(00:00:00) From Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Kathleen hallinan former vice president. Al Gore is in the Twin Cities to support Minneapolis. Mayor Sharon sales belton's bid for re-election. It's believed to be Gore's first campaign appearance since he lost the presidential race yesterday former presidential candidate Bill Bradley visited Minneapolis to support RT Rybak for mayor the nation's largest blank religious organization the National Baptist convention USA begins its annual meeting in the Twin Cities this week. This is the first time the NBC USA has held its annual event to Minnesota Minneapolis Convention and Visitor's Bureau director Gregor tell says it could be an important tourism generator. (00:00:41) The National Baptist convention is a group that is leadership group in the African-American meeting community. And I think that as things go well there it means that our reputation as a great host City will spread and we will be able to pick up more (00:01:00) Twenty-five to thirty thousand delegates are expected to attend planning sessions lectures panel discussions and nightly worship services or tell estimates visiting delegates will spend 15 to 18 million dollars in the Twin Cities a st. Paul police officer is recovering at home after being injured while directing traffic at the State Fair of and dragged officer Robert sink for about a block he was hospitalized for one night. Zinc's are more clothing had apparently got caught on the Vans bumper a Minnesota State Fair is winding down and what is typically the busiest day of the fair many of the food booths and stores are slicing prices to get rid of inventory State forecast for today includes mostly sunny skies. We're looking for highs between 75 and 85 that's MPR news. I'm Kathleen hallinan programming on Minnesota Public Radio is supported by the Twin Cities programs of Winona State University a community of Learners dedicated to improving our world on the web at Winona Dot. Do you? (00:02:16) And good afternoon. I'm Gary eichten. Welcome back to our Labor Day edition of midday coming to you live today from our Minnesota Public Radio Booth out here at the Minnesota State Fair last day of the State Fair. So this is it if you are coming out today Duke, make sure you come by our booth say hello. This is the last day you can get in on our drawing for the toer Toro mower blower thrower and trimmer package. Somebody's going to win the whole deal there the lawn and garden package and there are other nice prizes as well. We're near the corner of Judson and Nelson were right across the street from the dueling Pirates diving show very easy to find and we do hope you'll come out today. No Labor Day, of course at the fair would be complete without a long time in a sort of public radio sports analyst Howard Sinker and sure enough Howard is back this year to take your sports questions for years. Mr. Singer covered Sports for the Star Tribune now, he is the state news editor for the paper and Once again, he has plundered the Star Tribune Newsroom for gifts that if you win one, you will treasure for the rest of your natural life. This will change your life. Some of these gifts are well are Indescribable really those of you here in our audience. If you have a question for Howard, if you want a gift, all you have to do is step up to the mic and say something vaguely related to sports those of you listening on the radio. We can't offer you a gift for logistical reasons, but we would love to give you get your question on the air. So give us a call at six five one 2276 thousand 6512276 thousand outside the Twin Cities 1-800 to for 22828 Howard Sinker is with us Howard. Thanks for coming out even though you're wearing that ugly Chicago Bears (00:04:02) Jersey. How about them Gophers that you're on a roll with the Gophers already it my guys. Hey Glen Mason call us and explain this closed practice thing. I think we understand it. Now your team. Are we are we looking at Owen? What's this louisiana-lafayette this Saturday? The hated louisiana-lafayette beat Nicholls State Saturday? (00:04:24) Okay. Now you have what looks to be quite an impressive array of goodies (00:04:28) this year. We have great gifts. We have absolutely great gifts. Yeah and some that aren't even the even the not so great gifts are really (00:04:35) really good this year. There is a rumor that among the gifts is the treasured Sid Hartman bobblehead doll. Correct (00:04:43) there. Is that rumor. Yes. Yes and who knows maybe someone will open a box or a bag and they'll take home sit Hartman dressed as Harry Truman. (00:04:52) So what are the rules here? How can people get to what are they going to get stuck with if they ask a (00:04:57) question? Well, you know, why don't we let one of the fairgoers ask a question and they can find out how the game is played and if we don't like the rules we can make them up as we go along. All right fairly on Mason. (00:05:07) All right, go ahead sir. Hi, I'm David from Richfield and I suppose I could do my sit heart all you geniuses. That was okay. We're off to a good thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. I want to know what the heck happened to the twins. They just kind of crumbled on us. There you go. I mean we were hoping we were hoping that come Labor Day we were going to be able to do a show all Goosey about you know World Series here we come that's right, and now five and a half behind (00:05:37) 25 to go out of it not even in the wild now. All we can do is promo the National Geographic special to search for LaTroy Hawkins arm. So what happened? How are they, you know, I Remember, you know somebody had said they were going to be a second place five and a half games out of first on September a labor day. We would have said now they're going to be 25 games out. That being said, it's just been embarrassing things that they did well for three months they've been doing like like a minor league team since since the All-Star break. I mean they have just about the worst record in baseball since since the All-Star break the starting pitching has been inconsistent. The hitting has not been timely the fielding's been Preposterous and the relief pitching, you know, I mean, it reminds you of the days of guys like Ron Davis and Rick Lysander and Lenny White House. It's like an 80s flashback and it's not a good one. (00:06:36) Did they just did they choke where they never very good to begin (00:06:41) with. I just think they started thinking about how good they were and they might have started they might have started. Having their own doubts in their own mind about whether they could sustain those 462 games and and the answer appears to be no and really the shame of it is the American League Central is is really the far away the weakest of the three divisions and it was a it was a prime opportunity to sneak in and do what Jesse The Body did to Humphrey and