Hugh McCutcheon named Gophers Head Coach after Mike Hebert Retires

Just a few days before the nationally-ranked Gophers volleyball team headed out to Seattle for the Sweet 16, I sat down with then-head coach Mike Hebert to talk about their upcoming match-up with the Pac-10 champions California.

At some point during the interview, I felt the need to ask Hebert about his plans for retirement.  I'm not even thinking about that right now, he told me.  And I left it at that.  Hebert had been the leader behind the well-respected Minnesota program for 15 years, handling both the success of the team and his own battle with Parkinson's with the class and determination of a seasoned veteran.

And he was someone I had grown to respect.  So much so that when the email release announcing his retirement came just days after my sit-down with him, I wasn't even mad.  Being mad about missing a scoop was the farthest thing from my mind.  My first thought was, good for him.  My second thought was, what's going to happen to the program? 

After the botched handling of the last two football coaching searches by University athletic director Joel Maturi, I was nervous how the volleyball search would be handled and who would be brought in.  Leaving  behind a 381-125 record, Coach Hebert made Minnesota a nationally-recognized and respected program and with the amount of talent coming into the program, it would be a shame to let that go to waste.

Luckily for Gophers fan, they can breathe a sigh of relief.  The University of Minnesota just announced Hugh McCutcheon of Team USA will take over the reigns at the Sports Pavilion.  The 41-year old brings in a stellar resume, having just finished his 2nd year coaching the U.S Women's National Volleyball Team, posting a 28-13 record and medaling in 3 of their 4 tournaments.

McCutcheon, a native of New Zealand, also coached the U.S. Men's Olympic Team in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, bringing in a gold medal for Team USA--the program's first podium finish since 1992. Unfortunately for McCutcheon and his wife Elisabeth Bachman, the Olympic experience was plagued with tragedy.  McCutcheon's in-laws, Todd and Barbara Bachman (of Lakeville, MN) were attacked during the opening day events at Drum Tower. Todd died in the attack and Barbara sustained serious injuries, forcing McCutcheon to leave his team for three matches during the opening rounds of the games.  

McCutcheon boasted a 107-33 record during his four years leading the men's team.

McCutcheon comes to the Gophers at the right time. Coming off a 2nd place finish in the Big Ten and a powerful trip to the Sweet 16, the 9th-ranked Gophers only lost one player this season--senior Lauren Gibbemeyer--and are bringing in one of the strongest recruiting classes in the country.

Golden Gophers and Big Ten Basketball

Every Wednesday, Myron Medcalf from the Star Tribune releases Big Ten Power Rankings on his Gold in the Barn blog and I was lucky enough to be chosen as a contributor on his poll (which can be found here: http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/blogs/Gold_in_the_Barn.html).  One of the other contributors--Tom for The Daily Gopher--decided to take our involvement to the next level.  He sent out questions to all the contributors and is going to compile all of our answers in a sort of round-table conversation.  Here you can read my responses.  I will also be posting the link to Tom's final response so you can read what some other Gopher basketball fans are saying.

The Gophers endured probably the most difficult start to the Big Ten season that one could imagine.  On the road against three of the league's best all resulted in a loss, though two of those games were one possessions games with under a minute to go.  Now Purdue is the only road game left against an upper-tier Big Ten team, but what about the other road games?  What road game against a mid or lower tier team concerns you the most and why?

At this point, I wouldn't discount anyone in the Big Ten.  Home-court advantage is going to play a huge role in deciding who takes top honors in the conference and I'll be honest--I'm a little nervous about how the Gophers are going to do on the road against teams like Michigan and Penn State.  The Wolverines look awful playing against conference teams but were able to push Kansas to overtime at home.  The fact that they are coming off a five-game losing streak makes me extremely nervous, especially if the Gophers revert back to their slow starts like we had to watch against Eastern Kentucky and Akron.  Penn State fell to Purdue at home but was able to notch wins against Big Ten powerhouses Michigan State and Illinois at the Bryce Jordan Center.  They've proven that they have the talent to pull off wins against teams that count and since I haven't seen the Gophers play an entire game with cohesiveness, I'd put the Nittany Lions at the top of my 'oh man' list.

The Gophers haven’t won a Big Ten title, officially, since 1982. Even if you include the vacated Big Ten title in 1997, this program has finished top three in the Big Ten two times since the 1980-81 season.  “What will it take for this program to make the strides necessary to compete for Big Ten titles in basketball?”

