Waking Up The Echoes

My childhood happened during the pre-cable / satellite television days, meaning there were four analog channels (including public TV) to watch.  On Sunday mornings, this meant religious programming was the only thing on, with one autumn-time exception:  Notre Dame Fighting Irish football reruns.

Not just any rerun, but a condensed, one-hour version of the game played the day before.  I'm not sure why this was on, or who sponsored it, but I remember it well.  I even remember the commentators -- Lindsey Nelson on play-by-play and Paul Horning (former Notre Dame star) as the analyst.  

Notre Dame was a football power then, even more than now.  Consequently, they usually won, and watching them play in these Sunday morning reruns basically made me a Notre Dame fan, even if I knew the outcome of the game beforehand.

The reason all of this matters is because last month, I did something I've wanted to do since childhood -- I attended a Notre Dame home football game in South Bend, Indiana.  It turns out there's a lot more to a Notre Dame football weekend than the game.

Friday afternoon, there was a variety of activities to attend, including free lectures, band and vocal performances, and other sporting events like a soccer or volleyball games.  I attended a lecture that just happened to be given by one of my favorite economists, and also went to the volleyball game, allowing me to see the Joyce Convocation Center.

(Back in the day, the JCC was where a huge pre-game pep rally was held, but apparently not anymore.  It's still home to Notre Dame basketball, and has banners displayed from some great players and teams.  I remember watching on TV as the Notre Dame men end the 88-game winning streak of UCLA in 1974, a famous game from a bygone era.)

Saturday pre-game, there were more free lectures and music performances on the beautiful Notre Dame campus, including a bagpipe band and an a club cappella ensemble.  These happenings seemed to take the place of traditional parking lot tailgating, as it appeared visitors mostly swarmed around these events or other notable campus sites like the Grotto or library.  Meanwhile, there were numerous food tents run by various campus groups for people to get food and beverages.

The late Saturday afternoon game itself wasn't much different than any other major college football experience.  The student section was probably bigger and more active than most, and the fight sang is famous, but otherwise the game was the most ordinary thing of the entire weekend.  I still enjoyed the thought of how many meaningful games held at Notre Dame Stadium that I'd seen on TV in my life, and all of the legends that had been there before me.  And yes, Notre Dame won.

I realize not everyone is a Notre Dame football fan, and I've largely grown out of it myself in adulthood.  But I'll always appreciate the entertainment I got from their Sunday morning football reruns.

Non-Thankfulness

Another Thanksgiving has arrived, full of leaf-less trees, colder weather, lots of already lit Christmas lights, and of course, my annual list of things for which I am not thankful:

The U.S. health care industrial complex

Attention-seeking billionaires

Election deniers

Multiple charging cords for electronic devices

Vehicle oil change reminder lights

Tik-Tok

Phone calls labeled ‘potential spam’ and ‘no caller ID’

Stores that don’t have an ‘email only’ receipt option

Rapidly rising interest rates

Vladimir Putin

Federal loan forgiveness of any kind without a community service requirement

Vikings playing football on Thanksgiving and messing up the day

The Sound Of Silence

Last week I mentioned 'curated fan noise for televised sports' was something for which I'm not thankful.  It's really more than that.  I hate it.

This curated fan noise has been around for a long time.  Fox Sports is the biggest purveyor of it, and they have the volume turned way up.  For years, if you watch their NFL broadcasts, you can barely hear the announcers over the fake fan noise.  And if you listen closely, you can make out the same noises in sort of a rotation.  It's embarrassing, and just another reason to hit the mute button.

This Fall, because there are few if any fans allowed at football games, TV networks decided to add this fake fan noise to a new level, adding it to (almost) all broadcasts.  The NFL went so far as to say the fan noise was recorded from actual fans of the teams playing.

For me, this is insulting to watch / listen to.  I don't need fake fan noise to help me watch a game.  Who does?  I'd rather watch the game with the actual noise, even it there isn't any.  Actually, I'd rather watch a bunch of games at once with no audio at all, like it is at gambling sports books.

I get the idea of trying to give the at-home viewer the experience of being at the game.  But if the games are silent during the COVID-19 pandemic, then give me the real deal quiet.  

