BBQ Talk

Cruisin' the Web

2009-01-21T20:45:00.008-06:00

According to Friedman, "It’s morning again — in Saudi Arabia," because Americans have short memories.

Sadly, the Minnesota Twins "do not have a department devoted to statistical analysis." In the last decade the Twins have gained an edge by developing talent through excellent scouting and managing at the minor league levels. Unfortunately, while the rest of major league baseball has integrated advanced metrics into their player evaluations, it appears the Twins are resting on their laurels. Perhaps this explains why one analyst ranks the Minnesota farm system 21 out of 30.

"Small-market teams love salary caps. Or rather, they think they do. " If a salary cap were implemented in Major League Baseball, 13 teams would have to spend an extra $15 million to meet the minimum.

Why is it that conservatives only fight for tax relief that would benefit the wealthy? "If the Republicans were more serious about their philosophical commitment against taxation, why not instead propose a either a long-lived holiday or a permanent reduction in the FICA (payroll) tax as the entirety of their stimulus package?...because the payroll tax is capped at about $100,000 in income, suspending or reducing it would not be all that helpful to wealthy Americans, to whom it represents only a tiny fraction of their tax burden." (Read more)

A nice chart of President Obama's cabinet (with pictures and everything).

A liberal uses the "n-word". (More people just like him.)

Greg Boyd finds it a bit ironic that Colin Powell was the keynote speaker at a Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast. Makes a lot of sense to me.

"Liberalism is not America’s problem. A comfortable Church with a tamed Jesus is." (More here)

The current free agent compensation system is screwed up. When the Brewers receive a second round pick for losing C.C. Sabathia (instead of a first) and Jason Varitek is held hostage because any team that signs him will have to give up a first rounder, something needs to change. Look for this to be a topic for discussion at the next round of collective bargaining. In the meanwhile, since the Yanks have already forfeited their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks with this year's big free agent aquisitions, Ken Rosenthal believes they should solidify their bullpen by signing type A free agent, Juan Cruz. I totally agree. Meanwhile, Yankee blog, River. Ave. Blues makes some suggestions for how to fix the free agent compensation system.

There's a lot of hype around the Cleveland Indians this offseason, but "the Twins will be a tough beat in the AL Central in 2009."

Back in October, I complained that the Twins were forced to play a tiebreaker against the White Sox in Chicago because they lost a coin flip. This, despite having won the season series. Well, looks like those coin-flips won't be happening anymore. Thanks Bud. Better late than never I guess.

Check it out, the White House has a blog!

Raines, Race, and the Hall of Fame

2009-01-18T20:36:00.005-06:00

Some thoughts on race and baseball on Dr. King's Day.

Two weeks ago, Ricky Henderson and Jim Rice were elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America (for the most complete list of BBWAA members on the net click here). Henderson received 94.8% of the votes and Rice received 76.4% (for full election results click here). A chorus of sabermetricans have been campaigning for the elections of Bert Blyleven, who received 62.7% of the votes, and Tim Raines, who received 22.6%, both of whom fell short of the required 75% vote.

In this article, ESPN baseball writer, Keith Law, uses statistical analysis to make a convincing argument for Tim Raines' entrance into the Hall and compares his career to Paul Molitor's, suggesting something else may be to blame for his omission.

So Raines was perhaps the best base stealer in the game's history, the second-best leadoff hitter, one of the best hitters at reaching base (the most important thing a hitter can do, after all) and a good defensive player. One common excuse for omitting Raines from Hall ballots is his admitted cocaine use in the 1980s, including his infamous confession to sliding headfirst to avoid breaking the vials of snow in his back pocket. Raines was clean for the majority of his career and became known both as someone who talked about his recovery from addiction and just generally a good character guy, yet voters are still bringing up the drug use from the first two or three years of his career.

Yet another candidate who reached the ballot with similar off-field indiscretions, Paul Molitor, sailed into the Hall on the first ballot with more than 85 percent of the vote and 299 more votes than Raines received in his first year. Molitor also played the first few years of his career with a serious cocaine problem. So why does Molitor get a free pass while Raines struggles to reach even a quarter of the vote? It's not about their playing careers; Raines was the better offensive player and played a thousand more games in the field than Molitor did. Molitor accumulated more bulk statistics at the plate, but his inability to play a position was a big part of extending his career. No, it might be about something far more insidious.

The electorate for the Hall, comprising BBWAA members who have at some point held their badges for 10 consecutive years (although they need not be active badge holders now), is overwhelmingly white; the organization's secretary, Jack O'Connell, did a quick count of African-American voters and came up with 19 in the history of the organization, at least one of whom (Hall of Famer Larry Whiteside) is deceased. Even if O'Connell undercounted current African-American voters by 50 percent, that would give us 36, out of a total electorate of over 550. Are we just looking at an example, then, of a white electorate treating drug use by a white player differently than it would treat drug use by an African-American player? Many academics, including Princeton professor Cornel West, have written about the way that the American media treats white drug users differently from African-American drug users; perhaps this inequity has seeped into its treatment of baseball players with distant histories of drug use as well, because any gap between Raines' and Molitor's on-field performances could not begin to justify the gap in their Hall of Fame vote totals. This is not to say that any individual voter is racist, but that pervasive societal stereotypes may be hurting Raines' Hall chances.

I do not think Keith Law is suggesting that racism is to blame for Tim Raines' extremely low vote total. I can think of some other factors that explain the ridiculously low vote totals. For instance, the majority of the BBWAA has been extremely reluctant to considers a player's Hall case using quantitave analysis of baseball statistics, and the new categories that have resulted in the last couple decades. These categories go beyond the traditional HR, SB, R, and RBIs. Some examples include OPS, OBP, WARP, and VORP. Considering Raines' Hall case rests largely on the acceptance of quantitative analysis and these new categories, it is reasonable to conclude that there are just too many old farts in the BBWAA who still believe the earth is flat for Raines to stand a chance as a first ballot Hall of Famer.

That said, Law makes a compelling argument, and one that can't be ignored. It would be easy to simplify Raines' omission as the oversight of a bunch of old flat earth cranks, but that might be a mistake. Law's argument certainly deserves more consideration: social stereotypes could be influencing Hall of Fame voting.

(Check out Tim Raines' and Bert Blyleven's Hall of Fame websites. Very convincing.)

Elizabeth Warren's Warning for the Middle Class

2009-01-09T09:50:00.000-06:00

Recently, I was channel surfing and happened to land on C-Span's coverage of some prominent economists testifying before some House committee on the current economic mess. Greg Mankiw was testifying so I stopped to listen. Mostly, he was boring and predictable. I stayed a little longer to hear Elizabeth Warren. Wow. Even my wife Becky, was impressed, and that is no easy task. Warren, a Harvard professor, is a consumer advocate whose main focus is bankruptcy and commercial law (check out her blog). Her most popular written work is "The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers and Fathers are Going Broke" and she played a significant role in the documentary "Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders." Recently, she's been thrust into the spotlight when she was appointed chair of the five-person oversight panel of the infamous $7 million TARP funds.

After listening to her Congressional testimony I wanted to hear more, so I did some googling and checked out some youtube clips and found this UC Berkeley Graduate Council lecture called "The Coming Collapse of the Middle Collapse". It was eye-opening to say the least. It has always been my assumption that irresponsible consumption was a signficant cause of the current struggles of middle class Americans. While I still believe consumerism is a problem in America, after watching this, I'm beginning to rethink the extent to which over-consumption is to blame for the problems of the middle class.

Because the embeded video is 57 minutes, and some of you may not want to watch all of it, I've outlined some interesting facts from her presentation below.

The Commerce Department has tracked how Americans spend their money for more than a century. Warren used this data to compare the spending habits between two similar families: a mom and dad with two kids in the early 1970s and a mom and dad and two kids in 2003, and adjusted for inflation. Her findings:

A family of four spends 32% less on clothes in 2003 than in the 1970s.
A family of four spends 18% less on food in 2003 than in the 1970s.
A family of four spends 52% less on appliances in 2003 than in the 1970s.
A family of four spends 24% less per car in 2003 than in the 1970s.

A family of four spends 76% more on a 3 bedroom one bathroom house in 2003 than in the 1970s. The average American family is about 50% more likely to be in a house more than 25 years old.
A family of four spends 74% more on health care in 2003 than in the 1970s (assuming this family is fortunate enough to have employer sponsored health insurance).
A family of four spends 52% more on cars in 2003 than in the 1970s because they now have more than one car in the family.
A family of four spends 100% more on childcare in 2003 than in the 1970s because mom is now at work.
A family of four pays 25% more in taxes in 2003 than in the 1970s because mom is now at work.
Notice, these are all fixed expenses, whereas the earlier expenses are flexible.

The median family of four from the '70s spent half its income on fixed expenses. The median family of four from 2003 spent three-fourths of its income on fixed expenses. This, despite having two incomes--mom is now at work. In fact, after paying for fixed expenses Warren determined the median single-income family from the '70s had more money left over than the median dual-income family from 2003.

Unfortunately, in her presentation Warren does not suggest solutions for this obvious problem, she just presents the data. My personal belief is that she is NOT suggesting that moms stay home. So, then what?

Thoughts? Reactions? Criticisms?

(Btw, I did not outline the last 20 minutes of her presentation. It was too difficult to summarize concisely in bullets.)

For All You Yankee Haters

2008-12-29T14:56:00.012-06:00

The Yankees' recent signings of the top three members of the 2008 free agent class (Sabathia, Burnett, and Teixeira) has left many Yankee haters in a tizzy. The Astros and the Brewers have already publicly called for a salary cap after the Yankees doled out more than $400 million in total contracts for these free agents. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, “At the rate the Yankees are going, I’m not sure anyone can compete with them...Frankly, the sport might need a salary cap.”

So, is Yankee spending once again ruining the competitive balance in baseball? Further analysis is needed.

First, according to River Ave. Blues (and many other sources) the Yankees payroll has not changed dramatically from last year despite signing these three free agents and trading for Nick Swisher. This is because they've shed $59 million in payroll when the contracts of Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Andy Petitte, and Mike Mussina expired. Even with previous commitments, and projected arbitration raises, "the net change in team payroll will be negligible relative to the massive dollar figures connected to those three new contracts."

Second, there is no guarantee that these contracts will result in a World Series for the Bombers, let alone an AL East crown. In fact, Resultsdisorientied calculates that replacing Mussina, Giambi, Pettitte, and Abreu, with Sabathia, Teixeira, Burnett, and Swisher will only net the Yankees 2.1 more wins. Unless the Rays or Red Sox significantly falter, this will not be enough to capture the AL East crown. On top of that, in 2008 the Yankees were outspent per win by only two teams, the Tigers and the Mariners, not exactly good company. The Rays, Twins and Marlins spent the least per win. So, which type of team do you want to be a fan of, ineffective big spenders, or efficient penny pinchers?

Is this the watershed moment that should lead toward a salary cap in major league baseball? Baseball Think Factory reveals some interesting facts that lead me to answer, no. To begin with, while revenues have increased dramatically since 2003, the players' salaries have actually decreased by 11% in that time. Is that difference felt by Joe fan, with lowered ticket prices? No way. (According to Peter Gammons, in Boston, the average price for a family of four to watch the Red Sox from the grandstand and buy concessions was $250!) Also, if MLB were to institute a salary cap similar to the NFL's, it would probably set somewhere around $100 million. Of the thirty teams in Major League Baseball, only 11 had payrolls north of $100 mil. in 2008.

Finally, ironically Yankee spending is actually good for baseball. In 2008, only two teams paid the luxury tax, the Tigers and the Yankees. The Tigers paid $1.3 mil. and the Yanks paid $26.8 mil. Along with the luxury tax, the Yankees paid over $100 million in revenue sharing. On the whole, all thirty baseball teams put over $300 mil. in the revenue sharing pot, to be redistributed to the poorest teams with the Yankees portion comprising about a one-third of this money. Does this discourage Yankee spending? No, although the Steinbrenner boys aren't happy about it. And what became of that $300 mil. Well, how many free agents have we seen the Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, Minnesota Twins, or Tampa Bay Rays sign?

Oh yeah, remember Mark Attanasio, owner of the Brewers, who called for a salary cap. His profits totaled $40 million in 2006 and 2007, and those are sure to rise as Milwaukee attendance increased in 2008. But please, hate the Yankees.

Update (01-26-09): " Small-market teams love salary caps. Or rather, they think they do." If a salary cap were imposed in major league baseball, the poorest 13 teams would have to spend an extra $15 mil. Check it out.

Blame the Auto Union!

2008-12-26T14:36:00.002-06:00

Recently I had a conversation with some friends about the collapsing auto industry in America. One participant in the conversation was quick to blame lazy union members, for the industries' downfall. I can't say I blame him considering the misinformation that has been flying around. Some Republican members of the House, and right-leaning academics, have suggested that workers at American plants make upwards of $70 an hour, which if you actually think about it is ridiculous (this calculates to an average annual salary of well over $100,000 for a factory worker). It doesn't help that Harvard Economics professor, Gregory Mankiw, author of a popular high school AP Economics textbook, and former economic advisor to Bush Sr., has recently displayed his true colors by perpetuating this lie on his well-read blog. Fortunately, Factcheck and The New Republic investigated this claim and proved it to be bogus. In reality, the average American autoworker makes about $28 an hour, probably about $4 more than the average worker at Honda, Toyota, or Nissan plants in America; Hardly enough to explain the current collapse.

The reality is that management of the Big Three automakers did not have the foresight to budget for "legacy costs"--the costs of retiree benefits--or did, and assumed the government would never let them fail. They should have predicted that the rising number of baby boomer retirees would exceed the current number of people employed and adjusted accordingly. Malcolm Gladwell discusses this "dependency ratio" in depth in his New Yorker piece The Risk Pool. An excerpt,

An employer that promised, back in the nineteen-fifties, to pay for its employees’ health care when they were retired didn’t set aside the money for that while they were working. It just paid the bills as they came in: money generated by current workers was used to pay for the costs of taking care of past workers. Pensions worked roughly the same way. On the day a company set up a pension plan, it was immediately on the hook for all the years of service accumulated by employees up to that point: the worker who was sixty-four when the pension was started got a pension when he retired at sixty-five, even though he had been in the system only a year. That debt is called a “past service” obligation, and in some cases in the nineteen-forties and fifties the past-service obligations facing employers were huge. At Ford, the amount reportedly came to two hundred million dollars, or just under three thousand dollars per employee.

So, if there are less employees now than when the pensions were first created, there is a problem. Big picture: a pension is only as good as a company's ability to maintain a stable "dependency ratio". Obviously, in the case of the Big Three this was not happening.

Gladwell takes this one step farther and connects it to healthcare: "The average cost of health insurance for an employee between the ages of thirty-five and thirty-nine is $3,759 a year, and for someone between the ages of sixty and sixty-four it is $7,622." G.M. has an estimated 62 billion dollars in health care liabilities. Of course, ask the CEO of an American automaker who hedged his bet on Hummers and Tahoes, how he feels about universal healthcare, and he'll reply in opposition.

But, please blame the lazy auto unions.

Why are there not more Mother Theresas?

2008-12-24T08:00:00.003-06:00

"Are you one?
What should we be doing if we are all Mother Theresas?
How do you strive to end injustices in this world?"

(Some powerful comments from Scott McKnight)

I.O.U.S.A.

2008-11-15T08:21:00.004-06:00

My poor children.

For more information about the full-length documentary visit the website.

God is like this

2008-11-10T09:32:00.000-06:00

A Nice Metaphor for the Credit Crisis

2008-10-28T21:00:00.001-05:00

The credit crisis as Antarctic expedition from Marketplace on Vimeo.

Palin's Roe v. Wade Moment

2008-10-01T19:54:00.003-05:00

At first I chuckle, and then I realize she could be a heartbeat away from the presidency. It erodes my faith American democracy to be honest. Well, at least we can laugh. It's a four minute clip, but stick with it. It's well worth it.

Watch CBS Videos Online

A Coin Flip? Really?

2008-10-01T09:46:00.006-05:00

Twins assistant general manager Rob Antony asked Katy Feeney, major league baseball senior vice president in charge of scheduling, why a coin flip determined that the Minnesota Twins were playing in Chicago last night. He was quoted in the Pioneer Press saying she told him, "They have just always done it that way."

Nice.

The White Sox earned that victory last night behind John Danks' stellar pitching performance, and the Twins are horrible on the road, so this is no excuse. However, Major League Baseball cannot continue to appeal to tradition in crucial situations such as this. For once Bud, please be proactive. The commissioner's major weakness is his retroactive management style, and this is symptomatic of his capitulation to the almighty dollar.

We saw it during the juiced era, when it took Congress recently strong-arming major league baseball to implement drug testing. We saw it on full display after the 2002 All-Star game. We saw it earlier this month when the Astros were forced to play a series against the Cubs at Wrigley North (Milwaukee) because someone, somehow, failed to anticipate Hurricane Ike. And we saw it last night, with game 163 of the 2008 season. A game played in Chicago despite the fact that the Twins had won the season series 10-8. Why? Because coin flips have always been used.

Time for Bud to make a retroactive change, again.

Sunday Morning

2008-09-26T16:19:00.003-05:00

From Nakedpastor.

A Metaphor for Subprime America

2008-09-24T07:46:00.006-05:00

An eerily prophetic excerpt from Thomas Friedman's "Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How it Can Renew America",

In some ways, the subprime mortgage mess and housing crisis are metaphors for what has come over America in recent years: A certain connection between hard work, achievement, and accountability has been broken. We’ve become a subprime nation that thinks it can just borrow its way to prosperity—putting nothing down and making no payments for two years. Subprime lenders told us that we could have the American dream—a home of our own—without the discipline or sacrifice that home ownership requires. We didn’t need to study hard and build a solid educational foundation. We didn’t need to save an build a solid credit record. The bank around the corner or online would borrow the money from China and lend it to us—with a credit check no more intrusive than the check you get at the airport when they make sure the name on your airline ticket matches the one on your driver’s license. When the whole pyramid scheme, operated by some of our best financial institutions, collapsed, everyone from simple homeowners to unscrupulous lenders looked to the government for a bailout. The politicians accommodated them, even though everyone knew that the lenders had not been betting that their customers’ penchant for hard work or frugality or innovation would enable them to make the payments. They were simply betting that the housing bubble would keep driving up the prices of homes and that mortgages rates would keep falling—that the market would bail everybody out forever. It did—until it didn’t. As with out houses, so with our country: We have been mortgaging our future rather than investing in it?

So, the question then becomes, what to invest in?

Concerns About the Bailout

2008-09-21T21:16:00.006-05:00

An argument I continue to hear in support of the $700 billion dollar bailout has been that because assets are clogging up the system, credit could be very difficult to obtain if the federal government doesn't step in, quickly. I wonder if easy access to credit, or desire for that credit, wasn't the problem in the first place. From Naked Capitalism,

The US needs to wean itself of unsustainable overconsumption, and since consumption has come to depend on growth in indebtedness, a reversal, however painful, is necessary. Our excesses have been so great that there is no way out of this that does not lead to a general fall in living standards (note that the officialdom in the UK is willing to say that, but since perpetual prosperity is a God-given right in America, admitting we will be getting poorer is verboten). Thus, a sharp contraction in lending seems inevitable; the trick is to prevent it from crossing the tipping point into a vicious, accelerating downward spiral.

