, the Royals have a special slump-stopper. Every other team in the Central is likely to have a five-game losing streak at some point in the season. The Royals may not, simply because Meche and Greinke aren't likely to lose back-to-back games very often. That alone could be the difference in a division race that looks wide-open and likely to be tight.

Let's just say the Royals take advantage of the weak division and make the playoffs. Now let's get crazy. Who's to say KC can't win the whole thing? As a team the Royals are set up even better for the playoffs than the regular season. They can pitch guys on short rest and set up a three-man rotation of Meche, Greinke and Kyle Davies. That way, if a series goes seven games, the Royals have Meche or Greinke on the hill for five of them. Davies, though a bit overshadowed, has been no slouch himself this season, with a three-start ERA of 2.89. With that kind of starting pitching the Royals should be in every game, and would just need a couple timely hits to win.

There probably aren't a whole lot of ESPN-types ready to call the Royals a darkhorse World Series team, but I'll go there. This could be the year. Stranger things have happened. And I'm not just saying that -- this year I actually mean it.

The right way to give Vick a second chance

2009-04-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last week my brother Dan suggested that our beloved Minnesota Vikings should sign Michael Vick, the former Pro Bowl quarterback who had just been released from Leavenworth penitentiary (in case you've recently developed amnesia, he was convicted of running a large dog-fighting ring).

I disagreed.

What followed was a multi-hour, multi-venue argument (if you're familiar with the Marso Brothers, you know this is not a particularly rare occurrence). As usual, I'm not sure I really expressed my side of the argument very well in the heat of the moment, so here's my attempt to express it more clearly.

First of all, I don't think that Vick is the worst human being in the world, as the militant wing of PETA would have everyone believe. I love dogs, but I don't equate abusing dogs with violence against humans. There's a lot of other pro football players who have done worse in my eyes, like Rae Carruth (murder), Ray Lewis (assault) and Pacman Jones (part of a shooting that left a man paralyzed). Also, Vick was brought up in a rough part of Virginia where human life was relatively cheap, so maybe it shouldn't be terribly surprising that he didn't respect canine life.

That being said, the environment you grow up in and the fact that people you work with are doing horrible things don't excuse your own misdeeds.

Dan's main argument was that Vick has served his time and it's unfair to bar him from pro football, his main source of income. That makes sense to me on a lot of levels. If Vick was a plumber, an electrician, or even a journalist I would say sure, let him have his job back. But I have a problem with letting him be a high-profile NFL player a few months after he was enclosed in one of the most godforsaken places with some of the most anti-social people in the world.

My problem is this: pro athletes are public figures and kids look up to them.

When I was eight years old I got Gary Gaetti's autograph at a Twins game. My parents took a picture of me in my little Twins shirt and hat, staring up at a big, broad-shouldered Major League third baseman. You can see it in the eyes of that little kid in the picture: Gaetti's not a human being to him, he's a superhero.

It's not realistic, of course, to expect pro athletes to be superheroes. But I think we can expect them to follow the law. We need them to follow the law, because a huge part of pro sports is public relations. The more awful pro athletes act off the field, the less likely people will be to pay to watch them, especially in the current economic climate. And let's face it, they've been acting pretty awful lately. There's a reason “you can't spell felony without NFL” has become a popular joke.

I love sports, and I want to see them thrive. Which makes my first instinct to say let's get guys like Vick, Carruth, Lewis and Jones out, and out for good. There's plenty of law-abiding college players who would love to take their jobs. I also think it sends a bad message to kids to essentially say, “It doesn't matter what you did, if you're talented enough you can have your job back as soon as you get out of the pen.”

On the other hand, Dan also said that people deserve second chances and that our justice system is supposed to be about rehabilitation and not just punishment. All of which makes perfect sense to me (as it turns out, my bro makes a lot of good arguments).

So here's my dilemma. I think character counts in sports, and we have a responsibility to make sure our nation's kids have good role models. Like it or not, pro athletes are role models. On the other hand, I agree with Dan, in that we need to give Vick and others like him a path to redemption. It's the human thing to do.

So here's my proposal, specifically for the NFL: every player who commits a felony must complete a one-year rehabilitation program before they take the field. They must sign for the league minimum (still a generous, six-figure salary) and can only participate on the practice squad. At the same time they must perform a set amount of supervised community service – say 500 hours – to prove they can be positive role models.

That way, they can come back to the league, but they have to earn their way back. They're public figures, so they have to re-earn the public trust.

That's what I would have said to Dan regarding Mr. Vick, if I'd taken the time to organize my thoughts properly. I don't want to see him on the field in Viking purple this coming fall. But, given a year of exemplary behavior, he might change my mind.

The shortest dog haircut in history

2009-04-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

This is only my second post and I'm already straying from my sports theme. But this was just too funny to exclude from the Internets/web-o-spheres/series of tubes. On Wednesday I took my dog, Baxter, to get a haircut. I had let his hair get pretty long and he was starting to get overheated easily (he's part Lhasa Apso, which is a breed native to Tibet, so even the 75-degree days we've been having in KC lately are a little warm for him).

When I found out they were going to charge me $40 at Petsmart, I told them to cut it really short. I figured that way it would at least be awhile before I had to plunk down $40 again for another dog haircut. The result is a bit ridiculous.

Baxter before haircut:

Baxter after haircut:

Now that is SHORT. It's the kind of haircut that makes me wonder if dogs have any self-awareness. Does Baxter know how ridiculous he looks? Does he feel self-conscious when we go for walks and the other neighborhood dogs see him like this? Does he realize that the haircut has revealed that he has a really small head?