I think it all goes back to recruiting.  With what has happened within the program in the last few years--basically, the drama--I think more emphasis needs to be placed on finding well-rounded recruits.  While I love Gopher athletics, there is nothing more annoying than athletes who are given an opportunity to play at a Big Ten school and throw it away by doing something stupid.  Granted, I understand stuff happens that isn't in the athlete's control.  But I think our recruiting needs to start focusing on finding players who are fully dedicated to playing out their eligibility at the U, players whose focus is more on basketball at a collegiate level and less on what might be waiting for them in the NBA.     

The Barn...stand up or sit down? Here is your opportunity to rant...

I took my dad, Jim, to the game on Sunday when the Gophers struggled passed the Hawkeyes.  You know it is a bad reflection on your fan base when my 71 year-old father wants to stand and cheer throughout the entire game but can't because the Debbie-Downer fans behind us think they're at a tennis match.  Nadine Babu brought up a great point in her blog--Is the Gopher Basketball fan base too old?--which looks at the fact that the barn is nearly silent during most games, sans the student section.  Since I usually sit in press row and am trying to get some game notes done, I rarely pay attention to what is happening in the stands.  But on Sunday--while in the stands--it was blatantly obvious that yes, our fans are too old.  The first ten rows of the lower bowl at Williams Arena look like they are at a poetry reading, barely moving in their chairs except for the occasional trip to the bathroom or to get chocolate ice cream (I see you Sid Hartman).  When I expressed my annoyance at the fact that no excitement or noise comes from those closest to the floor, someone pointed out that the University has no where to move those fans--the so-called big money contributors.  While that may be the case, especially for those fans who have been season ticket holders for 50+ years, it's still obnoxious when I turn on a Michigan State game and am nearly blown over by the noise radiating through the t.v.  They understand what their role as a fan at the game is supposed to be.  Gophers fans, take note.  

The Designated Hitter

I had to write an essay for an internship program and couldn't resist the opportunity to write about Jim Thome, who in one season with the Twins quickly became one of my all-time favorites for both his abilities at the plate and his demeanor in the clubhouse.  I didn't end up getting the internship but the essay still came in handy this morning when I found out Thome had been resigned with the Twins to a 1 year, $3 million deal (plus incentives, of course).  Couldn't be happier to see him back in a Twins jersey as he chases 600.

Leading off for the White Sox in the top of the ninth inning, Alexei Ramirez jumped on the second pitch from reliever Matt Capps and blasted a game-tying homerun over the flowerbeds lining the low left wall of Target Field.  With Minnesota leading the AL Central by only three games, Twins fan held their breath as the top of the line-up stepped to the plate and failed to score a game-ending run in the bottom of the ninth.  The top of the tenth didn’t play out any better for the Twins who gave up a run off a single from the game-changer Ramirez, leaving the Sox up 6-5 in the midst of a heated division race.  A quick visit from Gardy and in came lefty Ron Mahay, trotting up from the bullpen in center field to replace Jon Rauch and get Minnesota out of the inning, nearly unscathed.

            What happened next can simply be described as fitting.  After Delmon Young led off with a grounder up the middle to Alex Rios, all of Target Field climbed to its feet as the Twins’ designated hitter Jim Thome slowly approached home plate.  Becoming a free agent after four seasons with the White Sox, the Twins had been quick to rope in the veteran slugger, signing him to a one-year $1.5 million deal that would bring him to Minneapolis to help break in the new ballpark.  So far, the acquisition had worked in the Twins’ favor.  He had quickly become a favorite in his new clubhouse, boasting 16 homeruns and a .265 average leading into the three game series with Chicago and if there was any player the team and fans wanted at the plate in this situation, it was Thome.  With his teammates nearly spilling out of the dugout—readying for a possible celebration—Thome took a hard swing at the first pitch from reliever Matt Thornton.  The crowd lulled as he repositioned himself in the box, the quiet anticipation hanging in the thick mid-August air.

            The fans weren’t forced to wait long.  Thome connected on the next pitch, a fastball, sending it soaring towards the high right field wall.  Thornton didn’t even have to look.  It was gone.  As Thome touched first, his 17^th homerun of the season landed past the right field bleachers sending the stadium into an uproar.   He had just recorded his 581^st career homerun, giving the Twins an encouraging four game lead while notching the first-ever walk-off at Target Field.   Throwing his helmet into the air as he rounded third, he jogged slowly towards home plate where his teammates were waiting.  Those unfamiliar with the teams’ history would have thought the Twins had just won the World Series.  The rest of us knew differently, understood what had just happened in one single swing.

