Well would you look at that. The picture in the paper this morning shows two young men being led to police cruisers in handcuffs. As I read further I see that they are Duke Lacrosse players who have been identified by the student/stripper who claims she was sexually assaulted at a party for the Duke Lacrosse team. But, they have no DNA evidence. Why would they even proceed with this? The DA is a politically motivated idiot and should have done exactly what the defense attorneys wanted him to do. Drop the case. They have time sequenced photos that clearly show the stripper had been assaulted before she got to the party and that she was drunk when she got there. But there are 27 minutes missing from this video tape which is when the two girls had to lock themselves in the bathroom and be coaxed out of it to continue dancing. Why did they have to be coaxed out of the bathroom? Because these fine, outstanding young men hurled racial blurbs and sexual comments at them. As a matter of fact, this is the only thing these boys did wrong the entire night, if you are willing to believe the defense attroneys. The television is saying the same thing as the newspapers. There is a security guard and a police officer who both say the alleged victim was passed out drunk. There are people from Durham, N.C. who have posted here that the girl in the police story was NOT the alleged victim (this post wasn't around long but long enough for me to respond and question it). There are reports that the alleged victim couldn't speak at first. There are reports that within one hour of the alleged rape the alleged victim was examined at a local hospital and there was enough physical evidence to support sexual assault claim. The alleged victim has a criminal past. The lacrosse team has a jaded past as well.  An article at MSN today states that the coach was told over a year ago that there were too many improprieties in his program and they were being scrutinized by university officials. When I commented previously that the girl said she could identify at least one of the alleged assailants from photos someone responded to me that she could not. When I mentioned that a prosecutor on CNN said that when the police went to the players dorms to ask questions they were not technically in violation of anything as no one had been charged with anything. I was told that just because a prosecutor  (who is not involved in this case) said that didn't mean the police didn't do anything wrong. I was told that prosecutors will put a spin on stuff like that. I was told that I shouldn't listen to everything I hear on television. That being the case, then why should we listen to the defense attroneys who started spinning their story immediately?

That is what these people do. The defense team comes out with no DNA, time sequenced photos, comments from outstanding parents and students, from the lacrosse team, about what a wonderful bunch of boys these guys are. Drop the charges, there is no DNA evidence. The DA is running for office, this is the only reason he is going to charge anyone. This is a racial case and he wants the black vote (accuser is black). The police crash the players dorms asking questions, outlandish!!!

A prosecutor not related to this case makes one comment and all prosecutors say things like that to get their spin on things. This DA is convinced a rape took place. He says that 75% to 80% of rape cases have no DNA evidence. The findings at the hospital that prove there was a sexual assault are another motive for him to move ahead. The alleged victim has identified two of the three attackers and is 90% positive on the third (even though I don't know how you would determine that).

Here is what it is, like it or not. We are not privy to what is going on in this case unless we hear it from the media. Defense attorneys and prosecuting attorneys will spin their case anyway they can to prove reasonable doubt. Reasonable doubt by the defense team and beyond a reasonable doubt by the prosecution team. It started right away when it appeared that charges would be brought and parents of players started hiring attorneys. Blame is tossed out at anyone and anything that stands in the way of proving the innocence of the accused. Everything that is done is questioned by defense teams and if they can get it out in the media, then all the better. Prosecutors have to deny all of those claims and say enough to convince people that they have a case in the face of defense team allegations or contentions to the contrary. SPIN DOCTORS are not uncommon here or anywhere else.

I don't need other people to give me their spin.  Please don't tell me that I shouldn't listen to what is said on the television by a practicing member of the profession quoted. In this case a prosecutor who is not part of the prosecution team in the sexual assault case. And I won't tell any of you that you shouldn't jump all over the defense teams contentions as fact because it is what we have heard on television or read in the newspaper. I enjoy the back and forth here but, unless you are involved in this on a deeper level than myself, then I am entitled to disagree with you, and you with me, and most likely will until this case reaches its conclusion.

I would, instead, recommend that we attempt to view this case with an open mind. The alleged victim appears to have some issues aside from the assault. The lacrosse team has issues as well, aside from the assault. The defense team and the prosecutors will continue to spin this in any way that they think will help their case and clients. We are left to the media to get this story out to us. While that can be quite disturbing in its own way, it is what we have. Opinions are fine, but I am trying to wait a bit before I can muster one up one way or the other.  The team members who have been charged may wind up being found innocent. The case may not even proceed to open court. Then again, it may and they may not.  Some people have already made up their minds. I just go with what I see, hear, or read. Since I'm not involved on a deeper level, it is all I got.

