Bill Halter's Blog on KFYR-TV North Dakota's NBC News Leader

Bill Halter
bhalter@kfyrtv.com

LeBron James: Destination Miami
11-13-09

On Thursday LeBron James and the Cavs played Dwyane Wade and the Heat. Next year I believe James and Wade will be teammates in Miami.

The only teams that will have enough salary cap room to sign LeBron this offseason are New Jersey, New York and Miami. Cleveland can also resign James because a team doesn`t have to worry about the cap when resigning one of it`s own players. The only option another team would have to acquire King James is working out a sign and trade. I can`t envision a scenario in which Cleveland would trade James and so I am going to rule out that possibility.

That means James will likely play for one of four teams next year. If the Cavs win the championship this season or come very close LeBron will probably resign with them. I don`t think the Cavs are capable of a title run and so after the season James will likely look at a roster without a lot of promise and without any means of making major improvements (in the draft, with a trade, or in free agency) and decide it is time to move on. The Nets have the most salary cap space and a decent young core with Devin Harris, Brook Lopez and what will likely be a top-5 pick in the draft. LeBron`s friend Jay Z is a part owner in New Jersey but I don`t think that is intriguing enough for the man that wants to become a Global Icon. The Knicks have the biggest market in the league but the roster is in shambles and I doubt LeBron would have interest in playing with a team that wouldn`t offer him any help.

That leads to Miami and playing alongside a guy that would give him a lot of help in Wade. Wade is also going to be a free agent but the Heat could sign James and then resign him. James and Wade would be the best duo in NBA history, along with Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers it would probably be enough to win a championship next year. In folllowing years the Heat would have no problem adding players with the mid-level exception because players would want to hitch onto the James-Wade freight train.

It is clear that LeBron plans on testing the market this offseason and he made a recent comment saying, "At the end of the day, a max deal doesn`t really matter. It is all about winning to me. When that day comes next summer, I want to win. If I feel like the team is capable of winning, then I will make my decision based on that." Dwyane Wade said the two have talked about forming "a mega-tandem."

At the end of the season when Wade and James are watching two other teams play in the NBA Finals I think a conversation will take place along the lines of, "Hey, lets team up and dominate the league for the next six years?" I don`t think ego`s will be an issue in this case because Wade takes me as the kind of guy that will be happy to differ to LeBron as the best player as long as they are winning and he is getting enough shots. And no player in the league is better at getting people shots than LeBron James.

Overwhelming Joy and a Little Bit of Sympathy:A Recap of Vikings vs Packers
11-02-09

I have cheered for the Vikings and against the Packers since I stopped wearing pullups, and because of that, I am a happy man right now. Not only are the Vikings in good shape with a 7-1 record but they just beat Green Bay for a second time with Brett Favre throwing four touchdown passes in his return to Lambeau. It`s a double whammy, Minnesota has pretty much locked up the NFC North AND Packers fans are in disarray because their guy is sticking it to them. However in my unbridled joy I have a small amount of compassion for the Packers faithful. I mean you want your rivals to suffer a little bit but what is going on in Green Bay right now might be a bit much.

The Packers have one of the most delusional fan bases in the country and Favre was the most popular player in franchise history. Favre had gotten to the point where he could have lit Green Bay`s city hall on fire and the town would have looked the other way. He was the fun loving quarterback that played like a kid and enjoyed the game more than any other player. In the eyes of Packers fans the adulation given by every announcer was well deserved and in no way obnoxious. On the other side of the fence Packers fans have been tormented by #4 and now the announcers are annoying, the refs are biased and Favre`s celebrations are ridiculous.

What really makes me feel sorry for Packers fans though is that once again Aaron Rodgers did just enough to keep the teams followers convinced that he is a good enough quarterback to do what Favre did and lead Green Bay to the Super Bowl someday. Rodgers showed flashes of brilliance in the game and put up a good stat line, (26-41, 287-yds, 3-TD`s). But he took 6-sacks because he doesn`t realize the pocket won`t hold up forever and he didn`t make the big plays when his team really needed them in the 4th quarter. Consider this, in 23 NFL starts Rodgers is 2-9 in games decided by 7-points or less. Good numbers get you big contracts but don`t tell the whole story on a player. I realize that for the sake of sanity Packers fans have convinced themselves that having Aaron Rodgers locked up for another five years at $11-million a season is a great thing and the first step towards success but deep down in the subconscious I think the fans realize that Rodgers doesn`t have what it takes. I mean, Green Bay fans know what a championship level quarterback looks like, they had one for 16-years.

Comments: bhalter@kfyrtv.com

Now is the Time for the Twins
10-20-09

The first thing that needs to be done this offseason is resigning Joe Mauer. He has one year left on his contract but for many different reasons an extension needs to be reached before the 2010 season. Offer him a 7-year, $200-million dollar deal and get it over with.

For about ten years the Twins organization said they needed a new stadium and if they got one they would raise the teams payroll. Well next year the Twins move into Target Field and so it is time to start spending some money and give the team a chance to win the World Series.

The Twins enter the offseason with question marks at 2nd base, shortstop, 3rd base, left field and starting pitcher. Nick Punto will likely fill one of the middle-infield spots and then between Matt Tolbert, Brendan Harris and Twins prospect Danny Velencia, 3rd base should be respectable. That leaves left field, a middle infield spot and starting pitcher as needs. Minnesota could address those issues by continuing to start Delmon Young, resigning Orlando Cabrera at short and resigning Carl Pavano to be one of the teams starters. That`s what the typical Twins organization move would be but that would not put the team in position to have a chance at winning a title.

What Minnesota needs is a number-1 starting pitcher. Those are hard to come by and there won`t be any aces available in free agency which means the only way they can acquire a frontline pitcher is by trade. Most teams aren`t looking to deal a dominant starting pitcher but Toronto is. At the trade deadline the Blue Jays publicly stated they were shopping Roy Halladay. One of the hang ups for a lot of teams that talked with Toronto about a Halladay deal is that the Jays also wanted teams to take Vernon Wells and the remaining 5-years and $98-million on his contract. It is very unrealistic to think the Twins would take on Wells but this offseason with the Jays staring at the thought of losing Halladay for nothing maybe they can work a deal that doesn`t involve Wells. Halladay has one year left on his contract.

Lets say the Twins could get the 32-year old Halladay for Jose Morales, Brian Duensing and two of the teams top pitching prospects. Then they took care of the middle infield issue by resigning 34-year old (SS) Orlando Cabrera or by signing 32-year old (2B) Freddy Sanchez. Minnesota`s payroll would be about $85-million next year. Then in 2011 after Mauer`s new deal kicked in and the new contract they signed Halladay too the payroll would go up to around $110-million. $110-million is less than what the Tigers payed this year and if Detroit can pay that so can Minnesota.

The Pohlad family can spend as much as they want on payroll, it is their team. But if they continue to pinch pennies and refuse to fill gaping holes on the team they shouldn`t try to sell fans on the concept that they are trying to win a championship. I realize the Twins have won the Central Division five times in the last eight years but they are 6-18 in the playoffs during that stretch. The Central is a bad division and if the Twins were in the American League East instead of the Orioles over the last eight years, 2006 is the only season they would have made the playoffs.

The Twins are not close to winning a World Series with the team they have but now is the time. The new stadium is here, so up the payroll.

A One-Game Playoff for the Chance to be a HUGE Underdog
10-5-09

For the second straight season, the Twins will play a 163rd game to decide the American League Central champion. If the Twins beat the Tigers on Tuesday, it will set up a match-up with the Yankees, that on paper, looks like one of the biggest mismatches in playoff history.

1. The Twins payroll is $65-million, the Yankees is $202-million.

2. The Twins won 86-games playing in baseball`s worst division, the Yankees won 103-games in the best division.

3. The Twins were 0-7 against the Yankees this year.

4. The Yankees are healthy where as the Twins are without their 2nd best player in Justin Morneau and one of their best pitchers in Kevin Slowey. Also Minnesota`s starting 3rd baseman Joe Crede is out.