Nick Coleman, you know, I mean, it was just it's just (00:07:14) well, they still only are five and a half out. Is there any chance that they might be able to have generally (00:07:21) again if John Rocker pitches every day for Cleveland and maybe we can offer them up LaTroy Hawkins and Todd Jones. Maybe there's a chance now, you know if it happens it's not because of anything the twins can do it's because Cleveland just did the total collapse a little frustrating after the game yesterday, you know in which the Twins were up four to nothing going into the ninth and then they gave up the lead and then they want it to any hockey was on the radio after the game and he said well, you know, we're going Almost 10 game Road Trip and it would be really great if we could go six and four, that's not exactly striving for excellence. And that's not exactly what you need. When you're five and a half back with 25 games to go. You got to be saved. We're going to go nine and one we're going to go tend to not 10 and oh we're going to poison Cleveland's drinking (00:08:05) water. All right. Well, this gentleman is waited patiently long enough possibly for that bobblehead. What are the rules here? Well, I think you know what I think doing a (00:08:14) Sit imitation is too easy. So I'm just going to give them an official Star Tribune (00:08:18) t-shirt our we got to work up and we you know, we got to work up (00:08:23) to him and if I give the good stuff away right away, I mean I didn't tell him to be the first guy in line (00:08:28) now, I think I'll let me just add a qualifier. I think now Howard runs the show here basically, but I'll go this far if you can Spellman cabbage you qualify you get two you get a better shot at one of the top prizes. All right, man. Go ahead your question. Hi Cindy from st. Joe's Wisconsin and Gary. Love your show. Howard wondering if the new Hall of Fame rules may help Tony Oliva finally get his do induction, (00:08:57) you know, I don't know because that's that's a really good question and that's good. That's that's a qualifying question because we didn't try to imitate said you didn't try to imitate marching Miura. I mean this is it's great. The new Hall of Fame rules. It used to be there was a committee of I think 20 people who voted her 40 people who voted on the Veterans Hall of Fame induction people who did not get in during their 15 years on the ballot. Now that that is going to change and the people voting on it or the Hall of Famers themselves. I just don't have any idea one of the things that might not help Tony is that older the that retired players always look at other guys and think of the reasons why they're better than the guys who are out there right now, and I really hope he makes it because for Eight or nine years he put out an awfully good show. I mean as a hitter and the years he could play the field. He was an excellent Fielder. The problem was his shelf life as a player was only about ten and a half seasons and for some of those he was just terribly terribly limited by his knees and guys might look at that and say I played 20 years, you know, Pete Rose thinks he plays 50 years. So it's a good thing that he's not in the Hall of Fame. Now, we're going to show you qualified for a shot at what's in these boxes. We have three boxes here. This is like some Monty Hall action. We got box number one box number two in box number three. Okay pick what (00:10:25) I have three teenage Sons. So I'm going to pick box number three. (00:10:29) Wow, everyone. Well, well, here you go. But now you have to open it in front of the microphone right now. If we (00:10:35) had a too bad, we don't have like a drumroll. Let's see the box is being. Alright, (00:10:46) let's see what we've got here. This is so (00:10:48) exciting. Is it is this is great. (00:10:50) If you're at home right now, (00:10:52) do you think the bedroom attic is cool? This is so much better than what we get when we pledged during pledge week. I'm afraid it is to sit Hartman (00:11:02) bobblehead. All right, this is so great. Gosh. I said bobblehead heading across the border, Wisconsin. (00:11:08) Thanks. Thank you. All right, if you're just joining us if you're just tuning in Howard Sinker is with us. So at the annual Labor Day sports program sort of related to Sports for the most part again those of you listening on the radio. If you'd like to call in with a question the number of 6512276 thousand or 1-800 to for 22828. And again those of you in the audience nice long line of folks with questions for Howard, so get in line and we've got a nice prize for you. Go ahead sir. Good morning. This is I'm Andy from Sartell Minnesota. I wanted to ask Howard to get this question out away early. Is this going to be the year the McAllister wins? Am IA see since st. John's lost their first game. Is there hope this year how the door is open the door is open, you know, (00:11:56) when the season were to end tomorrow, we'd be a half game ahead of the Johnny's with are 0 and 0 record, you know, every year I come on here. I talk about 7 and 4 8 & 3, you know a trip to the Micron PC bowl or something like that or and McCallister's case just a trip to the PC Bowl but I don't know I hope so, you know our quarterback Aaron quit our quarterback in this is a we situation folks are quarterback graduated last year. We'll just have to see what their unfortunately Adam Johnson one of the best punters in the mac and an a student in last year's calm 14 class at Macalester College is out for the season with both knee and our manager injuries and McAllister when you get hurt you get hurt in many many places (00:12:43) now, there's other qualifying (00:12:45) question. That's that's a (00:12:46) t-shirt question how well, okay, but Get a second chance here. Can you spell Mankato? (00:12:51) No, you know, there you go. All right kind of Packers (00:12:58) jersey. Okay. There's a young gentleman with a question for Howard Sinker. Go ahead sir. I'm Colin Miller from Hudson, Wisconsin out. How many times the bike he's won the Super Bowl? (00:13:08) Oh, that's a qualified (00:13:09) question. How many times they've won in (00:13:12) the Vikings of well, I'll tell you what, we're not going to ask you how to spell that cave. Which okay, we're going to let you qualify. How do you spell let's see Favre. Come on. Let's go no (00:13:27) a rbe. Yeah, we tried consolation prize. Unfortunately (00:13:36) what you know, we have some wrapping paper for him. Thanks for trying. Well. Let's see. What's in there. I don't know. Yeah, you (00:13:45) can you open that up for us. (00:13:47) We paid top dollar for these at the Star Tribune house of discount. Also known as my son's room done done. This is great. This is really good live radio, isn't it? John and fans? (00:14:05) Basketball cards right courtesy of my kid young gentleman's life has been changed obviously for the better. All right, let's