Chicago sportswriter Joe Cowley has a blog post up on how to be a Minnesota fan that I think I'm supposed to be insulted by, but I'm really just amused. Item 1(with helpful links to pictures, apparently for his Chicago readers):
First of all, if you are a Minnesota female sports fan, you will undoubtedly go to the event with your significant other and get looks. See, there is a serious problem in the Twin Cities called "Out Kicked Your Coverage Syndrome.'' For some reason, Minneapolis is one of those few cities where the women are far superior looking to the males, hence making the selection pool very one-sided. Every couple you see at a sporting event will fit this description: good-looking woman and man that looks like either Larry, Darryl or Darryl from the Bob Newhart Show. Just a fact.
"Out kicked your coverage". Heheh. What's the word I'm looking for here? Um. Oh yeah:
Duh.
Been there, done that, I think I've got a couple of their old t-shirts in a drawer. Dude, playing outside your league is not an insult, it's an honor. But thanks for the compliment to our beautiful Minnesota women.
As for the rest, for the most part he's right. Minnesota fans are generally more humble than most teams. In my case, that humility was beaten into me at the tender age of eight by the Kansas City Chiefs. It was then reinforced three more times in the 1970s until it stuck for good. That's just the way it is.
Cowley derides the Twins as a little-engine-that-could team that even if they win the division, will not go far in the playoffs. Well, maybe. The sad reality of the economics of baseball means that small market teams like the Twins are going to have a tough time competing for the big guns. Guys like Morneau and Mauer only come around so often. There's a reason why Torii Hunter and Johan Santana are gone this year. The Twins play small ball often because that's what baseball let's them have.
Even if the Twins take the division this year I don't think they will go far in the playoffs. The loss of Alexi Casilla at second for at least two weeks is a serious blow to their chances of just winning the division. Regardless, this wasn't supposed to be their year anyway. With one of the youngest teams in baseball it was supposed to be a building year. It has been, but even a better one than anyone dreamed. Whatever happens this year, watch this team in 2009. Mark my words, they go all the way.
I love "out kicked your coverage". The commments are excellent.
My sister and I (12 and 13 repectively) were at that humility game of yours in old Tulane Stadium. If you ever see highlights (Lowlights?) of that game, you might catch a glimpse of us. In the pregame ceremony, the hot air balloon was supposed to carry a Viking and/or a Chief mascot out of the stadium. It got about 4 feet off of the ground and headed straight to the endzone. We were about 15 feet to the left of it. Our 15 seconds. I was in the black overcoat. :)
Posted by: Rob | July 30, 2008 at 05:17 PM
Cool story about the balloon. I don't remember that at all. That was the only Super Bowl loss I cried over, like only a very disappointed 8-year-old boy can cry. The rest were watched with simply a stoic grimness after that.
I like that phrase too. I don't think I've heard that before, but I instantly knew what he meant. Hey, I know I'm not a movie star. I have out kicked my coverage a few times though. Some of those commenters took it way too seriously, but my favorites were:
"Oh no! Don't rip on us for having really hot women! Not that Joe, really, anything but that! LOL. You can't make it up."
"If you were smoking a cigar, it would remind me of a famous actor.... Rin Tin Tin Taking a crap!"
Posted by: Dave E. | July 30, 2008 at 06:08 PM