            The headline in Chicago would later read, The White Sox Stunned by Ex-Teammate.  That was true.  Thome had just led his former rival to a 7-6 victory with a 445-foot two-run homer in extra innings.  It was the way fans hoped all games would end, with pure exhilaration, the kind of buzz that turned wavering fans into lifelong baseball devotees.  But emotions aside, Thome had just done his job—coming through in a clutch situation when the team needed him.  That’s how I look at my role as a sportswriter, knowing that at any moment I could be called into the game and expected to deliver.  My first at-bat in the majors came on Sept. 21 when I found myself in the Herb Carneal Press Box high above Target Field, covering the game for KFAN Sports Radio AM 1130.  I had been an intern for less than three weeks and had been asked to get post-game sound the producers could use for the next day’s shows. 

It seemed simple enough.  The Twins were trailing the Indians 4 to 2 after the bottom of the sixth and even though their magic number to clinch the AL Central was only at one, no one was expecting a champagne celebration after the game.  But of course—in true rookie fashion—my first major league appearance couldn’t just be an easy single.  The Twins scored four runs in the eighth inning to grab a 6-4 victory and as the team waited for the Oakland-Chicago finish, I carefully wrapped myself in plastic garbage bags and waited patiently outside the clubhouse to do interviews.  Oakland ended up routing the Sox 7-2, leaving the Twins to douse their brand-new clubhouse with champagne as their grabbed their sixth American League Central division title.

And I was there, interviewing Michael Cuddyer, Joe Nathan, Gardy, Young, and my favorite designated hitter Jim.  Somehow my first call-up to the big leagues had become a grand slam situation, the start to career that I'm hopeful will continue to grow day-by-day.  Since then, I’ve covered the dismissals of two Minnesota head coaches, the arrival and departure of a very colorful wide receiver, and a nationally-ranked volleyball team that has overcome a season of adversity to grab a top-10 ranking in the NCAA tournament.  I’ve covered over ten different athletic organizations in the last three months, something that has forced me to be on my game at any given moment.  It’s this independence, this sense of responsibility that I hope will continue to push my career in the big leagues.  Because—like a veteran designated hitter—I know I can deliver every time I’m at the plate.  

A Chance to Give Back

2010 was a really good year.  Plain and simple.  So as the ball dropped and in came 2011, I set really high expectations for myself.  A new year, a new opportunity. 

Only a few days into the next decade, I was pleasantly surprised to find one of those new opportunities awkwardly thrust into my lap.  No, really.  It was pretty awkward.  My friend Nadine—who many of you know from her work with GopherHole and from just being an all-around sweet person—had invited me over for wine after the Gophers narrowly beat Indiana.  She was working on her computer when she quietly gasped, stopped typing, and peered over the screen at me.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe I didn’t think of this….. I have something to ask you.”

Whenever anyone starts off with—I have something to ask you—I always expect the worst.  But it was far from that.  Going off the suggestion from her friend Dana Litman, Nadine proceeded to ask me if I would be interested in working with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Minnesota during their annual charity.  As she explained more about the opportunity, I couldn’t help but get excited.  It was exactly what I needed to get me out of my mid-winter funk.

For the last nine years, the LLS has hosted a Man & Woman of the Year competition that is basically a ten-week fundraising competition between ‘professionals’ in the Twin Cities area.  I use professionals loosely, because I already have a hard time calling myself a woman, let alone a professional (it's the fear of getting older, I think).  The candidates must be nominated by someone involved in the organization and they basically spend the winter months planning events to raise money for LLS.

Dana, last year’s Man of the Year, raised nearly $30,000 and while I’m not competitive when it comes to playing sports, this fundraising opportunity has definitely ignited my competitive juices.  This year’s campaign will run from April 7^th until June 17^th and while you might think—it’s only January—I’m already on the move, getting events on the books and talking to people who are interested in helping. 

While it is a competition, it is very easy to remind myself why I wanted to do this in the first place.  I’m very lucky that I have never been personally affected by leukemia or lymphoma.  But, unfortunately, that isn’t the case for many families in Minnesota and around the country.  An estimated 912,938 Americans are living with a type of blood cancer, while a new case is diagnosed every five minutes.  Sadly, someone with a blood cancer also dies every 10 minutes.  But through organizations like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and its fundraisers, that staggering statistic can be helped. 

