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Pierzinski once again surrounded by controversy
2007-05-29 16:47:00
We should have known. The catcher who was once loved by Twins fans once again found himself surrounded by controversy during todays game against the Twins. Should we be surprised? A.J. is doing the same things that we used to love about him. Only now the fans generally boo him when he comes to the plate. I have heard the term, “Barry being Barry” used many times but I think that we should file todays incident in the “AJ being AJ” column. During the game today, the White Sox briefly took the lead from the Twins and Santana. AJ hit what would be a inning-ending double play (6-4-3). Once he passed first he turned and ran towards the dugout. At this point he ran right by AL MVP Justin Morneau. He appeared to step on Morneau’s foot. This in turn make Morneau’s usually stoic face….even more stoic. He glared at AJ all the way to the dugout. The controversy would somehow get worse though when first base umpire, Greg Gibson, motioned to the Twi...
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Ode to the 3 best players in the NBA
2007-05-25 05:05:00
According to Paul Brogan the Seattle Supersonics "kinda pooped on themselves this year."  However, Kevin Durant is a pretty nice consulation prize.  Since we're on the subject, how bad are the Wolves going to be next year??  Every other team in the Midwest Division has at least two great players:  Utah has Boozer and Deron Williams (AK-47 is no slouch either); Denver has AI and Melo; Seattle has Jesus Shuttlesworth and the 'forementioned Durant; and Portland has Oden and Zack Randolph--and for the record, Roy is better than Foye just like Ray Allen has always been better than Starbury; why do the Timberwolves fall in love with shoot-first point guards on draft day??  Anyway, watch this video--it's priceless!!  "Steve Nash has an average person's body... a small Canadian body..."<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/97CX a...
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Ode to the 3 best players in the NBA
2007-05-24 19:16:00
According to Paul Brogan the Seattle Supersonics “kinda pooped on themselves this year.” However, Kevin Durant is a pretty nice consulation prize. Since we’re on the subject, how bad are the Wolves going to be next year?? Every other team in the Northwest Division has at least two great players: Utah has Boozer and Deron Williams (AK-47 is no slouch either); Denver has AI and Melo; Seattle has Jesus Shuttlesworth and the ‘forementioned Durant; and Portland has Oden and Zack Randolph–and for the record, Roy is better than Foye just like Ray Allen has always been better than Starbury; why do the Timberwolves fall in love with shoot-first point guards on draft day?? Anyway, watch this video–it’s priceless!! “Steve Nash has an average person’s body… a small Canadian body…”
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEITH!
2007-05-06 06:43:00
Happy 27th!  Don't drink too much Mr Misty from Dariy Queen!
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AP Loves His 360
2007-05-05 16:36:00
When a video game website asks if Adrian Peterson is the most exciting player in the draft, you know people are starting to think AP in MN could be a huge thing.Article Clip - But will he play as himself in Madden 08 or stick with one of his favorite teams? "As a kid, I always played as Chicago. I like to take the underdog teams and build them up. That's how I was back in high school. My team was the underdog and rose to the top. That's my approach in the videogame. That's my approach on the field. I want to be able to take a team and make them a winner. "That's the type of player I am. I just want to make a difference." As a Vikings fan I want him to make a difference.http://sports.ign.com/articles /785/785800p1.html 

Dang the AL Central is Tough
2007-04-27 06:01:00
The Twins finally get a win in extras Thursday afternoon, but 1-0 vs. the Royals isn't going to cut it in the long run.  A quick look at the overall standings before weekend play has the Twins with the 5th best record in the entire AL.  The problem is they are in 4th place in the AL Central .  A title run this year will be difficult for sure.  Not only are we dealing with the past two World Series representatives in our own division, but we have an upstart Cleveland team.  I'm cruising my Extra Innings package and now Toronto is looking real good.  I wouldn't be surprised if 4 teams end playing for 1 spot in the final month of the season.  If the Twins do struggle this year...Oh how watching the Yankees lose 90 games will be so fun.
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Bullpen Struggles
2007-04-24 22:37:00
I know it's early in the year and they need to work the kinks out, but I would sy the Minnesota Twins bullpen isn't as sharp as they were last year. As I watch games that are in the late innings, I don't have quite as much confidence in the bullpen as I did last year, I'm actually a little nervous. They have been talked about as one of the best in baseball and as of right now they're not performing like the best. I'm not a big stat guy, but listen to these. The bullpen's combined whip is 1.52, not a great number. Reyes(I got paid!) has an ERA of 8.53, Crain's is 6.43. The others don't have horrible ERAs but not quite good as last year's. Don't get me wrong I still think they are a great bullpen and have shown some great flashes, like Neshek striking out the side this past Saturday. I just hope I can go back to watching games and not needing a pack of Tums.