5. The Yankees three best starting pitchers (C.C. Sabathia, Andy Pettite and A.J. Burnett) all had better seasons than Twins ace Nick Blackburn.

6. The Twins starting lineup has two players (Nick Punto and Matt Tolbert) batting .228. Every starter in the Yankees lineup is batting .274 or better except for Nick Swisher who is hitting .249 but Swisher has 29-homeruns.

7. Speaking of homeruns the Yankees hit 242 of them this year compared to 165 for the Twins. 45 of those long balls belong to Justin Morneau and Joe Crede.

8. The Yankees have home field advantage meaning games 1,2 and 5 will be played in New York. The Yanks are 57-24 at home, the Twins are 38-43 on the road. Plus for game-1 on Wednesday the Twins won`t arrive in New York until around 2:00 in the morning.

Fortunately games aren`t played on paper.

Vikings Preview
09-11-09

I haven`t been this excited for a Vikings season since 2002. The return of E.J. Henderson and the arrivals of Brett Favre and Percy Harvin have me once again convinced that the Purple People Eaters can win the Super Bowl.

Henderson might be the teams best defensive player but missed most of last season with toe injuries. The offense will have a new dynamic weapon in Harvin who will be used in a variety of ways and might be the favorite for offensive rookie of the year. Favre is a huge wild card because of questions concerning his durability but the one thing missing from the Vikes since Daunte Culpepper used to be good has been a quarterback that can make plays. Favre should be able to make throws short and long, plus he is a savvy veteran and should be able to handle various defensive looks and occassionally lead a game winning drive.

However the Vikings need to be willing to bench Favre if it is warranted. Favre is the most confident player I have ever seen which can be good at times and devastating at times. Last year Favre was brilliant for the Jets until the last six games when his arm was injured. Had the Jets been willing to bench him and end the consecutive games streak they could have possibly still made the playoffs. When things go bad for Brett Favre they go really bad and if his performance is derailing the season Brad Childress has to be willing to go back to the original options of Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson.

Here`s to another season of optimism, hopefully it doesn`t end like the previous 48 have for the Vikings franchise.

Explaining the Brett Favre Madness Through Analogies
08-21-09

*Brett Favre has signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
-This is like Ted Williams playing for the Yankees or Larry Bird playing for the Lakers.

*Three weeks after saying he wasn`t going to come out of retirement because he didn`t think he could physically do it, Favre joins the Vikings after Coach Childress calls him asking if he wants to reconsider his decision.
-It was like a person looking at a house for three months, taking out a loan to buy it, and then deciding he didn`t want it only to have his mind changed three weeks later while watching an episode of "Home Improvement."

*During the press conference Favre didn`t smile, looked liked he had just gotten done crying and said one of the reasons he came back was because his daughter wanted him to play.
-It is like asking a women to marry you two weeks after your last shave with a cut off shirt on and no emotion on your face because your friends like looking at her when they are over playing video games.

*The Vikings gave a two-year, $25 million contract to a 39-year-old quarterback with a tear in his rotator cuff who led the league in interceptions last year.
-This desperation is comparable to a girl asking a guy to come up to her apartment after a first date, in which the guy didn`t open a single door, didn`t pay for anything, conducted a fantasy football draft with his friends via text messaging at the dinner table, puked in her face and told her she looked like Abe Vigoda.

*During summer workouts and the first three weeks of training camp Sage Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson were competing to be the Vikings starting quarterback. The day Favre was signed he was declared the starter.
-This is like the television show the "Bachelor" getting narrowed down to the final two participants who have poured their hearts into the show and have professed their love to the Bachelor only to have him bring in a prostitute at the last minute to give the final rose to.

It has been an absolute circus, but as a lifelong supporter of the purple and gold, I am all for it. I have been through Darren Nelson dropping a pass in the end zone that would have tied the NFC championship, I watched as the Vikes put together one of the most dominant regular seasons of all-time only to lose a home game to the 13-point underdogs from Atlanta in the playoffs. I witnessed the Giants stomping my favorite team 41-donut in a game to go to the Super Bowl and the Cardinals scoring on the final play of the season to keep them out of the playoffs. I can handle putting the hopes to this entire season on the repaired arm of the guy that was my least favorite player for 16-years.

The Trade Deadline is Approaching, What Should The Twins do?
7-27-09

Twins fans are restless with the franchise`s reluctance to make an acquisition to help the team compete for a World Series. For nine seasons in a row, the Twins have fielded a competitive team with likeable players, but they have never really gone for it. Despite all the success since 2001 (seven winning seasons and four central division titles) the organization has never put a complete team together that had a legitimate chance of winning a World Series. Minnesota has been unwilling to trade away prospects for a guy that could help immediately and they have refused to pay big money to retain their own players or to get a free agent.

I want to see Twins ownership step up and spend some money to give the team a chance, but not this year. The Twins are only four games back of first place Detroit but they have far too many holes to be considered a contender this year even if they did add another player or two. I am certainly in favor of a deal that brings in a player with multiple years left on his contract but there is no reason to give anything away this season for a short term player. The Twins have the 9th best record in the American League and have six players on their active roster batting below .242 right now. Of those six players only Joe Crede has more than two homeruns.

Nick Blackburn is the Twins best starting pitcher but he would be the number-3 guy for the Tigers and the 3rd or 4th starter for the Yankees. The middle relievers are not good and the team doesn`t do the little things very well to make up for some inadequacies like they used too.

This offseason is when I want the Twins to get aggressive but with the new ballpark opening up the Twins are going to sell out all of their games for at least one year so they might not have a great sense of urgency in adding payroll. The one thing that could really force their hand in making a serious attempt to better the team is if Joe Mauer said he wasn`t going to sign an extension until the team shows they are serious about winning. Mauer is a free agent after next season but the Twins absolutely have to resign him before the season starts.

It isn`t a very good free agent class this year but there are a couple names out there that could be upgrades and the Twins should be willing to trade prospects for guys that can help win a title while Mauer, Morneau, Kubel and Nathan are still in their prime.

Twins at the Break
7-14-09

At the All-Star break the Twins are 45-44 which is right about where I expected them to be at the break but they have gotten to this point in a different way than I expected.

The middle infield of Alexi Casilla and Nick Punto has been so unproductive the Twins would have been better off bringing Steve Lombardozzi and Greg Gagne out of retirement. The two "Future Stars" the team traded for, Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez have gotten worse. The Twins top two starters at the beginning of the season, Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano have essentially been pitching batting practice every 5th day.

But on the bright side Joe Mauer has added power to his swing and because of that is now one of the best players in the league. Matt Guerrier has done a great job of filling the teams biggest preseason question mark, right handed setup man and while Baker and Liriano have floundered Nick Blackburn has stepped up as the ace of the staff.

So what now for the Twins? Do they stick with what they have and try to win the Central Division or do they get serious about winning a World Series and deal a couple prospects for a legit player? There are a lot of holes on the team right now. Of the 14 position players on the Twins roster six of them are batting .236 or lower; Mike Redmond, Carlos Gomez, Joe Crede, Brian Buscher, Nick Punto and Alexi Casilla, (Casilla was just called up for Matt Tolbert who was batting .178.)

I will finish with a question, if you were the Twins would you trade Nick Blackburn and Jose Morales for Roy Halladay? Halladay`s contract expires after next season so he would essentially be a year and a half rental.

Comments:
"I would in a heartbeat. It would take more than that though."
Steve

"Would love this deal, but there is no way the Jays would do it."
Trevor

"I would but it won`t happen."
Josh

Two-Point Guards in the Draft... What Now?
6-29-09

The Timberwolves are in a rebuilding stage, and need a lot of help so with the 5th and 6th picks they took the two highest ranked players left on their draft board, Ricky Rubio and Johnny Flynn. Thing is both those guys play point guard. Rubio clearly doesn`t want to play in Minnesota, but players don`t get to choose teams in the draft, teams choose the players, and the Wolves should not let Rubio pressure them into trading him.