Less Brutal Vikings, A Short List

Two years ago I wrote about a rare thrilling playoff victory by the Minnesota Vikings.  This is a favorite professional team of mine for which I’ve documented many brutal losses over the years, but as I said then, I’d never bothered to come up with a list of big wins.

The Vikings just had another exciting playoff victory a week ago, so I decided it was time to come up with my list of the five greatest Vikings wins in history.  Let’s just say it wasn’t easy, because in the last 40 years, there aren’t that many.

1)  2018 NFC Divisional playoff game at home versus the New Orleans Saints.  This game is now known as the Minneapolis Miracle.

2) 2020 NFC Wild Card playoff game in OT at New Orleans Saints.  I know, the Saints again two years later.  An exciting, unexpected win, but it’s still small consolation for losing the 2010 NFC Championship game there in OT.

3) 1980 regular season game at home versus the Cleveland Browns.  The Vikings won on a two-play, 80-yard drive with a hitch-and-pitch, then a long Hail Mary TD pass to Ahmad Rashad on the last play of the game, clinching the division and a playoff spot.

4) 2004 Wild Card playoff game at the Green Bay Packers.  Memorable for beating their arch-rival in a road playoff game, but even more memorable when receiver Randy Moss caught a game-clinching TD pass, and then faked mooned the fans.

5) 1976 NFC Championship game at home versus the Los Angeles Rams.  As of now, it's the the last time the Vikings won a game to advance to the Super Bowl.  It was a great team, with great kick-blocking special teams, but one that would lose the Super Bowl to the Oakland Raiders 32-14.  And they haven’t been back since.

2020

Another year is ending, this one also concluding a decade.  It would be a good time for a retrospective piece on the past ten years, but lots of other entities are doing that.  I'll just stick to my usual review of the things I wanted to have happen this year, and consider some things I would like to see happen in 2020.  We'll again start with the prior year's list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

The resignation or impeachment of a mentally unstable and unqualified president -- again, no names.
IMPEACHMENT HAPPENED.  I CARRIED THIS OVER FORM THE PRIOR YEAR, WHICH TURNED OUR TO BE VERY PRESCIENT.

The electric vehicle becoming America's fastest growing (by percentage) seller.
THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE U.K. BUT NOT IN THE U.S.

Alabama and Clemson and New England to have poor football seasons.
THEY WEREN'T POOR, BUT ALABAMA AND NEW ENGLAND AT LEAST HAD DOWN YEARS.

Some major medical breakthrough, perhaps a vaccine to eliminate a dread disease.
NO.

Consistent, moderate summer rain in central Iowa.
YES.

A priest actually arrested and charged and jailed for past sexual abuse.
THIS DID HAPPEN IN PENNSYLVANIA.  IT WAS TOO PREDICTABLE, AND NOT NEARLY ENOUGH.

More cities allowing app-based scooter rentals.
WHILE MORE CITIES DID ADOPT THEM, OTHER CITIES STARTED TO RESTRICT THEM.

Another scandal that ruins another Fox (News) TV personality.
NOT REALLY, ALTHOUGH THE PRIOR SCANDALS AND CURRENT PROPAGANDA AT FOX DID CAUSE SHEP SMITH TO LEAVE.

U.S. restaurants that allow payment by app, OR that bring the credit card reader to your table.THIS STILL HASN'T RECEIVED WIDESPREAD U.S. ADOPTION, WHICH IS SORT OF INFURIATING.

Me traveling to one of the five continental states in which I've never set foot.I WAS ABLE TO CROSS OFF NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH CAROLINA FROM MY LIST.  DOWN TO IDAHO, MICHIGAN, MONTANA, AND NORTH DAKOTA.  (IT WAS ACTUALLY SIX.).

Now, for 2020 I'd like to see these things happen:

Me traveling to the final four U.S. states in which I've never set foot.

A new president-elect and a corresponding surviving, independent, democratic republic.

More chances to make a hole-in-one (which means more time to play golf).

Widespread acceptance of plant-based meats on restaurant menus.

The Minnesota Twins to break their streak of 16 consecutive playoff game losses.

Consolidation in the video streaming service industry.

A Summer Olympics without scandal.

Greater federal regulation of Facebook, and less people using it to show me pictures of their food.