Naked Capitalism goes on to summarized two problems with the proposed legislation. The first comes from the direct wording of the bill, "Decisions by the Secretary pursuant to the authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency." So, this bill grants the Secretary of the Treasury power that would exempt him from judicial or legislative review? Not a huge fan.

Secondly, the bill does NOT require the federal government to pay market value for these mortgages. Imagine that, lenders holding the federal government hostage, extracting top dollar for toxic mortgages, while tax payers flip the bill.

While such a bailout may be a necessary evil, hopefully the government does not make a bad situation worse in haste.

(The proposed $700 billion legislation is too dense to read myself, but have at it here if you'd like.)

Why China is to Blame for Global Warming

2008-07-24T08:46:00.003-05:00

Ok, so maybe I've taken that image a bit out of context.

Cruisin' the Web

2008-07-07T22:29:00.003-05:00

Obama the most liberal Senator?

Chairmen of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, summarizes the challenges that lay ahead as we look to reform the health care system in America. A nice concise overview.

If you've listened to sports talk radio at all recently then you've probably heard the Bud Light commercial tribute to another Real Man of Genius: Mr. Roller Cooler Cooler Roller (hear it at budlight.com). Well, it turns out members of the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen are also Real Men of Genius. So, does this mean Kyle McClellan is Mr. Cruzin Cooler?

A Pastor who previously supported President George W. Bush, launched a website called James Dobson Doesn't Speak For Me to refute claims made against Barack Obama by Dobson during his June 24th broadcast. After listening to that broadcast, where Dobson devotes a good portion of the program criticizing Obama's '06 Call to Renewal speech, it became very clear that Dobson was willing to take quotes out of context to suit his purposes.

An Ode to Baseball Cards, "Growing up on the mean streets of Bath, Maine, I never saw anyone riding their bicycles with baseball cards in the spokes. And if I did, I’d have shoved the ungrateful little punks off their banana-seated Huffys and rescued all the Garry Templetons, Oscar Zamoras, and Felix Millans as if they were my own cardboard children. Because that’s how I rolled, yo." I could not agree more.

Fascinating details behind the fall of Bear Sterns. Based on this account, it sounds like no one truly knows what caused Bear's collapse , but conspiracy theories have emerged.

Bishop of Durham and New Testament scholar (not to mention super smart theologian), N.T. Wright appeared on the Colbert Report and discussed heaven.

John McCain responded to criticism to his proposal for a gas tax holiday,"You know the economists?'' McCain said June 12 at Federal Hall, near the New York Stock Exchange. "They're the same ones that didn't predict this housing crisis we're in. They're the same ones that didn't predict the dot-com meltdown. They're the same ones that didn't predict the inflation that's staring us in the face today.'' Silly economists. So, does this mean McCain won't be putting his "lot in with economists"?

Two Bethel University Professors (my alma mater) wrote an article for Christianity Today, "How to Pick a President: Why Virtue Trumps Policy." An interesting perspective. Not what you'd expect given it's title.

The Story of Stuff

2008-06-23T10:19:00.002-05:00

"Our enormously productive economy...demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption...We need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate."

For the entire Story of Stuff click here.

Crumbs

2008-06-11T19:19:00.007-05:00

The last week of school, in U.S. history, I asked students to share examples of social and political commentary from their music collection. Well, here is mine. After visiting a hospital in Malawi with 300% bed occupancy and failing to receive support from American Christian leaders for his ONE campaign, Bono wrote "Crumbs From Your Table" during a night of drinking. The "crumbs" in the song refer to a passage from Matthew 15: 27. I've included a few more verses below for context:

²¹ Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly."
²³ Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."
²⁴ He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
²⁵ The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
²⁶ He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."
²⁷ "Yes it is, Lord," she said. "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table."
²⁸ Then Jesus said to her, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Crumbs From Your Table

From the brightest star
Comes the blackest hole
You had so much to offer
Why did you offer your soul?
I was there for you baby
When you needed my help
Would you deny for others
What you demand for yourself?

Cool down mama, cool off
Cool down mama, cool off

You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table

You were pretty as a picture
It was all there to see
Then your face caught up with your psychology
With a mouth full of teeth
You ate all your friends
And you broke every heart thinking every heart mends

You speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table

Where you live should not decide
Whether you live or whether you die
Three to a bed
Sister Ann, she said
Dignity passes by

And you speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
I’m waiting on the crumbs from your table

Jesus Shuttlesworth vs. the Black Mamba

2008-06-05T19:07:00.003-05:00

It is about an hour before tip-off of game one of the 2008 NBA finals. Gangsta commish David Stern and the fans all got what we wanted: A Lakers-Celtics throwback series. Every major media outlet has beaten the major storylines to death, except one, The Ray Allen-Kobe Bryant feud. Supersonicsoul has a nice timeline of the feud dating back to 2004 when Ray Allen initially criticized Kobe,

“He feels like he needs to show this league and the people in this country that he is better without Shaq,” Allen says. “He can win championships without Shaq. So offensively, he's going to jump out and say, 'I can average 30 points. I can still carry the load on this team.' If Kobe doesn't see he needs two and a half good players to be a legitimate playoff contender or win a championship, in about a year or two he'll be calling out to Jerry Buss that 'We need some help in here,' or 'Trade me.’ And we'll all be saying, 'I told you so,' when he says that."

Allen concludes by stating, “He has the talent [to lead a team], he can do it. But is his attitude going to allow him to take a back seat and let Lamar Odom shine and let Caron Butler have his nights and bring those big guys along with him?”

Jesus Shuttlesworth, the prophet.

When Shaq left, Kobe shot, and shot, and shot, and shot, without making his teammates better. Caron Butler left town, and flourished in Washington, making the Eastern Conference All-Star Team. The Black Mamba (easily the stupidest nickname I've ever heard) began this season demanding that the Lakers upgrade the roster or trade him to a contender. When the Grizzlies gift-wrapped Pau Gasol at the trade deadline, the Lakers immediately became the best in the West. Kobe? Still a punk. Just a punk with a huge front line.

Of course, now he has a score to settle with Ray Allen, and that should scare the hell out of every Celtic fan out there. If you haven't noticed Ray Allen hasn't exactly been lights out this postseason. Those two ankle surgeries in the offseason seem to have taken their toll. Kobe will use those words from 2004 and try to put up 50 every night, no matter what Zen tactics Phil uses. And we all know he could do it.

But that would require him to shoot, and shoot, and shoot, and shoot...

And that hasn't worked so well in the past has it?

Lessons from Danny Ainge on Race Relations

2008-05-23T15:59:00.005-05:00

Just finished a workshop on equity and religion in public schools. Workshops suck as it is, but they are worse when presenters don't practice what they preach. The facilitators of the equity discussion gave us norms to follow as we participated in this discussion about equity and religion in the public schools (they anticipated conflict). During that discussion, much to our surprise, one of these presenters decided the list of social norms did not apply to her, and chastised a grown man who expressed a dissenting view from that which the equity folk were preaching.

However tasty the equity kool-aid may have been, teachers were not drinking after that exchange.

Sometimes I think this equity discussion gets too complicated. I'm the heterosexul, white, english-speaking, able-bodied, Christian guy, so that gives me power and privilege in this society. I get that. But do we have to argue over semantics? Seriously. Look at how former rotund black Portland Trailblazer, Kevin Duckworth recalls white teammate Danny Ainge,

"We knew Danny was Mormon [Kevin Duckworth said]. I drilled Danny about everything I didn't know, why there were no black Mormons and that kind of thing. When you're with all black guys, you don't learn about other cultures. Danny was great. It was like Danny Ainge, the brother.
And during the Finals, when Spike Lee sent along some Malcolm X hats and t-shirts to the Blazers to help promote his new movie, the players made sure Ainge got one. "Danny was part of the team, too," Duck said.
"We called him token, in a light-hearted sense," said Abdelnaby. "I called him 'Ritz' for cracker and he called me 'Mandingo.' I've played with a lot of white people, and I don't know too many other people who could have handled it as well as Danny. That's probably the thing I most respect him for. There was never an inkling of anything from him of racism, of being uncomfortable... I don't think I could have handled it as well as Danny. We would talk black-white relationships. Part of the reason Danny and I got along so well is he was naive to what was going on as a black person. He never even saw the color."

He never even saw color. Wow. Multiculturalists would say we cannot ignore people's race or culture, we should learn about it, celebrate it. I don't know what a multiculturalist would say to Duckworth's comments. Heck, who knows, I might even be a multiculturalist. These arguments always seem so circular and pointless though (if you've been in these workshops you know what I'm talking about). Usually, when it comes down to it, it's a bunch of well-intentioned white people, who are privileged in some way, sitting in a room, arguing with each other about semantics. But, when it comes down to it, it's all about treating people right. Not just people of color, non-whites, minorities, subordinates, etc. (whatever you want to call 'them'), but all us privileged types too.

"Do unto others..." and leave semantics to authors and consultants.

Does Christian Rock Suck?

2008-04-19T10:49:00.005-05:00

Daniel Rodish, author of Rapture Ready, has emersed himself inside the world of Christian popculture. In doing so, he's found hope for Christian rock. I don't often listen to Christian rock, unless you count U2, however my brother-in-law, Todd, can always be counted on for solid recommendations. Coincidentally, many of the bands Todd recommneds can be found on Rodish's top 10 New York Times playlist. I especially enjoy Over the Rhine (we own about six of their CDs). Becky and I alse met at a Sixpence None the Richer concert at Northestern College (this was before they released "Kiss"). A great local band called Flood opened for them.

The embedded video below is a debate, "Does Christian Rock Suck?" from Rodish's blog. One discussion point: Does Christian rock have to come from the crotch? It is interesting.

Debate: Does Christian Rock Suck? from Daniel Radosh on Vimeo.

2008 MLB Predictions

2008-03-31T14:12:00.006-05:00

NATIONAL LEAGUE
East: New York Mets
The Braves will push them until September. Fortunately for the Mets, Tom Glavine plays for the other guys this year.
Central: Chicago Cubs
Jim Hendry should not give up the farm system for Brian Roberts. They can win without him. If Kerry Wood can stay healthy that entire bullpen will fall into place, and it looks very scary.
West: Arizona Arizona Diamondbacks
They gave up too much for Dan Haren. Nevertheless, youngsters like Upton, Young, Drew, and Jackson will make up for it with another year of maturity a the plate.
N.L. Wild Card: Cincinnati Reds
I can't believe I'm choosing a team managed by Dusty Baker, but what are predictions without a few risks? I can't help but to think the N.L. East will beat up on each other and the Reds and and Cubs will emerge in a weak N.L. Central (Yes, I think Ben Sheets will get hurt again).

AMERICAN LEAGUE
East: New York Yankees
There are too many questions surrounding the Red Sox starting rotation for me to choose them. The Yankees have more pitching depth this year than I can remember in any year's past, and suffice it to say, there will be no Roger Clemens signing come July.
Central: Cleveland Indians
This division comes down to bullpens. Edge: Cleveland.
West: Seattle Mariners
For years people have been raving about the Angels farm system, and we have yet to see it's fruits. The Mariners may have sacrificed the long-term health of the franchise by trading Adam Jones, but they now have the best 1-2 in the majors, and a nice bullpen. So, what the heck.
A.L. Wild Card: Boston Red Sox
Ultimately prognosticators have to leave one of the following four teams out, Tigers, Indians, Red Sox, and Yankees. I do not like the current make-up of the Tigers, especially Todd Jones. They are old and I believe they will be plagued with injuries, rendering their lineup much less potent than projected.

N.L. Champs: Arizona Diamondbacks
A.L. Champs: New York Yankees

World Series Champs: New York Yankees
With that farm system replenished, do not be surprised if September call-ups make the difference.

The Joe Nathan Deal: Harbinger for 2010

2008-03-28T11:16:00.014-05:00

Recently, the Twins signed Joe Nathan to a four year, $47 million dollar deal. Twins blogger Aaron Gleeman did a good job of breaking down the Joe Nathan deal. Local columnists Jim Souhan and and Kelsie Smith predictably differ on their opinions. Below are my thoughts.

Market Value
To accurately assess the Joe Nathan deal we need to look at the closer market. Below are closer contracts that compare to Nathan's in order of the date they were signed. In brackets is each closer's approximate age when they signed their respective contracts.

Jason Isringhausen (2005) 4 yrs./$33.75 mil. [33 years old]
Mariano Rivera (2006) 3 yrs./$45 mil. [36 years old]
Trevor Hoffman (2006) 3 yrs./$21 mil. [38 years old]
Billy Wagner (2006) 4 yrs./$43 mil. [34 years old]
Francisco Cordero (2008) 4 yrs./$46 mil. [32 years old]
Joe Nathan (2008) 4 yrs./$47 mil. [33 years old]

When comparing Nathan's contract to those of his peers who signed at a similar age, it is a very fair deal for the Twins, especially considering Nathan's record setting 160 saves since 2004. Not only that, the market only seems to be inflating. Any one who thinks Francisco Cordero and Joe Nathan are comparable needs to take a closer look at the numbers. In his four seasons as the Twins closer, Joe Nathan has compiled a 1.94 ERA. In those same four seasons Cordero's ERA sits above 3.

Why Not Johan?
In the immediate aftermath of the contract extension many people second-guessed why Twins management would invest in a 33 year old closer rather than putting that money towards locking up Johan Santana, a 27 year old two-time Cy Young winner. The reality is that Joe Nathan may be a less risky investment than Johan Santana. Rarely have large, long-term contracts like the Mets gave to Santana worked out (i.e. Mike Hampton, Denny Naegle, A.J. Burnett). Even though, Joe Nathan's contract will make up somewhere between 12-15% of the Twins payroll throughout the deal, it is much more likely that his performance will be worth it, throughout the deal. This cannot be said for Santana, whose skills will probably decline dramaticaly in years 5 and 6 of his contract with the Mets. There were indicators of such decline last year, as Johan did not have his typical second half surge, and gave up a career high in home runs. Being in the National League may stall the inevitable for Santana, but Joe Nathan has showed no signs of decline, and should prove a bargain in years three and four of the contract.

What About Trading Nathan?
Some believe the Twins would have been better suited not signing Joe Nathan to an extension and trading him at the deadline. Not true. Bill Smith, once again would have been held hostage, like he was in the Santana negotiations, with no leverage, unable to extract high level talent from other teams because Nathan would have been viewed as a rental. I believe Joe Nathan is still very much on the trading block. However, now that he's signed to a four-year deal, he does not need to sell at the trade deadline in July. He can wait. He can wait for teams' bullpens to crumble, and then raid their farm systems. The contract is a very trade-friendly contract too. It comes with a no-trade clause that allows Nathan to block block a trade with three teams each year. I am sure that Smith agreed to pay Nathan more money up front in exchange for as few teams as possible in that no-trade clause.

So, G.M. Bill Smith has taken another step towards building the Twins toward becoming contenders in 2010. Carlos Gomez has already showed us flashes of brilliance on opening day. Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, and Joe Mauer are locked into long-term deals. The Twins acquired former Rays #1 pick Delmon Young in the offseason and head into June's draft with 4 of the first 61 picks. In the Nathan signing Bill Smith has obtained leverage for the trade deadline that he did not have during the Santana negotiations--he doesn't have to make a deal if the prospects offer do not satisfy his demands. He may not trade Nathan this season, but don't expect Nathan to finish this contract in the new balpark. This contract extension is a means to an end: Restocking the farm system

A Picture is Worth 4,000 Lives

2008-03-25T09:14:00.005-05:00

A mosaic of 4,000 American soldiers killed in Iraq.

by Nico Pitney

I hate Duke

2008-03-12T17:33:00.002-05:00

So, pictures like this hold a special place in my heart.

"Be a man, pee standing up." - God

2008-03-10T11:58:00.000-05:00

Peter Gammons on Torii Hunter

2008-03-06T09:28:00.005-06:00

Two excerpts from Peter Gammons' most recent blog post (click here to read it) really impressed me.

First on Torii Hunter's character,

When Hunter's agent, Larry Reynolds, told Angels owner Arte Moreno that Torii's social dreams had to be a part of the contract, the Angels built Hunter's Hundred into the contract so that not only will 100 underprivileged children go to every game, but the team also will invest in and work with agencies of Hunter's interest.

Hunter and his wife, Katrina, already have The Torii Hunter Project, which donates huge amounts of money to Little League and youth programs in depressed areas. They sponsor 14 teams to go to Williamsport, Pa., and other areas of the country, and work with the RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program.

"I can't stand hearing people complain that 8 percent of major league players are African-American," says Hunter. "I say, 'Do something.'" When asked about the funding for his project, he says "some comes from corporate sponsorships, some comes from other players, and whenever we need more, I pay for it. I can afford it."

As always, looking for a way to link baseball to it's cultural context, Gammons draws a parallel between Hunter's clubhouse presence and American politics,

The Angels know who they got in Torii Hunter -- a man who drips energy and preaches hope and potential. There are numbers that will quantify what Hunter is or isn't worth, just as there are politicians who try to tell us that "experience" is far more important than the foundation of hope and potential.
Those numbers don't matter as much as Hunter's ability to energize and inspire his teammates, with character that cannot be quantified...

It is a joy to read Peter Gammons. I wonder who he'll vote for?

The Irony of Sean Salisbury

2008-02-27T19:04:00.004-06:00

I'm not a major NFL wonk, so to take a position on ESPN's firing Sean Salisbury would be ignorant. I just don't know enough about pro football analysts to comment.

That said, it does surprise me to see these comments in the LA Times,

"I'd grown tired of being punished for not being an NFL superstar. Analysts who don't work as hard as me, don't prepare as hard as me, and don't have my resume were making more than me just because of their ability to throw or catch a football.

"Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the opportunity ESPN gave me, but they had capped my ceiling. There was only so far I could go there.

It's ironic that Sean Salisbury casts himself as a victim given the way he bullied fellow analyst John Clayton on ESPN's "4 Downs" (see embedded video below). On one hand, he believes he should be rewarded for his hard work as an analyst (and is clearly bitter), yet when John Clayton, who is another respected (and a bit nerdy) football analyst, challenges Salisbury, he resorts to name-calling. Nice. Way to show that hard work and preparation Sean.

Lost Personality Quiz

2008-02-15T15:57:00.005-06:00

Which Lost Character Are You?

Created by BuddyTV

I'll be honest, I'm little bit ashamed here. I was kind of hoping for Jack or Locke. Maybe even Desmond I suppose. But so what if I'm girl. I'd rather be Claire, than Charlie or Hugo--easily my least two favorite characters.

Aside from shaming me, this quiz is bogus. But click away, I suppose it's kind of fun.

What a Difference Two Weeks Would Have Made

2008-02-15T15:11:00.008-06:00

Hindsight is always 20/20, so it reallly isn't fair to judge the Johan Santana trade within the context of baseball's current landscape, but what if Johan Santana were still a Twin? Consider the following two factors:

1. Andy Pettite was just dragged through agonizing testimony against one of his best friends, Roger Clemens, and is returning to a clubhouse of Yankees who may treat him like Fredo Corleone. He currently projects as their #1 starter, but will carry the weight of the Clemens saga with him wherever he goes. In fact, road trips may be refuge from the New York media for Pettite this season.