go. We've got another question here for Howard Sinker and the lots of prizes still to give away. So don't be shy go ahead sir. Hi. I'm Joe from Maple Grove. Hi Joe. I noticed that Sports Illustrated picked of IQs to be third in the division this year largely because they've lost so many players and because of their defense, how do you think they're going to do this year? (00:14:35) Okay, hate date nine and seven 10 and 6. (00:14:38) Well, there's no come on Howard. (00:14:40) That was (00:14:42) too big. (00:14:44) Here's the deal. They're probably I mean in all seriousness because we're talking about the Vikings. They're going to win more games in the Gophers. They probably will do the kind of the Viking thing. They're going to make the playoffs. We're going to hear how it was such a great success that they made the pair playoffs and then the bad guys are going to come through and rip our lungs out. you know, they'll probably be two or three teams that are better than good enough to make the playoffs and the Vikes will run up against one of them and we'll go back and regroup. (00:15:16) Do you think Randy Moss is worth 75 million dollars. No way. Nobody is most valuable receiver in the League's. He's not worth that much money. (00:15:26) Okay? Okay, just you know, here we go. These are really cool. I mean you can't see these but if you're playing at home, but not a qualifier there Star Tribune flashing key (00:15:36) chains, but he gets a second opportunity to qualify. Yeah, the second-in-command kvh (00:15:44) not let you off easy. You can't try (00:15:46) Favre. All right, ma'am your question for Howard Center, please Betty from Apple Valley. Hi Betty. Am I NT K? Ew, I CZ know (00:16:00) you miss you miss no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No (00:16:05) you missed a letter. Nope. (00:16:07) Sorry. Thanks for Kenny. Okay. Okay. Go for it. (00:16:13) I have to go back and look at that. I have that one done. It (00:16:15) was gonna have to look too (00:16:16) so Green about Corey cos Pi. I know that his Fielding is not you know where it could be. But I think it's where it should be and it seems like whenever anybody talks about him they say well, you know, he's pretty good but and I'm really wondering why he does not get the recognition that he I think he should (00:16:42) good question. Wow. That's a really good question. You know, he's a better-than-average Fielder. I mean, he's not Gary gaetti, you know, we were spoiled we had Gary guy Eddie therefore for a number of years at third base in 1991. When the Twins won the World Series Mike pagliarulo had probably the best Fielding year of his career, even though we didn't have a reputation as a good Fielder Koski serviceable in the field. What he needs to do in order to be the guy you want them to be is to hit 30 home runs and bad about 275 and when he can be counted on to do that, then you kind of overlooked the Fielding is alive. Leti it's like Matt laudanum at law and hits 3:30. It's 15 home runs and steals 25 bases. You overlook the fact that he Tunes out for 15 or 20 games a year and that Tom Kelly had to play him in right field because at the Metrodome that's where you can put an outfielder in that get hurt (00:17:36) so cos Chi has a chance to I mean, he's hitting getting close to 300 and he's got a chance to hit 30 home runs. Does that mean then that he's been you know, pretty much on her success. (00:17:49) Yeah. I mean, he's really on the verge with a little more experience and a little more name recognition of being an All-Star type candidate and I just think he kind of got lost in the man cave which thing and in the starting pitchers doing so well and in Christian Guzmán first hitting all the triples and then the mystery shoulder thing. (00:18:11) He (00:18:11) just died and he was you know guy, he plays the same role on the twins that guy had he played to her back in Viola and Puck it in some ways. Now. I know you didn't spell man cave. It's right but one of the annual features of coming out here is getting Sid Hartman's mail and I've chosen you as the recipient of Sids male (00:18:31) postal authorities will be showing up at your door later. Those of you listening on the radio. If you have a question for Howard, unfortunately, we can't offer you a present. But which are like to get your question on the air six five. One two, two seven six thousand or one eight hundred two, four two two eight two eight those of you here in the audience. If you've got a question for Howard if you just want a gift get line here if it's even remotely connected with sports. That'll be fine with a question and the rules to win the there is at least one more Sid bottle is out. (00:19:04) Yeah. There's another one (00:19:06) here. So there's only one at the (00:19:08) fairgrounds that you can get today. I was over at the Star Tribune booth and I told them that we're giving away a couple and they looked at me like I had snuck into the back room in the middle of the night at the newspaper and stolen them which of course is exactly what we did. (00:19:21) Uh-huh sir. Your question for Howard. This is Mike Mitchell from Northfield. Hello Mike and I'm wondering why they don't cover underwater hockey on the radio. (00:19:31) I don't is there an ant do you know the answer to this question? (00:19:37) It's a relatively obscure sport. Yeah, although you know, there are World Championships, you know, if we (00:19:42) started talking about underwater hockey on the radio, all of these people would probably go over and watch the pirate duel or go over and see how many hot dogs on a stick they can eat in the next 15 minutes. (00:19:53) Okay. Could I have everybody that plays underwater hockey raise our hand in the audience? Well, we have three three people three people three underwater hockey (00:20:05) afficionados. Well what that means is three people Three Star Tribune online keychains. Thanks for playing not a qualifying test even get to qualify to get to try. Well then Kane all he gets to try it. Yeah. Okay. Come on. Try it. (00:20:20) No. All right now okay. Oh man. We do have a caller on the line with a question Brad your question for hard Sinker plays. (00:20:31) Hello Brad. Come on Brad. Let's go (00:20:32) Brad. Yeah. Hey Brad, you're on the air see. It seems to me that the entire Twin Season turned on one one pitching performance by mr. LaTroy Hawkins against Cleveland. I think they were up five runs or four runs or something in that first that this last series that we played against them and Tom Kelly kept him in what much longer than he probably should have and they the twins ended up losing the game. I think I crushed their season. (00:21:04) I'm not sure that you can point to any one moment or anyone Troy Hawkins explosion. I mean there have been a number of them. It's like sort of been a cross-country bombing spree. He's given away about three or four games in the problem is