Ramblings
By Tom Grout
January 21, 2008
-We now have our two Super Bowl teams and it’s the Patriots, which is now surprise, and the Giants, which is a little surprise.
Watching the Packer/Giant game reminded me of the Vikings games of old with the below zero temperatures. I remember going to one of those cold games once at the old Met. We sat in the upper deck with the wind blowing straight at us. Even though we were dressed for it we froze. The highlight of that game was meeting Karl Kusulke in the parking lot before the game. He was sitting in his wheel chair waiting for somebody so we visited a little bit. He was one of my favorites and I will never forget his hit on Greg Landry the Lion quarterback.
I was disappointed in the Packers though as they let a New York team beat them in the cold. In fact the Giants looked like they adapted to the cold better than the Packers.
The Giants in the Super Bowl is a little surprise as they have had an up and down season. I mean the Vikings even beat them and beat them pretty good to. But the Giants were one of the hottest teams coming into the play-offs and that’s what you want your team to be. Let’s hope they can go on and beat the Patriots who didn’t look all that good yesterday.
-I don’t know about you but when the Wild go into a shoot out and Backstrom is the goalie, I know the Wild will lose. He is a good goalie during the game, but he is not good in the shoot out. Manny Fernandez was the best at the shoot out because he was a more athletic goalie than Backstrom. I’m not sure that Josh Harding has done a shoot out yet so I’m not sure how good he is, but Backstrom really struggles in the shoot out.
-The Twins signed Justin Morneau before is arbitration case. It buys them some time to sign him long term. I hope Bill Smith doesn’t dink around to long to get him signed up, but signing him now shows they are willing to spend some of that money they have been saving. Rincon signed to and reports are he is a closer down in the winter leagues and his arm seems to be back so that is good to. Now they need to get Cuddyer signed and Gurreier. As a friend of mine said, “Give the guy a blank check.” He said this about Gurreir as be really stepped it up when people got hurt last year. He actually could be a starter if they would give him the chance.
-Does anyone out there miss having the dimmer switch on your car down on the floor by your foot like it used to be? My foot is usually down in that area anyway and I have found that I forget to switch it off with it up on the steering wheel. I think there are too many things on the steering wheel now, when I try to hit one thing everything else goes off. I’m clumsy that way. With you foot on the dimmer you won’t have to have your hand leave the wheel so wouldn’t it be safer? Maybe not.
Hey Tom!
Now that we're talking about playing in below zero temps, what's your opinion about Minnesota building an outdoors park?
And yes, I miss the foot switch on the floor. It was cheaper to replace!
Take care buddy,
Bill
If the Vikings had _any_ self respect, they WOULD have an outdoor stadium constructed. After all, football is a sport that was/is intended to be subject to the elements.
Remember the game (Buffalo/Miami?) where they brought out the snow blowers to see the field markings? (by the way, one of the all time blunders in officiating at any level)
The Vikes could restore a lot of interest for their team in an outdoor arena, although most wussies are probably going to demand that a roof be attached in one form or another.
Football is _about_ outdoors and defense. Let's see if Zygi can pull this one off!
Call me a wussie, a guy has to have his head examined to pay hundreds of dollars to attend a game that he can't see through his fogged up glasses and can't sit down because he'd get too cold. I want a dome even moreso when it's 95 degrees. At least you can dress to get warm but you can't dress to get cool. The first 4 events I attended in the Metrodome had it raining outside the whole time. I'm not going to take and set-aside an entire day to go to a game just to have it cancelled or to be miserable. But I don't think they're worried about my dollar anyway so I guess Zygy can build it anyway he wants. As for the dimmer switch, I prefer the floor. I got in my daughter's car this weekend and went to dim the lights on the column and got the windshield cleaner and wiper instead. It was embarassing as she was with me and never let me hear the end of it all weekend.
Hey Bill how ya doin? I'm not for an outdoor stadium for the Vikings only because the Metrodome is still there and was made for football. Why spend more money for a stadium when we have a good football stadium already. When the Twins are out of it they can restructure some of the inside to make it even better. For the Twins I want a retractable dome. Like Randy said, too many times with the old Met we had tickets to a game only to have it rained out. Then you had to go to the game to get the rain check. Keep up the comments guys, I love it.
I concur that the Vikes should play indoors. Actually, I won't go to any Vikings games anyway for 2 reasons. One, way too expensive and two, at least when I'm watching them on TV and I get completely frustrated I can walk away and do something else...or change the channel.
I will go to some Twins games outside. An article in the Strib today said that the cheap tickets will be $10-$12. I can handle that and my family will enjoy baseball in the heat.
I'm also starting to get cranked up for the new Gopher's outdoor football stadium. I will have to go to a game or two there also. If someone wants their "outdoor football fix", there you go.
I really don't miss the foot high-beam switch because more times than not, when I needed to use it I couldn't find it and the driver of the car coming at me would flash me telling me to turn my high beams off, he would blind the crud out of me and then I'd finally hit the switch after he went past.
What I do miss is when I go from the car with the radio controls on the steering wheel to the one that doesn't. Then I have to actually reach over and turn the radio up and down using the knob. Isn't that terrible? Poor me.
Also....I know I'm getting old. It drives me nuts when I get in one of our cars and the wife has changed the radio to her music channel. I say I'm old, cuz I haven't listened to a music station in years. I have no desire to do so. I've joined the ranks of talk radio, almost exclusively KFAN.
I remember being younger and living at home and all of my "old" friends always listened to KFGO. I told myself "I'll never listen to exclusively talk radio." Ha.
For the Twins I wouldn't mind an outdoor stadium as I can go if I know the weather is going to be nice and you can always scalp good tickets for the Twins.
One thing I always hate on my pickup is forgetting to shut off my truck when filling with gas and then having that darn exhaust system light come on and stay on until I take it in. I guess filling while running the engine throws off the engine vaccuum and the light comes on. I hate that light.
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