Lindsay's come back to me

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