I mean yesterday there are four to nothing in the ninth inning Rick Reed puts two guys on base of the ninth inning and Todd Jones comes in and and one pitch later. It's 4236 pitches later. It's 424 and just a disclaimer here. This is the Todd Jones who we acquired from the Detroit Tigers and he has no relation whatsoever to former US attorney Todd Jones. So I just wanted to make that clear in case anybody wanted to blame the wheels of justice for the twins (00:21:47) collapse. All right. Thanks for your question, ma'am. Your question for Howard Sinker. Yeah, it's high said, my name is Mary (00:21:52) from wait. Wait now let's start again. I'm hurting this better be good married and it's enough. Do you think that the Vikings will make it? The Super Bowl this year, you know every year for the last I'll tell you why because we plan so well at the newspaper for their trip that they're not going to go just to spite us. It's their adversarial relationship with the media for the last three years. We've had this wonderful Super Bowl plan in place. We have people ready to go. We buy the tickets we get the press credentials and then they lose forty one to nothing to the Giants or worse. And so it's just not going to happen until the year when we don't do any planning and we're not going to give them that satisfaction. Can you spell man cave it? No, okay. Well, you know, okay here wait a second that your honesty deserves a Star Tribune t-shirt. Thank you for playing thank you (00:22:51) treasured Star Tribune t-shirt. Again, Howard sinkers. Our guests this hour our annual Labor Day sports program here on midday Howard still has lots of presents to give away including the treasured sit Hartman bobblehead doll. There's at least one of those left all you have to do to at least get your get an opportunity here is come up and ask some kind of a question that has some vague connection to sports and you'll call you'll get a gift one way or the other and maybe that bobblehead doll. So come on up. Don't be shy here. Just step up to the microphone those of you listening on the radio. Give us a call with your question, six five. One two, two seven six thousand or 1-800 to for 22828. And while the folks get lined up here at the microphones. Let's go back to the phones where David's Learning by David your comment, please. Yeah. I was wondering what the gopher football season the way they kind of folded and then when they choked in the bowl game and they're great start this year why they think they go and Mason is such a great coach (00:23:54) Howard. They well, he came from Kansas, you know, we recruited him and away from another big-name school. I can't answer that question. I think and read the first two years when he had pretty good teams, you know, whose players what he did recruit those guys. Those were Jim whackers players the much-maligned Jim whacker, so, I guess Jim Wacker could recruit and he can't coach or and and can Glen Mason do either. I mean, he inherited other guys players. I'm just so angry at the Gophers right now. I mean this closing practice thing is ridiculous. I mean he said, well there were people there spies at practice and they put stuff out on the internet and other teams. I mean, that's just ridiculous. Anybody who believes that is a prime swampland buyer. To date, you know and I mean just the Gophers in general. I mean you got Jay Robinson the wrestling coach trying to you know, keep the world safe for white males and you got the women's basketball program which had to cheat to lose. I mean that they pay they give players money and they still finish last in the Big Ten and my colleague said Hartman's column yesterday. There was the note about the golf coach who reportedly charged personal plane tickets to the university and then pay them back. So he's in trouble and then of course there was a men's basketball program under Clem the gym Haskins. So I mean as a sense of collective responsibility, I don't even want to talk about the Gophers anymore because it's disgusting if you want to follow college athletics follow a small school. Okay, and of comment (00:25:31) Howard is always been restrained and soft-spoken. It is in his views. Go ahead sir. Hey Howard. My name is Thomas and I'm from Burnsville and I want to know why. with the Vikings having history of having a good performance team at a low budget who basically told Smith a while ago when he was sad to hold out you either show up or find another team why they could justify paying and caving in to Randy Moss for 75 million dollars and they want a stadium (00:25:58) to Howard wow, you know some guys take this notion of a you have to spend money to make money a little bit too. Seriously. I don't get it. I don't get it. I you know, I would have rather seen him let Moscow and put up yet. Another 50 million dollars toward a privately funded stadiums. So we don't have to take up the legislature's time with that. I don't get it. I really don't you know, and it's not like if I was any smarter I'd get it because there's just there's just no explanation for that was that that's a qualifying questions (00:26:35) men can ditch man cave admitted cabbage Doug men cabbage Twin's first. Baseman. I'm not going to (00:26:41) try. Okay. Well in that case, I'm not going to butcher them. That's okay. He's used to it here have it have a t-shirt (00:26:51) was quoted in. There was a story in the paper about about Doug man cave itch and they have somebody asked him. What was the worst pronunciation he had heard and apparently a few. I've referred to him as Manischewitz as in the (00:27:03) wind, so there was a guy in Cooperstown with a man cave as jersey with Manischewitz spelled out on the back and I almost beat him up and took the Jersey but it was only a medium (00:27:13) young gentleman here has a question for Howard. Go ahead sir. I'm Matt Christensen from (00:27:17) Maple Grove who you are. You're always here man. Okay. I'm with a man. Let's go. (00:27:22) Do you think Michael Bennet could take Robert Smith's Place? (00:27:27) Well, you know, it's a little bit like it's a little bit like your basketball team this year, you know, so there's going to be some fourth grader who's going to play point guard and they're going to say Kenny to get Kenny take my a Christian since place and the answer is he can fill the space but he can't take the place. Michael Bennett is a rookie. You just can't you know, you can't you can't expect him to do the things Robert Smith could do, you know, I mean Robert Smith went from being a back with wonderful blazing pure speed to being a back with Of that and and he could read defenses. I mean he became good in his last couple of years because of the things he could do that went beyond just just running the ball and running fast couple of years down the road. Maybe Michael Bennett makes us forget about Robert Smith or you put them on the same level as Robert