If Minnesota does decide to deal the 18-year old Spaniard here are some trades that make sense.

1. To the Clippers for (SG) Eric Gordon

2. To Portland for (C) Greg Oden

3. To Sacramento for (C) Spencer Hawes and the Kings 1st round pick next year.

4. Rubio, Charlotte`s 1st round pick, Utah`s 1st rounder and the expiring contracts of Brian Cardinal, Rodney Carney and Corey Brewer to Atlanta for Joe Johnson.
*The Wolves own a future Charlotte 1st round pick, and get it next year if the pick is 13 or lower. They also own a Future Utah 1st rounder, and get it next year if the pick is 16 or lower.

Right now the hot rumor is that the Knicks are going to trade for Rubio, but that is nonsense because New York can`t put together a good enough package to make a trade worthwhile for Minnesota. The Knicks owe their 1st round pick next year to Utah, and so the best deal the Knicks could offer is Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari. Not good enough.

The Death of Sports Reporting
6-12-09

After the way the Brett Favre saga has been reported over the past month and a half it might take a while before the public regains trust in what they are hearing or reading from reporters.

The Brett Favre reports started with credence, Favre asked for his release from the Jets and then the Vikings showed signs that they were interested in him and he showed similar interest. But then the stories started flying around from various media outlets citing "unnamed sources" or "people close to the situation" that:

-Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress is flying down to Mississippi for a meeting with Favre.

-Childress will have dinner with Favre at his house on Thursday and then they will go and workout on Friday.

-Favre called Childress telling him he was going to stay retired.

-Favre sent X-Rays of his shoulder to the Vikings.

-Favre consulted Dr. James Andrews regarding options for healing his partially torn biceps tendon.

-Favre is going to have surgery to release the biceps tendon in his arm.

-Last month Favre had arthroscopic surgery on his partially torn biceps tendon.

-Favre was given a deadline of this week to decide if he wants to play for the Vikings.

-The Vikings have temporarily suspended their pursuit of Favre.

What happens after these reports surface is other media outlets, including myself and KFYR-TV, latch on to them and report them with a courtesy to the original source, which can be bad because many of these stories were partially or completely wrong. So that leads to sloppy reporting by one media outlet being sloppily reported by another. And the original sloppy reporting is perpetuated by the competition between all the various media formats and the desire to be the first to report something.

For those people that are blaming Favre for extending this saga, don`t. He has yet to make one public comment about coming out of retirement and you can`t blame him for not correcting every erroneous report. Because he hasn`t come out and squashed stories about the possibility of playing again, I think it is pretty obvious that he wants to return but first wants to make sure that his arm and shoulder are healthy enough.

In Hindsight, You Blew It
5-18-09

From 1994-2007 Terry Ryan served as the Twins General Manager, and Ryan did a great job of building up the minor league system and making smart trades that made the mid-market team successful. Before last season Bill Smith took over as the Twins G.M. and made two big trades.

1. Smith dealt starting pitcher Matt Garza and shortstop Jason Bartlett to Tampa Bay for Delmon Young, Brendan Harris and Jason Pridie.

- This trade has been awfully one-sided in the Rays favor. Garza has a 3.65 ERA in 37 starts with Tampa while Bartlett is batting .304 since the trade. Young and Harris have been average, Pridie is in triple "A." The centerpiece for the Twins in the deal was getting Young, a right handed youngster with power potential but to this point Bartlett has been a better hitter and has just five fewer homeruns than Young since the deal.

2. Traded Johan Santana to the Mets for Carlos Gomez, Phil Humber, Kevin Mulvey and Deolis Guerra.

- At this point Gomez is basically a sprinter trying to play baseball. Humber has proven that he isn`t a major league pitcher, Guerra is 20 years old and has been getting knocked around pretty good at Single "A" this season. Mulvey is 24 and has been solid in 6 starts this year at Triple "A."

To prove how bad the trades were, look at what could have been. What if the Twins wouldn`t have traded Garza and Bartlett. Then let`s say instead of Trading Santana to the Mets they would have sent him to Boston for the package of Jacoby Elsbury and Jed Lowry (this deal was reportedly offered by the Red Sox.)

Garza would be the Twins ace right now and the team could either have traded one of their young starters or moved one of them to the bullpen, lets say they moved Nick Blackburn to the pen to serve as setup man. Lowry was the Red Sox opening day starter at shortstop before being injured, the Twins could have moved him to third base and spent the money they used on Joe Crede in a different way.

Twins lineup:
1. LF, Denard Span
2. SS, Jason Bartlett
3. C, Joe Mauer
4. 1B, Justin Morneau
5. DH, Jason Kubel
6. RF, Michael Cuddyer
7. 3B, Jed Lowry
8. CF, Jacoby Elsbury
9. 2B, Alexi Casilla

Bench: Nick Punto, Mike Redmond, Brian Buscher

Pitching Staff:
SP: Matt Garza
SP: Francisco Liriano
SP: Scott Baker
SP: Kevin Slowey
SP: Glen Perkins

Relievers: Jose Mijares, Nick Blackburn, Joe Nathan.

Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez are both only 23-years-old, but the Twins don`t have the ability to wait very long on them. As a mid market team their model for success is a couple high priced players mixing in with low paid youngsters. The Twins already have their high priced players and if Young and Gomez start producing in three to four years, it will probably be with another team.

Comments:
"As bad as last offseason was, this offseason was even worse."
John

This offseason was bad because the Twins had a glaring need for a right handed setup man and all the organization did was give Luis Ayala a $1.3 million contract. Ayala is not a setup man and the team could have signed Juan Cruz for a million dollars more or a guy like Ramon Ramirez for half as much. Minnesota addressed the problems on the left side of the infield by signing Joe Crede to an incentive-laced contract and the Crede signing was a good one but giving Nick Punto a 2-year, $8.5 million deal was awful. Punto is a great guy to have on your team as a utility player but because the Twins were singing him to be their every day short stop they felt the need to pay him like one.

With that said, this offseason was not as bad as the one before. Jason Bartlett has been on the D.L. for the past week but he still has more hits, homeruns, R.B.I.`s and steals than Brendan Harris and Delmon Young combined this season. Johan Santana is the best pitcher in baseball and all the Twins have to show for him is a guy that`s batting .220 with 3-R.B.I.`s.

There are a lot of people in the organization that give input for team decisions but the General Manager has the final say and with the final say Bill Smith has been atrocious.

If Movie Stars Were Basketball Stars...

4-27-09

For the three and a half people who regularly read my blog I apologize for the long hiatus.

Top 10 Actors/Actresses since 1981 (the year I was born)

1. Denzel Washington: He won the Best Actor Academy Award for Training Day but his performances in "American Gangster," "The Hurricane," "Man on Fire," and "John Q" were even better.

The Michael Jordan of acting, a dominating performer that always commands the attention of viewers. Jordan never took a game off and Washington always brings a powerful performance to each movie.

2. Tom Hanks: Hanks is more versatile than Washington, a Magic Johnson-type guy that can do a little bit of everything. The reason I am comparing Hanks to Magic is not because Hanks played a character with AIDS in "Philadelphia" and Magic had to retire from basketball because of H.I.V. Hanks is a triple-double machine:

You want Inspirational: "Saving Private Ryan," "Apollo 13," "Philadelphia."
How about Comedy: "Bachelor Party," "Big," "The Burbs."
Romantic: "Sleepless in Seattle," "The Terminal," "Splash."
And with performances like "Castaway," "Charlie Wilson`s War" and "Forest Gump" Tom has proven that he can carry a movie on his own.

3. Julia Roberts: Even when she plays a prostitute you root for her. Roberts has successfully played a variety of roles but thrives in playing the sweetheart. She is so likeable that I compare her to Dwyane Wade. Most people have a positive feeling about Wade and just like Roberts isn`t going to get caught wearing a miniskirt without panties, Wade isn`t going to get into a fight at a night club with an uzi in his pocket. Of course with these analogies, I should probably compare an actress to a WNBA player but I just don`t have the ability to do that.

