Saturday, August 18, 2007

"Wednesday night is the night we make love."

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

Monday, August 6, 2007

The Mind, Body, Spirit Divide

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?

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Restoring Celtic Pride


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.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Johan Santana Will Be a Met

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."