Smith, but not right now qualifying question. Can you spell man cave itch? Nope? Come on, give it a try Matt. Okay. Stop your there. We got we got four boxes here. Now, we've got number one. We've got number two. We've got number two and a half and we got number three. What do you want treasured said heart moved two and a half what's two and a (00:28:40) half the at issue here is whether it's has managed to win the treasured sit Hartman bobblehead doll or some other fine (00:28:47) prize. He's a good kid. So I hope he did he is he's a fabulous (00:28:52) Kid Young Matt has left the (00:28:54) microphone at the by you he's what did you get and he's opening (00:28:58) his opening hole. We fooled. (00:29:00) We gave him a Star (00:29:01) Tribune got a slug bug green and white and read (00:29:04) all over that's red all over it's a joke, you know (00:29:08) wordplay you do it on the radio all the time. We still have that bobblehead doll. If you've got a question for Howard. Come on up. Don't be shy. Yeah, don't be shy now. Come on up. We have some callers on the line meanwhile with questions for Howard and that would include you Liz go ahead please Liz done from st. Paul. Hey Liz are you doing I just wondered what you think of about Cory stringers death and the the whole the training issue and all of (00:29:40) that. Oh, wow, there's no time to say anything funny or witty or anything like that football players have gotten I mean they've expanded the envelope of strength and size and combined with practicing under the conditions that teams are predictive of traditionally practiced under during the summer. I'm really hate to say it if it hadn't been Korey Stringer. I'm afraid that it would have been someone else somewhere else and I'm not really that much of a football guy and it really really makes me wonder why they I mean it would be just as inhumane to make those guys go out and practice at five o'clock in the morning when it's still cool out and they're just waking up and they'd all hate the coach because it was 4:00 in the morning when they rolled out of bed instead of a hundred and ten degrees on the practice field. That's just that's just the way I feel I mean, I don't know whether it was an avoidable tragedy or how exactly you would Avoided it, but it's just (00:30:46) I don't know. Is there any reason to believe that Sports officials and football coaches particularly will modify their training regimen as a result of this or is this one of those incidents that will come and go and (00:31:03) you know, if they do they're not going to say anything about it, but I'll bet next summer if the heat index gets up to about a hundred five degrees the Vikings coaches and their training staff are going to say hey, let's do this a little differently how that's going to be and they'll probably deny it it'll be incremental but they just have to do something different. Otherwise, it's going to happen again. And I mean it happens in you know, 15 20 times a year high school college professional but most of the time it happens to somebody else in a place that you've never heard of right and it's just it's just sad (00:31:40) sir your question for Howard Singer, please. Hi, I'm Fred from st. Paul my friend. I was wondering the Vikings need a running back. Have they considered Barry Sanders? What is his status? Is he ever going (00:31:53) to come back? No, Barry Sanders is having too much fun. Not playing football. One of the great things about retiring from football while you're in one piece as you wonder why you ever played the game. I mean just you get hit hard. I mean it hurts football is not. I mean, I'm all for exercising and getting sore and sweaty and pulling muscles and stuff. But having your knees go on you and your back go on you and your brain go on you from getting slapped upside the head he's probably the happiest guy in the world right now. So can you spell man cave itch (00:32:28) I'll give it a try. All right men1. (00:32:33) Sorry. Thanks for playing (00:32:35) though. You get a prize you get a prize prize. (00:32:38) He got one letter, right? He got the first letter right? So we'll give you one key. Now you don't have to worry about lugging something big (00:32:47) around still still at least one more of those Sid Hartman bobblehead dolls available and to qualify. All you have to do is come up and ask a question of Howard vaguely related to sports and then then we'll go from there. If it's a good qualifying question. You need no more. You'll get the prize or get an opportunity to win the prize. Even if the question is deemed by his majesty here is to be not quite qualified good enough you can still if you can spell dog man cave it's then we're in good shape. Go ahead ma'am. Hello. I'm Stephanie and I'm from Minneapolis. Yes, and my question is in regard to the US Open. Would you have taken any action against lleyton Hewitt in tennis match against Blake. (00:33:31) Wow for the Outburst about these opponent and the linesman. Yes, that was broadcast against the chair umpire that was broadcast on live. I mean, I read it on (00:33:40) live and and he denied everything even While everybody at the Press heard at the whole stadium heard it the his opponent heard. (00:33:47) Hey Clem Haskins denied a lot of stuff that we know to be true to so (00:33:52) great when they have these interviews and and the course of the guy who says his piece and then he claims he was misquoted you everywhere. (00:34:01) I just don't know what to say. I mean, it's appalling racist speech but it's if it doesn't get caught by the microphones. What do you do? I mean, it's wrong. It's terrible. It means that if you have two tickets to the US Open and he's playing on the grandstand Court either don't go or you yell at him the whole time but to say no you can't play. I mean that's when you're starting to get into censorship issues and frankly John Rocker is the only person who should be censored as far as I'm concerned. (00:34:30) Is that the qualifying question. (00:34:32) Oh, yeah. Well, can you spell man cave itch come on? You gotta (00:34:35) try (00:34:39) man1. Oh, man. We got you know, somebody get me the first three letters. (00:34:45) Don't you don't you go away now? You're so close. If nobody else gets any closer. You get the bobblehead. Absolutely you stand by that (00:34:52) now this is what's up with you young man. Who are you? (00:34:56) Hi, I'm AJ from Minneapolis 34 Minneapolis. It sounds like it sounds like incestuous kind of - yeah nepotism here our how you think the Wolves you can do this season, (00:35:07) you know, I feel the what howl I think the wolves are going to do because you sit next to me when we go to walls games and you hear me say that I'd be sad be stronger in the middle of the rash. Oh, I don't think the Joe Smith signing exactly a really, you know, I think we're Reinventing the wheel rather than building a better car there. I think