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I Knew the NBA was Rigged
2007-04-20 03:26:00
We now have YouTube proof the NBA is rigged.  Read this article and watch the video and you'll see the NBA put Patrick Ewing in New York when the league needed a superstar in a big market really bad. Its so freaking obvious Stern looks and picks the envelope with the crease first.  I was watching and was speachless.  And here's the clincher, when NY is anounced the TV anouncer says, "The horseshoe worked, basketball is back in New York City my friend".I knew the NBA was rigged, I just knew it.  It should be of note that the NBA no longer televises the lottery ball drawing, they just give us the results from a closed off room.http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2 /blog/index?name=simmons&lpos=spotlig ht&lid=tab6pos1  Now I just need some proof of the Vegas connection. 

Twins New Ballpark
2007-04-13 02:12:00
The Minnesota Twin s officially released their plans for the new ballpark across the street from Target Center.  Follow this link for a description and three photo slideshows.http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com /news/article.jsp?ymd=20070412&conten t_id=1895070&vkey=ballpark_min&fe xt=.jsp&c_id=min
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Early Vikings Prediction
2007-04-11 21:52:00
OK, the NFL schedules were announced today at noon on the NFL network.  It's never too soon for a little  light-hearted speculation and conjecture.  Therefore, here is how I see the 2007-2008 NFL year shaking out for our favorite team:Sunday September 9 ATLANTA FALCONS Noon FOX-- Mike Vick always kills us at Metrodome: Loss (0-1) Sunday September 16 at Detroit Lions 3:05 p.m. FOX-- Tarvaris Jackson has his coming-out party at Ford field: Win (1-1)Sunday September 23 at Kansas City Chiefs Noon FOX-- The way to win on the road is to run the ball and stop the run.  Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor combine for a huge day, and the Viking rush D stifles LJ all day long: Win (2-1) Sunday September 30 GREEN BAY PACKERS Noon FOX-- Vikings able to squeak out a close one against their up-and-coming rivals: Win (3-1)Sunday October 7 BYE Sunday October 14 at Chicago Bears Noon FOX-- No chance against the Champs at Soldier: Loss (3-2)Sunday October 21 at Dall...
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Professor's NFL Draft Pick #7 Possibility (Part V): Adrian Peterson
2007-04-11 01:43:00
Mel Kiper, in his newest mock draft, which was shown on NFL live on Tuesday, but not updated on the ESPN website, has our Vikings selecting Adrian Peterson with the 7th overall pick.  Peterson is listed as Kiper as the third best player available behind Johnson and Russell.  It doesn't seem to make a ton of sense on the surface for the Vikings to select a RB; however, our number one priority is getting a PLAYMAKER in this draft, and Peterson is, no doubt, a bona fide playmaker.  I realize that we already have Chester Taylor, but as "Paper Champs" wrote earlier this offseason, one thing that this year's playoff teams had in common was a two-man backfield.  A combo of Peterson and Taylor coming out of our backfield would be a welcomed sight to see.  With that said, here is the book on Peterson.p.s.  Can we please sign Eric Moulds already??  I don't think "Paper Champs"' boy Billy McMullin is going to cut it...&n...
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Gophers Coaching Staff Looking Good
2007-04-07 04:06:00
Yahoo sports seems to be praising the new Gophers coaching staff.Yahoo - "...The spring game will also give fans a first look at Brewsters' staff, including defensive coordinator Everett Withers and offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar. Withers will get his first taste of coordinating Saturday after spending the past five years as a defensive backs coach for the Tennessee Titans. Dunbar joined the Gophers after serving as California's offensive coordinator last season when the Golden Bears averaged 32.8 points per game -- ranking Cal 11th in the country."We get the man who led Pac Man at Tennessee and the man who led Marshawn Lynch the Pac10 Offensive Player of the Year at Cal.For the first time in my life I'm actually excited to see how good this Gopher team will be in 3 years once this coaching staff gets some of their recruits in place.  
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Fantasy Baseball
2007-04-05 18:09:00
Don't forget to sign up for Fantasy Base ball !  Today is the last day to sign up,  we have 4 spots remaining.  It's free, so you have nothing to lose.  See how you can fare against the Gold Seat "experts."  Just go to cbs.sportsline.com into their fantasy baseball section, search for "gold seat" under private leagues, and enter the password "twins."  Good luck, you will need it!