I am very honored that Dana and Nadine thought of me as someone they would want to represent The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and I plan on doing everything in my power to kick some major butt during this competition.  The more money raised, the more the LLS can do to stop these diseases in their tracks.  As more of the details get worked out, I’ll update my blog with opportunities that you can get involved in as well.  Looking at hosting some pretty fun events in April, May, and June and I would love to have your support through the busy ten weeks.

-Intern Gal :)

(And unfortunately for those of you who already asked, I don't have access to a dunk tank.  Tough luck.)

Dear Lindsay, Anything is possible. Love, 2011

            Whether you believe in making New Year’s resolutions or not, it is impossible to not think about the year ahead after the big glittery ball drops.  I won’t lie, 2010 was an incredible year for me and I’m starting to feel the pressure when it comes to making 2011 an even bigger success.

            Don’t get me wrong, there are things in 2010 that I wish I could go back and change:  silly fights with friends, guy drama and a subsequent broken heart, sitting on opportunities instead of seizing the day.  But at the end of a very eventful year, I can honestly say that 2010 was when I realized the sky's the limit.             
            My year started off at WCCO-TV, where I interned in the sports department with some of the most dedicated and talented people I’ve ever met. I then went back to the Minnesota Daily and jumped in to cover the nationally-ranked Gophers volleyball team—including a tournament run and the retirement of one of the greatest volleyball coaches in the country.  And I was lucky enough to take on the role of ‘Intern Gal’ at KFAN, where I get to work with some of the greatest guys I’ve ever met. 

            If 2010 taught me anything, it’s that I’m in charge of my future and that’s a motto I’ll continue to repeat to myself as the new year jumps off.  

Hopes for 2011:

1. Go on vacation by myself. 

            Whether it’s a week at the cabin alone or a cross-country adventure to visit friends, 2011 is going to be all about rebuilding my independence.

2.  Spend less time on Facebook and more time working on things that will lead me somewhere.

           

3.  Listen to ‘happier’ music.

            As I was getting ready on New Year’s Eve, I realized my top-played music on my iTunes is insanely sad.  And as someone who is extremely connected to music, I figure it can’t be very good for me to listen to love songs on repeat.  So in 2011, my goal is to break out of my shell and explore more music—music that will hopefully help control my emotional mood swings (I kid, I kid).

 

4.  Take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way.

            I like to think I’m insanely independent, sometimes too independent for my own good.  And one of the things I find the hardest is asking for help or using a personal connection to help me out.  Basically, I’m used to doing everything on my own and if I want to make 2011 my most successful year to date, I need to become better at letting others help me out.

5.  Surround myself by people who love me and support me and do a better job of reciprocating those feelings.

            Like I said, I’m too independent for my own good.  But I’m very blessed to be surrounded by amazing friends and family, people who do nothing but push me to succeed.  Sometimes I don’t do a good enough of job of reciprocating those feelings and emotions and while I want to make 2011 all about my career, I’m going to make a genuine effort to improve my relationships.

6.  Run a marathon.

            It’s a little off subject when it comes to my other resolutions, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.  I’ve ran two half marathons and I’d love to find a marathon to run in a fun city that I could explore after the race.  Also, I need something to motivate me out of my warm house and into the cold winter air—I’m guilty of allowing winter to let me become a hermit.

            I’m very excited to see what 2011 has in store for me.  For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m finally on the right track and with my big 25^th birthday rapidly approaching, it’s nice to know that things can only get better from here.

To those of you who are reading this, thank you for your support this year.  Whether you are one of my oldest friends, someone I just met this year, or my incredible parents (yes, Karen I know you’ll read this), my success in 2010 is directly linked back to you.  I’m so lucky to have you in my life.  There is no better motivation than knowing you are behind me, pushing me along and while I might not express my gratitude enough, please know that I am truly grateful for everything you to do for me.

My Biggest Fan

          The holidays are always a time for me to stop and acknowledge how lucky I am and with 2010 coming to an end, I can't help but look back on the last 12 months a little out of breathe.  Every day has been one step closer to my dream, an aspiration that was passed along from my dad.  Meet Jim.

           Everything I know and love about baseball I learned from my dad.  A farm boy who grew up playing in the fields of southern Minnesota, my dad spent his adolescence hitting home runs and winning batting championships for the Waterville Buccaneers.  When I was a child he tried his hand at coaching, spending countless hours teaching me how to play the game in the shade of our backyard.  He showed me how to catch the ball, field a grounder, follow through on my swing, the same skills his father had taught to him years before on their family farm. 