they're going to qualify for the playoffs and make a first round exit unless somebody surprises me very much. You know, what can I talk about? What what upsets me about the Timberwolves, you know, there's a forum at Macalester College last week about disparities and coverage between In the media between African-Americans and whites and I think that Kevin McHale and and Glenn Taylor got off really easy for the Joe Smith deal and for the disingenuous and dishonest stuff they pulled and so what that they got turned in by a sleazy agent, you know, they got held to a different standard than Mac Boston at the you the Dennis green sometimes and then clumb Haskins. I really think that there should be no way that these guys should be able to come back after serving their time and have the same jobs if you believed so strongly the Clem should have gone in Mac. Boston should have God that's that's just and I don't think climb was right. I don't think climb did anything good and Mac Boston was in charge of him and yeah, okay he had to resign but you know what Kevin McHale having that job after the Joe Smith thing just really is Despicable. Okay and of speech we're going to give your son here. How do you spell man cave at young man? (00:36:41) He can't qualify for I want to see if you can spell it m IE NT K IE W IC Z. Wow go through that again. Slowly. Can you do it backwards? No, no, no go through it. Slowly. Am I NT K IE W IC (00:37:00) Z man, you know what he won the fifth grade spelling bee it is school and he was sick on the day of the middle school spelling bee so I think this more than makes up for it. Congratulations. You've already got a t-shirt. I can't give you what's in any of the Boxes by buy you some emo jerky later on. Okay pal. (00:37:19) Alright, alright and coming up to the mic. Next is Mark Seeley are famous meteorologist. But Mark, I'm going to have you wait for just a second as I got a caller on the line here. We still have the treasured sit Hartman bobblehead doll. Somebody's going to win it before the end of the hour here, but let's get to a caller on the line from let's see for Mankato shishu. Go ahead, please. Hello. I'd like to I'd like to ask two questions. First of all, why do American Sports writers? Love to pick on soccer all the time the same argument goes how an American it is and stuff, even though there are other sports that are not big into sports to soccer is exclusively targeted and my second question is why was there no Pele on ESPN's top 50 greatest athletes they say thank you. Alright. Thanks for the great questions. (00:38:10) Wow. Let me answer those in reverse order that it can't give you a good reason for the second one that that was an oversight my opinion and the Thunder play Vancouver 505 today at the National Sports Center. It's a your last chance to say goodbye to your second to last place team that didn't qualify for the playoffs and the first time in many years because they allow themselves to get too old too quickly and it was there. I just treated soccer seriously for 30 seconds, you know, it's like sportswriters treat things that they don't understand. Making fun of them and that's a simple as CNO sacker suffered the same fate as women's sports often. Do you know you don't get it? You don't understand it. So you make fun of it and I'm not saying all sports writers do that because that's his gross an over simplification is the question, but that's why it happens from time to time to time to time to time. Do you mark? Dr. Seeley? This is an (00:39:05) honor. Hello Howard. How are you? Good. How are you? You were kind enough to answer my question about the Gopher women's soccer team last year. You may not remember you called in (00:39:15) right on you. Did you thought I didn't know what I was you you thought you were going to stop me (00:39:19) this year. I got a Vikings question for you if the Vikings surprised everybody which we all hope that they do and they make the playoffs again this year. What advice would you give Dennis Green to prepare the team to play outdoors in December and January on natural (00:39:37) grass. Can I ask you a question? You're a climatologist, right? So Ugh, why is the sky blue man? (00:39:44) What is the what is the sky blue? Why is the sky blue? Because the Earth's atmosphere because of the nature of the Earth's atmosphere. It refracts the light from the sun and what we see is the blue part of the spectrum (00:40:00) cool. (00:40:00) That's your rights the simple (00:40:02) way. You're right. Very good you that's a I couldn't ask you to spell man cave. It's because that question already been taken (00:40:07) now, we can't we can't offer Mark when it all the door. No, no, (00:40:10) no. No, I just give them a t-shirt. Sure. (00:40:12) Okay, he loves those t-shirts here. Well, thank you very much, you know Howard. What are you going to tell Dennis Green? (00:40:21) I sure bought enough time. (00:40:23) I'm gonna tell Dennis Green to lighten up (00:40:25) have fun not be so confrontational with the media and remember that it's only a game and if he laughs his way through press conferences gets rid of this bunker mentality that it's not only the Vikings against the other team but the Vikings against the world and revel in the Going to being an elite team of elite athletes playing a sport that really doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense but we watch it. Anyway, if he just has fun, they're going to do (00:40:51) better. So treat those playoffs with a looser attitude (00:40:55) then it's yeah, it's not it's you know what it's like it's like prom night or it's like, you know, when they lock in all the seniors at school, you know, it's a game. It's fun. Of (00:41:04) course, they used to used to always criticize but grant for not taking the game seriously enough. He was never in that there was a school of thought that said that's why the Vikings lost four Super Bowls because he didn't take that hardcore hardcore (00:41:21) approach. Yeah. Well, that's different. (00:41:24) Well, thank you Howard is always a pleasure to listen to you when you're (00:41:27) on thanks Mark good to see you too. Yeah, that was that was a different era man. (00:41:32) Okay, sir. Go ahead your question for Howard. (00:41:35) 30 or 40 years ago in the ski (00:41:38) jumping competition points used to be subtracted from a jumper if he had his skis separated while in the air nowadays, it doesn't seem to make any difference. When did that start and why I think you got it. I don't go away you get a chance to win the bobblehead now Howard. Let's draw on your extensive background here and scoring. (00:42:03) You know, when I just Ski Jumping, you know, when I do a rocky radio, we've got a little bit more quality control. I don't have to put up with stuff like dr. Seeley. (00:42:15) That's either that's either a mark (00:42:16) Seeley or a CID Hartman question. I'll tell you what you