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Ortiz solidifies rotation
2007-04-05 15:09:00
The biggest question mark coming into this season was surrounding their ability to patch together a workable starting pitching rotation. All other pieces to the team seamed to be in tact. The rotation however was the one thing that almost every baseball “expert” predicted would be our downfall.When spring training started one thing was a given. Johan Santana would be our opening day pitcher. The rest of the team however was nothing more than a roll of the dice. Names like Silva, Bonser, Ortiz , Ponson and Garza to name a few were thrown around like ragdolls. Everyone had their opinion as to who should be #2-#5. While today’s rotation is certainly different than I expected (and to be honest hoped for), we do know one thing after the first three games this season. Our first three starters are set!Monday night Johan had a so-so night and still was able to pull out the win. On Tuesday, Boof looked unhittable for most of the night. The only mistake he made was to Tejada ...
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MLB playoff picks sure to go wrong!
2007-04-03 04:49:00
With the MLB season under way, it seems only fitting that the Twins should be overlooked again by the baseball analysts at ESPN. We have a reigning Cy Young pitcher, a perennial Gold Glover, a batting champ, and oh yeah the MV-frickin-P, and yet we get no love from the big name analysts at ESPN. Only one, Jim Caple, had the Twins winning the division and eventually winning the World Series. I thought with the talent we had we would get a few more looks from the likes of Gammons, Olney, and Stark, but no. The following link will take you to see who they picked:http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/prev iew07/news/story?page=07expertpicksSo, I thought I would take it to the blog and see who you thought would win the division or grab the wild card, and win the World Series. The following are my picks, but please post a comment on who you think will make the playoffs and go on to win the World Series. Go Twinkies!!!AL East: Yankees   AL West: A's&nbs...
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Random thoughts...
2007-04-01 23:48:00
The 2007 Major League Baseball season officially starts tonight.  The Twins will kick off the season by opening at home against the Baltimore Orioles.  I've been trying my best not to get wrapped up in speculation prior to the season starting.  Now that the season officially starts, I thought it time to fire up the old laptop and start writing about my favorite team.A few things worry me about the 2007 team.  First of all, i'm not sold (yet) on the starting pitching rotation.  It's been well documented that we have the best pitcher in baseball on our staff (in fact MLB might do well to rename the Cy Young award to pay homage to Johan Santana).  I'm honestly worried about three starters on our team.....  I'm worried about Ponson, Boof and scared to death by Silva.  I'll start with Boof.  He's young and while he has some experience he certainly is not as dependable as I would like.  I like what he does on the mound but I fear th...
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Fantasy Baseball League
2007-04-01 16:43:00
The League Has Launched.  Sign up at cbssportsline for the Gold Seat Baseball League, password twins.  There will be an auto draft on April 6th, so please rank your players.  The league will be a head 2 head scoring league.
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Professor's NFL Draft Pick #7 Possibility (Part IV): LaRon Landry
2007-03-28 01:58:00
The Vikings have an interesting situation at the safety position.  We have two veteran starters who underachieved last year (Sharp and D-Smith) , an in-the-box-type presence coming off a season ending knee injury (Tank), and a young kid who showed a lot of upside last year (Greg Blizzle).  Unfortunately, in 2 or 3 years (the next time Childress expects the team to be in contention) both vets will be gone.  For this reason, LaRon is worth a serious look with the 7th overall pick.  Who knows, if we draft him he might just beat out Dwight Smith by the end of training camp; which will leave Dwight more time to focus on housing women in stairwells (alledgedly)...Scouts Inc lists Land ry as the 7th best player in the draft:Laron LandryS | (6'2", 202, 4.49) | LSUScouts Grade: 96Strengths: Possesses good height, decent bulk and the frame to get bigger. Shows good fluidity and top-end speed. He consistently gets a quick break on the ball and diagnoses ...