2. Curt Schilling is in a spat with Red Sox management over how to manage a shoulder injury. He would like to play through the pain, rehabbing along the way, while team doctors have recommended season ending surgery. Such a surgery would leave the Sox with a rotation of Beckett, Matsuzaka, Wakefield, Lester, and Bucholz or Tavarez.

Certainly the Yankees and Red Sox would dip their toes back in the trading waters today or at least place the same offers on the table they had in December. Perhaps three teams competing for Santana's services would have compelled the Mets to include Fernando Martinez in their offer, or at least Mike Pelfrey?

We'll never know. But I do believe Santana's rumored threat to exercise his no trade clause and the motivation to end this saga by Twins management before pitchers and catchers reported prevented the Twins from getting the best deal possible.

If only Bill Smith had waited two weeks, that magical leverage would have appeared.

"Commodify Me Oh Lord..."

2008-02-11T10:31:00.003-06:00

For the past couple of years my brother-in-law, Todd, has been researching how American consumerism pollutes the Church, and blogging about it along the way. It has been fascinating to read his conclusions. I can't wait for the book. Here's a nugget from one of his most recent posts,

An advertising and marketing paradigm of evangelism and theology internalizes an exchange mentality in both the evangelist and the target—one where salvation can be “obtained.” It is made into a transaction. Not one where people are purchasing an object with money but, rather, one where their payment is in the form of their conscious attention. Their regard toward God and their conversion is objectified nonetheless. Christianity is possessed—something one “has” rather than what one “is.” In this way, faith is mediated through the advertising and marketing paradigm.

When the church markets the gospel the same way Nike markets it's shoes, it creates consumers rather than people who are genuinely transformed. Not exactly what Jesus had in mind, methinks. Thanks for this Todd.

For more of this post, read here. It is one part of five separate posts, and I'm assuming more are on the way. Search his blog for much more on this topic (and some Apple propaganda).

Cruisin the Web (02/05/08)

2008-02-05T11:06:00.000-06:00

It is no wonder these guys are such sore losers. Their coach hasn't exactly been a model of integrity lately. Let's be honest, without Tom Brady, it is impossible to differentiate Bill Belichick from other slightly above average coaches in the NFL, except that he's an arrogant jerk. He walked off the field before the game was over, said nothing to his players after the game, and once again put his arrogance on display by refusing to directly answering any questions the media asked.

The Timberwolves one chance at a sellout may disappear with the possibility that K.G. may miss the Wolves/Celtics tilt this Friday at the Target Center due to injury.

For Christians who get wrapped up in politics (like me), this is a good reminder. Politics, specifically the democratic brand, is good, but will always be polluted by human self-interest, and thus cannot be looked to as the ultimate hope for all of humanity. Plus, Christians will never agree on political solutions to the world's problems.

Maybe if Twins fans had made more Johan tribute songs like this, he would have never left town.

Trade your exercise for beer. Yes!

The worst day in Celtics franchise history, now made into a full-length documentary (all due respect to Reggie Lewis).

One thing I know, God is not a con-man. He might change His mind, but he is not a con-man.

Hard to believe that while the Twins lost Torii Hunter, they are projected to increase the amount of runs they produce per game.

Remember when evangelicals won the White House for George W. Bush? Well, things look to be changing. A segment of those evangelicals, who label themselves "Born Again," no longer favor Republican candidates according to this study by the Barna Group.

Super Tuesday is Here!

2008-02-05T09:40:00.000-06:00

If I Becky and I can get a babysitter tonight, we will caucus.

If you are tempted to caucus in Minnesota, but are just uninformed please check the following links or watch the interview with Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie below. If you are not from the state of Minnesota, check your Secretary of State's homepage.

The Minnesota Secretary of State's caucus finder. A non-partisan tool that will help you find where you can caucus.

Information from the Minnesota DFL about precinct caucuses.

Information from the Minnesota GOP about precinct caucuses.

Information from the Independence Party of Minnesota.

Don't know who to vote for? Check out these two quizzes that will match your political leanings with specific candidates.

My Fox Candidate Matchmaker.

Minnesota Public Radio's Select a Candidate Campaign 2008.

Johan Santana's Leverage

2008-02-01T09:28:00.000-06:00

There are unlimited angles from which we can view the blockbuster made between the Mets and Twins. Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus provides us with yet another.

All of this winter’s machinations have been driven by Santana’s desire to, in effect, opt out of the last year of his contract and advance his free agency by one year and 220 innings or so. His leverage is that no-trade clause, which represents his ability to leave the Twins with them receiving just two draft picks, most likely picks between 25 and 35 in the 2009 draft. Given that the Twins’ chances of making the postseason in 2008 even with Santana are in the 10-15% range, that the team will be moving into a new ballpark in 2010 and that it has a slew of young pitchers coming through the system, it makes sense for them to trade him for players who can be contributors to that 2010 team. Santana knows this, and has put the pressure on accordingly. Remember, he hasn’t invoked the clause, merely threatened to do so…by going into the season as a Twin, Santana runs the risk of the team being good enough in the first half to make trading him a non-starter, which would force him to make a full complement of starts before getting to his next contract. I can’t emphasize this enough: pitching in the major leagues is a health risk, and when you have 3000 pitches standing between you and $150 million, it’s in your best interests to do whatever you can to remove that hurdle.

Read the entire article here.

Now please, quit the Monday morning quarterbacking. Bill Smith did the best he could in an impossible situation where he had no leverage and one team realistically negotiating for Santana's services.

Update (02/03/08): Minneapolis Star Tribune writer La Velle E. Neal III affirms my entire analysis of these negotiations.

Santana Trade Thoughts

2008-01-30T09:46:00.001-06:00

The Twins have traded Johan Santana in exchange for four of Baseball America's top ten ranked Mets minor leaguers. They include Deolis Guera (rhp, 2nd), Carlos Gomez (cf, 3rd), Kevin Mulvey (rhp, 4th), and Phil Humber (rhp, 7th). While some of the players differ, I predicted this back in August. Based on what I've read so far, most seem to agree that the Mets got the better end of this deal, which is an obvious initial assessment. But we need to consider multiple factors when assessing this deal.

The Trading Market
The market for Johan Santana has been tepid since speculation arose that he was on the trading block. At first glance, this doesn't make sense for a 29 year old left-hander with two Cy Youngs on his resume (should have three) who many believe is the best pitcher in baseball. However, at second glance only a few teams could afford to make offers. Santana has a no-trade clause and is on the final year of his contract with the Twins. He made it well-known that he wanted to be shipped to a contender, specifically on the east coast, and he was seeking a contract in excess of 6 years, $20 million per. There aren't many teams that can meet those terms. Actually, there are only three, the Yankees, Red, Sox and Mets. So, Twins G.M. Bill Smith had very little negotiating leverage to begin with. This is why you cannot compare this trade to the Dan Haren trade or yet to be consummated Erik Bedard trade.

To make matters worse, there are indications that the Red Sox and Yankees never actually wanted Santana as badly as the media projected. Their main objective may have been to prevent the other team from acquiring the ace. The fact that the Yankees or the Red Sox did not even make a last ditch offer remotely resembling the offers made in December indicates they were satisfied with allowing the Mets win the Santana sweepstakes, because both teams had the prospects to best the Mets offer.

The reality of the situation is that market may have been composed of one team, the Mets, and the other two teams participating had very good reasons to get out. Namely, young stud pitchers who each team could control through their arbitration years: Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy for the Yankees, and Clay Buchholz, and Jon Lester for the Red Sox. Plus, had the Yankees traded for Johan Santana and signed him to his asking price of $150 mil. that would have cost the Yankees $200 mil. real dollars given how much it would take them over the luxury tax.

The Small Market
When evaluating this trade we need to consider the limits of Minnesota's small market. Twins G.M. Bill Smith traded one year of Johan Santana (Smith was not going to resign him) for 24 years of big league service time. That's four players whose six-year arbitration clocks haven't started ticking yet. That is extremely valuable for a small market team.

Second, he received minor-league pitchers. It has become pretty evident that for small-market teams to remain competitive in the American League they must do so by developing young pitching. Small-market teams cannot afford to compete with the offensive firepower of the Yankees, Red Sox and the newly revamped Tigers by attempting to match them run for run. So, they must rely on good pitching to keep them in games against these slugging teams. Had Smith traded Santana for 4 position players, it would not have made the Twins anymore competitive, unless he was able to flip these prospects for young pitchers. Small-market teams in the American League must develop pitching to compete with teams in larger markets that have become offensive minded.

Finally, in acquiring Gomez, it's pretty clear Smith has refocused Twins baseball on the fundamentals: pitching, defense, and base-running. The premise of Michael Lewis' groundbreaking biography of Oakland A's G.M. Billy Beane, Moneyball was that in order for small market Major League Baseball teams to survive they had to invest their money where other's were not. Zig when others zag. Then, that meant that Beane invested in on base percentage instead of home runs or batting average. Today that means investing in defense. During this offseason, it has become pretty clear that Bill Smith is investing in defense and base-running with his signing of Adam Everett, Mike Lamb, and his trade for Delmon Young and Carlos Gomez. Eventually, an outfield of Delmon Young, Carlos Gomez, and Micheal Cuddyer could make up one of the best outfields in baseball. He's zagging while others are zigging, an absolute necessity for a small market G.M.

The Prospects
Scouts vary on their opinions of the players involved in this deal. After surveying a lot opinions in various blogs and articles from "experts" the two players with the highest upside in this trade are Guera (18 yrs. old) and Gomez (22 yrs. old). Many seem to think both have been rushed through the Mets farm system (a testament to how shallow that system is) and could use some more seasoning in the minors. So, don't be surprised if the Twins sign a stop-gap center fielder like Kenny Lofton or Corey Patterson and a low-cost innings eater like Steve Trachsel or Tony Armas Jr.

Phil Humber and Kevin Mulvey both project to be middle of the rotation starters. Humber was the 3rd overall draft pick out of Rice University where he won an NCAA title. He was derailed with Tommy John surgery in 2005 and has yet to regain his collegiate form. He still projects as a MLB pitcher, but does not have the stuff he had prior to surgery. Mulvey projects as a control artist who keeps the ball in the stadium and on the ground, similar to Twins youngster Kevin Slowery-a nice profile for a team that emphasizes defenses. (Learn more about the Twins new acquisitions here)

I'm not as down on this trade as many analysts because I like the way the Twins have spread the risk around four players. If they take the deal with the Yankees and Phil Hughes gets hurt, they end up with an average center fielder, Melky Cabrera, for Johan Santana, and that's it. Plus, the Twins have a history of identifying good prospects from other farm systems. Some examples:

Alexi Casilla (from the Angels for J.C. Romero, 2005)
Francisco Liriano (from the Giants for A.J. Pierzynski, 2003)
Jason Bartlett (from the Padres for Brian Buchanan, 2002)
Johan Santana (from the Marlins for Jared Camp, 1999)
Kyle Lohse (from the Cubs for Rick Aguilera, 1999)
Cristian Guzman (from the Yankees for Chuck Knoblauch, 1998)
Joe Mays (from the Mariners for Roberto Kelly, 1997)
David Ortiz (from the Mariners for Dave Hollins, 1996)

While the Twins were forced to give up the best pitcher in baseball due to the financial constraints of this small market, let's remember the context, and trust the scouts that have put the Minnesota Twins in contention for the last 5-10 years.

Update (01/31/08): A smarter person more effectively stating what I tried to say, using statistics and stuff (click here).

"For me, it's all about KFC."

2008-01-27T17:03:00.000-06:00

Before you watch this parody of the infamous Tom Cruise Scientology video, make sure to watch some of the real thing here.

(Thanks for the link Todd.)

Cruisin' the Web (01/22/08)

2008-01-22T15:25:00.000-06:00

Random highlights from my most recent travels aboard the world wide web.

The Tom Cruse Scientology video. His stare is seriously spooky. At what point will this stuff effect his movie career? On a side note: How freakin' awesome was Tom Cruise as Maverick in Top Gun? Easily one of my Top Ten movies of alltime.

Speaking of movies, here's Entertainment Weekly's list, "The 25 Movies You Need to See Before Oscar Night (2008)". I've only seen four of these movies, although a great number more of them are in my Netflix queue. That's what happens when you have an 11 month old child in the house.

I am "The Rich" by Heather Koerner. With below zero temps, sky-high heat bills, and a child in day care, I sure don't feel rich. Of course, 'rich' is relative isn't it? Warning: Conviction looms behind click.

According to this economic evaluation of possible Johan Santana trades by Yahoo's Vince Gennaro, a trade to the Mets makes most sense because his possible future value to the Mets franchise matches that of the rumored Mets prospects the Twins are to receive. He believes the Yankees and Red Sox would not receive equal value in return for the ace.

Debunking myths about why so many young adults tend to leave the church. Surprise, it is not because of secular universities.

I've never heard of Chardon jeans, which is a shame, because they had the makings of a great ad campaign (see for yourself here): an arcade, roller skates, and Larry Bird.

In an interview with Beliefnet, Mike Huckabee tries to squirm out of his comments that the constitution should be aligned with biblical standards. Someone needs to reminds this guy of that high school civics lesson on the Bill of Rights, specifically the first amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

So much for Bill Clinton being the first black president. Hint: Don't fall asleep during events honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Steven D. Levitt analyzes the relationship between declining abortion rates and crime, "...legalization of abortion in the 1970s reduced crime in the 1990s. The logic is simple: unwanted children have an increased risk of growing up to be criminals, and legalized abortion reduces the number of unwanted children. Consequently, legalized abortion lowers crime in the future." So, what effect does the increased availability of contraception have upon this theory?

Kobe Bryant holds 4 of the top 10 spots for most field goal attempts in an NBA game, having most recently claimed the 6th spot, heaving 44 shots against the lowly Seattle Supersonics. FORTY-FOUR! See for yourself here, complete with shot chart. And you wonder why Shaq left town and nobody wants to play with this guy. Apparently even professionals don't like ball hogs.

Martin Luther King Jr. (More Thoughts)

2008-01-21T20:41:00.000-06:00

Just read Beliefnet's interview of Mike Huckabee. He answers various questions in it, but I want to focus on one answer specifically in light of this holiday.

Q. There’s something interesting going on now in the evangelical world – there’s a conversation going on about what the agenda ought to be that seems broader. There was a little bit of a sense that the religious conservative leadership, while emphasizing important things like abortion and family, had neglected issues like poverty and the environment. Do you think that’s true?

A. I’ve said that, that I’ve felt like as Christians and particularly even as Republicans, we needed to address issues that touched the broader perspective, and that included disease, hunger, poverty, homelessness, the environment. And it’s not a matter that we’re going to become left-wingers. I don’t think that at all. I think taking care of the earth is a matter of stewardship. It’s not about global warming, it’s about stewardship and responsibility. Things like hunger and homelessness. And it’s not about having a government program, it’s about simply reminding each of us as individual citizens that this is an area of our own responsibility. At my own church… our church is very, very engaged in everything from dealing with hunger, poverty, and we reach out to a lot of people. We don’t ask the government to do it. We do it ourselves as a church. It’s part of our ministry. The only reason the government would get involved would be that the other social institutions – primarily the family the church the neighborhood – failed. If the family or church does its own work and does it well, then there’s no reason for government to ever get into these things at all. The ideal is that they wouldn’t, that they’ll do a lousy job of it generally.

So, Huckabee gives the classic conservative response here--small government--leave social welfare to private institutions. Fair enough.

Juxtapose this quote with the USA Today article, "Why Christian's Should Seek MLK's Dream, Despite Gains" by Tom Krattenmaker. Krattenmaker argues that "Christians could be this country's greatest force by rejecting the temptation of complacency--and a me-first prosperity gospel--while leading the way to racial justice." The article begins by convincingly outlining the numerous ways blacks continue to suffer racial injustices, falling short of King's "Dream," and finishes by asking whether racial progress is the responsibility of the individual or society.

Americans err if we believe that it's only a black responsibility to right the social wrongs of racial inequality. It's a white responsibility, too — and a Christian responsibility. Why Christians? It's not that other faiths can't do their part as well, but Christians — by sheer number and religious tradition — could be our best hope.
History shows that the teachings of Christianity hold an undeniable power to inspire positive social movements and call Americans to conscience, as they did during King's time. Many Christians will be the first to tell you they should be held to a higher standard — because their religion insists on it.

As the distinguished columnist Roger Cohen recently reminded, it is on the matter of race where one finds the greatest gulf between American behavior and American ideals. Will history find the same gap between Christian behavior and Christian ideals?

Sociologists have recognized that Sunday is the most racially segregated day of the week, suggesting that the church is not as integrated as the rest of society. So, if Mike Huckabee's conservative philosophy is correct, and we are to leave social welfare up to private institutions, how are we to expect racial progress when the church has yet to integrate at the same pace as society on the whole? What makes us think the contributions of homogeneous churches will create a more equitable society?

I am a Christian, and I would like to believe that the church would create a more equitable society where all races are reconciled, but I am weary. Until Martin's "Dream" is fulfilled within the church, maybe the government should do what it can to maintain a level playing field for all people outside the church.

(Kind of a hopeless post for MLK Jr. day isn't it?)

Martin Luther King Jr.

2008-01-21T17:53:00.000-06:00

Every time I watch this speech from the 1968 March on Washington it gives me goose bumps and brings me to tears.

I absolutely agree with Greg Boyd's take on MLK Jr.,

Before marching, King would always tell his audiences he didn't want anyone marching who could not genuinely say she loved her white oppressors and was marching not only for her own freedom, but for the freedom of her oppressors (for King saw that oppressing another is as much a form of bondage as being oppressed). Not only this, but King would tell audiences he didn't want anyone marching who couldn't commit to refraining from all violence, even in self-defense. King explicitly based all this on the teaching and example of Jesus.

This makes what King did not simply a good and necessary social movement. It makes what King did a Kingdom movement. Indeed, I'd argue that the early civil rights movement, led by King, was one of the clearest expressions of the Kingdom [of God] in history.

Beliefnet posted a series of quotes from MLK's sermons. One in particular seemed relevant for American's today,

"In the terrible midnight of war men have knocked on the door of the church to ask for the bread of peace, but the church has often disappointed them. What more pathetically reveals the irrelevancy of the church in present-day world affairs than its witness regarding war? In a world gone mad with arms buildup, chauvinistic passions and imperialistic exploitation, the church has either endorsed these activities or remained appallingly silent. ...A weary world, pleading desperately for peace, has often found the church morally sanctioning war."

It was at this point in history that the cuddly black King became a nuisance to white America. It is one thing to target bigots who sic dogs on black teenagers and use fire hoses on peaceful protesters, it is quite another to criticize a war against Godless communism in Southeast Asia.

The American church today would do well to reflect on the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. on more than just one day a year.

One Difference Between the Quran and the Bible

2008-01-17T14:59:00.000-06:00

You won't find a Muslim doing this to the Quran. Apparently, it's practical.