            Baseball became our sport.  The youngest of four daughters, I was his last chance at having someone to share his passion with.  My older sisters had already turned him down and in a way I became the son he never had.  He truly loved everything about America’s pastime and he made sure that I loved it, too.  As I grew up, my Barbie dolls were slowly moved off their shelves in favor of Homer Hankies and autographed baseballs, my storybooks replaced by a baseball card collection.  Even through my teenage angst when my dad just seemed to be an embarrassment in my life, baseball was the one thing that kept us connected.

         This last year has been a crazy one for me -- internships at WCCO and KFAN and a sportswriting position at the Minnesota Daily have thrown me into crazy situations, opportunities that I dreamt about when I first considered pursuing a job in sports.  Through it all, though, one thing has been constant: my dad cheering me along from the sidelines.   His support has given me the confidence to pursue what can only be described as my dream job and if it were all taken away tomorrow, I would be satisfied simply because I know he is proud of me.  

          Jim and I will be busy in the next couple of weeks.  I'm taking him down to Madison for the Big Ten opener at the Kohl Center, followed by as many Gopher basketball games at Williams Arena before he and my mom jet off for Mexico for the winter.  Then in March we're heading down to Fort Myers for our first Twins' spring training, a fitting celebration of my 25th birthday.  I'm just waiting for news that Jim Thome has been resigned so I can start working on Jim's 72nd birthday present -- an autographed baseball from a player he admires.  A small request in exchange for all I've been given over the years.

             

           

Becoming a runner... again.

I woke up this morning with the intent to go to the gym.  I had even packed my gym bag and set aside my workout clothes before bed last night to help motivate me for when my clock radio started blaring.  Nothing like walking up to KFAN's The Power Trip, right?  Well, see I had this bright idea to watch AMC's The Walking Dead right before bed last night and had dreams about sports-writing and zombies all night long, leaving me less than amped when it was time to get up this morning.  A few too many snoozes and suddenly my time at the gym was gone.

Luckily, when I finally rolled out of bed, weather-dot-com informed me that it was a balmy 52 degrees outside leaving me with no excuse but to throw on my running shoes and head out to the nature conservatory down the road.

I've never been a runner.  When I was in high school, I decided on numerous occasions that I wanted to really get in shape and would take up running--I'd last a mile before I would be walking home, defeated by something that seemed so easy in my head.

Two years ago, I convinced my older sister that we should run our hometown's annual half-marathon.  She spent three months training for the 13-plus miles.  I, on the other hand, ran six miles two days before the race, deciding that I would just be extra-motivated on race day.  See, runners were alloted 3 hours on the course and if you didn't finish, a truck came by and drove you back into town-- and I truly believed that in order to avoid the pure embarrassment that came with getting picked up by the truck, I'd get my butt across that finish line well within the 3-hour limit.

My sister and I both completed the race, something I'm sure my parents were surprised by.  It wasn't exactly fun but it wasn't torture.  Once I got passed mile 8 (the farthest I'd ever run), this competitive inkling popped into my head and for the first time during the whole day, I really wanted to finish the race.

In January, my best friend convinced me to run the half-marathon again.  Like me, she wasn't a runner but--being the most type-A control freak I know--she promised she'd push me to train for the race, considering she knew how my last attempt at race preparation had gone.

Ironically, it ended up being the other way around.  She got me out running but it was me that had to push her on our long runs--hitting 8, 10, 12 mile jaunts up and down Summit Avenue in St. Paul--when she wanted to quite after two.  We trained through ran and snow, gave up Twins tickets to get in long runs--even stayed in on Friday nights to ensure successful Saturday a.m. runs.

We had made a pact that on that April race day we'd stay with each other and even when the hail started pounding us and the wind nearly blew us over, we pushed along crossing the finish line in 2:15.26--almost ten minutes faster than my time the year before.

Of course, I stop running immediately after the half.  The weather got nice, I got busy, and when I had time, I wanted to be on patio with a drink in hand or enjoying the new Target Field.  Over the summer, I ran here and there--mostly when I was at the cabin and needed to get away from my family for a bit.

That's why this morning was such a challenge.  It was only four miles but it may have been the hardest four miles I've ever run.  And as I stretched in my driveway--underneath the heavenly November sun--I was so mad at myself for basically losing everything I had spent last winter training so hard for.  For the first time in my life, I had become a runner and I had just let it go.