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Fantasy Baseball Keeper League
2007-03-25 00:34:00
The Gold Seat Fantasy Baseball League is looking for players.  We need 10 players to form a league with CBS Sportsline.  The keeper league is free the first year. However before the league is formed we need to make sure we have 10 players and that we decide on how to draft and score the league.We can have an automatic draft setup or do a live draft.  As for scoring we can do Standard Roto, 5x5 Roto, Roto Plus and Head to Head.Scoring descriptions can be found here - scoring link.Please reply to this post or email me if you are interested.  We have to draft within the next week. Thanks.Keith 
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Hockey Update
2007-03-24 15:43:00
The Wild have 7 games left in their regular season and things are looking interesting.  The Wild with 95 pts are only 1 pt out of first place in the Division behind the Canucks.  San Jose is up 1 pt and Dallas is down 1 pt, both are in mix for seeds.  If the playoffs started today the Wild would hold the #6 seed and take on the #3 Vancouver Canucks.  The #1, #2, and #4 seeds look to be unattainable because those teams have 100+ pts. The ideal situation would be the Wild winning the Division, taking the #3 seed and getting home ice.  Considering the #7 seed would play the Ducks and the #5 the Red Wings.  The obvious option is to stay in the #6 slot to play the Canucks or move up to the #3 and play the Canucks, Sharks or Stars.  I like my chances against those teams on home ice. Should make for an interesting final two weeks to the season.In other hockey news...the mighty #1 seeded Golden Gopher hockey teams makes it Frozen Four tournament ...
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TWolves can't beat the Lakers or Vegas
2007-03-19 03:30:00
The Timberwolves played the Lake rs tonight on ESPN and a few things really caught my attention and made me a little more distrusting of the "entertainment league" called the NBA.  I don't know if I can even call it a real sport, it's one level away from the WWE.Maybe its that I've just watched 2 exciting days of REAL basketball on CBS.  Maybe watching the game being played in a fair and honest way has poisoned my mind.Two Interesting Things I Noticed:  1. Craig Smith is a beast, the man has a motor that doesn't stop, no matter the circumstances. We'll get to more of that later.2. Did Ricky Davis take a shower during halftime in his uniform.  I think the only dry parts on his uniform were a few inches surrounding the logo on the sides of his shorts.  That man was disturbingly wet.One Thing That Really Got Me Irritated: 1. How far can we take this star preference / vegas rigging controversy in the NBA?  Is it right that Kobe gets to go to t...
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March Madness, Join Our Group
2007-03-12 04:34:00
Readers and writers of thegoldseat you are invited to join in the March Madness .  Join the group at cbssportsline and let the bragging rights and trash talking begin. You can join here:http://thegoldseat.mayhem.sportsline .com/eOur Group password is: gophers
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Gophers just miss at-large bid for NCAA Tournament
2007-03-12 01:44:00
With an RPI of 190, the University of Minnesota men's basketball team narrowly missed out on making the field of 64 today.  Their outstanding record of 9-22 put them as the 9th seed in this weeks Big Ten conference tournament.  After their first round loss versus Michigan, Athletic Director Joel Maturi needs to do something to change the direction of a once proud, err, I mean middle of the pack program.  The first task on his list should be directed towards finding a new coach.  Whether he decides to stick with current coach Molenari or go in a different direction a decision needs to be made.  Currently the players have said that their choice to be head coach next season is Molenari.  This simply cannot happen in my opinion.  The Gophers need to build buzz around the program.  The easiest way to do that would be to get Flip Saunders or Bobby Knight to leave their respective teams to roam the sidelines at Williams Arena.  This will b...
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Professor's NFL Draft Pick #7 Possibilities (Part III): Jamaal Anderson
2007-03-08 04:42:01
Having just missed out on signing Patrick Kerney from Atlanta, the Vikings still need to address their pass rush.  Jamaal Anderson would be a great way to do so.Jamaal is listed currently as #4 on Mel Kiper's big board, making him the best DE available and probably not available to the Vikings at #7.  However, Gaines Adams had an amazing combine, which may cause Anderson to slip a tad.According to Scouts Inc.:Jamaal AndersonDE | (6'5", 273, 4.75) | ARKANSASScouts Grade: 96Strengths: Possesses outstanding size. Is tall with great weight distribution, long arms and big hands. Displays good lower-body strength and upper-body power. Is able to jar offensive linemen with initial punch. Is smooth and fluid for his size. Possesses adequate speed and is able to change directions quickly for a big defensive end. He displays good combination moves of power and finesse as a pass rusher. Plays with a high motor and is relentless as a pass rusher. He has enough size and strength...
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The State of Football, err, Hockey!
2007-03-08 04:42:01
Following the comments of the "Paper Champs", I too have noticed that hockey is running rampant through the "state of hockey", and it could not come at a better time. Vikings fans have been eagerly awaiting free agency because of the amount of money available to spend on players. Now that it is here, fans have had little to be excited about, AGAIN!! With the exception of Steve Hutchinson and a couple others, the Vikes have made some less than spectacular moves during free agency in recent years. With the fan base slowly creeping out the door, one would think the Viking's brass would want to make some sort of blockbuster signing or create some buzz with an exciting draft pick, but no. I have a sinking feeling that fans will be left with a bitter taste in their mouth again.I could continue to rant about my beloved Vikes, or even the T-wolves (that would be too easy), but I would rather bring the positivity and mention that we are the "Stat e of ...