4. Jim Carrey: He is now past his prime, but from 1994 to 2003 if he came out with a movie it was a must-see. Carrey is the Dominique Wilkins. Neither won awards or titles, but both are unique in their craft and extremely popular because of that.

5. Robert DeNiro: "Godfather 2," "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull" all came out before 1981, but since then De Niro has done "Goodfellas," "The Untouchables," "Casino," "Meet the Parents," "Cape Fear," and "Heat."

DeNiro is Charles Barkley. The comparison works because they are both tough guys that don`t care about what is politically correct or what others want them to do or say. The comparison continues to work because both are currently riding the successes of their past. Barkley is still popular as a TNT basketball analyst despite wheezing while on air and doing very little research on teams and players. DeNiro is at the point where he is taking any movie that is offered, he has appeared in 20-movies since 2000 and in that time only "Meet the Parents" and "Meet the Fockers" has been worthy of a DeNiro starring role.

6. Dakota Fanning: The only argument I will accept about where I have Fanning on the list is that she is too low. Fanning is a power house and has been since she starred in "I am Sam" as a 7-year old. Fanning is LeBron James because both have dominated their fields at an outrageously young age. Also both of them are mature way beyond their years. I am not sure what the future holds for Dakota because she might not be able to transition into teenage roles but if she can and acts into her 60`s, she could have a billion dollar career.

7. Matt Damon: The Tim Duncan of acting. Tim Duncan isn`t flashy but has quietly put together a hall of fame career and will go down as one of the best players ever. Same for Damon.

8. Anthony Hopkins: He is the John Stockton of acting because he makes everyone around him better. When you are in a movie with Hopkins you raise your game up. In 1991 Jody Foster won a best actress award working with Hopkins just like Karl Malone won the NBA MVP in 1997 feeding off of Stockton.

9. Reese Witherspoon: Julia Roberts Junior. The public has such a high opinion of Witherspoon that she would get the benefit of the doubt if she were photographed holding a severed head in one hand and a knife in the other. I am going with Kevin Garnett for Reese because she is a great compliment to any movie but isn`t talented enough to carry one.

10 John Cusack: Cusack is a great actor and can carry a movie. He is Tracy McGrady, McGrady is a supreme talent that has played on bad teams and hasn`t gotten past the first round of the playoffs. Cusack is a supreme talent that hasn`t appeared in a blockbuster movie. Cusack has been in 51-movies and none of them are in the top 400 highest grossing films.

Other Notables:
13. Al Pacino (Reggie Miller)
15. Will Smith (Allen Iverson)
16. Gene Hackman (Larry Bird)
1,118. Adrien Brody (Manu Ginobili)
22,239. Keanu Reeves (Randy Breuer)

Comments:

"liked it until you compared John Cusack to Tracy McGrady…that`s completely unfair to Cusack!!! Tracy McGrady is an overrated, self-centered scoring-only option who looks good until none of his teams have ever done anything with him on them. I liken him to Paul Walker.
If anything, Cusack is Ray Allan: Very consistent career while taking turns being the lead and also settling into juicy supporting roles. Got off to a very fast start in their careers, and had a little bit of a slow down (Cusack - Early to mid `90s; Allen - the Sonics era). But just when you think their careers are possibly going into a downward spiral, both have renaissances (Cusack: Being John Malkovich and the great High Fidelity; Allen, the trade to the Celtics, subsequent title and his amazing performance this postseason) that make you completely reevaluate their entire careers, and having them end up in discussions like this.
Also, Leo DiCaprio doesn`t make this list? And Julia Roberts, but no Meryl Streep? Hmmm…
That being said, Keanu Reeves = Randy Breuer was just perfect."
-Shane-

"Anthony Hopkins should be number 1 if you`re going to compare him to the great John Stockton."
-Russ-

"Only Bill Halter could compare Dakota Fanning to LeBron James - well played sir.
I`d have had Will Smith much higher, I was also hoping for a Ndubi Ebi comparison - maybe Joey from Friends?"
-Josh-

Transfer Series
03-05-09

E-Mails sent in regarding the March 2-3 series on high school athletes transferring schools.

Most of the e-mails sent to me were in regards to the Linton situation. I want to mention that I did talk to the North Dakota Activities Association about the Roemmich`s transferring to Linton, their understanding was that the boy`s parents were living with them in Linton. That may or may not be the case, and I have certainly heard numerous rumors that it is not, but I didn`t feel comfortable conducting an investigation on high school kids. I certainly understand anyone thinking I am wrong in that stance, but my approach with the story was to explain the rules and play the role of mediator with the interview subjects telling the story.

Here are a few more e-mails on this subject:

{"A buddy of mine sent me the link to your stories about the transfer policy for high school athletes in ND. I watched them on your website. They were good stories. Of particular interest was the story of the Roemmich family from Bottineau and the `unusual` explanation by coach Carr. You quoted the NDHSAA as saying that the family needs to move, "Lock, stock and barrel" in order to be allowed to join a varsity sport right away. Coach Carr admitted that he was surprised that they ended up coming to Linton after they learned that he already had a r elatively full basketball roster. That was an unexpected response.

Well, according to this website: http://www.bottineau.k12 .n d.us/Jr.-Sr.%20High/Jr.-Sr.%20High%20Staff.html it seems the Mr. Roemmich is still the principal in Bottineau. That`s a mighty long commute each day. Did you ever get an explanation as to how this could be? Mr. Carr said that he was of the understanding that the Roemmich family had sold their home in Bottineau. Did you verify this? I know you said that Mr. Roemmich talked to the NDHSAA, but what really did he talk about?

I don`t have a dog in this fight. I don`t know anything about the Bottineau sports program and only know that Linton is annually a good basketball team with a good tradition. I don`t know the economic climate in either town and whether or not Linton is going through a period of economic growth or not. Just was a good story and now seeing the Lions in the State B tournament, got me thinking that this seems a little fishy.

Thanks for the good work. I look forward to hearing what you found out." Brad, Minot}

{"I just listened to the Linton/ Strasburg ball game. Almost half of the Linton team are not Linton kids. Three of them live in Linton by themselves…their parents live on the other end of the state.

Is NDHSAA just looking away or do some coaches have so me control over the rules?

I don’t understand how this is being allowed to take place. Linton has just set a precedent … in the future a ny kids can play for any schools. Just do it very cunningly.

This really sets a great example for the children in t he community to bend and break the rules to get what you want.

The main problem is how it hurts the local kids who no longer are good enough to play or even go out for the sport. It is very sad." - A Concerned Parent}

{Mr. Roemich is supposedly commuting from Linton to Bottineau where he is HS principal. Give me a break! I think the NDHSAA dropped the ball on this one.}

{I saw your two sports reports on high school basketball transfers. In spite of what was said by the coaches , and school administrators, it is obvious to me that the three Roemich brothers transferred to Linton because Linton High School is academically superior to Bottineau High School, where the father is the principal. I also believe the current principal at Linton High School should update their employment resume unless he/she has three boys that are good basketball players.

It was a good article, but it would have been interesting to have heard what the parents had to say about why these transfers occurred. Larry}

{Great piece that ran on recruiting/transferring. This is a very tight issue. I can remember several people talking to me in high school about playing for another team. I was close to the border of another school district. And we actually had a person come in to our school to play sports my senior year. But due to the fact that he did not move residence, he had to sit out. Which didn`t hurt him because he had a broken bone and couldn`t play anyways. The coaches that you interviewed are respected, tenured, and masterful in there arts. They are also 3 of the most debated. I also know of another gentlemen, that as a senior switched schools, moved into his sisters house. He did not sit out because the NDHSAA did not check into it. I remember several transfers into linton in the late 90`s early 2000`s. But it all comes down to this….You have to play the game. Any given night, anyone can beat anyone. Little side note, in my high school career, 0-11 in varsity games against Linton! The coaches that you interviewed are respected, tenured, and masterful in there arts. They are also 3 of the most debated. Kids just want to play and have a chance to win. As an adult I can respect parents for giving them that opportunity. Great topic, that is getting lots of buzz.