make me promise right now. You call w-well, you know the station that's it. Hartman is on next Sunday and ask him that question. Okay. I have your word you'll do that. Okay, we have three boxes here. We have box number one box number two our box number. Free or you can chicken out and just ask for the key chains up front. Which would you like? Come on box box number one box. Number two her box through three box. Number two man wants box number two. All right. Oh, yeah, it's this (00:42:50) one. All right. Now the question here before the house is whether this is the box that contains the sit Hartman bobblehead doll. Do you know who said Hartman (00:42:58) is? Yes. Okay. Well you would you cherish us it Hartman bobblehead not especially so who do you want to give that back to me? No, I'll take it. Okay, then open it up (00:43:08) have to open it up here at the microphone. Now. There is a (00:43:12) let's see what we've got here (00:43:13) a woman who was just one vowel oo oo o is it (00:43:17) that got hit? Yeah. He got the Harry Truman bobblehead. (00:43:21) Okay. Well, we still have more good (00:43:23) gifts. We have great gifts and you're going to have to carry that thing around for the rest of the day. (00:43:28) Not a lot of time left. Can you hold on just a minute sir? We've got a caller on and let's see. Next up would be Alison your question Allison. Hi Howard. Hey, it's kind of an anti-American to admit it but Sports doesn't really do it for me. But I do get excited about the Olympics. And now I feel like I can't get excited about it anymore because it's just a big mess, you know, it's corrupted drug-addicted. It's you know what I mean. I just wonder if you feel like the Olympics has any purity of board or anything left. (00:44:03) Well back in the 19th century in a simpler time when the when they first got together and did the things they did that created the Olympics in Athens. I was a simpler and pure time. It's like everything else. It's been tainted by by the money making Machinery that makes our country. So great unless it's somebody else getting the money. I agree with you. I mean Once Upon a Time the world kind of stopped and we watch the Olympics now, there's so much of it and it's so controlled and so managed. I'd rather watch a soccer game. (00:44:37) Did they goof up when they went to? Now there's a there's an Olympic game. Everyone has every two years and I used to have it all in one year and then they'd wait for four years to debt kind of under undermine the anticipation and the interest in the (00:44:54) Olympics. Yeah. I mean, it's just there's so many more choices now, you know used to baseball football basketball Olympics. Now, you've got underwater hockey. You've got soccer. I mean, you've got the Olympics of grown so much that it's hard to get a handle on them. And I think letting letting Professionals in like in hockey and basketball that took some of the drama way. It's it's just not what it once was (00:45:22) we don't have a lot of time left. But if anybody has a question for Howard just come on up to the mic still some very very nice prizes to be given away. Here. We we have depleted our supply of the sit Hartman bobblehead dolls, although I understand that (00:45:37) they don't have any at the booth next. So don't go (00:45:39) walking away, but come on up ask your question be it ever so tangentially related to sports will be fine. We've got some nice quite a prize as yet (00:45:48) me and we can talk about Jesse Helms can't we? (00:45:52) Well sort of (00:45:53) I mean now yeah, okay. Okay. Let's (00:45:55) go back to the phones. Meanwhile Peter standing by from Golden Valley with a question Peter. Yeah. I was watching the World Cup qualifier Saturday morning u.s. Versus Honduras and in the middle of the second half yet PN cut away from the game for an hour-long commercial for professional football. So my question is do you think that men's soccer will ever reach a level of respectability where we would actually get to see the whole game. (00:46:21) I was like, you know, as long as we're playing Honduras and Costa Rica instead, I don't know who won that (00:46:27) game under a (00:46:31) oh man. Well, that's what we we didn't want to risk seeing our country go down to defeat to the mighty Hondurans. I can't answer that question. You know, I can barely answer radio questions much less TV questions. (00:46:44) It is odd though isn't not Howard. There's so much interest in soccer much especially on the kids in terms of playing soccer and so on but there There is not a lot of interest in watching soccer is that because of the media lack of intra lack of attention or is it something inherent in the game (00:47:01) backers are wonderful game for kids to run around get a sense of Team participation. It's not like little league baseball where you got basically two or three kids doing all the work and they're 14 years old, you know, I mean soccer everybody can play everybody can run around but it's a better part. It's like any number of sports. It's better for participation than it is for Mass spectator appeal and that's not all bad. You know, a lot of the kids who play when they're eight nine ten and eleven find other things to do when they're older and then they stick with other sports. So they start playing football and that's a that's just the way it is and I think you just have to appreciate soccer for what it is, which is a good game. It's a fun game to watch I go to Thunder games. I've been a season ticket holder, so I'm not going to sit here and trash it, but you don't have to worry. You don't have to lie. Sakura as much as I do in order to be my friend or to get a (00:47:54) t-shirt sir your question for Howard right Leonard from Apple Valley. Hello, Len. I was hesitant because I thought it was related to a previous question. My wife and I were hoping to go to the Winter (00:48:07) Olympics and we're (00:48:10) totally disillusioned by the amount of money involved in in the various events. Is there any likelihood that that's ever going to be addressed (00:48:22) you kidding? No, it won't be addressed. You probably have a better chance of scoring good seats to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing than the 2002 seats in Salt Lake City. This is going to be like corporate City the best way to get access to the Olympics in 2002 is to do the Mormon conversion thing. I mean that really that's that's my advice to you. You want to go to the Olympics become a Mormon, but don't do the polygamy thing because they're really they're really in trouble you. Be in trouble. Do you want a t-shirt or should I save it for someone else? I'll take your cool. (00:48:56) Well, we got one of these real nice prizes. Do you want a really nice (00:49:00) prize? We got sure what pick a box number one or number three. I'll do number one. He'll take number one. (00:49:08) Okay. Now let's (00:49:10) see that