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Useful NFL Free Agent Tool
2007-03-05 04:40:01
The USA Today redesigned their website over the weekend and I came across this useful page that shows each NFL team and their free agent situation.  It makes it easy to see what's going on.http://www.usatoday.com/sports/footbal l/nfl/2007-free-agent-tracker.htm 
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Vikings Salary Cap Situation
2007-03-01 10:37:01
The Minnesota Viking s today released veteran QB Brad Johnson.  Reports also say that Fred "call me captain" Smoot and Jermaine "Wiggy" Wiggins are also on their way out.  This is important because with these cuts along with other factors the following was written in the Star Tribune:"The Vikings' salary cap space, widely reported at $12.4 million last month, will jump to nearly $30 million by tonight because of incentive calculations and other pre-market maneuvers. In addition to releasing Smoot and possibly Wiggins, the Vikings also are attempting to reach a contract extension with defensive end Darrion Scott -- a restricted free agent -- and would like to restructure the contract of tight end Jim Kleinsasser, whose base salary is $2.9 million for 2007. "We had a brief discussion about this a few weeks ago.  when discussing the signing of a backup QB among other needs the Vikings have.  While we're in the midst of a snowstorm we c...
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Professor's NFL Draft Pick #7 possibility (Part I): Ted Ginn Jr.
2007-02-28 22:36:01
The latest ESPN mock draft has the Minnesota Vikings selecting Ted Ginn Jr. from Ohio State with the 7th overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.  If this projection is true, here is what we will be getting:Ginn is an early entry this year.  He is 21 years old and is ranked by Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN as the second best receiver, after Calvin Johnson who won't drop past pick #3, and is ranked #8 on Mel's famous "Big Board."  Here is what Mel has to say about Ted Ginn Jr.: "Takes a backseat to no one in the speed department, brings a big-play dimension to the wide receiver position and also the return game. Here is the Scouts Inc profile for Ginn:Ted Ginn Jr.WR | (6'0", 180, 4.35) | OHIO STATEScouts Grade: 96Flags: (B: BULK/SIZE) Lacks size/bulk for positionStrengths: Possesses world-class speed. His initial burst is exceptional and very few defensive backs -- if any -- can keep pace with him in a sprint. He's at his best on vertical routes that give hi...
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So... you're telling me that I have the wrong passport!?!?
2007-02-28 22:36:01
In recent news, Sidney Ponson doesn't understand the difference between types of passports.  His home country of Aruba (Dutch) issued him the wrong type of passport.  Major League Baseball requires that all players have  a passport in order to pitch in Spring Training games where tickets are sold.  In case you are wondering, he needs a passport that is specifically issued to athletes.Ponson will have to get this situation straightened out.  Unfortunately, this delay will cost him the opportunity to pitch in any of the "A" team games until possibly March 21st against the Reds.  While this might not seem to be a big deal and could easily be coined as "bad luck", I wonder whether this is a sign that Ponson doesn't have his life together as much as he claims.   The Twins have currently penciled Ponson to be their third started in the rotation.  This might cause red flags to be raised regarding Ponson.  You have to w...
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Professor's NFL Draft Pick #7 possibility (Part II): Gaines Adams
2007-02-28 22:36:01
With the #7 Pick in the 2007 NFL Draft , the Vikings are in a spot to take a blue chip player like Gaines Adam s :  02/27/07 - NFL COMBINE: Risers: Of all the defensive linemen who took to the field Monday morning, Adams stole the show. Running both 40s in the low 4.7-second range, Adams displayed his unlimited athleticism for scouts. Not only did Adams stand out during the defensive line drills, but he also looked great when running through a battery of linebacker drills. Adams presently ranks as the No. 1 defender in the draft. - Tony Pauline, SI.com HistoryAdams attended Fork Union Prep in 2001 and recorded 58 tackles, 22 sacks, and two interceptions in 10 games. He was a three year starter at Cambridge Academy where he was a dominant wide receiver and defensive end. His coach during high school was former University of South Carolina quarterback, Steve Taneyhill. In 2000, his team won the state title. During that year, Cambridge shut out four different teams, beating one team ...
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