It simply boggles the mind.

The word "we" is used in a general sense here. I am not intending to imply that people who post here are the only people included in "we".

In the past three days people have posted blogs about the syringe (turkey baster) thrown at Barry Bonds, a response to the coach resigning, season cancelled by scandal, Duke lacrosse team and another one about the syringe/turkey baster. What is it about these subjects that boggles the mind you may ask. The comments that these people have used in their writings.

In reference to first post about syringe - "I thought todays display was , while in poor taste, hilarious! Bonds deserves everything he gets this season criticism wise."

In reference to "Coach resigns, season cancelled amid scandal" - "Not to exonerate anyone's obviously inappropriate conduct, but are we overlooking the fact that this so-called "student" was in fact a paid performer???

In reference to the syringe/turkey baster - "man it almost seems like its 1950 the way you people treated Bonds on opening day. Instead of Bonds trying to break the homerun record it seems like he's trying to break the color barrier all over again."

A lot of people, myself included, have commented that the problem with sports today is the overpaid, crybaby, whine all day athlete and the power hungry, money hungry owner. We have talked alot about the influences of the media and how they can blow things out of proportion and do so constantly. We have complained about horrible officiating and the morons who run the businesses of the sports we love to watch. We have called for the heads of some of the athletes we have put up on pedestals when they turn to alternative methods to either enhance their performance or give them the edge to stay at a high level of performance. Yes, I speak of the dreaded steroids, amphetamines, special contact lenses, etc., etc.  All of these things are talked about constantly here. I talk about them and have conversed with many of you while responding to your comments. But there is more to this than what we freely discuss here. That is perception and opinion by us!

While everyone has a right to their opinion and the freedom of speech to express it, the way that these opinions are expressed, are, at times, down right frightening.

We complain about all of the things I have mentioned here but we never look at ourselves.

I will never, ever claim to be perfect and above reproach. I will never claim that I have no skeletons in my closet. I didn't graduate from college until later in my life because I was busy exercising some demons. I clearly am not perfect. But for the life of me I cannot grasp how some people can say the things they do with no justification,  and  then not accept responsibilty for it or flat out don't give a crap about what they say.

By stating that Bonds deserves everything that is coming to him criticism wise and that when the syringe was thrown at Bonds it was hilarious is scary. Whether it was meant or not it implies that humor is attached to something that could have been harmful to another human being. And why? Bonds using steroids may do physical harm to him but what has it really done to anybody else? Ticked them off because he used steroids and won't admit it (which he has!). They call him a liar and and that means he deserves to have potentially harmful behaviors directed his way. He hasn't physically harmed anyone here. Why would anyone even think about throwing things at someone and why would they think it is "hilarious!" I think it is dangerous and kind of creepy.

And this one comes up all the time and the person who pulled it out should be ashamed. Bonds, in pursuit of the homerun record, is trying to break the color barrier all over again. I have one daughter who lives with a black man who thinks the world owes him a free ride simply because he is black. I have another daughter who is married to a black man who owns his own business and can't stand people who think that their skin color should open doors to them that hard work would, and should, do as well. Yes, I'm white. My 8 grandchildren are mixed. I am not a bigot and cannot tolerate anyone calling them names or treating them poorly because of their skin color. I also don't tolerate people who pull out the race card when things don't go the way they think it should. That this person even implies that race is a factor when Bonds (black) is approaching Ruth (white) who has already been passed by Aaron (black) is ludicrous and assinine and plain ignorant. It isn't race. The syringe implies nothing about race (although according to the author it is an excuse to use race) and trying to turn it into race is plain wrong. The sad thing is that this person is not the only one who does it. It is everywhere. Yes, there is still discrimination, there is still racism and there is enough of it to be really worried about. But it has nothing to do with Bonds going after a homerun record. Quit spewing the race card for no obvious reason - everywhere. It is wrong and in a lot of situations plainly ridiculous. With attitudes like this one we will never get past racism - not that we ever really will.  Accept the fact that not everything is a race issue and maybe we will make some progress.

