What Are You Thinking …(A Minnesota State of Mind)

Two things that I am very passionate about are politics and sports. If you read these opinions you can tell that I am very much a conservative. The other passion I have is Minnesota sports teams. The Vikings, Twins and Timberwolves are teams I follow religiously. There may be some that are as big a sports fan as I am and that may know as much as I do about sports. I have listened or watched at least 90% of all Twins games for the last 20 years or more. I listen or view nearly every Timberwolves game played. For as long as I remember I have watched or listened to every Viking game. So maybe there are others that have done the same but very few would have viewed or listened to more. I expect a lot from each team. If they compete like champions the get commended and if they play like dogs they get criticized. If they lose I watch or listen and if they win I watch or listen. I say this because of what I am going to say about Minnesota residents and there allegiance to there sports teams. There are three issues I want to give my opinion on: 1) Randy Moss; 2) being a true fan; and 3) the sympathetic Minnesota public.

Any person with integrity, any person with children, any person with common sense that goes beyond football victories will condemn Randy Moss as a person. A person with integrity will feel the same way about Randy Moss whether the Vikings win or lose. The people of "Minnesota nice" will not allow their Viking cheerleaders to show too much cleavage but they will accept a grown man embarrassing them to the entire nation. Why, because he catches touchdowns. Randy Moss is the people of Minnesota’s Terrell Owens. He is selfish, in the game entirely for his own, and embarrassing. If he were on another team the people of Minnesota would vilify him; but he catches touchdowns so they will make any excuse they can think of to support him. Is it a wonder these people vote Democrat? Randy Moss or Bill Clinton? If they are on your side you will sell your personal integrity to support them. In my eyes they are both pathetic human beings the only difference is one is educated and the other is not.

Mike Tice and the Vikings won a game last week because their fans didn’t support them. They played hard because they wanted to prove people wrong. Both coach and players have told us this. We have also been told that some people are very negative and should only write positive things about the team. Only in the "Minnesota state of mind" will people swallow this garbage. One win and the same people who wanted the coach fired and players sent packing are now happy content supporters. Under achievers, please don’t be so hard on us we are told. An 8-8 record, two consecutive seasons of collapse but please don’t be negative. In a "Minnesota state of mind" you beat the hated Packers and we will forget the pathetic losses to the Bears, Redskins, Giants and a lucky win against the Lions. It would be similar to a student getting a D in a class but passing the final exam. Should he/she be graded on the whole year or just the final test? If the Vikings had won more games they would have played playoff games at home. If I recall that usually is a big advantage. No matter one win and they will forget. Remember they vote for Democrats.

There is rarely a link between sports and politics but in Minnesota I feel there is a common thread. People with the "Minnesota state of mind" are sympathetic people. They never want to get to mean or too spiteful. In many ways they are like children. They can pout but buy them a toy and all is well. Minnesota is a Democratic Party state when it comes to Presidential Elections. It doesn’t matter if the man is Kerry, Gore, Clinton, Dukakis, Mondale, Carter or McGovern. It doesn’t matter how big a loser the man is he is good enough for them. The "Minnesota state of mind" accepts losing better than any fan in the country. They accept it because the can so easily be distracted with a single victory. They actually expect more from their high school teams than they do from their pro teams. Maybe someday the men of Minnesota will grow some balls and vote Repuclican and demand winning from their sports teams. As for now "Minnesota nice" is no different than "Minnesota wimps". It should not surprise us that they vote for Democrats. A Republican does not feel a sense of accomplishment with being average.