Thanks,

Class B`er}

{"I have been watching your "Transfer Students" story on T.V. and am very glad to see it. It is good that there is finally being something said about this. I am a student at BHS and all throughout school there was talk at the beginning of season about Miller recruiting Jaylen and Caley. This talk got started because people know that Miller goes to class B towns throughout the summer to either go to or conduct basketball camps himself, and he is in these towns other times besides the times of his camps. Also, there was a story done about these two kids in our school newspaper, the High Herald, in which the answers were both very similar for both kids on each question about why they came to BHS. The boys were interviewed at separate times and gave the same answer, which was for academics. Although this may be true, it sounds like the answers were pre-planned by someone else, Miller perhaps? Also, the student who interviewed them said that he asked a question that said something like "when did Miller first talk to you?" and one of them answered "last spring." This was not published in the paper but word did get out about the question. I am employed with a certified referee and we were talking about recruiting one day, he said that a coach cannot even talk to a player about playing for them at all. The answer to that interview question could possibly be an answer spilling the truth of recruiting.
I really hope you continue to look into these coaches and find some new information. There were kids who deserved a spot on the team but got cut because of the "transfers " and hopefully that will never happen again."}

{"I am the A.D. at Dickinson Trinity High School. Your story on transferring for sports was intriguing but not a new topic for our Catholic school. We are often accused of recruiting but no one has been able to put a name or face to a situation as you did in your story. My question is: With all the footage you have avail able and Trinity not involved in the story, why was a four-year-old clip of Trinity used to end the second part of your story? This created part three of your story for us without giving Trinity a fair say in the matter. I will have to answer to my people and have to face comments from many other local personalities on the subject. I thank you for all you and KFY R does for our area in sports." Rick Gordon}

I certainly understand this concern but if I hadn`t shown video of Trinity, it would have been of another team. In my series I was not insinuating that any school or person was recruiting. I do apologize for any misconceptions that I caused from the piece

{"What a great job on a issue that is very much in the forefront of North Dakota athletics. I have a question: you stated that a family must "sell their home in the community" from which they are transferring. Does this apply to all athletes regardless of nationality?
I can only state a case that I have heard of in a "second hand" nature. A "star " player was playing for a team when his team was beaten in district play. This player then moved to a different town and was "living with an uncle" and was now playing for a team that was in regional play. His parents still lived in the first town. Can a player move to a different community and live with a relative and play for the new team while her/his parents still reside in the the community she/he transferred from?
In doing so is he/she immediately eligible to play for this new team?
If this is the case is this not an opening to have a player "transfer" during tournament time to live with a relative and be able to continue to play?"
Thank you - Pastor Rick}

Nationality is not a factor in deciphering eligibility and a student must be living with their legal guardian to be immediately eligible for varsity sports. The student that transferred before the regional tournament should not have been allowed to play. One thing that I will add is that players can appeal to the High School Activities Association in special cases to become eligible. For instance if a high school student is living on their own and decides to move to a different school district by rule they would be forced to sit out an entire school year, but an appeal to the NDHSAA might allow them to play immediately.

{"I would like to commend you on your recent re port of transferring/recruiting of high school athletes. This is a black eye on high school athletics and a subject that most reporters won`t touch because it is an emotionally charged issue, and considered a powder keg.
Some information that you may not be aware of with respect to the Roemichs playing in Linton, is that their parents did not move to Linton - only the boys moved. They had a dispute with a Bottineau basketball coach, and quit the team in mid-season last year. To comply with NDHSAA transfer rules, Roemichs sold their house in Bottineau and bought a house in Linton, which the boys apparently live in. However, he is a school principal in Bottineau and both he and his wife live (and now rent) in Bottineau.
Illegally recruiting is very hard to prove, and sometimes allegations are unfounded.
Just as big a problem, however, is that many athletes are not recruited, they just choose to move to a stronger program. I know of several examples of key players transferring for athletics, even though their parents don`t move to the city they transfer to. Un fortunately, this transfer practice is tremendously unfair, particularly to the smaller towns and weaker programs, and undermines the purpose of high school athletics. We now have area all star teams instead of local teams.
The NDHSAA would be wise to address the recruitment/transfer issue by requiring any student - regardless of the reason for transferring - to sit out an entire year of sports before becoming eligible."
Rob}

{"I listened with interest to your second part of the students transferring for sports story. I missed the first part and read it on the website. We do not at this time have children in school and neither are we associated with the Linton school district, but do know that this has caused a lot of hard feelings within our surrounding towns. I do not believe that this family is following the rules the NDHSAA has set up. Your piece stated that the family basically has to move lock, stock and barrel.
The students in the Bismarck and Mandan situation seem to have followed the rules. Purchased a home and the whole family moved into the new school district. Neither of the parents from the family in Linton live with the children, nor do they work within the school district, they only own a house where the children reside.
It would be interesting to me to see what type of response Mr. Carr and the NDHSAA would have to the fact that these parents do not live within the school district. Rules should apply, it should not take another school district filing a complaint. If the school is not following the rules, the NDHSAA should step in and correct the situation.
I believe that is what should happen in this case. A follow-up report by you on this matter would be of great interest to many patrons of the surrounding school district.
Thank You"}

VP of Basketball Outrageousness
12-10-08

On Monday, the Timberwolves fired Randy Wittman and inserted Vice President of Basketball Operations Kevin McHale as Head Coach. But the big news of the day was the fact that McHale was relieved of his VP duties, meaning he will no longer be in charge of personnel decisions. This is great news for Wolves fans because McHale has been a disaster in that role.

McHale has had some good moments in his 13 years in charge of the Wolves roster, but he struggled to figure out the salary cap and continuously over valued his own players. The Wolves made the Western Conference Finals in 2004, and McHale has to be given some credit for constructing that team, but since the Wolves one season getting past the first round, the sweater-wearing big man has been pretty bad.

McHale`s 10 Worst Decisions since making the Western Conference Finals.

10. Offering Latrell Sprewell a 3-year $21 million contract.
-Luckily, Sprewell turned down that offer because, "he had to feed his family," but that was too much money to offer an aging swingman with issues.

9. Trading Wally Szczerbiak, Dwayne Jones, Michael Olowokandi`s expiring contract and a first-round pick to Boston for Ricky Davis, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed and Mark Blount`s absurd contract, plus a couple of second round picks.
-Apparently McHale really likes swingmen with issues, because that`s exactly what Ricky Davis is. A bad trade that didn`t help and lost them a first-round pick, although McHale hasn`t been very good with first-round picks....

8. Drafting Rashad McCants over Danny Granger with the 14th pick of the 2005 draft.
-Both are perimeter players, but Granger has averaged 15-points, 5-rebounds, 3-assists. In his career compared to 10-points, 2-rebounds, 1-assist for McCants and Granger will be an all-star this year.

7. Drafting Corey Brewer with the seventh pick in 2007.
-Brewer has been a disaster and Spencer Hawes, Thadeus Young, Al Thornton, Rodney Stuckey and Brandon Wright are better and drafted shortly after him.

6. Giving Trenton Hassell a 6-year, $27 million contract.
-Too much money and too many years for a mediocre role player.

5. Signing Troy Hudson to a 6-year, $36 million contract.
-See above.

4. Trading Mario Chalmers to the Heat for future second round picks and cash after drafting him with the 4th pick in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft.
-Chalmers was so perfect for the Wolves this season, a defensive-minded point guard they could sign on the cheap. Instead of keeping Chalmers, the Wolves resigned Sebestian Telfair. For the record, Chalmers is starting as a rookie in Miami and averaging 10-points, 4-assists, 2-steals.