A new artist who brings back the sound of classic rock.

That I never order from a bar that tells me it has no Crown Royal Apple.

2019

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?  No, it's time to again review the things I wanted to have happen this year, and consider some things I would like to see happen in 2019.  As usual, we start with the prior year's list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

-The failure of Bitcoin, not as an idea, but as an investment.
BITCOIN'S SHARE PRICE WENT FROM OVER $15,000 TO UNDER $4,000.  THESE DAYS, IT'S AN AFTERTHOUGHT.

-An NCAA scandal so large they will have to start allowing players a cut of revenues.
THERE WAS/IS A RATHER LARGE SCANDAL RELATED TO SHOE COMPANY REPS GETTING MONEY TO DIRECT AMATEUR BASKETBALL PLAYERS TO CERTAIN SCHOOLS.  BUT SO FAR IT'S ONLY LED TO A FEW COACHES BEING FIRED.

-More destinations and ways to fly on Southwest Airlines.
WELL, THEY ADDED A DIRECT DES MOINES - PHOENIX FLIGHT.

-A widespread ability to charge devices without a cord (also asked for this for 2016).
NOPE.

-A new governor / lieutenant governor elected for Iowa.
IT LOOKED LIKE THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE A SURPRISING DISAPPOINTMENT.

-Let's try this -- exponential growth in the cannabis industry to the extent all states will want a piece of it through taxation.
ALMOST READY TO SAY THIS HAPPENED.  [I JUST COVERED THIS IN MY LAST POST.]

-Greater national and international awareness of CRISPR (genome editing) technology.
THERE HAVE BEEN MORE NATIONAL STORIES ABOUT THIS.

-Smaller entree portions served in restaurants, for a reduced price.
THE PORTIONS MAY HAVE GOTTEN LARGER.

-Fewer national weather disasters, but more understanding of climate change.
ANOTHER ITEM THAT MOVED FARTHER AWAY FROM HAPPENING, NOT CLOSER.

-The resignation or impeachment of a mentally unstable and unqualified president -- again, no names.
CARRYING THIS ONE OVER TO NEXT YEAR.

Now, for 2019 I'd like to see these things happen:

The resignation or impeachment of a mentally unstable and unqualified president -- again, no names.

The electric vehicle becoming America's fastest growing (by percentage) seller.

Alabama and Clemson and New England to have poor football seasons.

Some major medical breakthrough, perhaps a vaccine to eliminate a dread disease.

Consistent, moderate summer rain in central Iowa.

A priest actually arrested and charged and jailed for past sexual abuse.

More cities allowing app-based scooter rentals.

Another scandal that ruins another Fox TV personality.

U.S. restaurants that allow payment by app, OR that bring the credit card reader to your table.

Me traveling to one of the five continental states in which I've never set foot.

Ten Years Of Not Being Thankful

The 10th anniversary of my Thanksgiving-time list of things for which I'm not thankful -- can it be so?  It thought about making this a 'best of the lists' list, but I have plenty of fresh ones in mind.  As always, you can get to the prior lists by following the Thanksgiving label on the blog:

Tariffs.

Esports and professional gaming.

Toilet paper set to roll out underneath instead of over the top.

Political rallies.

The 2018 NFC Championship game.

Dust.

Individuals using social media to promote themselves.

Voter suppression.

Movies based on comic books / characters.

Wildfires.

Neighbors who don’t rake their leaves.

Autocrats.

A Storm Field

A few weeks ago I attended a major college football game in which the home boys upset a highly ranked team.  This resulted in fans storming the field at game’s end, including yours truly.

I’ve been at several games like this over the years, where fans rushed the field, and I’ve seen and/or participated in these events enough to pass on a few tips based on my experience:

Don’t rush the field right away.  This includes not pressing up towards the field as the final seconds tick away.  That’s when the carnage, if any, will occur.  I recall several years ago seeing a fan preparing to rush the field and in the process bumping into a fan from another team; aggressive pushing and shoving ensued.  But that was nothing compared to fans who’ve been rocked by running onto the field and into the path of opposing players – players who were fully padded and helmeted, not to mention weighing close to 250 pounds.  So, avoid the initial wave – the stands are a better angle to view the players/fans interaction anyway.