People Say Stupid Things

2008-01-17T12:46:00.000-06:00

It was 45 minutes before game time. As I strolled into the locker room ready to focus my players on the task ahead of us I was appalled to notice three players wearing apparel from another high school--let's call it Abraham Lincoln High. Abraham Lincoln High had just one week prior whipped us by 50+ points, and these shirts were not available to the general public. They were only given to members of their student section.

So, one minute I'm focused on getting my team mentally prepared to win a basketball game, and within an instant I am speechless, quickly filling with rage. How could members of this team, who had just been publicly humiliated, wear those shirts into this locker room? The worst part: Nobody seemed to care. I lost it.

I quickly regained my capacity to speak. I sat kids down and began a lecture about pride. I told them that I had been part of a winning tradition in high school and we policed ourselves. There were somethings we would never let our teammates get away with. Then I said it, "If one of our teammates came in with an opponent's t-shirt on, it wouldn't matter if we won or lost by 50, we'd lynch him."

That was stupid.

Recently, Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman suggested that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should "lynch him in a back alley." Though she and Tiger are friends, the comments caused an uproar. She was suspended for two weeks, and issue of race and politically correctness has once again been thrust into the spotlight. Tiger issued a statement through his agent, Mark Steinberg, "Tiger and Kelly are friends, and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly...Regardless of the choice of words used, we know unequivocally that there was no ill-intent in her comments.''

Others are not satisfied though. In his Page 2 column, Scoop Jackson thinks Tiger should embrace his legacy and do more than issue simple statements through his agent. Al Sharpton sees no difference between Tilghman and Don Imus, insinuating that Tilghman should lose her job.

For my part, I can relate to Tilghman. Sometimes, good people say stupid things. I let emotion get the best of me. I do not know what made Ms. Tilghman say this, but if her experience was anything like mine, she's learned a lot and has probably grown a lot personally through this.

I personally apologized to each player who wore those shirts. I explained that I was one-hundred percent out of line both in what I said, and in how I said it. Each of them accepted my apology. In fact, they all apologized to me for wearing the shirts, which, oddly enough, was not one bit satisfying given the circumstances.

I apologized to my junior varsity team and explained that lynching is not something to be used loosely because it is a racially loaded term. As a teacher of American History, I know that. I explained that my emotions got the best of me and that I set a poor example for them. I then publicly apologized to the the J.V. boys who were wearing the shirts.

Finally, I apologized to the entire J.V./Varsity team. Even though many of those players were not even present for the exchange, I wanted to make sure they heard an apology from my mouth.

That was easily one of the stupidest things I've ever said.

Walk 4 Unity

2008-01-16T19:59:00.000-06:00

The divisions within Christianity are numerous. There are three branches: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Within the Protestant branch are some thousand odd denominations that have resulted from various theological differences since the Reformation--some minor, others major.

Add to these official divisions other problems that chip away at the church's call to unity: Sunday is the most segregated day in America; spats about music or worship preference; and the intermingling of politics and the Church.

Samuel Clear has decided to do something about division in the church,

Sam's pilgrimage around the world is a means to one end: to mobilise a prayer army. An army with one thing on their heart - the unity of Christians everywhere. If there is faith enough to move mountains, is it possible that we have faith enough to bring us all together? Pray4One is definitely one way that we can be involved. There is no agenda, hidden motive or preconceived idea of what unity will look like. All we know is that God's people are divided. Pray4One is an organised way for us to come together and pray for the unity of all Christian people.

Sam is walking around the world to unify the church and asking Christians everywhere to pray for unity at 4:01 (a.m. or p.m.). He started in Australia, in January 2006, and is currently in Moscow. His blog is full of crazy stories and pictures documenting his journey. To learn more about his mission, visit his website, walk4one.

Air Mac: Skinny

2008-01-16T10:31:00.000-06:00

The New Macbook Air. 3.o Pounds. Fits in a manila envelope. I want one.

The Hardest Part of Coaching

2008-01-14T14:05:00.000-06:00

The hardest part of coaching is watching dreams shatter, no matter the reason. There is no question about it.

I have been the assistant coach of a high school boys varsity basketball team for three years now and I see it every year: a senior's hopes crash as the season progresses. It breaks my heart. Currently, there is one senior player who I have very good relationship with that this is happening to. He began the season as a starter, but has since been demoted. He sulks during practice and he tears up after games in which he plays very few minutes. He had such high hopes for this season and now those hopes are seemingly gone.

Of course, he can do something about it. He can work harder in practice. He can work to shut down whoever he's assigned to defend. He can be a model teammate. He can hustle from drill to drill. He can come in early in the morning and shoot extra. Believe it or not, coaches notice this kind of stuff, and it makes a difference.

I don't know if he thinks the extra effort will pay dividends though. No matter how many motivating talks we have with him, he may be convinced that giving his maximum effort will not be enough and that he is a victim--that his high school career was taken from him. It seems like this happens every year, and it breaks my heart. Somehow, somewhere along the way, he was given the impression that seniors deserve a starting spot and do not need to earn it.

Sometimes, kids just aren't mentally tough enough to deal with the adversity of loosing playing time. Many people are quick to assign blame--if the player would only...the coach is playing the wrong kid, etc.--but right now, it's just killing me watching him handle this so poorly.

Hillary's Double Standard

2008-01-11T13:51:00.000-06:00

I recently discussed Hillary Clinton's candidacy with female friend of mine. She was skeptical of voting a woman into the White House because she feared having an overly emotional executive.

I replied that this was unfair because it presents a double standard. Either a woman is too emotional for president or she shows too little emotion and is thought of as calculating, cold and devious, also making her unfit for president. Hillary has been accused of this calculating nature on the campaign trail and she really has no weapon against this. She has to toe the line between too emotional and a cold-hearted b*tch--a standard no man is held to.

A day before Clinton won the New Hampshire primary she was asked how she was dealing with the rigors of the campaign trail. She replied tearfully,

...It’s not easy, and I couldn’t do it if I didn’t passionately believe it was the right thing to do. You know, I have so many opportunities from this country, I just don’t want to see us fall backwards. You know, this is very personal for me. It’s not just political it’s not just public. I see what’s happening, and we have to reverse it. Some people think elections are a game, lot’s of who’s up or who’s down, [but] it’s about our country , it’s about our kids’ futures, and it’s really about all of us together...

Click here for a great review and video of the entire exchange from the New York Times.

Pundits have been speculating since that tearful encounter what impact, if any, this episode had on her surprising victory in New Hampshire. I suspect it helped, since women were the difference between New Hampshire and Iowa. Regardless, Patricia Schroeder, who dropped out of the presidential race twenty years ago, has an interesting observation about the double standard Hillary is having to deal with, "The good news for men is: crying is a badge of courage...The bad news is that for women it's still a scarlet letter."

And of course the speculation continues. Op-eds suggesting the tears were manufactured are too numerous to count (just google "Hillary tears"). And while a man might face that same skepticism, would his tears signal weakness or emotionalism in the minds of voters?

Perhaps this double standard is why women have never been front-runners.

Barack Obama on Faith and Politics

2008-01-07T09:41:00.001-06:00

I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict that Obama will become the Democratic nominee for president. This means the amount of anti-Obama rhetoric from the Religious Right will increase exponentially in the next year. So, here are some links to video clips from his website detailing his actual views on faith and politics.

A short 2 minute video made for his website.

A 2 minute excerpt from his keynote address to the Call to Renewal's Building a Covenant for a New America conference given on 6/28/06.

The embedded 39 minute keynote address below:

"Faith doesn't mean that you don't have doubts. You come to church precisely because you are of this world, not apart from it. You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away because you are human and need an ally in this difficult journey. And it was because of these newfound understandings that I was finally able to walk down the aisle of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th street on the South side of Chicago one day and affirm my faith...I submitted myself to [God's] will and dedicated myself to His truth."

To what extent each of us considers a particular politician's faith when casting our vote probably differs, however, let's at least get the facts straight. Next time someone jokingly states Barrack "Osama" , referencing his Muslim heritage, let's be armed with the knowledge to set the record straight, regardless our political leanings.

Japanese Human Tetris

2007-12-26T09:43:00.000-06:00

I love Japanese game shows. I saw some Human Tetris on Ellen this morning. While some of you scoff at Ellen (Steve and Vanessa) and refuse to watch, I'm learning about the finer points of Japanese culture and catching a laugh. Good stuff.

Christmas Gifts

2007-12-25T08:36:00.000-06:00

I've read multiple blogs on the nasty consumerist nature of Christmas (a sentiment I'm in basic agreement with), and heard numerous sermons echoing that fact. There's even a movie about it. But, to be quite honest, the extremist nature of some of these messages have only left me feeling guilty. Guilt is quite different than conviction.

I enjoy giving gifts to those I love, and I don't think I'm alone on this one. So, I'm going to continue giving gifts, guilt-free.

At what point in history did Christmas giving become a quid pro quos operation? Why would I spend $30 on a gift for 'Bill' and expect him to give me a $30 gift in return? That's not a gift, that's an expectation. Pretty sure "Bill" would just assume I not give him a gift in the first place if I expect to receive a gift of equal value in return.

Scott McKnight has some really good thoughts on Christmas Gifts over at Jesus Creed. He writes, "We give worship to God at Christmas as regifting what God has given to us. We give gifts to others as regifting what God has given to us."

Merry Christmas. Enjoy time with family and loved ones and regift--guilt-free!

Ronaldinho and Me

2007-12-20T09:33:00.000-06:00

Haven't played soccer since 7th grade, but this would be my name if I played for Team Brazil. Try it yourself. Oh, and in case your wondering, Larry Bird's name would be, "Baldo".

Bill Clinton and Chris Webber

2007-12-06T09:52:00.001-06:00

I know a lot of political conservatives who gag at the mention of Bill and Hillary Clinton, and I cannot understand why. It's one thing to disagree with a person's politics, it's quite another to judge an entire family's character. An entire segment of the right will characterize "Billary" as calculating, devious, and deceptive, which may be true, but how does that make them any different than your average politician? Surely amidst these qualities, which are most definitely exaggerated, lie honorable traits and intentions.

For instance, thanks to FreeDarko (via TrueHoop), I just learned Bill Clinton wrote a letter to Chris Webber after he blew the NCAA championship game against my Tarheels by calling a timeout, when the Wolverines had no timeouts left. The transcript of Clinton's letter is below:

Dear Chris,

I have been thinking of you a lot since I sat glued to the TV during the championship game.

I know that there may be nothing I or anyone else can say to ease the pain and discouragement of what happened.

Still, for whatever it's worth, you, and your team, were terrific. And part of playing for high stakes under great pressure is the constant risk of mental error. I know. I have lost two political races and made countless mistakes over the last twenty years. What matters is the intensity, integrity, and courage you bring to the effort. That is certainly what you have done. You can always regret what occurred but don't let it get you down or take away the satisfaction of what you have accomplished.

You have a great future. Hang in there.

Sincerely, Bill Clinton

Some, who have already decided the character of the Clintons will dismiss this as another shrewd political move, probably done to woo the Wolverine electorate. Seriously, though, where does that line of thinking end? Can't a Clinton just be nice? After all what kind of person would write a book advising people on how to change the world through giving? What a jerk.

God Is Not a Narcissist

2007-12-05T09:17:00.000-06:00

"God came to earth to glorify himself." This is a message I first heard from friends who attended Bethlehem Baptist a few years ago. This church is led be John Piper, an very influential Reformed minister. It was during my formative years at Bethel College, and it rubbed me the wrong way. God became human, sacrificed himself, in order that he would be glorified? Um, where's the unconditional love in that?

Though I never truly accepted that teaching, it left a dent in my faith. Until now. Thank you Ben Witherington.

I suppose we should not be surprised that in a culture and age of narcissism, we would recreate God in our own self-centered image, but it is surprising when we find orthodox Christians, and even careful scholars doing this.

"For God so loved himself?" Is God a Narcissist?

Did Christ Come to Please Himself?

UPDATE (12-05-07): John Piper has posted a response to Ben Witherington's critique. Read it here.

Projecting the 2010 Twins

2007-12-01T16:56:00.000-06:00

New Twins GM Bill Smith has already made his first bold move by trading his #1 organizational prospect Matt Garza to the Devil Rays for Delmon Young and speculation is rampid that Johan Santana will be dealt soon. In case you've been on another planet for the past few weeks, the Red Sox and Yankees have entered a bidding war for the two time Cy Young winner. Below are two possible opening day lineups for 2010, the year the Twins open their new ballpark, should the Twins trade Johan to the Red Sox or Yankees

Rumored trade with the Yankees: Phil Hughes (rhp), Melky Cabrera (cf), and a minor leaguer

Alexi Casilla (2b/ss)
Melky Cabrera (cf)
Joe Mauer (c)
Delmon Young (lf)
Justin Morneau (1b)
Michael Cuddyer (rf)
Chris Parmalee/Jason Kubel (dh)
Matt Moses (3b)
Brendan Harris (2b/ss)

Francisco Liriano (lhp)
Phil Hughes (rhp)
Glen Perkins (lhp)
Kevin Slowey (rhp)
Anthony Swarzak (rhp)

Rumored trade with Red Sox: Jon Lester (lhp), Coco Crisp (cf), Jed Howrie (ss), and a minor leaguer, rumored to be Michael Bowden (rhp)

Alexi Casilla (2b)
Coco Crisp (cf)
Joe Mauer (c)
Delmon Young (lf)
Justin Morneau (1b)
Michael Cuddyer (rf)
Chris Parmalee/Jason Kubel (dh)
Jed Howrie (ss)
Matt Moses (3b)

Francisco Liriano (lhp)
Jon Lester (lhp)
Kevin Slowey (rhp)
Glen Perkins (lhp)
Anthony Swarzak (rhp)

The centerpiece of both deals are the starting pitchers, Hughes and Lester. Of the two, Hughes is considered to be a better prospect, a surefire ace. However, the Red Sox deal fills more needs with the inclusion of Howrie, who tore up the minors with his bat this past season. Brendan Harris will probably become a utility player, or part of another trade, and Matt Moses (3b), the Twins first round pick in 2003, is starting to look like a bust. Once Billy Smith completes his trade with the Yankees or the Red Sox, it doesn't mean his work is finished: He still has more holes to fill in order to field a competitive team in 2010. So, while the focus is on the Santana sweepstakes now, don't be surprised if Smith puts Joe Nathan on the block to fill those remaining infield holes.

UPDATE (12-02-07): Minneapolis Star Tribune writer Lavelle E. Neal III writes that the Twins are willing to hold on to Santana if the Yankees or Red Sox do not add an additional tier one prospect to their original offers. The prospects mentioned in the piece are Clay Buchholz and Jacoby Ellsbury for the Sox and Ian Kennedy for the Yanks. Although, I have to believe the Twins would accept Jose Tabata or Austin Jackson if the Yanks were to include either in their offer.

Jimmy Olsen Would Never Do This

2007-11-28T20:52:00.000-06:00

"The Continuing Indian Wars"

2007-11-18T10:45:00.000-06:00

On Oct. 6, 2006, the University of North Dakota sued the NCAA for the to right retain the Fighting Sioux nickname, and logo, even though many other NCAA schools using Native American nicknames and logos have rightly capitulated on this issue (Thanks Todd, for the reference).

At first glance the logo does not look too offensive. Certainly, it is less offensive than Chief Wahoo. One might even argue that the "Fighting Sioux" nickname is honorable. That person might say the Sioux fought honorably, and for something good. Besides, there are many mascots that are based on acts of war (Knights, Raiders, Vikings, etc.), right? But, to get into this argument is to miss the point. Clay Jenkinson, Theodore Roosevelt scholar-in-residence at Dickinson State University states in Nick Coleman's November 18th column that, "North Dakotans are not racist, but they are racially insensitive...They think, 'I am not someone who doesn't like Indians; therefore, there isn't a problem.' What they don't understand is that one culture doesn't have the right to appropriate the iconography of another." I might add that this is especially true when given the history between whites in America and Native Americans.

A settlement in the lawsuit between UND and the NCAA was finally reached on October 26th. It gives UND three years to convince local Native American tribes that the nickname and the logo are not offensive. If the university is not successful in that time, the "Fighting Sioux" logo and nickname must go. The decision was handed down by, "Judge Lawrence Jahnke, who, it turned out, was a youthful member of a UND pep club that promoted the Sioux nickname and a cartoon stereotype named "Sammy Sioux." Thanks for that nugget Nick Coleman.

On the surface, this looks like a victory for Native Americans, but, in reality, it may turn out to be just another defeat in the long line of Native American defeats. Some thoughts from Clay Jenkinson, who wrote a piece for the Bismark Tribune immediately after the settlement was handed down,

The "settlement" not only prolongs a controversy that has already gone on far too long...[but] imposes impossible pressures on North Dakota's Indian communities. The settlement will create new and entirely unnecessary tensions between the white and Indian community. Notice that the tense debate is being moved from its proper sphere (UND) to a completely innocent sphere (the reservation).

The compromise is likely to do damage to North Dakota's Indians, particularly the Dakota and Lakota (Sioux), and it is likely to worsen white-Indian relations in North Dakota. If UND manages to "convince" the Indian leadership that "Fighting Sioux" is inoffensive, many white people will make cynical comments about the "payoff," the annuities wagon of programs, gifts, emoluments, research projects and other benefits that UND will be offering North Dakota's Indians in return for their "understanding.

I can already hear whites whispering about how lucky Native Americans are because they all profit from casinos.

Is history repeating itself?

Extravagant promises already have been made by UND to North Dakota's Indians. More are coming.

But here's the worst of it. If, in the course of three years, North Dakota's Indian community refuses to be convinced of the "harmlessness of Fighting Sioux," all the angst that this silly controversy has generated - anger, sense of betrayal, feeling of persecution by the NCAA and the forces of "political correctness," loss of control, the charge of racism - will be turned on the people who least deserve it.

This is a very old and sad story. Historically, when white people have wanted something from Indians, they have sent emissaries with presents and promises. The presents typically have been patched together to get the job done at the least expense. The promises have been as empty as they sometimes have been offered in good earnest. Historically, when Indians have balked at the white man's blandishments, the pile of presents and promises has grown, and the threat level has been increased from orange to red. As often as not, white emissaries have then sought out more cooperative leaders (divide and conquer is the rule), and employed liquor as a mode of persuasion. On those occasions when Indians have refused to sell at any cost, the whites historically have just taken what they wanted, as de Tocqueville put it, with as much violence as necessary, but under the happy cloak of legality.

This is the procedure by which the Black Hills were stolen from the Sioux (Lakota) and the Cheyenne. This is the method by which the boundaries of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara "reservation" were steadily shrunken from the 1851 Fort Laramie settlement (12 million acres) to the current fragment (1 million acres). This is the procedure by which the Mandan, Arikara and Hidatsa were "persuaded" to cede their best 152,360 acres to be inundated by Garrison Dam and Lake Sakakawea.

Hopefully, Jenkinson is wrong and history fails to repeat itself. "Now, the last hope for decency is that the University of North Dakota behaves like an institution of higher learning. There's always a first for everything." Well said Nick Coleman.