But the one that really got to me was the comment about the "Coach resigns, season cancelled amid scandal." The entire content of statement is listed at the start of this but what really gets me is, "are we overlooking the fact that this so-called "student" was in fact a paid performer???" For those of you who may not know, this is in reference to the "alleged" rape of a stripper by 3 members of the Duke University lacrosse team. What got to me was the insinuation that because she is a stripper and is paid to take her clothes off means that she is perfect for a sexual assault. WHAT??? I went to school with girls who stripped to pay their way through college. They were students and they were strippers. At this time the "so-called student" has been identified as a student at a neighboring college. This is a rather neandertholic approach to sexual assault. With thinking like this I feel sorry for any woman who has to do things like stripping to get by. Hey, she wears her blouses open, low cut and her skirts are high. She deserved it. Heaven forbid that any of my granddaughters have to get a job at a Hooters to get through college. I am no prude but give me a break. I admire the female form. I enjoyed the picture that was posted of Stacy Keibler the other day. That I admit this will no doubt anger some but I in no way think that how a woman dresses or what she does for a living justifies assault. Think about what you said and how you said it. 

By the way, to the person who thinks Bonds is treated badly because he is black - the three lacrosse team members are white, the "so-called student" stripper is black. All 47 team members had DNA samples collected except the one black guy because the "so-called student" stripper said they were white. Now we have a situation, aside from sexual assault, where you could find some racially motivated stuff.

We have all complained about a lot of stuff here and discussed other things as well. Sometimes we have managed to stay friendly and sometimes it has gotten interesting to say the least. But while we are casting aspersions and blame and calling for justice, take a look inward. Sometimes the way we view things are not at all in line with how things are. Sometimes we just go off because maybe we think because we pay these people and cheer them on we have the license to say and do whatever we want. Playing the race card in a lot of situations is a smoke screen. Think about it before you just arbitrarily throw it out there. If there is justification for it then it will be recognized. Think about what is said and how it is said. Perception can be a dangerous thing. Hey, I have been asked to explain myself here a couple of times. But when you are talking about a sexual assault and the victim is a paid performer. It ain't right. There is alot of things wrong with the sports world, just like there are a lot of things wrong with the world outside of sports. I think we (this is used in the general sense) do our fair share of harm as well.

I used to drive my wife crazy in the morning when I would reach for the sports page in the paper before I even grabbed my cup of coffee. It got to the point where she would have it sitting out waiting for me. Not the whole paper, just the sports page. But with all of the crap going on in sports now the only reason I grab the sports page is out of habit. When I read it, I get to the point where I can't wait to get it into the bottom of the bird cage right away. The problem with that is that now the parrot is pissed.

When did things get so bad?

Can we blame the skyrocketing salaries on Charlie Finley and the Oakland A's from late 60's and early 70's? Charlie started throwing money around to build World Champions and he had some success. It wasn't long, however, before the best team between the lines, was the worst team in the locker room. A lot of  "I" came before "we" toward the end of that dynasty (?). It continues to get worse.

Did the arrogance of Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali change the attitudes of athletes so much so that now everybody has a chip on their shoulder? And the attitude has just grown and grown over the years. It seems that if a guy has even minimal skill the attitude gets out of control.

Did John Elway lay the seeds of discontent when he would not go to the original team that drafted him out of college? If he did it, and he is a Hall of Famer, then I can do it because I will be a Hall of Famer. We can take this a step further and say, I don't care how much you pay me, I'm not going to play in the outfield!

Did Dave Forbes beating the hell out of Henri Boucha change the concept of fair play? If you are a competitor then compete but don't beat someone into submission and end their career and claim you did it because you are competitive? Hi, I'm Todd Bertuzzi and I'm competitive, I'm also a jerk!

When did the concept of punishment fitting the offense become such a freaking joke? The aforementioned  Bertuzzi still draws a paycheck from professional hockey while his victim still has vision problems and will most likely never draw a paycheck from professional hockey. Oh, but it is alright. Bertuzzi was suspended and had to sit out a long time. Yea, while the rest of his peers were sitting out during a strike over labor issues. Some suspension he received.

When did the need for upgraded or new playing facilities become my problem as a taxpayer? Hey, if the players and owners demand a new stadium then make them pay for it. I'm never going to play on it and I'm never going to see a profit from it. Besides, who are the ones with the money here? In the grand scheme of parity, it ain't me. If I were a business owner that directly profited from having a professional team in my community then I would be alright paying my share. I'm a teacher and I didn't get into education for the money. C'mon guys, show us the money!!!

And now we have the ultimate slam going on. We actually have three guys in professional football (Owens, Walker and Culpepper) who are already inked to lucrative contracts. We have three guys in professional football (Owens, Walker and Culpepper) who demand renegotiation of said contracts. We have three guys in professional football whose behavior is just short of impossible to believe who have demanded more money, slammed their teammates in public, slammed their bosses in public, attempted to rip-off the fans with their demands, played terribly after signing the original contract before the demanded re-negotiation, or demanded the re-negotiation while hurt or coming off of career threatening injuries. And we actually have people out there who defend these behaviors. Not agents or other players, but fans, sportswriters and coaches. When did it become alright to accept these kinds of behaviors from professional athletes when people such as myself would be out of work?