Forget about the goal posts.  Back in the day, the main reason to storm the field was risking injury to take down one of the goalposts, to carry it away to an unknown location.  But for over ten years now, on one has cared about that.  Goal post technology has improved to the extent that humans alone aren’t going to move permanent goal posts.  Also, security is better about not allowing it.

Be ready to take pictures, especially for others.  This is the big thing now, pulling out the cellphone and recording that you were not only at the big game, but also on the field afterward with ten or twenty thousand of your new friends.  Some of those new friends want more than selfies, they want the wide shot, and if you can get the scoreboard in the background, that’s even better.

In summary, it’s better to let the college kids get out there early and have their fun.  Then, when they realize they’d rather be at the bar celebrating, everyone else can get out there and enjoy walking directly across the field.....to the parking lot.

Less Brutal Vikings

We interrupt our planned blog entry again to bring you breaking news.....

On a couple of occasions in the past, I've written about the harsh life of being a fan of the Minnesota Vikings.  Several years ago, I documented my five most brutal losses, and then added a sixth a couple of years ago.

Yesterday, the Vikes were about to add to that brutal loss list, in a last minute, come-from-ahead loss in another home playoff game.  Then this happened.

I've never bothered to come up with a list of the Vikings' five greatest wins.  But given the circumstances, this one might have been the best (so far)!

Iowa Pride

This past weekend, I attended another Iowa - Iowa State football game in Ames.  I've gone to a lot of these games over the years, and while the product on the field isn't always great, and some (Hawkeye) fans are irrational about their team, the pre-game tailgating and camaraderie are always above par.

For example, a picture that went viral (at least in Iowa) was of two men wearing Iowa State gear lifting a wheelchair-bound Iowa fan -- later identified as a relative of an Iowa player -- up some steps into the stadium.  This is the kind of routine nice that you usually see in Iowa.

It got me to thinking that I've been spending too much time thinking about what's wrong with Iowa.  Things like our politicians, our weather, our meth labs, and did I mention our politicians?

Anyway, there are plenty of good things about Iowa and its residents, including but not limited to.....

* Generally relentlessly friendly people
* Generally intelligent people
* Wide open spaces
* Low crime rate
* Low cost of living

.....and at the end of the day, it's better to focus on these things than on Iowa / Iowans' shortcomings.

But it's easier to spot and write about the shortcomings, so that's going to keep happening.

2017

It's time for my annual review of the list of things I wanted to happen the prior 12 months, and give my list of things I want to occur in the next 12 months.  Here's the 2016 list, with comments in ALL CAPS:

-At least some progress, not regress, on medicinal marijuana legalization in Iowa.
NOPE TO DOPE AGAIN, BUT AT LEAST THERE WAS A BILL ON WHICH TO VOTE.

-Chris Christie versus Hillary Clinton for president, with ? winning.
HILLARY LOST THE PRESIDENCY, WHILE CHRISTIE LOST HIS POLITICAL CAREER.

-A higher stock market.
AFFIRMATIVE, BUT IT DIDN'T LOOK GOOD ON FEBRUARY 1ST.

-Just one actual, even very minor piece of legislation to make it slightly more difficult to buy a gun.
DESPITE MORE VIOLENCE, WE'VE NEVER BEEN FARTHER FROM THIS HAPPENING.

-The personal, financial, and political implosion of Donald Trump.
THE OPPOSITE HAPPENED THIS YEAR, BUT IT WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN.

-A way to charge devices without a wire.
NO, BUT WIRELESS HEADPHONE HAVE GONE MAINSTREAM.

-An à la carte option for cable and satellite TV channels.
THANKS TO PRESSURE FROM STREAMING SERVICES, SEEING SMALL PROGRESS.

-More time for eating right, less time for exercise.
ENDED UP DOING MORE OF BOTH, WHICH WAS A GOOD THING.

For 2017 I'd like to see:

Again:  At least some progress on medical marijuana in Iowa,

Some type of institutional or legal control over fake news / social media.

Related to the above, more critical thinkers, fewer idiots who believe everything they hear.

GPS technology used in major sporting events, e.g. to mark the ball in football games, and for the strike zone in baseball games.

More working from home by me.