The poor guy seems to be shivering a lot, so hopefully it will warm up soon or I might have to get him one of those ridiculous sweaters, which will make him look even more pitiful.

Anyway, so there's a non-sports post for you. I'll try to tie it to sports, though. My next post will be about the most famous dog-abuser in human history, Michael Vick.

Sometimes it's good to get left out of the NCAA tourney

2009-04-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

Missing out on the NCAA tournament this year may end up being the best thing that could have happened to the Kansas women's basketball team. Everybody wants to play in the Big Dance, of course, but the Jayhawks' run to the WNIT championship felt like the start of something special. I was at the title game at Allen Fieldhouse, one of the 16,113 fans who set a Big 12 women's basketball attendance record.

I was also at the semifinal game three days earlier. It was the first time I'd been to consecutive women's games, but it probably won't be the last. The Jayhawks lost in the championship to a poised, veteran South Florida squad 75-71, but the experience was well worth the $8 price of admission. When Kansas cut a big deficit to one possession late in the game, the near-capacity crowd was on its feet and the scoreboard's decibel meter briefly topped 100 – a noise level comparable to a rock concert.

South Florida called timeout, and the P.A. system started blaring ACDC's “Thunderstruck,” with thousands of people chanting along. It was a spine-tingling, goosebump-raising moment usually reserved for football or men's basketball games against big rivals. As we trudged back to the parking lot after South Florida hung on, any disappointment soon faded.

“That was the most fun I've ever had at a women's basketball game,” my younger brother, Dan, said. “And they lost.”

No doubt many other people who were there felt the same way. The KU women came close to duplicating the men's basketball atmosphere, and for a fraction of the cost to the fans. At least some of those fans are likely to come back for more next fall, and there's reason to believe the women can win enough games keep them coming.

This year's squad loses just three seniors: Katie Smith, Marija Zinic and Ivana Catic. Smith and Zinic rarely got off the bench. Catic was a starter, but probably only because highly-touted freshman Angel Goodrich tore her ACL in October, just before the season opener. Catic was a heady point guard with a big heart, but Goodrich, a high school All-American from Oklahoma, should have little problem replacing her athletically and statistically. She was cleared for full participation April 15 after knee surgery and six months of physical therapy.

The Jayhawks should be able to bring Goodrich along slowly next year, considering the veteran group they've got coming back. Two returning starters, Danielle McCray and Sade Morris, will be seniors. The other two, Nicollette Smith and Krysten Boogaard, will be juniors.

Boogaard is a 6-foot-5 center who can be a dominant force on the occasions when she decides to hit the glass hard and go up strong around the basket. Smith is the rare 6-foot-2 women's player who can light it up from 3-point range, though she's been streaky her first two seasons. Both may find it hard to hold on to their starting spots with freshman Aishah Sutherland, an irrepressible 6-foot-2 uber-athlete, coming on strong. Sutherland runs like a gazelle, consistently makes 15-foot jumpers and reportedly can dunk. She had 12 points and 9 rebounds in the WNIT championship.

Morris and McCray – known somewhat confusingly as 'De and 'D' to their teammates – may be the best tandem in the Big 12 next year. Morris is a long, lean guard with sweet mid-range shooting touch who averaged 12.7 points and was the Jayhawks' top perimeter defender this season. McCray has established herself as quite simply one of the best college players in the country. She averaged 21.6 points and 7.7 rebounds on the season, set the WNIT scoring record, was named First Team All-Big 12 and honorable mention All-America.

McCray is 5-foot-11, muscular and can shoot the 3. Too quick for most interior defenders and too strong for most perimeter defenders, she's a match-up nightmare and should be on everyone's short list for 2009-2010 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year.

Aside from Morris, McCray and Goodrich, the Jayhawks will also have athletic point guard LaChelda Jacobs and capable outside shooter Kelly Kohn to provide backcourt depth. With seven of their top eight players set to return, the Jayhawks will bring back as much talent as any of the six teams that finished ahead of them in the conference this year. Competing for a Big 12 championship doesn't seem out of the question.

It will be a crucial season for coach Bonnie Henrickson. She's taken some heat for having a big contract and not getting the team into the NCAA tourney, but it's still only her fifth year, which means she's only recently gotten to work with players who were all recruited by her. It's been two steps forward and one step back for much of her tenure, but some of the hardships, like Goodrich's injury, have been out of her hands.

Henrickson is building a strong recruiting presence in eastern Kansas, finally drawing some of the state's top talent away from Kansas State. McCray was a product of Olathe East and high-potential Lawrence High forward Tania Jackson will be a KU freshman next year. Henrickson is also a solid game coach. Her three top scorers – McCray, Morris and Boogaard – were in serious foul trouble against South Florida, but Henrickson juggled her line-up and had them all available to make that thrilling run late in the game.

Even though that run came up short, it's hard to overstate how important it was. Getting blown out at home in front of 16,000 fans would have been devastating. Instead those fans got a little taste of what it's like to watch a close, hard-fought, meaningful women's game. For many of them, it might be just an appetizer.

It's doubtful this new fan support would have materialized if Kansas had climbed out of the bubble and crept into the NCAA tournament. Realistically, the Jayhawks might have won one game in the NCAAs, maybe two if everything aligned in their favor. They really weren't ready, as their struggles against ranked teams showed. Instead they got the experience of playing five must-win games in 12 days. They got to play four of those games at home, which would not have happened in the NCAAs.

The Kansas women still have to follow up on it next year. But the stage is set, and it's all because the Jayhawks got left out of the NCAA tournament. They may be the best advertisement for the WNIT in that tournament's history.