I completely understand why the parrot is angry. He does what I want to do to these things, he craps on them. He is taking a stand and I am glad for him. I support anyone who takes a stand to these kinds of behaviors from anyone, NOT JUST PRIMA DONNA ATHLETES!

I coach high school athletics and try to instill character, teamwork, competitive spirit, humility and sportsmanship along with skill sets and content. Situations and people that I have mentioned make that task extremely difficult. So I say, TAKE A STAND!

Cut salaries and get things back to somewhat realistic area. Too much money creates big problems for immature and young individuals. I used to buy into the argument that athletes had a limited earning period and neede the money to support their families when they could no longer compete. Now that argument is crap. Get it in your second contract but don't try to rip everyone off by demanding a re-negotiation for something you don't deserve.

Go Vikings! Zygi and Brad are on the right path. Remove the issue before it gets out of control. Childress has been through it twice and the problem was removed. I applaud him. More owners and coaches need to take this approach.

Go to who drafts you and don't be a pompous ass. You have been selected to advance your career to the next level. You should be excited at the opportunity regardless of which team provides it to you.

Show me a competitive judge or owner. Show me someone who will suspend you indefinately or release you from your contract and then someone who will put your butt in jail for simple "assault and battery" because you are competitive.

You can have attitude, think context. I love it when my hockey players show attitude. But one of the things we tell them is to act like they have been there before. When they score they can celebrate as they have traditionally done. But don't make a spectacle by aiming your stick at the net a pulling the trigger, or pretending to be putting the sword in the sheath or stuff like that. So, if a linebacker is paid to make tackles, make it and get back in the huddle. Don't act like some complete idiot dancing around or standing over the guy you tackled screaming at him. If you make the tackle on 4th and goal and you will win the game because of it, have fun with it but don't get in the opponents face. Show some class and sportsmanship. If they can't behave appropriately - flag 'em and send 'em home!

I don't know where the behaviors got so out of control. I think the money and the media have taken over and now everything is like a circus. The media allows itself to be used and abused by these over-priced and over-rated buffoons as much, if not more, than they abuse the morons. They feed the demons so to speak. Culprit-pepper e-mails the media to put pressure on the Vikings and they allow it to happen. Owens holds press conferences on his lawn so the world can see what idiots he and his agent are and the media is there in hordes. It is getting hard to read about and even harder to watch on television.

There is a blogger here who has taken to posting about hockey players from back in the days of the Original Six, Letsgoredwings. They are fun to read and help take me back to a time when sports weren't played for the money but for the passion, the comraderie and the flat out love for the game and all that it brings. The things he posts actually prompted me, while walking through a Barnes and Noble, to buy a book called Phil Esposito: Thunder and Lightning. It has been fun to read. He speaks fondly of his teams, players, coaches and owners (?). He speaks of some of the escapades he has had with teammates. He also has no fond comments about the new age of ownership who fired him from running the Tampa Bay Lightning who he helped found. I guess I long for the days when I didn't have to pick up the sports page or turn on the television and get blasted with this player or that  player's insane contract demands or see what inappropriate behaviors they had exhibited or read how ungrateful they are while having the opportunity to play their kids games.  Not that a player from the Original Six didn't have some questionable exploits but at least I didn't have to read about them while they were demanding more money for less production. By the way, that would get most of us fired. When Phil Esposito signed his first contract they gave him a signing bonus of $1,000.00. He didn't demand it, they thought that was what he was worth and he signed it. He gave it to his dad.

My stand - I piss off the parrot now by lining the bird cage without reading the sports page. I don't go to professional sporting events unless I am invited by a friend with a ticket and then it is only for the friendship. I won't pay to support them any more than I have to. I don't watch them on television because I can't stand to watch the way they play the game, any game. I still manage to get more than my share via the radio and news on the exploits of todays sports stars. Owners, coaches and fans can make a difference if they are willing to take a stand. It is my guess things will only get worse.

I have responded to several blogs and am now going to write my first. The subject is Title IX and the immediate demands of gender equity.

In today's Star Tribune there is an article about the Minnesota Girl's State Hockey tournament being played for the first time at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. This is the same facility that houses the Minnesota Wild. From the Excel Energy Center's website you can find out that for hockey events the seating capacity is 18,064.