In McHale`s defense he told me it was Jim Stack that was in charge of this trade as he was working out the details of the O.J. Mayo trade at the time.

3. Trading O.J. Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner for Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins.
-This trade comes down to Mayo and Love. Love plays the same position as the Wolves best player and Mayo is a better player that could have been the explosive perimeter scorer the team and fan base needs.

Right now Love is averaging 9-points, 7-rebounds, 1-assist.

Mayo is averaging 21-points, 4-rebounds, 3-assists.

2. Trading Brandon Roy for Randy Foye and cash on draft night in 2006.
-Roy is a crunch time scorer that made the all-star game last year. He is averaging 21-points, 5-rebounds, 5-assists this season.
Foye is still trying to find a position and averaging 13-points, 3-rebounds, 6-assists.

1. Trading Sam Cassell`s expiring contract AND a first-round pick for Marko Jaric, and his six-year, $40-million contract.
-This deal summarizes McHale has a VP of basketball operations. A bad judge of talent and an obliviousness to the salary cap. Jaric was nothing short of a catastrophe for the Wolves and now doesn`t get off the bench after being traded to Memphis.

McHale will likely struggle in his second stint as coach, and hopefully when he does, he`ll get fired and told to leave the state and never come within 500 miles of the Timberwolves organization again.

College Football Stupidity
12-9-08

Some of you may not know that Division-1A college football is now referred to as the F.B.S. (Football Bowl Subdivision). All of you know that the top level of college football doesn`t decide their champion with a tournament. In my post on July 22, I wrote that the number one change that should be made in sports is that a college football playoff should be instituted. I think most people agree with me, in fact, I don`t know a single person who doesn`t believe a tournament should decide the title.

Even President Elect Obama is advocating for an eight-team playoff system. I would be just fine with the eight highest rated teams playing in a tournament but here is an idea for a 16-team playoff.

Of course, I don`t want to ignore the greed of the NCAA, so let`s allow for a corporate sponsor. You can call it the "Pepto-Bismol National Tournament." The general idea for this 16-team playoff system was introduced to me by Marquise Barge who wrote a detailed paper on it at U-Mary.

1. Keep the B.C.S. scoring system. It is a good conversation piece and will be needed for the national tournament.

2. Limit the number of regular season games to 11. For most teams, that would simply mean eliminating a non conference game against a terrible team.

3. Force all 11 F.B.S. conferences to have a championship game between the top two teams. All conference championship games would be played on the same weekend.

4. The conference championship game winners automatically earn a berth in the "Pepto-Bismol National Tournament."

5. The five highest-ranked B.C.S. teams that didn`t win conference championships will be added to the national playoff as at large teams.
*There are four independent teams and they could either be forced to join a conference or be guaranteed a spot in the national tournament if they are in the top 15 of the B.C.S. rankings.

6. Use the B.C.S. rankings to seed the 16 teams that qualified for the "Pepto-Bismol National Tournament" and start the playoff two weeks after the conference championship games.

7. The first two rounds would be played at the home field of the higher seed. The semifinal games would be played at a neutral site. Lets say the "Taco Johns Fiesta Bowl" and the "Mapquest.com Sugar Bowl." The championship game would also be at a neutral site, how about the "Government Bailout Rose Bowl."

What a crazy concept, a 16-team playoff that would be insanely popular to decide the national champion. Like the basketball tournament, each conference would have a participant and there wouldn`t be a controversy over who should be the national champion.

The most games a team would be forced to play is 16 and the playoff wouldn`t force student athletes to miss very many classes if any because the tournament would be played while most colleges are on winter break.

Here is what this 16 team format would produce this year:

1. Oklahoma
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. U.S.C.
6. Utah
7. Texas Tech
8. Penn State
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State
11. T.C.U.
12. Cincinnati
13. Virginia Tech
14. East Carolina
15. Troy
16. Buffalo

Election Exhaustion
11-7-08

After watching approximately 938 hours of election coverage in the last year, I`m relieved that the voting is done. It is time to get back to reality, but this was an exciting election at an important moment in our country`s history.

Neither candidate was a traditional politician, which is a good thing, and they both had the right approach to leadership. Unfortunately for John McCain`s presidential aspirations, he has not been blessed with a lot of good fortune. In 2000 the George Bush political machine smeared him during the South Carolina primary destroying McCain`s momentum and leading to Bush eventually winning the presidency.

This year McCain conformed his views to allow him to win the primary but the Republican brand has been so damaged that it was nearly impossible for him to win the general election with an "R" by his name. McCain`s only chance this year was to appeal to the center much the way he did in 2000. McCain was a different candidate this time around, and I think the 2008 version of McCain could have won in 2000 and the 2000 version of McCain would have been the only Republican candidate that would have had a chance in 2008.

As for President elect Barack Obama, he has captured the imagination of millions of people, and he might be the perfect leader for these difficult times. He is a new generation politician, and hopefully his words of trying to end the disabling partisanship in Washington will turn to fruition.

144 Games...
10-31-08

The World Series was a unique one this season as Monday`s game five was overtaken by a concoction of rain, sleet, wind and cold. The series was delayed a couple days by the same weather system before finishing up on Wednesday. This brings up an interesting question, should the season`s most important games be played in late October weather?

No, and next season game 7 of the World Series is set for November 5th. For the sake of Major League Baseball I propose the season be shortened to 144 games. Eliminating 18 games from the schedule would shorten the season by 21 days. With those days you could start the season a few days later and end it much sooner.

The change would make early or late season snow or cold less likely in Detroit, Chicago, Boston, New York, Baltimore, Cleveland, D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or starting in 2010 Minnesota.

It would also make it so the baseball season only overlaps the NFL season for six weeks and it would be during the final couple weeks of the regular season and the playoffs.

144 games is plenty but shortening the season will never happen because:
1. The revenue that would be lost by less games.
2. Stats. Baseball statistics are uniquely cherished. Current single season and career records would be untouchable with a shortened schedule, Tim Kurkjian and Buster Olney would not like that.

I Told You So...
10-13-08

How often does one of your friends brag about a sports-related prediction they made that came true? Compare that with how many times you hear someone admit to being wrong on a prediction. You likely hear a lot more from a person touting a correct prediction.

Unfortunately for me, I have a blog that chronicles some of my predictions, so when I write that Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers are both going to have terrible years (scroll down to my post from 8-08-08) I can`t hide from that.

The Packers are only 3-3 but Rodgers has showed poise and toughness that I did not see coming. He has put up good numbers and should be the man in Green Bay for a long time. Favre reluctantly accepted a trade to New York because he desperately wanted to play and he is showing that there is still some magic left in that 39-year-old arm. Favre is statistically one of the best quarterbacks in football and has the Jets off to a 3-2 start. So far, I am wrong on my prediction that Aaron Rodgers was going to be a debacle and Brett Favre was going to be an utter debacle. Still a lot of season left, however.

To make myself feel better I want to point out some predictions that I have gotten right. Before the 2003 NBA Draft I predicted that Dwayne Wade would be a Hall of Famer someday. That was a bold prediction at the time, but he is headed in that direction. I also predicted that the Patriots would beat the Rams in Super Bowl 36, despite being 14 point underdogs.

Of course, I also predicted that the Giants would beat the Patriots last year, that George Mason would make it to the Final 4 in 2006, that Pacman Jones should stay away from strip clubs, that Monica Seles would get stabbed by an insane fan, that Michael Vick would someday be incarcerated for dog fighting, that the Ultimate Warrior would beat Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 6 and when I was in my mother`s womb, I predicted that the United States hockey team would pull off a miracle on ice against the Russians.

Twins Season Recap
10-1-08

I am writing this 29 minutes after the Twins 1-0 loss to Chicago in the tiebreaker game so I will do my best to keep emotion out of it.... 2 HITS?

The Twins gave fans something to care about 163 times this season by playing entertaining baseball and staying in the playoff race. It was a good season considering the youth on the team and there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about next year.