The Wolves Suck, Buth There's Always the 2008 NBA Draft

2007-11-13T20:09:00.001-06:00

The Minnesota Timberwolves are now 0-5, one of three teams remaining without a win. While Randy Wittman has the kids playing hard, valuing defense, this team is just too young to have much success this season, even when Randy Foye returns from injury. There is reason for optimism though: the 2008 NBA draft. At this pace, the Timberwolves will not only end up with a lottery pick in the draft, they should end up with a top five pick. So, here's a list of the most talented NBA prospects entering this 2007-08 collegiate season. Click each name, read each scouting report, watch the Youtube clips, and begin fantasizing about next year.

O.J. Mayo Ht: 6'5" Wt: 210 College: USC Position: PG/SG Year: Freshman
Derrick Rose Ht: 6'4" Wt: 195 College: Memphis Position: PG Year: Freshman
Eric Gordon Ht: 6'4" Wt: 220 College: Indiana Position: PG/SG Year: Freshman
Michael Beasley Ht: 6'9" Wt: 235 College: Kansas St. Position: SF/PF Year: Freshman
Kevin Love Ht: 6'9" Wt: 260 College: UCLA Position: PF Year: Freshman
Kosta Koufos Ht: 7'1" Wt: 260 College: Ohio St. Position: C Year: Freshman
Roy Hibbert Ht: 7'2" Wt: 278 College: Georgetown Position: C Year: Senior
Chase Budinger Ht: 6'7" Wt: 215 College: Arizona Position: SG Year: Sophomore
DeAndre Jordan Ht: 7'0" Wt: 250 College: Texas A&M Position: C Year: Freshman
Nicolas Batum Ht: 6'8" Wt: 210 Team: Le Mans, France Position: SG/SF Born: 1988

Wisdom from Jim Bishop, "Castle Builder"

2007-11-11T12:45:00.000-06:00

I never really thought of it that way. Thanks Jim.

UPDATE (11-16-07): I just googled "Jim Bishop Castle Builder" and found the castle on Roadside America's website. I now have five dreams in life: see the Yankees at Yankee stadium, watch KG at the Boston Garden, backpack in Europe, take a safari in South Africa, and visit the Bishop Castle in Beulah, Colorado. Visit the site here.

The Watchdogs Are Coming After Televangelists

2007-11-07T18:58:00.000-06:00

Iowa Senator Charles E. Grassley (the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee) has launched an investigation into the finances of six prominent televangelists: 1) Creflo A. Dollar; 2) Paula and Randy White; 3) Benny Hinn; 4) Joyce Meyer; 5) Kenneth and Gloria Copland; and, 6) Bishop Eddie Long. Because these are tax exempt ministries, all contributions must be used for tax exempt purposes. Grassley is investigating whether these ministries are using contributions for personal use, a violation of the tax code. The New York Times story is here.

Following Ben Witherington's advice, I checked out Ministrywatch.org, a reliable Christian watchdog organization that has been featured on 20/20, and so far it has investigated over 400 churches and Christian ministries, providing detailed reports of many. The goal of Ministry Watch is to facilitate "the practical expression of one's stewardship calling by creating an environment that promotes increasing confidence in, and generosity towards, the Lord's causes." Currently on the Donor Alert list are TBN, Benny Hinn ministries, and the Christian Children's Fund. Usually, the common denominators among ministries that make this list include a lack of financial transparency and leadership that is not held accountable. I encourage you to check out Ministrywatch.org.

The irony in all of this is that I am now more compelled to give my money to this watchdog organization than any other ministry it has investigated.

We Are Responsible for Chief Wahoo

2007-11-01T09:08:00.000-05:00

When the Cleveland Indians were in the midst of their collapse against the now World Champion Boston Red Sox, Kansas City blogger Joe Posnanski wrote an interesting piece about the Cleveland Indians' logo, Chief Wahoo (the logo in the top left quadrant pictured above). After writing a detailed history of Cleveland's mascots and logos, which I suggest you check out, he rightly concludes,

Wahoo is an inherentry racist symbol. Nobody could really deny this. Nobody could look at that grinning mug and say, “No, it’s really a flattering portrayal of Native Americans, who were conquered, nearly wiped off the planet by our ancestors and then forced to live on reservations.”...The thing is, I think so many of us were raised to think of Indians as cartoon characters, as movie villains, as the Native American who had a tear in his eye because people kept dumping garbage all over this great land, that we have become desensitized.

Native Americans are not the first minority group to be caricatured, and shaped into an archetype. Images of the lazy, foolish African-American Sambo, based on the blackface minstrel were popular throughout the 19th and 20th Centuries until challenged by the Civil Rights Movement in the '50s and '60s. Japanese Americans were depicted as devious, cunning villains in World War II propaganda even though not one Japanese-American betrayed the United States during the war. Finally, Jews were portrayed as untrustworthy, and evil by Nazis, and used as scapegoats for the collapse of the German empire.

So, where is the outrage? Does no one else see a relationship between these images? If we were to slap any of the above mentioned racist images on the Cleveland ballcap, the entire nation would be outraged. Imagine the blackface minstrel as your local sports team's logo? Would that be ok? Or the Nazi image of the Jew. Ok? Or what about the Minnesota "Japs" complete with a logo that has the steretypical big teeth? Not gonna fly. So, how is it that Chief Wahoo gets a free pass? How has Chief Wahoo gone untouched since 1950? Posnanski has an answer,

The only reason Chief Wahoo is around is because Native Americans don’t have a strong enough voice in this country to put a stop to it. When Native Americans protested at the 1997 World Series, they were mostly laughed at. Three were arrested. Is this really the kind of country we want to be? And for what? To stand up for our inherent rights to enjoy a racist sports logo?

In 2001, the United States Commission on Civil Rights issued a statement offering guidelines for the use of Native American symbols, suggesting they not be used in non-Native American schools (read it here), effectively denouncing Chief Wahoo. However, the statement has spurred no real change, and as Posnanski pointed out, Native American civil rights organizations don't have the "strong voice" that similar organizations of women, African Americans, or Latinos have, making change more difficult. This is one of the many tragic effects the policy of assimilation and allotment to reservations have had upon the Native American community.

So, that leaves this issue to the non-Native American community. We can assist Native American civil rights organizations, strengthening their voice, or we can speak up ourselves. Maybe Chief Wahoo is not your battle, but is there a local high school who is ignoring the the 2001 Statement of U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on the Use of Native American Images and Nicknames as Sports Symbols? Ultimately, it comes down to the kind of society we want to be apart of, "one that stands up for the inherent rights to enjoy a racist sports logo," or one who responds to victims of discrimination, no matter the strength of their voice.

The Big Ticket is Selling His House

2007-10-31T17:23:00.001-05:00

Kevin Garnett is selling his Lake Minnetonka home for a cool 53.5 million. If you can swing the $133,638 annual property taxes, this could be the home for you. And this is a great time to buy too: I bet you could low-ball K.G. with a $45 million offer in this market.

Update (03-28-08): Turns out this was a rumor. For more on this erroneous report, click here. Guess I wasn't the only one who was duped. The home he actually owned in Orono cost him $6.45 million. That seems a bit more reasonable. I bet someone got a reasonable deal on his home in this market though.

Timberwolves Problems Start at the Top

2007-10-30T09:31:00.000-05:00

Pioneer Press reporter Rick Alonzo's recent two-part Q&A with Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor reveals the dysfunction behind the scenes at Target Center. Here are some highlights from part one, which focuses mostly on management, beginning with setting the record straight on Flip Saunders' role in torpedoing the organization,

...the Chauncey (Billups) thing (in 2002, when Billups left Minnesota as a free agent). Kevin came to me and asked me for the money. He wanted to keep Chauncey, and I OK'd it. And Flip didn't think Chauncey was going to make it. So Kevin said we're crazy to spend this kind of money on a guy if the coach is saying that Chauncey isn't going to make it...Chauncey really wanted to stay. Chauncey came to us and was like, I really like it here. You guys have really renewed my life. I think this is really a good team. We said, listen, if another team will pay you, you better take it, because if you come here, you may be the backup (point) guard. You probably will be. As it would have worked out, he would have been the starting guard.
Then K.G. came along and he says, well, Flip doesn't have it anymore. That really puts McHale on the spot. He says, well, now if the star guy says the coach doesn't have it and we can't make it, it's kind of like, did Kevin (McHale) get rid of Flip, or did K.G. say none of us on the team trust Flip anymore? I will tell you this: Flip came to me earlier and asked to resign, said he'd resign. And McHale talked him into staying on.
I know when Flip did go, I called up Flip and said, OK, you're out, and he says yeah. I told Flip, I'd like to maybe keep you in the organization in another spot. He said OK, I'll do that. I know that two weeks later, he changed it all around, that he got fired and nobody talked to him. I know it didn't go down that way, and I know (McHale) got blamed for that.

Taylor goes on to throw his current General Manager, Kevin McHale, under the bus,

Kevin is very poor on details. You've got to recognize what he is good at and what he's not good at. And generally, if we've kind of failed, it's been some of the details stuff.
What kind of details?
Let's just say if you're doing a trade. Checking a little bit more, checking into background a little bit more. I think some of the other teams probably have done a little bit better job. Going to Europe, knowing the guys a little bit better. Some of the details like that.
I think Kevin is a little bit like me. Either I like somebody or I don't like somebody, which is fine. But you better have some detail people behind you supporting that, making sure your feelings are right. I'm talking more about business, but I still see Kevin's job as more business.
Could we run as good without Kevin? I'm not sure we couldn't run as good without Kevin. If Kevin came and resigned, would I accept? I probably would. Do I want to fire him? Why would I want to embarrass him? He's done a lot of good.

How would you like to come to work the next morning knowing your boss told the entire world, that his company would run fine without you? In other words, you don't make a difference, and the only reason you are still employed is because he doesn't want to embarrass you. As if that statement isn't embarrassing enough.

Part two of the interview focuses on players and coaches, past and present. First, Taylor speaks about the team's effort under Wittman last year,

I didn't see it...I thought I was going to see it when Randy took over. I don't think I saw it like what I expected to see. There was some improvement, but I don't think he ever got it.

So why did you re-sign Wittman to be the permanent coach?
I don't know if we could have made those changes with K.G. here. I don't know that Randy would have made any difference if K.G. was here. I think without K.G., with new guys, it might work with Randy.
It has more to do with K.G., and K.G. not liking Mike James, and Marko (Jaric), and he didn't like Mark Blount. Heavens, half the starting team. And Ricky (Davis) didn't listen to (Wittman). So it was kind of like, holy gripes. But I don't know who I could have brought in. I know I would have had to bring in a really experienced guy. There weren't too many guys available.
Maybe the Houston coach (former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy). I probably would have gone after him, because he could have come up here and maybe set the tone. You would have had to have had a guy like that. But once I made up my mind, which I did pretty early after the season ... that K.G. was gone, by that time, it was like, well then I think if I do that, then I think Randy can work.

So, basically Randy Wittman was plan "D"? Nice Glen. Way to give the new guy a vote of confidence. I'm sure young coaches are clamoring to sit on the sidelines of the Target Center.

Now, for the bombshell. Apparently, the captain of all captains, 'Sota's beloved Big Ticket, played a crucial role in this team's failure last year.

I think there was a lot of stuff going on that we just couldn't talk about publicly. K.G. wanted Trenton (Hassell, forward) around. K.G. wanted Troy (Hudson, guard) around. And those guys took advantage of the situation, and it drove me nuts. I thought both of those guys could have been better players. But somehow because K.G. stuck up for them, they probably would have both been better players this year without K.G. But they had gone down the rope so far...

They just didn't put the effort into it like they should have. Somehow, Trenton thought he had earned the starting role, and K.G. would keep him on the starting role. Neither guy would help certain teammates out on the floor. It wasn't as apparent to me until Wittman said, "here's what they're doing, watch them". They would run a play, and Trenton was supposed to cover for the other guy, and he wouldn't cover for the other guy. The fans didn't know that. So the other guy looked pretty stupid.

Maybe, instead of deflecting blame, and passing the buck, Glen Taylor should look in the mirror. How does an owner allow a general manager who is poor on the details remain in his position? Is it possible that the poor team chemistry was a result of McHale's failure to look into the details when acquiring certain players? Finally, since NBA contracts are guaranteed, why not bring in a coach who would effectively address these issues rather than let them fester? Really, Timberwolves fans cannot blame Kevin McHale for fulfilling his employers low expectations. However, we can blame Glen Taylor for not holding anyone in this organization accountable. So, T-Wolves fans, let's stop blaming McHale and go straight to the top and demand some accountability.

Busted!

2007-10-25T17:24:00.000-05:00

I know it's late, but I had to post this cover of the New Yorker. Hilarious. In case you missed it, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, satirically pictured above, stated in his address at Columbia University, "In Iran, we don't have homosexuals like in your country [America]...In Iran we don't have this phenomenon, I don't know who's told you that we have it." See for yourself.

Joe Girardi Should Manage the Yanks

2007-10-24T18:58:00.000-05:00

Joe Girardi should be the next manager of the Yankees. While Don Mattingly may be the sexy pick, and the most popular with the fans (he was my favorite player growing up), Girardi is the man for the job for the following reasons:

1. He was a major league catcher. Catchers have always made for good major league managers. The decisions they make on the field prepares them for the decisions they may someday make from the dugout. Joe Torre, Bob Brenly, Bruce Bochy, and Mike Scioscia, were also catchers.

2. Related to the first point, Girardi's experience as a catcher will help him manage the Yankee pitching staff. This is especially important considering the Yankees have such promising young hurlers on the horizon: Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, and Dellin Betances. I'm not so sure a former first baseman (Mattingly), who has no managing experience at any level, can adequately manage these young pitchers.

3. Finally, he has successfully managed in the big leagues. In 2006 he managed a young Florida Marlins team and developed youngsters such as Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez, Josh Willingham, Scott Olsen, Anibal Sanchez, and Josh Johnson. This, to me, is the most appealing aspect of Girardi's resume. As Brian Cashman has refocused the Yankee vision from free agent spending to player development, it is crucial that the manager at the apex of the Yankee system can get the most out its players. Girardi has a track record, Mattingly doesn't.

The X-factor in all of this will be how Girardi, or whoever is chosen, handles the New York media. Joe Torre's strength, as Buster Olney points out, was not necessarily his tactical brilliance, but his ability to navigate the gauntlet that is the New York media. A legend like Don Mattingly, who regularly receives standing ovations in Yankee stadium, or a strategic player developer like Girardi both could be swallowed whole by those reporters. So, in the end, the Yankee job just might come down to survival of the fittest, in which case resumes can be thrown out the window.

Another Reason to Dislike Michael Jordan

2007-10-20T09:31:00.000-05:00

You should all be ashamed of yourselves for viewing this man as a role model. Absolutely ashamed.

White Privilege, Steve Nash, and My Love for Larry Bird

2007-10-17T09:09:00.000-05:00

TrueHoop linked to the following post by Cosellout, "It's Not Steve Nash's Fault!: A Study in White Privilege.”

Some highlights:

It was the media that often used Nash as a tool to: denigrate black athletes; to perpetuate tired racial stereotypes; to revise current and past basketball history; and, by contrast, to ignore or give token treatment to the incredible community service of men like Marbury, Mutombo, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Carmelo Anthony, Richard Jefferson and so many others.

…But the truth is, it’s YOUR fault!

That’s right, it is your fault if you like up-tempo basketball and tuned into the Suns in the playoffs last year, but did not watch the Warriors-Mavericks historic series; if you appreciate the finest of pure point guard play, but didn’t witness last year’s playoff series’ that featured Jason Kidd AVERAGING a triple-double or the coming out party of Utah’s Derron Williams; if you praised Nash’s politics [protesting the American policy in Iraq], but never acknowledged the existence of Etan Thomas; or if the reason why Marbury’s community service can’t garner a magazine cover is because the big bosses know full well that you won’t buy a copy. Yup, it is YOUR fault!

(If you haven’t read any of Etan Thomas’ stuff, you should.)

More takes from the Steve Nash-White Privilege post:

Nor is Nash to blame because commentators can’t see past the white athlete stereotype. Like when former NBA great Bill Walton marveled at Nash’s achievements a couple of years ago in part because he was "the least athletic point guard in the NBA." While Nash has never been a great leaper, perhaps Walton never took notice of Nash blowing by most opposing guards in the league on a nightly basis. We could only guess that lateral quickness and agility have absolutely nothing to do with athleticism. Because such a reality might put a dent in the romantic notion that Nash is just like every other white guy on the couch with a TV remote, but just worked that much harder than all those “natural black athletes”. But the truth is that Nash was a highly gifted three-sport star (soccer and hockey) who had professional potential besides basketball…

So from now on, I will go back to rooting for Steve Nash, and for everything that he represents. I’ll root for his game, his community service and most urgently, for his anti-war stance to be heard by as many people as possible. And if he is not facing my beloved Knicks in the finals, I might even root hard for him to get that championship ring. But it is simply not fair or ethical to wildly root for Nash, but not challenge the white privilege that he regularly receives by a media that predominantly looks likes him, lives vicariously through him, and probably wants to BE him. Rooting for Nash comes with the added responsibility of demanding the very same accolades, credit, and attention be given to any other athlete who is just as worthy, if not more worthy of our praise. So yes, it is clearly my fault because while I was innocently cheering for Steve Nash, enjoying his on-court game, and admiring his off-court causes, it took me this long to write why “It’s Not Steve Nash’s Fault”.

You really need to read this post in its entirety, it’s very good. As difficult a pill as it may be to swallow, I can’t say there’s much I disagree with in this post. I’ve often asked myself, “Why choose Larry Bird as your favorite player? Why not Magic Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, or Michael Jordan?” I think it had a lot to do with living “vicariously through” him like Cosellout accused members of the media of doing. I’m sure much of it had to do with the fact that we were both white, but I also think my choosing him had a lot to do with our lack of athleticism (unlike Steve Nash). There was this idea that even though we couldn’t jump as high as our opponents, or run as fast, we could still dominate (or at least compete) by doing the little things on the basketball court. It was obviously an ideal that could only by realistically attained by a few, but it made him relatable, and isn’t that the point?

Finally, a Political Bumper Sticker That Doesn't Make Me Angry

2007-10-10T16:02:00.001-05:00

Not that I would put it on my car, but still, pretty cool.

Thoughts on Columbus Day

2007-10-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

So today is Columbus Day and I'm trying to figure out why many American states honor his legacy with a holiday. According to the Library of Congress, President Benjamin Harrison urged Americans to remember Oct. 12th, the date of Columbus' landing. The Knights of Columbus followed by lobbying state legislatures to make it a legal holiday, and Colorado was the first to do so in 1907. Columbus Day was made a federal holiday in 1971. So, we continue to honor this day because it's been tradition?

Virtually no one believes Columbus was the first European on American soil. The Vikings landed on the shores of Newfoundland 500 years prior to his arrival. Furthermore, some historians believe the Chinese arrived in the New World around 1421, trumping Columbus by 71 years.

If that's not enough, his arrival on Hispaniola, killed the entire Taino population. Sure, he could not have predicted the effect European diseases would have upon these natives, so we can't hold him and those Europeans followed totally accountable, but many Taino did die because of forced labor, and that is something we can hold them accountable for.