My life doesn't leave much room for free time right now.  And while I wouldn't have it any other way, I'm recommitting myself to my 'running'--even if it means 10 p.m. trips to the gym to score a little treadmill time.  And while I'm sure I'll run my third half-marathon this April, I'm thinking I might even push myself to try a full--as long as there is a truck willing to pick me up mid-course if I want.  For 26 miles, I think it's okay.

 

Bleeding maroon and gold isn't easy.

            For anyone who woke up in Minneapolis this morning, you can relate to the ‘ho-hum’ I initially felt.  It was gross.  Glum, foggy, misty day.  Heading to the Twins game tonight, it was exactly the weather I had not wanted to wake up to.  But—and I can only thank karma or a higher power for this—the sun has come out and it’s actually insanely beautiful out.  Which is why this will be a short-short blog.  I’ve got a baseball game to enjoy.

            So… anyone who knows me knows I love the Gophers.  In fact, last night I threw on some sweats to run some errands only to have the cashier at Holiday question my fashion choices.  “You’re awfully brave to wear Minnesota stuff after their embarrassing loss on Saturday.”

            Yes, it was embarrassing.  So embarrassing that I should have retired my maroon and gold for a while.  But—it’s been an embarrassing last couple of years. Forget losing to South Dakota and USC—those are just the most recent examples of the Gophers’—and Brewster’s—failures.  The program has been slumping since Glen Mason and the 2005 Gophers lost to Wisconsin on a blocked punt in the Metrodome.  Granted, we weren’t an exceptional program even then.  But we were decent.  We had just beat Michigan at the Big House and were ranked in the top 25—something a Gopher fan would remember five years later because it’s not a regular status for the mediocre Minnesota team.

            My point is, Minnesota is my team. Yes, losing sucks.  Being at the bottom of the Big Ten sucks.  But I went to Minnesota for a reason.  And I’d like to consider myself a true Gopher fan.  Am I kinda ‘over’ it?  You bet.  But does that mean I’m going to stop going to games and cheering on the team, even though it’s pretty likely that we are going to lose?  No.  Not a chance.  The Cubs—who are having a very sub-par season—have the highest tickets prices in the MLB because their fans go to games no matter what—a lesson Minnesota fans could take to heart.

            Minnesota is my team.  Even after I graduate and move away, maroon and gold will be two colors that regularly appear in my wardrobe.  Because at some point—and I pray this is true—the Gophers will get it together and I’ll be able to truthfully say I supported them the entire way.  We all have a choice when it comes to cheering on a team.  You don’t like the way Brewster does it?  Buy some red and cheer for the Badgers.  You wouldn’t be the first fair-weather fan to jump ship when things got rough.

Paul DeBettignies (@MNHeadhunter)--the only Gopher fan who loves the team more than me.

Introducing the besties to TCF Stadium.  You know they are true friends when they buy maroon and gold to support your team.  Love you, ladies.  :)

Bon voyage, summer. You were great.

            Summer’s officially over.  School starts tomorrow.  Sigh.  Giant sigh. 

            Don’t get me wrong—I’m really excited for fall.  Fall means college football is in full swing—road trips, tailgating, cold days and hot drinks at TCF Stadium.  It means our first play-off race in an outdoor stadium—Twins hoodies and blankets replacing flip-flops and tank tops.  It means Sunday Fundays and Vikings games—and good old Brett Favre in the sacred purple and gold.  Basically, fall is a sport fan’s dream.

            Summer 2010 was my dream.  Now that it’s officially in the books, I can confidently look back and say it was awesome.  Opening Target Field, following the Twins on the road, saying goodbye to Rosenblatt at the College World Series—it was a baseball fan’s dream summer.  And these are my some of my top moments.

1.  Rosen’s Sports Sunday @ Target Field.

            Last semester, I interned at WCCO-TV in the sports department and had the pleasure to work with Mark Rosen and Carry Clancy on the Rosen’s Sports Sunday show every week.  The night before the Twins’ home opener, we broadcasted the show from first base—I lucked out and was able to come along and help out.  I got dropped off at the player gates and was buzzed in, only I couldn’t find anyone to help me get out to the field.  I searched the back concourses for a sign of life and finally found someone in the Red Sox’s clubhouse, getting it ready for the next day’s big game.  He walked me to the Twins’ clubhouse, buzzed me, and directed me towards the field.  Then he left me alone in the Twins’ clubhouse the night before the home opener.