The return of popular mainstream rock bands and rock music.

Implementation of the fiduciary rule, and the demise of commission-based financial advice.

The resignation or impeachment of an unqualified president -- no names, any one will do.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

I traveled to Los Angeles over the New Year's holiday weekend, for a bucket list trip to attend the Rose Bowl and Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.  With the Iowa Hawkeyes playing (Standford) in the bowl game, I figured I wouldn't have a better chance to go, along with 30,000 or so other Iowans (some of whom I knew and bumped into there).

My observations, in chronological order:

* The Santa Monica Pier, and surrounding city and beach, was a great place for us Midwestern tourists to gather.  Seeing the sunset over a beach on New Year's Eve isn't normal, but I could get used to it.

* Pasadena is a tree-filled, skyscraper-less suburb that could pass for a thousand other college towns anywhere in the America.  (Cal-Tech is at its center.)

* The parade exceeded my expectations.  The route is 5.5 miles long, so it isn't that hard to find a spot to watch as long as you aren't near the start.  Standing among the locals around the parade mid-point was perfect.  The colors, the music, the floats, the celebrities -- it was all very cool, and the two hours went by very fast.

* If you go to the parade, and then the game, there isn't a lot of transition time between the two.  Driving or shuttling to the game was almost impossible with the traffic, so most parade attendees made the 2+ miles walk.  Couple that with extremely tight security at the stadium gates, and it takes a while to get to your seat.

* The Rose Bowl Stadium experience was second-to-none.  Not sure there is any other 100,000-seat stadium in the world in such a park-like setting.  Factor in that I'd seen it on TV dozens of times on New Year's Day, but always in the cold and dark of an Iowa winter, when it looked like it was on another planet.  The game outcome may have been awful for Iowa football fans, but at least the Stanford band was entertaining.

* So many freeways, so many cars in LA.  And this was a holiday weekend.  Let's just say that Google maps and traffic came in very handy.

More Brutal Vikings (Not The Nordic Kind)

We interrupt our planned blog entry to bring you breaking news.....

As background, six years ago, I posted this account of what it's like to be a Minnesota Vikings football fan, and listed my Top 5 most brutal Vikings losses of all-time.  I now can add a new one that I'll label as 'tied for fifth':

T-5.  2016 Wild-Card playoff game at home versus the Seattle Seahawks.  In the third-coldest game at kickoff in NFL history, in a game the Vikings were not favored to win (mostly based on a big regular-season loss at home to the same team a month earlier), Minnesota trails 10-9 with under 30 seconds to go.  However, they've made a last minute drive deep into Seattle territory, and line up for a likely game-winning field goal of just 27 yards.  Their fine placekicker, Blair Walsh, had already kicked three other field goals in the difficult conditions, so as long as the snap and hold were good, this was going to be a big win.....and he shanked the kick way left.

There are those that would put this higher on my list (or theirs), but given the stakes of a Wild Card game versus a championship game, given they weren't favored to win anyway, and given that they'd still have to win two more playoff games (at least one and probably both on the road), I don't currently rate it higher.  If this young Vikings team goes no farther in the next couple of years, I could see it rising in my rankings.

Either way, brutal.

Un-Super Bowl

This weekend includes Super Bowl Sunday.

Like most Super Bowl Sundays, I'll put on my Minnesota Vikings team gear, and eat and drink and watch the game and commercials.

I'll probably root for the team I dislike the least, usually the NFC team.

And for the 38th consecutive year, I will do it all without passion, because it's been that long since the Vikings have been in the Super Bowl.

The Vikes were in 4 of the first 11 contests, losing all of them, and haven't been back.  Their consistent winning tradition in the 1970s made it fun to be a fan growing up, it's just that they never got the brass ring.

Sadder still is that they've come within a game of getting back to the Super Bowl several times in those following 38 years (5 to be exact), only to lose that penultimate game, twice in torturous overtime fashion.

Fortunately, I can at least say I've seen other favorite professional sports franchises win titles over the years, including baseball's Minnesota Twins, hockey's Chicago Black Hawks (recently) and basketball's San Antonio Spurs (very recently).

But not football.

So this weekend, another Super Bowl champion will be crowned, and I won't care.

Maybe next year?