2 HITS, that`s all you can muster in a do or die game?

Looking ahead to next season the Twins have a young five person starting rotation that is solid and should be improved. Francisco Liriano will need to establish himself as the ace of the staff after a first season back from Tommy John Surgery.

2 HITS against John Danks, for the love of Denny Hocking!

The bullpen does have some issues, but with the emergence of lefty Jose Mijares and return of Pat Neshek, the relievers could be adequate enough to get the ball to Joe Nathan with a lead.

Offensively, the Twins will need young hitters to improve. 2 HITS! Delmon Young was atrocious, considering he was the center piece of a trade that sent Matt Garza out of the organization. Young did bat .290 but struggled in big spots, struck out a lot, didn`t hit for power and was a circus in the outfield. The good news is, he`s only 23. The Twins have five outfielders with Young, Span, Gomez, Kubel and Cuddyer. I wouldn`t expect them to enter next season with a crowded situation like that and Cuddyer or Kubel might be on the trading block.

Nick Punto is a very good utility player, but probably not an everyday player. It would be nice to see the Twins spend some money to get a right handed hitting 3rd baseman or shortstop. Joe Crede is a free agent after this season, if he checks out physically that would be a good acquisition to add some right handed power to a team that hit less homeruns than any other in the American League.

It will be a tough Central Division next season, so Carl Pohlad might need to open the wallet and raise the teams payroll a year ahead of the new stadium opening.

And finally a question for you to chew on: Since 2002 which team would you rather be a fan of, the Twins or the White Sox?

-The Twins have won more games in that period.
-The Twins have won four central division titles, the Sox have now won two.
-The Twins have owned the Sox in meaningful late season games with the exception of the tie breaker game.
-BUT, the Sox won a World Series in 2005

If Chicago goes to, or wins the World Series this year the question is answered, but what would you rather have, a team that consistently wins, but never raises the trophy? Or a team that has some throwaway seasons but wins the title once?

2 HITS!

Fantasy Fanaticism
9-19-08

For the third consecutive NFL season I am not in a fantasy football league and I feel liberated. Although I must admit my interest in a Chiefs-Raiders type game has been completely eliminated because I don`t have to worry about Larry Johnson`s stats anymore.

No longer an owner of a fantasy football team I can now truly appreciate how obnoxious fantasy football owners are. I will give an example, last Sunday while watching the Vikings-Colts game my friend, I will call him Heratio Hufnagle Humberto kept demanding the Colts give the ball to Joseph Addai. Addai is on Heratio`s fantasy team and despite being a Vikings fan Triple H was cheering for him to get 45 carries and score 13 touchdowns.

This raises an interesting question, what is more important, your fantasy team winning or your favorite team winning. I have always gone with the thinking that it is more important for my favorite teams to win but I get the argument for the other side. After all your fantasy team was put together by you and you have a financial stake in it. What it comes down to is what gives you more enjoyment, with your favorite team at least you can share victories with your friends. When your fantasy team wins you can taunt your friends.

Bottom line when it comes to fantasy football, nobody wants to hear stories about your team`s injury report or how you were up 23 points going into the Monday night game and Tony Romo scored 24 to beat you by a point.

And Heratio, I am not watching this weekends Vikings game with you because I know you have Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith on your team.

Quarterback Fiasco
Bill Halter (Weekend Sports Anchor)
8-08-08

Which Quarterback will be a bigger debacle, Brett Favre in New York or Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay?

Let me start my response to this question by saying I think they will both have poor seasons, but I think Rodgers will only be a debacle, whereas Favre will be an utter debacle.

Watching Favre hold up that Jets jersey while forcing a smile at the introduction press conference says it all. Favre wanted to play in Green Bay or Minnesota and when he realized that was impossible, he reluctantly accepted a trade to New York.

Favre has played in Green Bay for the past 16 seasons and in that time created a comfort zone few quarterbacks have ever had. He loses that comfort with the Jets for five reasons.

1. He is two weeks late to camp and will be out of sync right away, which will lead to him doubting his abilities and his teammates doing the same.

2. For the past decade Favre didn`t have any pressure, because when he made mistakes he could always fall back on the great things he did for the Packers franchise. With New York, he hasn`t done any great things for them, so when he plays poorly the fans won`t be as forgiving and the New York media certainly won`t be.

3. Favre has less weapons with the Jets than he did last year with the Packers. Favre has made due with a below average supporting cast in the past but this Jets team doesn`t have very much firepower for the soon-to-be 39-year-old. The Jets were the sixth worst team in the league last year in terms of yards per game. Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues Coles will be the wide receiver options for #4 and Thomas Jones will be the ground game. That has forced passes into triple coverage written all over it.

4. Favre isn`t that good anymore. This is a bold statement after last year, but Favre has not been the same winner since Mike Holmgren left the Packers. Holmgren was the guy who was able to get through to Brett, and since Holmgren moved on to Seattle in 1999 Favre is 3-5 in the playoffs and has thrown 16 interceptions in those eight games.

5. Favre is on the Madden `09 video game cover. The cover boy of that game always gets injured. Prediction, the consecutive games streak ends this year.

Favre is a first ballot Hall of Famer and a top five QB of all time but the Broadway Brett experiment will remind people of Johnny Unitas playing for the Chargers.

Comments: bhalter@kfyrtv.com

10 Things I Would Change About Sports
Bill Halter (Weekend Sports Anchor)
7-22-08

While these aren`t changes I believe are going to happen or are realistic, there are a few things I would change if I were the all-powerful ruler of sports to make them more enjoyable for fans.

10. Get rid of field goals and extra points in football.

Far too many games are being decided by the kicker. Football would be more exciting if teams more urgently went for touchdowns instead of settling for field goals. After touchdowns, teams could go for one from the 5-yard line or for two from the 10-yard line. Kickoffs would still be a part of the game and the teams punter could take care of that duty. In a game played by monstrous super athletes, it doesn`t make sense for little kickers to have such an impact.

9. Allow college basketball players to commit six fouls before being ejected and NBA players to commit seven.

Why would a sport not want the best players to be on the court? A team is already punished for fouling as the other team gets free throws or possession. Five fouls is certainly not enough in the college game as many coaches will sit a player for the rest of the first half if he/she gets two. Keep the best players on the floor and lessen the importance of a bad foul call by a referee.

8. Add the Designated Hitter rule to the National League.

I know old-school baseball fans will consider this blasphemy, but a majority of leagues in this country have the D.H. Rule. It is time to have one set of rules for the game and having the D.H. is a superior option to having pitchers hit as the universal rule. Pitchers spend too much time worrying about how to get people out to have time to get enough cuts in the batting cage. The D.H. allows careers to continue and makes the game more exciting.

7. Reduce the number of NBA and NHL playoff teams from 16 to 12.

In the NBA and NHL there are 30 teams. That means more than half of the league makes the playoffs... that`s absurd. The regular seasons would mean more and in turn be more exciting with a cut in playoff qualifiers. The top two seeds in each conference would get a bye while the other four teams played a best of 5 series. The benefit of getting a first round bye would add a sense of urgency to teams during the regular season.

6. Make the goal in hockey bigger.

Something needs to be done in hockey, it is not in good shape right now. Getting rid of off sides might be the rule change that is needed but a bigger net would increase scoring and possibly get interest from the casual sports fan back. I may be totally out of line with this one but because of the state of the game I believe a drastic rule change is in order.

5. Get rid of the music that is played during NBA games.

If a fan needs constant hip-hop or techno music streaming through the loud speakers to stay attentive, then something is wrong with the sport or the fan.

4. Allow cheering during play in Tennis and Golf.

In every other sport, athletes are expected to block out distractions from fans. So, let`s see if these country-clubbers can do it. Allowing cheering while a golfer is about to swing or while a tennis player is about to serve would lead to some players melting down and some players benefiting from the added adrenaline. Imagine Colin Montgomery hitting a big putt while getting booed unmercifully and then flipping out and shouting obscenities at the gallery. Sounds like fun to me.