Many historians and certainly Native Americans will also argue that the Conquistadors were a direct result of Columbus' arrival (which seems perfectly logical to me). So, Columbus wasn't just an explorer who challenged the flat-world assumptions of the day to find a new trade route, but was instead the first of a long line of dominoes that led to the Spanish colonization of Latin America, a legacy that is still crippling natives today.

So, again I ask, what about Christopher Columbus' legacy deserves a holiday? If we are just honoring tradition, shouldn't we stop and ask why? Some traditions are worth changing.

God is Picking Teams

2007-10-04T21:32:00.000-05:00

There is significant evidence that God is choosing sides on the field of sports. If anyone has watched the Colorado Rockies play this season, you're aware of their Phoenix-like impression, rising from the ashes in the second half of the season. How could they do this without some help from on high? They've won 18 of their last 19 games. They defeated the National League's top Cy Young candidate, Jake Peavy, in a do-or-die, playoff tiebreaker to claim the NL wildcard. They've swept the Philadelphia Phillies, even though Matt Holliday still hasn't touched home plate. They dominated last year's Cy Young winner, Brandon Webb to take a 1-0 lead in the NLCS. God is certainly at work here. Consider this, from a USA Today column printed in June,

No copies of Playboy or Penthouse are in the clubhouse of baseball's Colorado Rockies. There's not even a Maxim. The only reading materials are daily newspapers, sports and car magazines and the Bible.
Music filled with obscenities, wildly popular with youth today and in many other clubhouses, is not played. A player will curse occasionally but usually in hushed tones. Quotes from Scripture are posted in the weight room. Chapel service is packed on Sundays. Prayer and fellowship groups each Tuesday are well-attended. It's not unusual for the front office executives to pray together.

On the field, the Rockies are trying to make the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons and only the second time in their 14-year history. Behind the scenes, they quietly have become an organization guided by Christianity — open to other religious beliefs but embracing a Christian-based code of conduct they believe will bring them focus and success.

And this from Rockies chairman and CEO Charlie Monfort,

"We started to go after character six or seven years ago, but we didn't follow that like we should have," he says. "I don't want to offend anyone, but I think character-wise we're stronger than anyone in baseball. Christians, and what they've endured, are some of the strongest people in baseball. I believe God sends signs, and we're seeing those."

Finally this from General Manager Dan O'Dowd, quoted October 12th, in the Independent, "You look at some of the moves we made and didn't make...You look at some of the games we're winning. Those aren't just a coincidence. God has definitely had a hand in this."

If this doesn't convince you that God is trying his hand at sports, then turn your attention to the NFL, specifically the NFC North , where the Detroit Lions sit at 3-2, having defeated the defending NFC champion Chicago Bears two weeks ago (that alone is evidence of divine intervention). They did lose to the Washington Redskins last week, however. Upon further review, though, this isn't a huge surprise, considering the Redskins head coach is Joe Gibbs. His website offers a Joe Gibbs bible and "Joe's weekly spiritual gameplan" via email. So, if I'm a Detroit Lions fan, it is not a big surprise that the 3-1 Washington Redskins, would hand me a loss. After all, God has got to love Joe Gibbs' website. Maybe he's a better Christian, even?

But God must love the Detroit Lions too. Their leader, Jon Kitna has turned his life around from being a shoplifting, drunk, "womanizing," QB at Central Washington University to a born-again Christian who blasts Christian rock in the his NFL locker room and leads teammates to Christ. Apparently 20 of his Detroit teammates have become Christians since his signing with the team. You think that might get a little wink from God?

To top it all off, in case you haven't heard, on September 16th, against the Vikings, Kitna was knocked out of the game with a concussion only to return and lead his team to a 20-17 victory. He called it a miracle, "I've never felt anything like that, and for it to clear up and go right back to as normal as I can be, is nothing short of a miracle," Kitna said. "I just definitely feel the hand of God. That's all it was. You can't explain it."

Well, I'm convinced, God is picking teams: Rockies, Lions and Redskins. Any thoughts on which NBA team he'll pick? I'm praying for the Celtics.

UPDATE (11-16-07): By the way, this post is facetious.

"Pro-Life" Shouldn't Be About One Issue

2007-10-04T12:39:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, Sept. 29th fifty leaders of the social conservative movement gathered in Salt Lake City, Utah to discuss their plan of attack in the event that the presidential nominee for the Republican and Democratic parties are both pro-choice. To clarify the events that took place at that meeting, James Dobson wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times. In it he writes of the conclusions the group came to, "If neither of the two major political parties nominates an individual who pledges himself or herself to the sanctity of human life, we will join others in voting for a minor-party candidate. Those agreeing with the proposition were invited to stand. The result was almost unanimous."

He continues to ponder with pen the possibility that voting for a pro-life candidate could cost social conservatives the presidency,

The other approach, which I find problematic, is to choose a candidate according to the likelihood of electoral success or failure. Polls don’t measure right and wrong; voting according to the possibility of winning or losing can lead directly to the compromise of one’s principles. In the present political climate, it could result in the abandonment of cherished beliefs that conservative Christians have promoted and defended for decades. Winning the presidential election is vitally important, but not at the expense of what we hold most dear.

Another issue discussed on that Saturday was the possibility of backing a third party candidate that would run as the pro-life alternative. There was less unanimity on this topic. Rasmussen Reports ran a poll on how such a third party candidate would effect the election, and the results aren't very encouraging for social conservatives. If it comes down to Giuliani, Clinton, and __________ (3rd party candidate), the poll indicates that the 3rd party votes would tip the election in favor of Hillary Clinton. I can't imagine James Dobson and his 49 friends thrilled about that outcome.

Of course, I cannot imagine James Dobson failing to foresee such an outcome either. One can't help to think this is more of a political threat than it is actual contingency planing (you don't actually think these leaders would support a pro-life Democrat do you?). Something along the lines of, "Lest you forget Republican party, social conservatives carry serious capital every election cycle. We delivered the White House to President Bush, and we can do the same for the next Republican nominee, but do not take us for granted. Our vote does not come cost-free. Bend on abortion or we'll take our votes elsewhere."

So, for social conservatives, I ask this one question: Are there other ways to protect the sanctity of life? I understand the opposition to abortion. I am father to a beautiful 8 month old baby girl. I am aware of the outrageous numbers of abortions that occur in this country. I've heard the commercials on my local Christian radio station calling abortion "genocide" and citing it as the number one killer in this country, however, I can't help but to think there might be other issues dedicated to preserving the sanctity of life. Here are some examples of such 'pro-life' issues :

Opposition to war. Not just the U.S. war in Iraq, but wars in general. Are the lives lost in war not as valuable as an unborn fetus? Can one support war and be pro-life?
Opposition to the death penalty in all fifty states.
Support pouring resources into improving inner city ministries and charities where the cycle of drug use and gang violence leads many to the conclusion that death is inevitable.
Support Stem-cell research. Tell Michael J. Fox you value life in one sentence and don't support stem cell research in the next. See how he responds.
Support any U.S. legislation that increases financial assistance for AIDS relief in Africa and in other parts of the world.
Support efforts to end the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. If abortion truly is the American "genocide," why is this "genocide" worth more activism than the Sudanese?

It seems as if Mr. Dobson and his friends have simplified the issue of 'life' to one single issue, abortion. Either you are pro-life and you value life, or you're pro-choice and you don't. While I agree that abortion is an important issue, I also agree that life is not about one single issue, and social conservatives would do well to broaden there view to reflect this. Because, the way things are looking now, there's going to be a pro-choice candidate in office.

So, I'd recommend finding out how Republican and Democratic candidates feel about these other issues of "life." Or are social conservatives only concerned about certain types of lives?

2007 MLB Division Series Predictions

2007-10-03T14:50:00.001-05:00

NLDS: Rockies v. Phillies
Honestly, this is the series that intrigues me most. It really is a shame these two have to meet in the first round because they are the two hottest teams in baseball right now. Other than Cole Hamels, the Phils have no front-line starting pitchers. Do you really want to go to battle with Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick in October? Didn't think so. The Rockies on the other hand, have some young studs (Ubaldo Jimenez and Franklin Morales) with some nasty stuff to go along with their anchor, Jeff Francis. And we all know about their bats, and the more I watch and read about Troy Tolowitzki, the more I like the guy. It is very difficult to pick against guys like Rollins, Rowand, and Utley though.
Prediction: Rockies in 5

NLDS: Chicago v. Arizona
At the other end of the spectrum is this series: I could care less. The Cubs sneaked into the playoffs as the best team in the junior varsity league (the NL Central). There were three weeks in mid-summer when Sweet Lou had his team clicking on all cylinders, but, predictably, they faltered (so did the Brewers). When they 'click' they can be nasty, but that is a rare occurrence. The postseason comes down to pitching for the Cubbies. They will beat the D-backs, but their NLCS hopes and beyond ride on Carlos Zambrano and that bullpen. It's time for Big Z and those relievers to start earning their paychecks.
Prediction: Chicago in 4

ALDS: Boston v. Los Angeles
Mike Scioscia's team gets from first to third better than anyone in baseball. They have to, they are no friend of the long ball. That ability to manufacture runs will be key in this series as runs will be scarce for both squads. They'll each be pitching John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, Josh Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzka twice. Plus, both bullpens are stellar, although the Angels bullpen has lost a bit of its luster as of late. And, don't underestimate the loss of Tim Wakefield. His knuckleball can be a serious weapon in the postseason, in any role. The difference in this series should be the Red Sox lineup.
Prediction: Boston in 4

ALDS: New York v. Cleveland
This should be a great matchup. Though New York has owned Cleveland throughout the regular season, Cleveland will be throwing two of the top three Cy Young candidates (Fausto Carmona and C.C. Sabathia) at New York during this five game series. Add to that, Cleveland's formidable lineup top to bottom. Of course, the Bronx Bombers are in a league of their own. Their patience at the plate should allow them to get to the Cleveland bullpen by the sixth or seventh inning of each contest, where they'll encounter the league's best lefty, righty combo, Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt. Expect many of these games to be decided in the later evenings. We'll see if Cleveland manager Eric Wedge's decision to keep Joe Borowski as closer was the right move. One interesting twist, and perhaps not so positive for the Yanks, Joe Torre has elected to start four different starters in games 1-4 (Wang, Pettitte, Clemens, and Mussina). How that effects the outcome remains to be seen.
Prediction: Cleveland in 5

It should be noted that I made these predictions with my head and not my heart. Had I done them with my heart, the Yankees would not be losing in the ALDS.

"Would you come back another time and help us sift the terds out of the cream?"

2007-09-30T16:02:00.000-05:00

Surfing through archived clips of the Colbert Report makes me want cable. Here's another one for you. The "oxymoron" evangelical reverend Tony Campolo visited Colbert, and you should check it out. I think he must be one of the few guests to render Colbert speechless.

"In God We Trust...If you don't believe that, you shouldn't spend money."

2007-09-23T08:20:00.000-05:00

Athiest Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith, visits the Colbert Report. I'm pretty sure amidst all the satire (and hilarity) here, there's a lesson to be learned.

A Suggestion for Bill Callahan

2007-09-15T21:58:00.000-05:00

I am a Cornhusker fan living in Big Ten country (Minnesota). This means I am totally out-of-touch when it comes to all matters related to Nebraska Cornhusker football (so please forgive me subscribers to the Omaha World Herald). One thing I know remains true though; Husker football is borderline religion for us fans.

It is currently the 3rd quarter of the biggest game of the year, USC, the #1 team in the nation. The score is 42-10, them. They've scored 5 touchdowns unanswered. It has become pretty clear that our defense is greatly over-matched. They are marching all over us. Our blackshirts look pink.

Surfing through ESPN's college recruting website I immediately checked to see if there is any help in Nebraska's immediate future. Nebraska has received commitments from three out of ESPN's top 150 recruits: Blaine Gibbert (#8) from Missouri, ESPN's #1 ranked QB in the country; Jonas Gray (#89) from Michigan, a running back; and Baker Steinkuhker (#114) from Nebraska, an offensive tackle.

Granted, three players does not a recruiting class make, but, speaking as an outsider, living in Big Ten country, only being able to watch about 3 games a year, I have a suggestion for you Coach Callahan. Instead of focusing your recruiting efforts on legitimizing your hallowed West Coast offense, devote a little time on the defensive side of the ball. Restore the tradition of Grant Wistrom, Trev Alberts, Mike Brown, Mike Rucker, et. al. and let's turn those pinkshirts black again. Until you do this, the top tier programs in the country, like USC, Oklahoma and Texas (both from you own conference) will continue to humiliate our beloved Huskers. Remember Coach, defense wins championships and offense sells tickets...except in Nebraska, where defense sells tickets too.

UPDATE (10-08-07): Those blackshirts look pink right about now. Nebraska was routed this weekend, 41-6 by Mizzou giving up 606 total yards.

Door to Door Proselytism

2007-09-15T09:19:00.000-05:00

Recently I had a very disturbing encounter with some door-to-door evangelists. They (actually it wasn't so much they as it was she, he just stood behind her) began their spiel by telling me about a bible study they were starting. I was immediately intrigued. I assumed this was a new neighbor who was starting a house church, or something of that sort. If someone in the neighborhood were starting a house church, I would at least want to know about it. So, I turned the porch light on and listened.

She began to tell me how the bible, not man, is the source of truth. She told me about how intellectual their bible study is. Apparently they really dig deep and they only use they King James Version, because that was the first, original version, which makes it much better than all the new versions that have been published recently. This was the first warning sign for me. I wanted to ask her why a translation of the bible published in 1611 was more authoritative than any other version we have today, especially since scholars have discovered other original manuscripts since 1611. Does the use of "thou" make the KJV more authoritative than any other translation? I really doubt it, it's really just a matter of preference. Of course, I didn't say this, I kept my mouth shut.

She also mentioned numerous times her passion for getting back to the model of Christianity presented in the New Testament, and her disdain for denominationalism. If it's not in the New Testament, they weren't gonna do it. She illustrated this by talking about baptism. She told me how she was taught that infant baptism was necessary for salvation and has heard that some denominations teach sprinkling is acceptable, but she quoted scripture after scripture about how immersion is necessary for salvation.

After 10 minutes of listening to her talk (without one mention of Jesus) it became pretty clear that she wasn't very interested in me. She was more interested in selling her version of Christianity, even though she apparently abhors denominationalism. After nodding incessantly (I'm a good active listener), I was finally able to jump in and let her know that I was a Christian and that we were on the same team. This apparently wasn't good enough for her. She wanted to know how I felt about baptism. I told her I believed that it was a symbolic act that represents a turning of one's heart towards God, and thus a change of behavior. She then asked what church I go to and what denomination that church was affiliated with. When I answered, she responded with, "That's what I thought. That's what Baptists believe about baptism (She never asked if I was a baptist, by the way). But it's not in the bible. You should read your bible and see what it says."

I was stunned. At this point it was pretty clear these two were not interested in sharing God's love with the East side, but were instead selling theology, and proselytism. So, gloves off, I asked them, "This is an issue [baptism] worth dividing over, isn't it? I just told you I'm a Christian. I don't doubt your faith. But you continue to question mine over the fact that I have a different belief about baptism. Should we be causing division in the church over issues of doctrine?" She had a lot of answers that I don't remember. This is where my active listening stopped.

She continued to argue her point. I asked her to leave. I'm guessing no one from my neighborhood will be attending their bible study. And sadly, if I were to ever host a bible study, my neighbors probably would't attend that either.

Twins Should Turn Young Pitchers Into Atkins

2007-09-13T19:58:00.000-05:00

The Twins weakness at third base is no secret. The Nick Punto experiment failed miserably, with his quest to end the season above the Mendoza line quickly becoming a farce. The organization will be spending the rest of the season evaluating the former SEC batting champion, Brian Buscher, a Rule 5 draft pick out of the San Francisco Giants organization. So far he has been solid, but nothing spectacular, which is pretty consistent with all the scouting reports I’ve read on him that state he has very little upside.

The Twins need to be very sure on their decision with Buscher entering the 2008 season. If they aren’t, they should pursue Colorado Rockies third baseman Garrett Atkins, a player who could threaten .300-30-100 every season. He is currently making $400,000. but is due a salary jump to about $4 mil. next year due to arbitration. Nevertheless, he is not eligible for free agency until 2010, so the Twins would control him for two years, and would have those two years to negotiate a long-term contract that extends beyond his first few years of free agency, like they did with Joe Mauer, and unfortunately failed to do with Justin Morneau.

The Twins could also afford Atkins. It would not surprise me if their most recent offer to Tori Hunter for 3 years, $45 mil. was their final offer. Torii turned it down and is looking for a contract more in the J.D. Drew range, 5 yrs./$70 mil. Some even believe he will be the number one center fielder to hit the free agent market this summer, ahead of Andruw Jones. Certainly the Twins can allocate some of those unspent funds toward a contract with their new third baseman. Atkins will probably ask for David Wright money, 6 yrs./$55 mil.

Why would the Rockies do this? Many reasons, all interrelated. The Rockies have Todd Helton’s albatross of a contract to deal with, which pays him between 16 and 23 million dollars per year through 2012. Thus, they cannot move Atkins to first base to make room for Ian Stewart, who according to Baseball America is the #2 prospect left in the Rockies’ minor league system (after 2007 promotions) and #46 prospect in all of baseball. However, that ranking shrinks to #22, if one removes players from that list who are currently in the big leagues, or who have spent significant time in the majors this year, players like Hunter Pence, Ryan Braun, Yovanni Gallardo, Alex Gordon, Justin Upton, and Troy Tulowitzki.

How would the Twins acquire Atkins? With their pitching of course. The Rockies organizational weakness has been pitching (although it's getting better), and that is the Twins’ strength. A pitcher from the quartet of Matt Garza, Kevin Slowey, Scott Baker and Glen Perkins would probably intrigue the Rockies, though they’d probably demand Garza, the highest ranked pitching prospect in the Twins organization (they wanted Ervin Santana and another prospect from the Angels earlier this summer). Would new Twins G.M. Bill Smith pull the trigger?

In this league, and especially this small-market, the answer to that question always comes down to pitching? What about Johan Santana’s contract? Can Scott Baker and Kevin Slowey be relied upon to give the Twins quality innings as #3 and #4 starters? And, how is Francisco Liriano’s recovery coming?

The answers to these questions will decide if Garret Atkins, or a 3rd baseman of his caliber, will be manning the hot corner for the Twins next season. Whatever the Twins do, they need to do it quickly because time is running out. The most valuable assets in the organization, young pitchers, are probably losing their luster to prospective buyers so it's time to make a decision, hold for good or sell?

Homosexuality in the Bible, Part Two: the Holiness Code.

2007-09-05T19:39:00.000-05:00

Refer to Part One for background on this series of posts.

Before I begin part two of this series I want to make one thing perfectly clear: I am not a theologian, nor am I a bible scholar (not that those of you who know me were wondering). I am simply reporting on the discussion that took place at Ekklesia regarding homosexuality in the bible. I cannot claim any of the especially insightful hermeneutics for my own, but must credit them to Clarence Bass. If I wasn’t clear about this in the original post, which after rereading it I don’t believe I was, it’s just because I’m a crappy writer, and had a lot to say. Please, bear with me.