For the past three years the Girl's tournament has been played at Ridder Arena. This is the home of the Women's Golden Gopher hockey team. A trip to the Ridder Arena web site shows that seating capacity is roughly 3,400 people.

According to the article the attendance for the first day of the tournament was 3,256 people.

At the Title IX website, www.titleix.info you can read every thing you want to about Title IX. For the record, I don't have a problem with Title IX. I actually agree that it has, and continues, to bring gender equity in line. I think this is fine. However, I have a problem with how, in many cases, Title IX makes its mark.

A few years ago the high school that I coach boy's hockey at sanctioned for varsity competition a girl's hockey team. I thought it was great. It was great until the people running the thing for the girls DEMANDED that we, the boy's team, give up the locker room we have had for about 30 years. They came in screaming gender equity and Title IX and we demand equal facilities or you have to let us have the locker room this year. They were adamant about it. The people that were running this cause initially were the girls parents. They threatened legal action and everything. Eventually, another locker room was built to house the girl's program.

And now the situation concerning the girl's hockey tournament. The boy's hold their tournament at the Excel Energy Center. The parent's of two girls decided after the 2004 season that the girl's should move from Ridder to the Excel Energy Center. They brought in attorney's and threatened to sue the Minnesota State High School League because the girls have every right to play at the same facility the boy's do.

Let's look at some intangibles.

For playoff type events do you want a facility that is rockin' with both schools bands and a building filled to capacity anticipating and cheering at the tops of their lungs or do you want a facility that is too quite and devoid of excitement so that the event itself seems boring?

In high school sports events the atmosphere is crucial. We play our boy's sections in a building that is filled to capacity every night of the Section tournament. I once had a goalie ask me what it was like to play in a section championship game. After he played in one he told me it was the most fantastic experience of his high school athletic career. Why? The atmosphere. It was, to use a cliche, ELECTRIC.

Girls who payed in the state tournament at Ridder arena said it was "awesome when the building was packed." They "wouldn't want to play a state championship anywhere else." "The Excel is too big. It would be like playing in front of two people." These are quotes from three girls that were interviewed for the article in the paper.

To avoid the lawsuit the Minnesota Wild offered the Excel Energy Center for the girl's tournament RENT-FREE. The MSHSL paid $24,200 last year to Ridder for the girl's tournament and $44,600 to the Excel Energy Center for the boy's tournament.

At the attendance rate of 3,256 people per day the girl's tournament will pull in 9,768 people for the 3 day event. The boy's go 4 days, start the weekend of March 8 and last year drew 123,853 people to their event. That is roughly 30,964 people per day.

The boy's game of high school hockey here has been around, obviously, much, much longer than the girl's game has. The boy's game, as I am sure any high school hockey historian could tell us, had it's growing pains. But the game paid its dues and is where it is today due to diligence, hard work by way too many people to mention, and a high number of participants over the years. The major point I am making here is that it took the boy's a long time to get where it is today and it paid its dues that are normal in the growth process.

The girl's game has not been around for very long yet through intimidation, threats of legal action, and parents who are more concerned that their daughters play in the same building as the boys than whether it is an exciting time for them, continue to give Title IX a black mark. Give us everything right now and to hell with nurturing the game and those who play it and letting it grow. We are parents and lawyers of female student athletes, hear us roar!!! 

Personally, I wanted my daughter's to learn about competition, hard work and the lessons that playing competitive athletics could teach them that would be important in their lives after athletics. I wanted them to appreciate hard work and the benefits that can result from it. I wanted them to know about competition because they would face it every day of their lives, in one way, shape, or form. And most of all, I wanted them to have fun and relish in the excitement of the event, win or lose. I never pushed them to be better than the boys and I never expected them to be able to compete at those levels. And I never cared about where they played except when the atmosphere could enhance the competition. This came from my own experience and knowing the rush one gets from playing in front of a packed crowd.

Forcing things for the obtainment of equality may have its upside. However, when it takes away from the experience as a whole, I can't imagine it is doing anyone any good. Parents and their lawyers keep taking the positives out of simple athletic events. The messages sent by suing only seems to make this course of action appropriate for everything. It is no wonder we are viewed as a "sue-happy" society. I am all for gender equity. But does it have to crammed down my throat at an athletic event.  And have these parents ever stopped to consider what the kids are thinking and saying? I would guess not, especially if the comments of the three girls quoted in the newspaer article mimic other girls who have played in the event.

Final question:

Do you think the Minnesota Wild/ Excel Energy Center will reciprocate and give the boy's tournament the facility for free this year?