3. Ticket Prices are Ridiculous, Lower them.

The most die hard fans are often times not the richest fans. Tickets prices for all major sports have gotten to the point where many fans have to sell body parts or their body to be able to afford a night at the ballpark, arena or stadium. When factoring in the cost of parking, hot dogs, beverages and a foam finger the price to take the family to a ballgame is as much as a barrel of oil.

2. Institute a Salary Cap in Major League Baseball

This is one step that could be taken to lower ticket prices. It is not an even playing field when one team makes more money because of the market they are in and is able to out spend smaller market teams. The Yankees payroll this year is $209 million, the Marlins payroll is $22 million. That is a bit of a disparity, of course my argument is killed by the fact that the Marlins have nearly the same record as the Yankees this season but that is more of an aberration than the norm. Mid and small market teams like the Twins have to be almost perfect with their decisions to be able to compete for a title.

Here is my suggestion (this has no chance of happening). Set the Salary Cap at $100 million and set the salary minimum at $60 million. Allow teams to go over the salary cap up until $160 million but for every dollar they are over $100 mil., they have to pay a dollar that is given to the other teams in the league.

The three other major sports have a salary cap.

1. Institute an 8 or 16 team playoff in Division One College Football.

I mean come on, 99% of people want this to happen, STOP BEING STUPID. Have the tournament during Christmas break so the players don`t miss anymore school. A military coup might be needed at some point to get this accomplished.

*Again, these aren`t changes that I think will happen, just changes I wish would happen. Unfortunately, greed and fear of change will prevent most (probably all) of these suggestions from ever happening.

Comments: bhalter@kfyrtv.com

Go Figure
Bill Halter (Weekend Sports Anchor)
7-15-08

At the All Star Break the Twins are just a game and a half back in the American League Central. As far as surprises go this is as shocking as the fact that the Miss U.S.A. pageant continues to pick winners who can`t walk. Last year Minnesota finished 79-83 and then proceeded to lose Johan Santana, Carlos Silva, Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett and Torii Hunter.

The fact that this mid market team continues to be competitive is a testament to the organization. They have refilled the talent pool for years with good scouting and great trades. Since the Chuck Knoblauch trade to New York in 1998 they have been right on with every deal they have made including the fleecing of the Giants when they traded A.J. Pierzynski for Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser. The only major mistake the Twins have made in the last decade is letting David Ortiz go to sign with Boston for 2 years and $3 million because they had Matt Lecroy ready to fill in at D.H. The jury is still out on the Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett for Delmon Young, Brendan Harris trade. The Santana trade was necessary because of the financial side of it.

So the Twins are the little over-achieving team and all that, but let`s raise the expectations so they stop exceeding them. Looking ahead, here are a couple story lines for the rest of the season.

1. Trade to Improve: Can and will the Twins make an in-season trade to improve the team. They desperately need a pitcher (preferably right handed) to pitch the 8th inning. Losing Pat Nesheck in that role hurt and no one has stepped up to the challenge. Shortstop and 3rd base are also areas of need for the team.

A couple trading options for the Twins at 3rd Base:
Colorado 3rd Baseman Garrett Atkins: .304, 14-HR, 54-RBI
The Rockies have Atkins on the trading block because they are terrible and don`t intend to re-sign the 28-year old at the end of the season when his contract expires. The Twins don`t traditionally trade for players they will lose right away so the only way this deal would make sense is if the Twins resigned him long term. That is unlikely for the financially strapped team unless Michael Cuddyer was traded in the deal to free up some money to use on Atkins.

Seattle 3rd Baseman Adrian Beltre: .259, 16-HR, 46-RBI
He is signed through next season making $12 million a year. That is a little pricey for the Twins but with his power he could bat 5th and give lineup protection for Justin Morneau. Morneau is starting to be pitched around, which might not happen as frequently if Beltre were behind him in the lineup. Beltre is also a good fielder.

2. Whom to trade: The Twins have always been reluctant to deal single or Double "A" prospects because those are the guys they are going to need to fill holes in 5-6 years. So Triple "A" and current big leaguers will be the most likely to get dealt. I am sure the Twins would be willing to include Cuddyer and Jason Kubel in the right deal but Denard Span is the outfielder that could fetch them the most. At 24 years old, Span`s stock is high right now because of his productive short stint in the majors. He won`t be due a big contract for a few years, so the Twins could keep him on the cheap or sell while the asking price is high.

3. Francisco Liriano: Two years ago Liriano was the best pitcher in baseball before injuring his elbow and missing the entire 2007 season. The Franchise has been awesome in his last three starts in Triple "A". 3-wins, 20-innings, 0-runs, 24-strikeouts. He isn`t walking guys and his fastball is starting to hit the low 90`s with more regularity. There is only so long you can leave him down there when he is pitching like that. The only problem is, who do you remove from the rotation to make room for Liriano? Livan Hernandez has been the team`s least effective pitcher, but he is also the only veteran starter they have. Another option could be moving Glen Perkins to the bullpen.

If Liriano is effective in his next start, I say they deal Livan for a mid-level prospect and go with the young staff.

The Timberwolves and the NBA Draft
Bill Halter (Weekend Sports Anchor)
6-24-08

The NBA is unlike the NFL in the sense that the NBA conducts its draft a couple of weeks after the end of the season. The NFL has its draft three months after the season to keep the league in the news throughout the entire year. Think about it -- the NFL has a mini-camp in May and training camp in June just to keep a buzz going about the country`s most popular sport.

The Timberwolves have never moved up in the draft lottery and that was again the case this year, but they did get the pick they were supposed to, Number-3. And what they do will greatly affect the rest of the lottery portion of the draft.

Kevin McHale has been in charge of Wolves personnel decisions since 1995 and on the whole, it has been a debacle. I mean, he has done to this team the same thing a baby does to a diaper, but he has been right on since pulling the trigger on the Kevin Garnett trade. KG got a ring, which was satisfying for me as a fan of his, but the Wolves also got a good deal in the trade. Al Jefferson is 23 and will be a slightly less talented version of Tim Duncan for the next decade. The Celtics also traded Ryan Gomes, who is a restricted free agent and a guy the Wolves should re-sign. In addition, the Wolves got a couple of expiring contracts and multiple draft picks. After the Garnett trade, McHale started emptying bad contracts.
-He traded Trenton Hassell`s outrageous contract for Greg Buckner who had a year less on his deal.
-And then he traded Ricky Davis and Mark Blount to Miami in a deal that will give them the Heat`s 1st round pick next year if it is outside the top 10. This deal was monumental because it was one in which McHale actually ripped another team off. I mean, Ricky Davis is as valuable to a team as the ebola virus.

So entering the draft I am optimistic the Wolves will do the right thing and draft O.J. Mayo. I would say I am cautiously optimistic, because McHale could easily drift back into terrible-decision-making mode and draft a player from Antarctica or trade the pick for a package of sweaters.

Assuming Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley are off the board, O.J. Mayo is the pick. The Wolves have committed to Randy Foye as their point guard, meaning they need a shooting guard -- and despite Mayo being the same height as Foye (6`4), he could be that shooting guard.

The only hesitation I have about Mayo is that he will get restless in Minnesota and want to play in a bigger market after his rookie contract expires, but nothing about him indicates he will be a problem off the court. At U.S.C. Mayo was a good teammate and passed more than he is given credit for. He was also a gritty defender. Ovintin J. Anthony Mayo should be the pick. He went through growing pains as a freshman but so do all freshmen. Mayo is a year older than most people in his class, but he is also more physically and mentally developed than most people in his class. The whole "taking money from an agent while at U.S.C." doesn`t concern me in the least, because I just can`t blame him for how that situation unfolded.

I see Mayo as a player who, in his prime, will average 25ppg, 6apg, 5rpg. He is in the mold of Dwayne Wade without the quickness and first step of Wade, but with a better outside shot.

McHale, keep the rebuilding train going and make the right pick.

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