he's going to the really nice prize by another nice long. There's a guy in a Rosa ramp shirt here a long white about those ramps have be more ominous and what the hell he got. What the heck is that? (00:49:22) I'm not it's a mug. Thank you. I went to the state fair at all. They gave you the radio was a mug. These are prizes that could change your life. We have one more left and we're just about out of time. If you'd like to give yourself a chance to win one of these prizes. Come on up ask Howard a question that sort of related to this (00:49:42) Frozen guy. Ask a question. Go ahead sir. Very from Chaska. Yes, Barry. We're going to have the PGA next year in (00:49:48) Chaska and one ticket has about 250 (00:49:51) bucks. Want to comment on that? Yeah, but you get in for seven days. You can share one with a buddy you get for another 80 dollars. You can get access to like a clubhouse like facility. And if you follow guys who are eight over par, you get some good personal time with them. I mean your seven-day, I just got a thing offering me postseason tickets for the twins got like the twins are setting up as like say dear member of the media. Here's your chance to get postseason. Take us before we let the other suckers in on it and for 10 games. It's like $550, but I get to go to ten games. I can I can resell them at higher than face value. You can do all those things. No, I mean it's seven days for $250 and besides golf is a rich guys game anyway. Okay, dude. Now you got a choice you could box or t-shirt he want to go to the box. Okay a box. Alright, (00:50:41) the last last of the boxes is being whoops. We got to open it right there. (00:50:45) And let's see. What did he get Ox number so he got the (00:50:48) other mug and another mug. Well boy (00:50:52) my prized Horse by the way is Kate Kelly it start reviewing promotions. God bless you Kate. Thank you very much for the bobbleheads and they're really upset with you over at the Star Tribune (00:51:01) Booth. I thought you had actually stolen these Kate did not a lot of time left here, but let's get let's see no callers on the line, which leads me to (00:51:12) you. Hey, we can talk. You know, Joe Mauer the added 400 is Elizabethton (00:51:17) is he is he for real is he gets to be the big star for (00:51:20) the twins number? He's the deal. He's the deal, you know, because we're going to give them a lot of chances because he's from st. Paul. I don't know whether he'll be a catcher if he's a good enough hitter over time look for them to make him in to make them put them in a position. He doesn't get nuked every day behind the plate. That's just my guess. Nobody's told me that but being the wizened old baseball guy that I am (00:51:43) so it's possible though. Another local guy could be a (00:51:46) big star. He's a he's a hitter. He's a hitter. He said and it's going to be fun to (00:51:49) watch Home Run Derby. Will Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa or anybody set the home run record (00:51:57) this year. They're going to take it down to the to the end but I don't think either of them old to it. (00:52:01) Would you hope that they would Barry Bonds, you know what I mean? Yeah, but so what a guy can hit 70 home runs in a year. I'm going to like him. (00:52:11) I got three Barry Bonds rookie cards at home to men (00:52:16) Lance Armstrong athlete of the year. (00:52:19) bicycle (00:52:20) riding (00:52:24) Well, I gotta find ski-jumper. You have some you (00:52:27) have some dissenters out there in the audience. So far voce. (00:52:31) That's the best moment to radio history guy to Brett Favre Jersey can't spell Brett Favre's day. For those of you who did not see that Shining Moment here at the State Fair. Best thing that's ever happened on the show in 10 (00:52:42) years Little League Scandal. Why in the world? Well, let me put in a more positive note it will there ever come a time when the kids will just be able to go out and organize your own games and run around play soccer baseball football whatever they want to play without a bunch of adults messing things up (00:52:59) for know and it was great because every parent involved as involved as the bad guy first you have the parents in New York hiring the private investigators because they think they're over age and then you have the parents from the team that won the World Series the Apopka parents, you know, acting all snooty and great like, you know, we're better than you and this and that the other thing and just being classless. Victory and then you have my colleague Dan barreiro calling the Apopka parents on it for getting mad at you know, / / chasing this age thing, but he did make the point that no matter what happens to but it's the parents who were messing this thing up and then the kid turns out to be 27 years old. I mean, it's just wrong. It's just wrong. Barreiro took the wrong side in the sense that he talked about, you know, the Apopka parents being creeps, but basically, you know parents are creeps when it comes to sports at that level my advice to you guys if your kids are playing a traveling sport basketball soccer, whatever put them at the second level team for whatever program they're in insist that they don't play they even if they're good enough to play with the elite kids. If you're a cool parent, you don't want to put up with that stuff. Okay. This should be fun and if it's not fun for your kid make don't don't make him keep it up. Okay, but you can make you can find ways for Things to be fun and (00:54:22) know they can be elite athletes (00:54:24) without playing on the elite teams, and then we'll all be (00:54:27) better off. Very briefly Howard just to review twins. Are they going to make it are they going to get to the playoffs are going to come up short? (00:54:35) No. No. Yes (00:54:37) in the Vikings playoffs. (00:54:40) Yeah Super Bowl. (00:54:42) All right Howard Sinker Our Guest today here to join us for his annual Labor Day sports program. Thanks to all of you. Who've been with us. We do have some more prizes. I bet Howard. I'll give you a few years, you know, we get keychains here come up for keychain wants a T-shirt. Oh, yeah. Thanks. All of you have been listening on the radio. Hope you can join us for midday tomorrow. We'll be back in the studio attorney general. Mike Hatch will be joining us at 11:00 and over the noon hour. We're going off to the National Press Club to hear from education secretary Rodney page tomorrow at midday. A growing interest in Catholic Education has resulted in three new Catholic schools opening in the Twin Cities this year. I'm Kathy Wars Ur that story tomorrow on Morning Edition from 4 to 9. I'm Minnesota (00:55:22) Public Radio keonu wfm 91.1 (00:55:30) Your tunic and er W FM 91.1 Minneapolis and st. Paul currently in Minneapolis. We have a sunny Sky 78° should be sunny all afternoon with a high around 80 clear skies are forecast for tonight.