            It was amazing.  Plain and simple.  The Twins’ throw-back jerseys were all hanging up in the laundry room, just waiting for the players to come to the stadium the next day and pick them up.  I passed the infamous batting cage and pushed open the double doors—like I was instructed—and walked out into the Twins’ dugout.  It.  Was.  Amazing.  Absolutely breathtaking.  I honestly didn’t do anything.  Basically, I stood around and held a jersey that Kevin Smith had brought along—but it was still the coolest thing I’ve ever gotten to experience!  Besides Smith, Frank Quilici was along as a guest and getting to meet him was the icing on the already delicious Twins cake.  I didn’t get to go to the opening game and I was actually okay with it—because what I got to do was ten times better than just getting to see the game. 

2.  Meeting Harmon Killebrew

            My last day at WCCO was a Sunday.  I came in to help train in my replacement and help on Rosen’s Sports Sunday, like I usually did.  Carry hadn’t told me about our guest yet—finally, at about 9pm she broke the news.  “Oh Lindsay, you’ll need to print a form… we need one for Harmon.”

            Gulp.  That could only mean one thing.  Harmon Killebrew was going to be our guest on RSS that night.  No big deal.  My job all semester had been taking care of the guests—I had debated the SEC and Pac-10 with Ron Coomer and Henry Lake, talked Finland with Niklas Backstrom, and reminisced on the Missota Conference with Lindsay Whalen.   It was a sweet gig—and I mean this with no disrespect, but meeting Harmon trumped my entire semester of work.  He’s a class act and not only took pictures with everyone who asked but also gave me some sweet material to use for my sports trivia questions.  The highlight to my semester, it was the perfect way to go out—especially after I got to call my dad and tell him I met his childhood idol.

3.  College World Series in Omaha

            Read my last post.  Best sporting event I’ve ever been to.

4.  Kansas City Royals vs. Chicago White Sox

            You probably read that and went huh?  Trust me, I felt weird writing it.  But it’s true.  In the middle of August when it had been decided that either the Twins or the White Sox would be winning the AL Central, my friend and I went down to KC to visit a friend for a weekend.  Worked out well because the White Sox were in town to play the Royals at Kauffman and our friend scored us amazing tickets to all three games.  Friday’s game was rained out—okay, it was really a tsunami—so we were able to see a crazy double-header on Saturday.  Game one—11 innings of crazy baseball, including the 7^th when Yuniesky Betancourt hit a 2-out grand slam to tie the game 5-5.  He brought in the winning run in the bottom of the 11^th on a walk-off single, sending the entire stadium into hysterics.  Game one, Royals 6—White Sox 5.

            Game two didn’t start until around 10:30.  It went back and forth all game with Betancourt bringing in the tying run in the bottom of the ninth to send it into extra innings.  White Sox scored in the top of the 10^th and the Royals couldn’t answer back—Chicago took game two 7-6. 

            Sunday was hot.  Excruciatingly hot.  But it didn’t matter.  We were smack dab behind home plate for game three of the craziest baseball series I have ever witnessed first hand.  The best part of the whole situation—the only clean clothes we had were Twins gear.  Yup, we wore Twins gear to Kauffman stadium sitting just twenty feet from the White Sox dugout.  And it was noticed.  Several times.  By not only Ozzie and his coaching staff but by actual players as well.  It was awesome—almost as awesome as the game, which went into extra innings with the Sox and the Royals tied 2-2.  Three baseball games, 31 innings, and two wins by the Royals—the last coming on a walk-off single by Jason Kendall in the bottom of the tenth.  

(I by no mean take credit for the Royals’ awesome wins that weekend, but I’ve got to think that our Twins spirit helped them out.   You can still send me a thank you note after the Twinks win the AL Central.)

5.  Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers (June 28)

            Not only did the Twins 11-4 win over the Tigers put us back in first place, it also happened to be the game when Denard Span showed Minnesota—and Major League Baseball—what he can do.  5 RBIs on 4 hits, including three crazy triples.  It was a game we needed to win and we did it in grand fashion.  Ironically, the team were battling for first was the Tigers—the team that’s currently 13 games out of the first place.

Dear Johnny, I love you.

            Everyone has things in life that they want to accomplish someday.  Mine includes traveling throughout Europe with my best friend, getting my dream job, and someday settling down with a hot, loving husband and some cute kids.  It’s the list I made when my biggest concern in life was whether I wanted to spend my afternoons playing dress-up or Barbies—cut me some slack people, I was eight. 