2015

As with last year, let's review the things I said I'd like to see in 2014, with my new notes in ALL CAPS:

-The (continued) fall of the so-called Tea Party conservatives.
(NOT REALLY.  GIVEN THE OUTCOME OF THE MID-TERM ELECTIONS, THEY'VE AT LEAST HELD AND MAYBE GAINED STRENGTH.)

-Less Kanye / Less Miley.
(NO FOR KANYE, YES FOR MILEY.)

-Apple TV.
(NOPE, BUT WE GOT APPLE PAY AND WE'RE GETTING THE APPLE WATCH.)

-NCAA basketball Sweet 16 trips for either Iowa and Iowa State.
(NO FOR IOWA, YES FOR IOWA STATE.)

-Better football from the Cyclones and Vikings - the bar is incredibly low.
(NO FOR THE CYCLONES, YES - BARELY - FOR THE VIKINGS.)

-Warmer Spring weather, at least where it doesn't snow again in May.
(IT WAS DEFINITELY BETTER.)

-More legalization of marijuana beyond what's happening in Colorado on 1/1/2014.
(YES, SORT OF.  THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PASSED A VOTE TO LEGALIZE IT.  BUT STATES LIKE IOWA STILL CAN'T BRING THEMSELVES TO EVEN LEGALIZE MEDICINAL USE.)

-A la carte cable TV channels.  It's only a matter of time before cable providers will have to do this to compete with computer streaming.  Why not in 2014?
(NO AGAIN, ALTHOUGH COMPANIES LIKE NETFLIX AND AMAZON PRIME ARE INCHING US CLOSER TO IT.)

For 2015 I'd like to see:

Less glorification of big butts.

A Final Four for Iowa State men's basketball, and an NCAA tournament berth for both Iowa and Northern Iowa men's basketball.

More action, less inaction by the U.S. Congress.

Stephen Colbert dominating late night television, with Conan and Fallon and Stewart right behind.

Common use of Apple Pay.

Might as well go for it again -- at least medicinal marijuana legalization in Iowa.

A vaccine against Ebola.

A week-long vacation for me.

Golf 24/7

An historic event (or is it a historic event?) in my life occurred this week.  After many years of abstinence, I allowed myself to indulge in a long-waited, premium desire.

I got the Golf Channel.

A little background here:  I have cable, bundled with internet service.  I could do that with satellite TV, but I’m happy with the broadband internet speed I have, and that’s keeping me tethered to cable TV for now.

However, our cable provider, Mediacom, sucks when it comes to its basic cable TV channel lineup.  This is true for a lot of cable companies, still fighting against the a la carte model that internet TV inevitably will provide.  Still, I’ve been to plenty of other places that have different cable providers, and Mediacom’s basic cable channels are not robust by comparison.

This means that the basic cable service I’ve had for years is missing ‘premium’ channels that other providers consider basic.  This includes Golf Channel, ESPNU, and a few others.  (One of the others is Fox Business News, a/k/a the 1% Channel.  It’s beyond strange how this is considered a premium channel, while CNBC isn’t.)

Cheap bastard that I am, I’ve never paid the extra dough for home access to those so-called premium channels.  That ended this week with the effort of one phone call, in which I agreed to pay another $100 a year ($8 per month) for a premium sports and information package.

Ironically, I did this primarily for the ESPNU channel, because I don’t want to miss another bunch of good college basketball games this winter.  And I did it secondarily for The NFL Network, so I don’t miss those games this winter, either.

But the long-term crown jewel for me will be the Golf Channel.  A new ‘go-to’ for when there’s nothing else good to watch.  It’s already paying for itself with end-to-end coverage of the Australia Masters and next week’s Australian Open – two events I couldn’t have cared less about a few days ago!

Fore!

Abusing Money

This week the NFL is in the midst of a full-blown scandal over its handling of the domestic violence charges against one of its star players.  Among the side issues is why the victim, engaged at the time, still married her assailant.  She is in fact still married to him, and supporting him.

My initial reaction was probably ignorant; I felt like money was the motivating factor.  This NFL player was making millions of dollars a year, why else would you stay?