In part one, I asked the question, “Was Homosexuality the Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?” I believe the answer to this question is no when taking a holistic view of scripture. In part two I will address the other Old Testament references to homosexuality, both of which occur in the section of Leviticus known as the Holiness Code.

The word Leviticus has been translated as “Law of Priests” or “Instructions for Priests.” Basically it’s an instruction manual for the Priests of ancient Israel on how God wanted to differentiate the Israelites from the surrounding cultures (Canaanites, Philistines, Moabites, etc.). The chapters have different themes, from rituals of sacrifice to dietary laws. The two verses we are concerned with fall within the Holiness Code (Chapters 17-26). These nine chapters are called the Holiness Code because of how frequently the word holy is used.

Chapter eighteen of the holiness code refers to sexual behavior. Verse twenty-two is relevant to the topic at hand, homosexuality. I’ve bolded it below.

6 " 'No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.
7 " 'Do not dishonor your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; do not have relations with her.
8 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your father's wife; that would dishonor your father.
9 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere.
10 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would dishonor you.
11 " 'Do not have sexual relations with the daughter of your father's wife, born to your father; she is your sister.
12 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your father's sister; she is your father's close relative.
13 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative.
14 " 'Do not dishonor your father's brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations; she is your aunt.
15 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife; do not have relations with her.
16 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your brother's wife; that would dishonor your brother.
17 " 'Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness.
18 " 'Do not take your wife's sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.
19 " 'Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
20 " 'Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife and defile yourself with her.
21 " 'Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed [a] to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
22 " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.
23 " 'Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.
24 " 'Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. 25 Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. 26 But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, 27 for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. 28 And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you.
29 " 'Everyone who does any of these detestable things—such persons must be cut off from their people. 30 Keep my requirements and do not follow any of the detestable customs that were practiced before you came and do not defile yourselves with them. I am the LORD your God.' "

Homosexuality is also mentioned in Leviticus 20: 13. I’ve included the three verses before and after for context.

10 " 'If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.
11 " 'If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
12 " 'If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.
13 " 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.
14 " 'If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.
15 " 'If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal.
16 " 'If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

If one approaches the bible seeking permission or allowance for homosexual behavior, these verses are very difficult to deal with because these verses are pretty straightforward. One who takes the bible seriously, knows that you cannot just take scripture and bend it for purpose of convenience. If we look at verse 22, in chapter 18, notice that it is sandwiched between many sexual prohibitions that we would regard as no-brainers today: don’t have sex with animals, don’t have sex with various family members, and don’t have sex with your neighbor’s wife, to name a few. These make sense right? So why would we just ignore verse twenty-two, “'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman…”? Out of convenience? Because it would be politically incorrect? I’m pretty sure this is not a reliable method for interpreting scripture.

That said, I don’t believe these scriptures apply today. The key lies in the context. The holiness code is part of the larger set of laws God gives to Moses at Mt. Sinai for His chosen people, the Israelites, in order to distinguish them from the surrounding nations at Canaan (Palestine). These laws were given to a certain people, at a certain time, for a certain reason. Included in these laws were some pretty strange commands. For instance, Israelites were unable to wear mixed fabrics; women were to declare publicly when they were menstruating (sort of like the Scarlet Letter); and as we saw in the verses cited above, the death penalty was required for a variety of sexual acts. Now, why do Christians who cite Old Testament Law as proof that homosexuality is a sin, ignore these laws? It’s seems illogical to follow one part of the law (homosexuality is a sin) but ignore the other parts (mixed fabric, etc.).

Because the Old Testament law given to Moses was contextual we have to interpret it in such a manner. It was a covenant for Israel, given for a specific time, for a specific place, Canaan. Christians today, do not fall under this Mosaic, Old Testament covenant, but under a New Covenant established by the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, whatever the Old Testament Law has to say about homosexuality is irrelevant for Christians today.

It is clear then, that after looking at Sodom and Gomorrah and the Holiness Code, we need to turn our attention to the New Testament for more guidance on what the bible has to say about homosexuality.

"Wednesday night is the night we make love."

2007-08-18T19:08:00.000-05:00

Many of you have already seen this but if you haven't, it's worth the watch. "It's Business Time."

The Mind, Body, Spirit Divide

2007-08-06T08:16:00.000-05:00

Just last week I was fascinated to hear that a man with severe brain damage who had been barely conscious for 6 years was ‘awakened’ by doctors through electrical deep brain stimulation (read the story here). Now he is not totally conscious, like you and I, but within 48 hours of the surgery he had “turned his head in response to voices and kept his eyes open for prolonged periods of time. After more time, the patient, who previously could not talk, started naming objects and using objects, such as a hair brush, with his hands.” It is unknown whether this man’s condition will improve with rehabilitation, though it is not without precedent in similar cases.

When I heard about this, I immediately began to rethink my position on the Terry Schiavo case, which was pull the tube. After more research, it turns out Mrs. Schiavo’s Persistent Vegetative State (PVS) is very different than the minimally conscious state of this man and many others who will receive this same deep brain stimulation. Which is why the folks at Focus on the Family haven't chimed in with a “We told you so.” Even James Dobson can recognize the difference between an apple and an orange.

I still have one more question though. What does this tell us about the mind, body, spirit divide? Where was this man’s spirit for those six years and in what condition was it? This question totally blows my mind and I honestly don’t even know where to start. Thoughts?

Restoring Celtic Pride

2007-08-05T21:54:00.000-05:00

There’s not much to say about this trade that hasn’t already been said, so, I’ll spare you the redundant analysis and just say, I’m stoked. I can’t remember the last time the Celtics entered the season with a legitimate chance of finishing over .500, let alone winning the Eastern Conference.

As a Minnesotan, who is a Timberwolves fan, this could not have worked out any better. K.G. justifiably owned this town, and every Minnesotan hated to see him go. So as a Celtic fan, this was the best case scenario. The Wolves needed to enter a rebuilding mode and the package they received from the Celtics will give them a good start. A core of Randy Foye, Corey Brewer, Al Jefferson, Rashad McCants, and Craig Smith, along with the two first round picks received in this trade gives Wolves fans an inkling of hope for the future. Of course, this trade doesn't exactly endear Kevin McHale to Timberwolves fans, but it does bolster his legacy as a Celtic, as Bill Simmons so accurately points out in this analysis.

Here’s Boston’s current roster with it’s two most recent additions, Jackie Manuel (a defensive specialist) and Eddie House (a backup point guard). There are rumors of Dikembe Mutombo signing soon as well.

Ray Allen G
Tony Allen G
Glen Davis F
Kevin Garnett F
Kendrick Perkins C
Paul Pierce G/F
Leon Powe F
Gabe Pruitt G
Rajon Rondo G
Brian Scalabrine F
Brandon Wallace F
Jackie Manuel G
Eddie House G

For more Celtic information, I’d recommend visiting CelticsBlog.com.

Johan Santana Will Be a Met

2007-08-02T17:40:00.000-05:00

Johan Santana's comments following Tuesday’s trade deadline rang loud throughout the Twin Cities.

"You always talk about future, future. ... But if you only worry about the future, then I guess a lot of us won't be part of it…It doesn't make any sense for me to be here, you know?"

After Luis Castillo’s trade to the Mets, Johan and many other Twins were irked. But, let’s be honest, Castillo was not going to sign as a free agent after this season. The fact that Terry Ryan was able to get two minor league prospects for Castillo, an aging vet, with no power, and diminishing range at second base, was impressive. Besides, it’s about time we see what this kid Alexi Casilla really has to offer. Ron Gardenhire has been raving about him since spring training two years ago.

As for Johan, well, as much as I hate to say it, it’s time to trade him. He has one more year on his contract, and there is no chance the lowly Minnesota Twins can afford him. If Barry Zito got $126 mil. over 7 years what will Santana demand? My guess is at least $20 mill per. That’s not “Twins Territory.”

And for those who are holding out hope for a hometown discount, remember these statements from Jayson Stark's March ESPN column:

"I would love to stay here," Santana says, "with this team, in this city, because I love everything about this team and what I do here. But at the same time, this is business. And a lot of things are out of my control. You've got to have a team that's willing to negotiate and to keep you. So if it doesn't work out that way, if that means you have to go somewhere else, it's tough. It's bad. But that's the way it is, because it's a business."

So, I say trade Johan this offseason when we can get equal value for him. Don't wait until the trade deadline next year, like Jim Bowden, who overplayed his hand with Alfonso Soriano. The A.J. Pierzynski trade should be the model. Shoot for prospects, especially young, stud pitchers. This is where the New York Mets come in (do we really want to deal Johan to an A.L. opponent?). Mets G.M Omar Minaya has a track record of giving up prospects for pitchers (he orchestrated the Bartolo Colon for Grady Sizemore, Brandon Philips, and Cliff Lee deal) and would have the capital to sign Johan to a long-term deal.

Terry Ryan would have to seriously consider a package involving Lastings Millledge (Torri Hunter’s possible replacement in center field) and one of the Mets top pitching prospects, Mike Pelfrey or Philip Humber, and a project infielder. This would give the Twins one of the youngest, most talented rotations in baseball: Francisco Liriano, Matt Garza, Pelfrey/Humber, Glen Perkins, and Kevin Slowey. Cheap too. This is the Twins way.

UPDATE (08-20-07): Buster Olney and other MLB general managers agree with my take on the Johan predicament "...If Santana were to say no to an enormous offer from the Twins and instead is intent on capitalizing on his market value -- which might approach eight years and $200 million -- then Minnesota should trade Santana in the offseason, rival executives believe, in order to exploit his trade value...An educated guess now is that Santana would wind up with the Mets, who might back up their prospect truck to get the left-hander."

Me, Simpsonized

2007-07-27T09:03:00.002-05:00

Simpsonize yourself, it's fun.

President Bush's Theology

2007-07-26T16:38:00.000-05:00

The following is a quote by Pres. Bush from David Brooks' most recent New York Times column:

The other debate [about Iraq] is whether or not it is a hopeless venture to encourage the spread of liberty. Most of you all around this table are much better historians than I am. And people have said, you know, this is Wilsonian, it's hopelessly idealistic. One, it is idealistic, to this extent: It's idealistic to believe people long to be free. And nothing will change my belief. I come at it many different ways. Really not primarily from a political science perspective, frankly; it's more of a theological perspective. I do believe there is an Almighty, and I believe a gift of that Almighty to all is freedom. And I will tell you that is a principle that no one can convince me that doesn't exist.

Even conservative bloggers, many of whom are Christians, jumped all over this statement. Christianity Today has it here.

Listen, I can appreciate the President recognizing every humans' right, and desire, to be free. This is admirable and good. Is this a theologically sound basis for conducting war? I don't think so. In fact, many might argue Jesus opposed violence. So, Mr. President, please keep God out of American foreign policy, it makes Him look bad.

Bush Laying Red Carpet for Hillary, Obama?

2007-07-25T12:27:00.001-05:00

Taegan Goddard's Political Wire linked to a few polls on a Bush's current approval ratings. Here are some highlights.

From a study conducted by the American Research Group Inc.

"...71% of Americans say they disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president..."
"...25% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president..."
"When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 23% approve and 73% disapprove."
"This is the highest level of disapproval and lowest level of approval for the Bush presidency recorded in monthly surveys by the American Research Group."

From the Washington Post's analysis of Washington Post-ABC News survey:

"The latest Washington Post-ABC News Survey shows that 65 percent of Americans disapprove of Bush's job performance, matching his all-time low. In polls conducted by The Post or Gallup going back to 1938, only once has a president exceeded that level of public animosity -- and that was Richard Nixon, who hit 66 percent four days before he resigned."

From the Harris Interactive Survey:

26% approve of President Bush
21% approve of Vice President Cheney
46% approve of Secretary of State Rice

From Pollster.com:

After reviewing 6 polls, including those I mention above, Pollster states, "The trend estimate now stands at 29.6%, and the slope of the trend has clearly begun to bend from a steep downward trend to a less negative one."
Whatever Pollster forecasts for the short-term future, it's pretty evident from visiting the site that things have only gotten worse for the President since 2005.

While many Republicans have been thrilled about President Bush's job performance during the last 7 years, I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict a Democrat will occupy the White House in 2009 (maybe untill 2016?), if for no other reason than the majority of Americans don't like President Bush, and, that is not good news for his party (or Giuliani).

Homosexuality in the Bible, Part One: Was Homosexuality the Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?

2007-07-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

My wife and I attend a small group called Ekklesia on Sunday evenings at a church in St. Paul called Central Baptist. This summer we are exploring hot topics in Christianity. This Sunday, and next, we have the pleasure of hearing from guest lecturer, Dr. Clarence Bass, about homosexuality in the bible. Bass worked along side Karl Barth, and has written a few books on theology. He’s been involved with this particular topic for decades.

In part one of this post series, I’ll be investigating one of the most widely used biblical arguments against homosexuality, that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for homosexual sin. I’ll conduct the investigation by simply listing all biblical references to the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. Some of these are more relevant than others and I’ve excluded all other references in the bible to Sodom that don’t give us any insight into why God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. If you feel I’ve omitted important, relevant scripture, feel free to comment. (All scripture in this post comes from the NIV translation of the bible).

The most logical place to start is Genesis 18 and 19, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction. In Genesis chapter 18 God tells Abraham he’s going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He never actually says why, except that “their sin is so grievous”(v. 20) and the people have become wicked. Abraham begs God not to, and pleads on behalf of any righteous people left in the city, eventually convincing God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if he can find 10 righteous people (the deal originally started at 50). Apparently, Abraham couldn't.

Genesis 19: 1-10
The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. "My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning."
"No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square."
But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate. Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them."
Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."
"Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.
But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.

Deuteronomy 32: 32
Their [Israel] vine comes from the vine of Sodom
and from the fields of Gomorrah.
Their grapes are filled with poison,
and their clusters with bitterness.

Jeremiah 23: 14
And among the prophets of Jerusalem
I have seen something horrible:
They commit adultery and live a lie.
They strengthen the hands of evildoers,
so that no one turns from his wickedness.
They are all like Sodom to me;
the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah."

Lamentations 4: 3-6
Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
like ostriches in the desert.
Because of thirst the infant's tongue
sticks to the roof of its mouth;
the children beg for bread,
but no one gives it to them.
Those who once ate delicacies
are destitute in the streets.
Those nurtured in purple
now lie on ash heaps.
The punishment of my people
is greater than that of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment
without a hand turned to help her.

Ezekiel 16: 46-50
You [Jerusalem] not only walked in their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they. As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done. " 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

So, were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed for homosexuality? No, not if you take a holistic view of scripture. In the Ezekiel reference, it explicitly states that the sin of Sodom was selfishly ignoring the the needs of the poor and the needy (see above), with absolutely no reference to homosexuality. God says he did away with Sodom because of this. Wow. So, why do Christians ignore this verse, when referencing the "sin of Sodom"? Could it be that an anti-homosexual bias leads some Christians to interpret scripture one way, rather than the way it was intended? Perhaps the story of Sodom teaches us how to treat people: a lesson in hospitality?

Why Jesus Shuttlesworth Will Save* the Celtics

2007-07-23T08:07:00.001-05:00

Let me preface this by saying I've always been a Cetlics fan. Growing up in Omaha, NE there was no home team, so I immediately gravitated to the Celtics/Lakers rivalry. I have no idea why I chose green over purple, but it probably had something to do with identifying with slow white guys.

I know this post is a little (actually a lot) late, but it has honestly taken me a month to figure out seven reasons why this trade will help the Celtics (what can I say, Celtics fans are pessimists, but it’s time to turn over a new leaf). So without further ado, seven reasons this trade helps the Celtics.

1. Ray Allen (Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game) is the #2 Paul Pierce has been begging for. Perhaps now Pierce won’t demand to be traded, as he was threatening before the draft.

2. "I could not be more excited about coming to Boston to play for the Celtics." said Allen. "I am glad to be back in the New England area and cannot wait to get onto the floor with players the caliber of Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson." A player in the NBA actually wants to play for the Celtics? Nice.

3. Ray Allen can shoot lights out. He’s a career 180 guy (when the sum of the three major shooting categories equals 180 or more): .40 3Pt%, .52 eFG%, and .90 FT%. This is the one reason trading for an aging superstar like Allen doesn’t scare me. Shooting doesn’t vanish with age, like quickness, if anything it gets better, Ever heard of Reggie Miller (also a 180 guy)? Try double teaming Al Jefferson now.

4. We were able to acquire Allen without giving up our three most valuable assets: Theo Ratliff’s expiring contract, Gerald Green, and Al Jefferson.

5. Despite giving up the 5th pick (who ended up being Jeff Green) for Allen, the Celtics landed two nice values in the 2nd round who could make an impact this season, Gabe Pruitt and Glen “Big Baby” Davis. Doesn’t anyone remember the hype surrounding “ Big Baby” after LSU made that Final Four run a couple years ago?

6. A starting five of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson, and Kendrick Perkins will immediately contend for a playoff spot. How long has it been since Celtic fans have been able to say that? The bench, well, that is another story.

7. After the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis, the ’97 lottery and draft, the Rick Pitino era, and this year’s lottery debacle it’s time for Karma to give back a little. This is why Ray Allen’s two surgically repaired ankle’s don’t worry me. Basically, Celtics fans are due for a break (no pun intended).

People criticize this trade for a lot of reasons and it usually surrounds Allen's age (he'll be 32 when the season starts) and contract obligations (he made $14.6 mil. last year and is on the books for three more years). Well, I have no response for the age criticism, but the contract obligation is another story. Has anyone noticed the rabid nature of Red Sox and Patriots fans? Does anyone remember when visiting teams dreaded visiting the Boston Garden. Create that excitement again, and Allen's contract will take care of itself.

* By “Save” I mean restore a sense of dignity in Celtics fans to the point where we won’t be ashamed every time we check the box scores. I’m not expecting an NBA title here, but a 7th seed is not out of the question, is it?

The Prosperity Gospel in Africa: Another Contextual Gospel

2007-07-20T13:12:00.000-05:00

At its height in 1970s Latin America, Liberation Theology rocked the Vatican. It focused not only on Jesus Christ’s saving powers (a spiritual redemption), but also His liberating powers (a physical redemption). The gospel was not just about saving sinners, but freeing the oppressed. Some liberation theologians taught one’s actions towards the oppressed were more important than having right beliefs. Given the immense poverty in Latin America, it is no surprise that such a theology would a arise. It also makes sense, that some would criticize it as a socialist form of Christianity, given its Cold War context.

The Social Gospel that arose in the United States and Great Britain in the late 19th and early 20th Century was, in some ways, a precursor to Liberation Theology. Leaders of the movement believed it was Christianity’s responsibility to solve the ills caused or exacerbated by industrialization. Alcoholism, child labor, poverty, gender inequities, racism, and unhealthy living areas were all examples of such ills. Advocates of the social gospel believed until society was made right, Jesus Christ would not return.

