Release the Hound!

Congratulations to the owners and handler of the cutest beagle ever --- Uno! The quality of this AP video from YouTube isn’t the greatest. If you would like a clearer specimen, try this link. I was unable to post it here on Gooseberry Lane because embedding was disabled by request.

Drug Testing for Mr. Bonds?

Ok, call me a whiner, but I have a question: did any independent anti-doping agency procure a blood and urine sample from Barry Bonds last night after he hit his 755th home run? Maybe they did and I just don’t understand how baseball drug monitoring works. I think the United States Anti-Doping Agency should have tested Mr. Bonds and should take his home-run record away if it is discovered that he used performance-enhancing drugs. After all, if WADA and the UCI test cyclists who win races (after each race, mind you), why shouldn’t baseball players be tested after setting performance records?

Are baseball players subjected to random drug testing 24-hours per day, 365 days per year? Do they have to notify their teams or the baseball officials of their whereabouts so that random drug testing can be enforced? Are baseball players required to pay back their entire annual salary if they are caught doping? Do they receive a two-year suspension from the game after their first drug offense? Do they receive a lifetime ban from the sport after their second offense? To my knowledge, the answer to all these questions is “no.”

If Americans are serious about teaching their children to be drug-free; if they want their kids to “just say no to drugs,” maybe Americans should implement tough doping standards for baseball. After all, it is “America’s favorite pastime” and the source of many role models for America’s youth.

Just a thought from a whiny cycling fan.

Curling Kudos!

Hearty congratulations to Team USA on their victory over Canada Wednesday night at the 2007 Men's World Curling Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. With a 6-5 defeat of Sweden yesterday, the curlers have secured a spot in the final four-team tournament. Two brothers, Todd and Kevin Birr, from Mankato, Minnesota (my college town) are members of Team USA.

If you are unfamiliar with curling and want to learn more, visit www.usacurl.org. For an explanation of curling basics, with animation, click here.

Super Bowl XLI is History

After a lackluster season of football loyalty at my house, my family and I decided to watch the Super Bowl with Koalagirl15 and her clan. We brought chili. They made mini quesadillas with chips and salsa, and bananas foster for dessert (yum). Good friends. Good food. Good game, especially that opening kick return!!!

Speaking of that opening play, I did not realize that it was a “first” in Super Bowl history, or so I hear. Some other "firsts" from Super Bowl XLI:

- the first game to be won by a black coach
- the first game to be won by the Indianapolis Colts
- the first to have rain
- the first to have four turnovers in the first quarter

All in all, an historic game. Of course, I am waiting for another historic game --- when the Vikings actually win the Super Bowl.

The Patriots Lost!

The New England Patriots lost their championship game. Being a Minnesota Vikings fan since my youth, I am not crushed by this news. However, I do know people that are probably having a tough time getting out of bed this morning. After four years on top of the AFC East and three Super Bowl wins since 2000, the Patriots now have the opportunity to practice humility, something all of us need occasionally.

I read in the newspaper that Super Bowl XLI will be the first time two African-American coaches will be on the sidelines. Interesting statistic. I do plan to watch the game, although I am unsure whom to support. As a Vikings fan, I am (by definition) NOT a Bears fan. I guess that leaves the Indianapolis Colts.

See you at the game!

Pats Out of Luck
The Catch That Flipped the Game
History Times Two

Badminton at the Speed of …?

One morning back in August, shortly after I started this blog, I saw a demonstration of this new sport called speedminton on Fox and Friends. I thought the game was cool and innovative, but didn’t hear much more about it. It appears to be a hybrid of badminton and racquetball, but you don’t need a court to play. You need only a racquet, a special “speed” shuttlecock (that can reach velocities of 175 mph), and two people. To learn more about it, check out the Speedminton USA website.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Fall has arrived, at least in my neck of the woods, and that means football. To keep up on the news of my favorite teams and those of my close friends, I’ve added a “Sports Center” to the sidebar menu. There you will find the Minnesota Vikings (my team), the New England Patriots (locals), and the Pittsburgh Steelers (in honor of my friend Sandi). You will find a link to the Discovery Channel cycling team as well, even though cycling season is winding down, but I digress…

So why only these three franchises? Well, in reverse order, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team to watch, at least according to Sandi. A few years back her husband subscribed to NFL Sunday Ticket as a Christmas gift for his lovely mate because she is so into both college and professional football; and being a native of Pittsburgh, the Steelers are and always will be HER team.

Being a transplant to southern New England from the Midwest, I have to follow the Patriots in order to be even remotely conversational with my neighbors this time of year. It seems that people around here are either Yankees fans, Red Sox fans, or Patriots fans. A girl has to fit in somehow. **Sigh**

And then we come to the Vikings. Ah, the Vikings. After the last couple of years, what with the antics of Randy Moss and the whole “sex boat scandal” of last season, I should have written them off as a lost cause. I guess I have too many fond memories of their former years when Bud Grant was coach and Fran Tarkenton had just retired as quarterback, making way for the likes of Tommy Kramer and Wade Wilson. I also have fond memories of watching the team practice at Blakeslee Field and dine in the cafeteria of Gage Towers, the campus residence hall reserved for the Vikings players and staff on the grounds of my alma mater, Minnesota State University, during their summer training camp.

Whatever the reason for including the team in my sidebar menu, the Vikings are off to a good start this year --- two wins and one loss so far --- and, like most Minnesotans, I’m praying for that elusive Super Bowl win.