            When I started becoming a sports fan, I made another list.  A bucket list, if you will, of things or places I wanted to see or do—all pertaining to sports, of course.  See the Twins take on the Yankees in New York.  Head down to Arrowhead for the Mizzou-KU matchup in the fall.  Watch Gopher football at all the Big Ten stadiums.  Typical things that most sports fans tend to want to do.

            This past June, I crossed a big one off of my ‘grown-up’ list.  Attend the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.  Started in 1947, the CWS moved to Omaha in 1950 where it made its home in the ‘house that Johnny built’—Rosenblatt Stadium.  Next year, the series will be moved to the TD Ameritrade Park, a $143 million stadium currently being built in downtown Omaha.  So as the city—and baseball fans—prepared to say goodbye to the stadium on the hill, my friend and I decided that this would be the perfect year to make the trek.  Here are some of my highlights…

1) Choosing a team to cheer for.

             After the Gophers lost those heartbreaking games to Cal State-Fullerton in the Regionals, it was hard for me to pick a team to cheer for at the CWS.  As a college football fan, South Carolina, Florida, Florida State, and Oklahoma were out strictly on principle.  I couldn’t cheer for any of those teams.  The number one seed going into the tourney, Arizona State was also out because I was not about to jump on the #1 team’s bandwagon my first year at the CWS.  Just didn’t seem right. 

            Leaving Clemson, Texas Christian, and UCLA, I kicked off Clemson because I wasn’t too excited about wearing purple or orange for the whole weekend.  Yes, a girlie decision-making process but when you have no alliances, anything goes.  With just TCU and UCLA left, I was torn.  Choose the Horned Frogs and have Jesus on my side or go with my childhood dream school and be a Bruin for the weekend.  Ultimately, UCLA won out with us and lost the tournament to the Gamecocks—can’t win everything, right? 

2) Unsuccessfully stalking Dave Winfield.

            I’m slightly embarrassed to admit this but I stalked Dave Winfield in Omaha.  Unsuccessfully, of course but I did stalk him none-the-less.  Before the tournament started the NCAA put together a CWS Legends Team of college-athletes who had some of the best performances over the last 60 years and good old Davey was one of the 28 athletes chosen.  To be honest, I don’t even know if he was down in Omaha but I insisted on trying to find him (Barry Bonds made the trek, I found it hard to believe that Winfield wouldn’t show up).  Like I said, I never did find Dave.  But by asking every single person if they had seen him, I got to talk about my two favorite things—the Golden Gophers and the Minnesota Twins.  A successful addition to any baseball road trip!

3) Learning what a Sooner was.

            When the games got delayed because of weather—something we experienced everyday—Katie and I retreated to the comfort of our favorite beer tent right across the street from the stadium.  We made friends with fans from everywhere—a group of married UCLA guys in customized jerseys, a couple of middle-aged dads from Texas, a grandpa-father-son trio from Chicago (in White Sox jerseys, nonetheless).  Our favorite group, by far, were the three new dads from Texas who came to cheer on the Oklahoma Sooners and one of their brothers, closer Ryan Duke. 

            At some point during our conversation, I quietly admitted that I didn’t know what a Sooner was.  This did not go over well with our new Boomer Sooner fans and Katie and I were quickly enrolled in an OU education class.  A Sooner—as they bluntly put it—is a cheater.  When the west was being settled, a Sooner was someone who went out before they were supposed to and claimed land that they wanted before anyone else had the opportunity.  It doesn’t seem to be the most positive choice for a mascot but everyone we met from Oklahoma seemed to like it.  I mean, I cheer for a Golden Gopher.  Anything goes in college sports, I guess.

            In a way, my weekend in Omaha was perfect—fans from across the country all in one place to watch college baseball and at the same time say goodbye to one of sports’ greatest treasures.  Katie and I became ‘the girls from Minnesota’— we took our roll seriously and trash-talked every White Sox fan we saw and gave hugs and high-fives to everyone in a TC hat.  Yes, I will admit I never understood the appeal of the College World Series and Rosenblatt stadium until I went there and experienced it myself.  It really is a baseball-lover’s paradise.  And while I am sure that next year will be a different experience away from Rosenblatt, I plan on being there to soak in every crazy moment.  Maybe I’ll even try and stalk Dave Winfield again—I’ll just find out if he’s going to be there ahead of time.