Now, in Africa we see another contextual gospel emerge, The Prosperity Gospel. The premise behind the Prosperity Gospel is that prosperity, blessing, and success are evidence of God’s favor. The Christian Century has an excellent piece on this new gospel in Africa (click here for the article). An excerpt:

The success motif fits very well with Africa's traditional religious imagination of fertility, abundance and wholeness. Amid poverty and marginalization, prosperity Pentecostalism is a thoroughly contextualized Christianity that directly addresses pressing needs. But the way it is expressed is heavily influenced by North Americans like Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, John Avanzini, Creflo Dollar, T. D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and Mike Murdock.

The point here is not to criticize the prosperity gospel, the social gospel, or liberation theology, rather to recognize their emergence within certain contexts. Had I been a Mexican man oppressed 35 years ago, a British single mom living 100 years ago, or even a Nigerian villager living today, would my version of the gospel, or brand of Christiantiy be any different? I don’t know, but when I consider another’s context, it opens the door for grace and understanding.

Bumper Sticker Theology

2007-07-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

Somehow I don't see Jesus buying bumper stickers, I see him adopting a child in danger of being aborted or helping a mom go full-term. Seems like a better solution doesn't it? Bumperstickers and insults are probably more convenient though-definitely easier.

Movie Review: Jesus Camp

2007-07-17T11:13:00.000-05:00

Jesus Camp, (Oscar-nominated for best documentary) follows three young children, Levi, Tory, and Rachael to Devil’s Lake North Dakota as they attend “Kids on Fire,” an evangelical, Pentecostal summer camp designed to mobilize Christian youth to “take back America.” I was riveted and terrified all at once. I’d like to force every Christian in America to watch this film and then form a discussion group—there is a lot to learn from this film. I’d also like to prevent every non-Christian from watching it, but as Richard Dawkins’ (a leader of the modern atheist movement) website shows, this isn’t happening.

Some questions the film raises:

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it,” (Proverbs 22: 6). At what point does this become brainwashing?

Should we teach children/people to run from sin or run towards God’s love? How does one without the other impact faith?

Jesus mentions how children have a unique openness to the Kingdom of God a couple of times in his ministry (Matthew 18:4; Mark 10: 13-16). Given this, how can we tell when kids are mimicking those around them (parents, church leaders and elders, other children, etc.) or genuinely acting in accord with the Holy Spirit?

Are situations where people feel compelled to perform spiritually and emotionally healthy? Godly?

Is there any biblical precedent for intermingling politics and the Church? Does Jesus have anything to say about this? What would Jesus say about bringing a cardboard cutout of George W. Bush to “Kids on Fire?”

Are science and religion mutually exclusive? Can orthodox Christianity and modern science be reconciled?

Is this film representative of all evangelicals?

Interestingly enough, for those who think this film is a smear job against evangelicals, the filmmakers flatly deny it. In fact everyone in the film endorsed it, except for Ted Haggard, who has since lost his job as head of the National Association of Evangelicals for “sexually immoral conduct.”

Jesus Camp filmmakers respond to Ted Haggard’s criticism.

Christianity Today interviews the filmmakers.

"Everything Happens For a Reason"

2007-07-16T13:19:00.000-05:00

Recently I returned home to Omaha for my Aunt Lugene’s memorial service. At 47 she was too young to die. She left a husband (a pastor) and two beautiful daughters (14 and 17), along with a host of family and friends to mourn her. I was able to see her about 2 mos. prior to the memorial service, and, by that time the chemotherapy had taken a serious toll on Aunt Lugene’s mind and body. Her last year was full of suffering.

A few weeks after the memorial service I returned to Omaha for a high school class reunion. Upon arrival, my mother was speaking with a neighbor and it was clear they were grieving together. When I asked my mom about the conversation she said Neighbor Mary has a brother suffering of Pancreatic cancer, and as the discussion ended Mary stated,“everything happens for a reason.” This statement broke my heart.

I don’t know much about Mary. I’m not bashing her theology or doctrine, and quite frankly it’s none of my business. In fact I wasn’t even involved in the conversation, so I could be taking it out of context. That said, I believe the statement is particularly poignant. “Everything happens for a reason” is a commonly held belief in the American psyche, Christian or not. The underlying assumption behind such a statement is God is like some cosmic puppeteer, orchestrating all events, evil and good, for a certain purpose, and it’s our job to find that purpose. So, if this assumption is true, I would just ask, why did God give my Aunt Lugene cancer, allow her to suffer for over one year, then allow her to die leaving her husband alone, and daughters without their birth mother? What was the “reason” for this?

If we’re trying to answer such complex questions we first need to consider the variables responsible for determining actions and events in this world. Think of it this way, every event or action that occurs, however major (the bombing of the World Trade Center) or minor (a ripple in a pond) results from one of the following variables, or some combination of the following variables interacting:

1. Humans.
Upon creation God granted humans free-will. The very nature of such a gift means humans have as much capacity for doing evil as good. So, for every Mother Theresa there can be a Hitler.

2. God.
The perfect revelation of God’s character is Jesus Christ. Fully human, and fully divine, he embodied perfect love by dying for those who crucified him, then resurrecting from the dead three days later. Any act or event inconsistent with the character of Jesus is not from God. Jesus answered: “Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father…” (John 14:9, NIV).

3. Evil Spiritual Forces.
From beginning to end, the bible emphasizes a realm of this world that humans are often ignorant of, the supernatural realm. The book of Job illustrates the impact these spiritual forces can have upon any one person’s life. This book starts with Satan (literally translated as “the adversary”) challenging God’s omniscience. Satan believes that people only love God because they are compelled and under His protection. So, to prove this is not true, God removes His protection from the most righteous man in the land, Job, and allows Satan to have his way. Unfortunately, Job is unaware of this wager and believes he's become the victim of an unfortunate string of bad luck, or punished for his sins (both wrong). Paul reiterates the power evil spiritual forces have on earth in Ephesians 6: 12 (NIV), “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

4. A Fallen Creation.
However literally or figuratively one chooses to interpret Genesis, it’s clear that things changed drastically after Adam and Eve ate the apple (the Fall). Not only does sin enter the world, but creation becomes fundamentally flawed. What God originally declared “good” is, at best, partially so. Sure we can go to Yellowstone National Park or view a sunset and witness God’s creative genius, but the effects of the Fall are also apparent in creation. Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, AIDS, Malaria, the food chain, etc. all weren’t created by God, but instead entered the world as a result of the Fall. In Romans Paul emphasizes this, yearning for a day when creation will be liberated, like all of humanity, “We know the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Romans 8:22 NIV).

So, if we factor in these four variables when considering why future events occur, whether these be, earthquakes, brushing our teeth, or cancer, can we conclusively say “everything happens for a reason?” Maybe, in a cause-effect sort of way. But to say that God is behind every event in our lives is simply wrong. I’m sorry, but God was not responsible for my Aunt’s cancer, nor is he responsible for Mary’s brother’s pancreatic cancer. The Jesus who was crucified for those who murdered him does not afflict people with cancer to teach a lesson.

I don’t know why my Aunt Lugene got cancer. The variables are too complex and many to determine a cause. My guess is that it was a combination of a fallen creation and evil spiritual forces. The only thing I can know for sure is that God had nothing to do with it. From this point forward I have to rest in the knowledge of God’s perfect omniscience, “And we know that in all things [good and evil] God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose,” (Romans 8: 28). It will be interesting to see the good God weaves out of my Aunt’s tragic death.

For an excellent in-depth study on this topic I’d recommend Is God To Blame? Beyond Pat Answers To the Problem of Suffering by Greg Boyd. It has been very helpful for my family in the days since my Aunt’s death.

Winnebago and the Bronx

2007-07-09T20:46:00.000-05:00

Joba Chamberlain (JAH-buh) is a former pitcher for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and one of the top prospects in the Yankee farm system, not to mention one of the top prospects in all of minor league baseball according to ESPN Insider’s Keith Law. In reviewing the Yankees minor league system, Baseball America ranks Chamberlain their #4 prospect.

The Omaha World Herald, my hometown newspaper, profiled Chamberlain this past weekend (find it here). In the piece it talks of his roots. Turns out Joba’s father, Harlan, is a Winnebago Indian. Now, I think I profile as a classic caucasian American. I don’t have a strong ethnic identity. In fact, I have no clue when my European ancestors arrived here. However, my grandfather, was almost 100% Native-American, Winnebago, that is. He was raised on the reservation. We (his children and grandchildren) even served an entire meal to guests, and members of the reservation, at a powwow in his honor.

What does this have to do with Joba Chamberlain? Well, the way I figure it, we are basically brothers. I figure by 2009, I should have season tickets to Yankees Games. Go Joba!

Midseason Fantasy Baseball All-Star Team

2007-07-05T20:45:00.000-05:00

Since we have reached the midpoint of the MLB season (even though the All-Star game has yet to be played) and the All-Star rosters have has just been released, I thought it might be interesting to reflect on the 2007 Fantasy Baseball All-Star rosters. Plenty of these have been released by many industry experts, but my criteria is a bit different. Basically, it involves value. Which players have given their managers the most for their money or draft position? In short, I’m looking for bargains. Criteria includes ADP (average draft position in Yahoo leagues), VORP (value over replacement player), and total fantasy category contribution in a traditional 5x5 league for 12 teams.

CATCHER: Russell Martin (.301AVG.-9HRs-55RBIs-47Rs-16SBs)
ADP: 179
VORP: 28.7
This one is a no-brainer. There is no other comparable five category contributor at the catcher position in fantasy baseball and his #24 overall ranking attests to it. This is one of the few players who will start on my fantasy all-star team while also starting on the actual NL squad. Freakin’ French Canadiens.
Honorable Mention: John Buck

FIRST BASE: Prince Fielder (.278-27-66-59-0)
ADP: 100
VORP: 29.6
This kid can rake. Too bad his dad’s a jerk. Currently, Prince is the #9 ranked player overall. Though he was hyped I don’t think anyone could have expected this type of performance so early in his career (he's only 23). Will he be this year’s version of the ’06 Ryan Howard? Personally, I doubt that. Surprisingly, this was a two-horse race. Carlos Pena challenges Fielder based on utter value. Pena is currently the #9 first baseman and ranked #62 overall. Consider that he’s on pace for 35+ homeruns and 95+ RBIs while not even being drafted in the average Yahoo league. Wow, that’s a free agent bargain. Can he sustain this pace? Slight edge to Fielder based on the volume of his numbers. By the way, did anyone see Prince’s head-first slide into Mark Loretta’s shin? How did his leg not snap like a twig?
Honorable Mention: Dmitri Young

SECOND BASE: Brandon Phillips (.270-16-46-55-15)
ADP: 157
VORP: 15.5
This was the first tough call. The best 2nd baseman in MLB is Chase Utley, hands down, but in most leagues he cost someone a 1st round pick, so he does not fit my criteria. That left me with Phillips, Placido Polanco, Dan Uggla, and Ian Kinsler to choose from. Brandon Philips is currently ranked #38 overall and offers value in all five categories, something that no other 2nd baseman offers. Brian Roberts had a very high VORP (35.8), but his ADP was 55, which, in my book, is not low enough to warrant bargain status. Plus, VORP is not a pure fantasy statistic, so we need to look at it with some measure of skepticism, though it is a valuable tool.
Honorable Mention: Aaron Hill

SHORTSTOP: Orlando Cabrera (.332-5-48-54-9)
ADP: 181
VORP: 29.2
Remember when shortstop was a shallow position? If you are managing a team without a solid shortstop, you are probably in trouble this season. Of course, such depth means there’s always one to trade for. This decision was very difficult. Given the criteria, it came down to Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, Edgar Renteria, and J.J Hardy (currently the 5th, 4th, 6th, and 7th ranked shortstops). Even though Guillen holds an edge over O-Cabs in the power department (5 HRs to 12 HRs), it is not enough to make up the difference in ADP (181-76=105). I also considered J.J Hardy, mostly because he went undrafted in most Yahoo leagues, but, his last month and a half have been bad enough to restore his mortality and temper all of our fantasy expectations. Plus, of the four shortstops considered, his is the only VORP below 29 (21.1).
Honorable Mention: Jhonny Peralta

THIRD BASE: Kevin Youkilis (.329-9-44-50-2)
ADP: 213
VORP: 30.0
Another deep position, this is clearly a three horse race between Kevin Youkilis , Mike Lowell, and Casey Blake, ranked 4th, 5th, and 9th at the third base position. Each of these players’ ADP is between 204 and 216 so not much differentiates each of them here: They were all similar bargains on draft day. When we turn to VORP, we see a more drastic difference, this is where Youk separates himself. His VORP is about 10 points higher than Mike Lowell’s (19.6) and 14 higher than Blake’s (16.1). Plus, he has that ever-valuable multiple position eligibility. That’s enough for me, though you can’t go wrong with any of these three.
Honorable Mention: Ryan Braun

OUTFIELD: Shane Victorino (.274-10-35-52-25)
ADP: 215
VORP: 17.0
It is a tragedy that the African-American baseball player is disappearing before our eyes. But what about the Hawaiian Major Leaguer? Where have all the Hawaiins gone (Cowboys too I suppose)? We need to uphold the legacies of Benny Agbayani, Sid Fernadez, and Charlie Hough. Where’s the outrage on this one Bud? Thankfully, Shane Victorino is doing his part. Ranked 34th overall, he’s a fantasy stud this season. He’s on his way to 20 HRs and 50 Sbs, which sounds a lot like Carl Crawford territory to me (actually ranked ahead of Crawford!). Of course, Shane Victorino was not a first rounder but a free agent pickup in a lot of leagues. What a bargain. Bring on the Hawaiians!

OUTFIELD: Curtis Granderson (.284-11-42-59-9)
ADP: 206
VORP: 30.6
It’s hard to believe Curtis Granderson leads all major league center fielders in slugging percentage. When you break down his stats they are really quite impressive. He’s the first player since Nomar Garciaparra in 2003 to reach double digits in doubles, triples, and home runs by the all-star break. One more steal and that would be double digits in four categories. Granderson is also on pace to break the single season record for triples: He currently has fifteen. Each of these stats may not directly affect fantasy baseball, (unless you have a very non-traditional scoring format), but when those doubles, triples and steals happen to occur at the top of the Major League’s most potent offense, runs tend to follow.

OUTFIELD: Eric Byrnes
ADP: 185
VORP: 26.5
Based on current projections, there are four outfielders with reasonable expectations to reach 30 homeruns and 30 stolen bases by season’s end. The first three are the usual suspects: Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Beltran, and Grady Sizemore (ADPs: 5, 10, and 21). The fourth? Eric Byrnes. Who would have guessed? He’s been the only constant in that desert Diamondback lineup, and he’s shown no signs of slowing down. He has shown some history of 30/30 potential (last year he went 26/25) but it remains to be seen whether he can sustain a .300+ average. We shall see.
Honorable Mentions: Corey Hart. Magglio Ordonez, Ken Griffey Jr., Hunter Pence, and Gary Matthews Jr.

STARTING PITCHER: Brad Penny (112.2 IPs-10Ws -77Ks-2.00ERA-1.12WHIP)
ADP: 203
VORP: 45.2 (highest among all pitchers)
In 2004, rookie G.M. and Billy Beane disciple Paul Depodesta traded away Guillermo Mota, Paul LoDuca and Juan Encarnacion for Brad Penny, Hee Seop Choi, and a minor league lefty, Bill Murphy. He was widely criticized by the locals, mostly because they viewed LoDuca as the heart of Dodger nation. Well, three years later, now that Depodesta has been fired, that trade doesn’t look so bad, especially in a market where Barry Zito gets $17 mil. a year and Gil Meche gets $11. The former Dodger G.M. saw Russell Martin sitting in the pipeline and the potential of Brad Penny pitching in the weak-hitting NL West. Unfortunately, it took three years for that potential to be realized due to injuries. If you own Brad Penny this year in fantasy you have a Cy Young candidate who you probably drafted in the later rounds that is the anchor of your staff. Enjoy the ride. Depodesta couldn’t.

STARTING PITCHER: John Maine (102.0 IPs-9Ws-84Ks-2.74ERA-1.15WHIP)
ADP: 221
VORP: 31.8
Hats off to Mets G.M. Omar Minaya. Everyone thought he should upgrade his pitching staff before the season began and he did nothing, exhibiting confidence in those already on the books, a crop of rookies, has-beens, and underachievers. In the last category, and acquired from Baltimore for Kris Benson and Jorge Julio is the current anchor of the Mets pitching staff, John Maine. In many fantasy leagues this guy went undrafted, but he has been a pleasant surprise. Even if he adds an entire run to that ERA in the second half, putting it near 4.00, the wins should keep coming, as the Mets offense is stellar. Touche Omar Minaya, your secret’s out. Not only did you get rid of Jorge Julio and the headache that was Anna Benson, but you’ve supplied us with an anchor for our future fantasy baseball staffs.

STARTING PITCHER: Ian Snell (116.2 IPs-7Ws-93Ks-2.93ERA-1.17ERA)
ADP: 215
VORP: 31.8
Ian Snell has emerged as the ace of the Pittsburgh staff. Perhaps most impressive is his K/9 ratio: 7.29. He is a solid source for strikeouts from a starting pitcher. Consider how valuable he might be if he didn’t pitch for the Bucs. He’s had five no-decisions this year where he’s pitched into the 6th or 7th inning allowing 2 earned runs or less. Quite frankly his bullpen sucks up to Matt Capps and, other than Jason Bay, so does Snell’s offensive support (no, that Adam LaRoche trade hasn’t quite worked out). Imagine if Oliver Perez would have stayed and figured things out. That would have been a nasty 1-2-3 (Tom Gorzellany being the third pitcher). For the optimist there’s this, the Pirates play in the N.L. Central, which is the worst division in MLB. So, who knows, right? If the Cardinals can do it…
Honorable Mentions: Jeremy Guthrie, Joe Blanton, James Shields, Chad Gaudin, Tom Gorzellany

RELIEF PITCHER: Jose Valverde (33.1 IPs-26SVs-37Ks-2.70ERA-1.08WHIP)
ADP: 156
VORP: 9.2
This was another difficult decision. There really are a number of good picks here. Valverde is my pick due to his stability as a closer thus far, and the sheer bulk of his saves. After all, this is what fantasy managers look for in a reliever. Though a Pat Neshek or Hideki Okajima may be more valuable in real baseball, Joe Borowski, and Todd Jones are more valuable in fantasy baseball. This is also what makes VORP less applicable for the relief pitcher on my all-star team. In choosing, I asked, what closer got managers the most saves, and had the most job security in the first half, without devastating the other pitching categories, for a bargain basement price? Jose Valverde is your man, narrowly edging out Al Reyes due to his recent struggles and placement on the DL.
Honorable Mention: Dave Weathers

One more thing, the statistics and rankings in this post are based on games played through July 4th.

BBQ what?

2007-07-05T17:34:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my small, insignificant, corner of cyberspace. So, what the heck is “bbqtalk?” Generally, it will center on discussion topics that usually occur at your average, everyday bbq (at least the bbqs I attend). For guys, the discussion usually starts with sports, and then evolves/devolves to politics, with various debates about culture throughout. So, if you’re interested in sports, politics and culture, and want to contribute to the discussion, bookmark me, your comments are welcome. I plan on posting at least twice a week and hope to get the design and layout of this blog finalized by the end of summer. Late’.