However, a more holistic view of this revealed that it's not unusual for victims of abuse to handle things this way.  For a variety of reasons, many people in an abusive relationship will stay with their abuser.  The nation learned that in cases of domestic violence, we should not judge the victim.

Look, I don't know why she stayed with him.  Maybe she grew up in an abusive household and this seemed normal to her.  Maybe she was scared of him.  Maybe her family pressured her.  Maybe she wanted to keep her family together, since she already has a 2-year old child with the man.  Like I said, I don't know.

But there's a more than zero percent chance that maybe, just maybe, she stayed (stays) with him because he's a multi-millionaire, and by marrying him, she'll never have to work another day in her life.  Ignoring the role that money may have played in her decision is unreasonable.  Might it also have made her family encourage her to forgive and forget?

However, it's so politically incorrect for anyone right now to suggest that money was a factor, I haven't seen anyone even mention it.  Heck, I probably wouldn't mention it if I made my living off of writing or broadcasting about it, because you'd be suspended or fired.

That said, it's not insensitive to bring it up the role that money plays IN ANYTHING.  Money changes people.  Money makes people do dumb things, like making men think they can smack around their girlfriends.  And yes, money can be a reason some of those girlfriends stay.

It doesn't make it right -- actually, it makes it more wrong.  But let's at least agree that in this situation (obviously it isn't true in most domestic abuse), we can at least mention the money factor, for those of us not afraid of being judgmental.

World Cup Fever > Headache

Over the past two weeks, the quadrennial FIFA World Cup (that's soccer to Americans, and futbol to everyone else) has been playing out.  It's the ultimate tournament for the most popular sport in the world, but usually an American afterthought for only the 6th or 7th most popular sport in the U.S.

For reasons not fully related to the growth of soccer's popularity here, it seems Americans who couldn't care less about soccer have joined those who could care less, and the nation suddenly has World Cup fever.  How and why has this happened?

1)  Lots more kids plays soccer these days, just as they did four years ago, and the four years before that, and the four years before that, etc.  So there is more generational interest.

2)  The U.S. has so many more immigrants now, from so many countries.  These folks have brought there passion for futbol with them; it rubs off on Americans who now works and socialize with them.

3)  The U.S. men's national soccer team has been more successful over the years, and won its first World Cup game.  Nothing brings out the bandwagon-ing, no-nothing fans more than a winning team.

As a short-term memory, immediate-gratification nation, this fever shall soon pass.  That's good, because seeing people suddenly interested in something they know nothing about gives me a headache.

It was fun while it lasted, but I doubt many people will be taking their new-found passion for soccer beyond this month.  After all, American football is right around the corner.

Still More Unthankfulness

It's time for the 5th annual edition of my Thanksgiving-time list of things for which I am not thankful. You can get to the trail of prior lists here.

As usual, this list is in no particular order:

Sub-zero weather in November.

Iowa allowing smoking in its casinos, when it's banned everywhere else.

Government shutdowns.

Parents who don't hold their children accountable.

The botched heathcare.gov website.

Humble-braggers.

Bad football played by the teams for which I am a fan.

Ted Cruz.

Twerking.

Those still in denial about social movements that are irreversible (e.g. gay marriage, marijuana legalization).

Anyone who cares more about what I do, than they care about what they do.

Brutal Vikings - The Video Version

The better part of four years ago, I posted a blog entry about the misery of being a long-time Minnesota Vikings football fan, in which I gave my list of the top five most brutal losses.  (The #3 spot on my list had just been recorded a few days earlier.)

The Vikings suck again this year, so it's hard to imagine there will be anything busting into the top five or even top twenty this year.  But the other day on YouTube, I found a tremendous video montage that included four of my top five.  You can find it here - all Vikings fans should remove sharp objects from the room if they watch it.

Since it inexplicably doesn't include my #2 pick (maybe because it's from 1975), I include it here for a full accounting.  [NOTE: This is the entire game but all you need to do is start at the 1:59:30 mark for the actual misery.]

One of the things that strikes me in most of these football games is how the ultimate heartbreaking play is preceded by a crazy penultimate play, where a bad call or bounce or penalty retained the ultimate play's destiny.

Just to make mostly myself feel better, I'll include video of what might be the greatest moment in Vikings history.  When you have to go back to a regular season game in 1980, that isn't good.