FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[sfury]

True story:

I go to the movies here in New York City last night. Settle into my seat -- leather recliners. So comfortable. Previews are going. I spill Ranch dressing on my shorts and curse. Trying to wipe it up and I hear on the giant screen in front of me...a very familiar voice. A voice I've heard talking about Blake Elliott from north Melrose. A voice I've heard on the radio ripping Christian Ponder. A voice I heard here in NYC one night when he was in town and I tried keeping up with him and his gang in the bars. (and failed)

Tom Linnemann.

Wait, what?

I look up and see someone on a boat. That looked like Linnemann! The voice had been talking about Target eliminating farmed salmon. WHAT IS HAPPENING? I want the theater to rewind the previews. Then at the end, Tom's face appears on the gigantic screen. It's him. Touchdown, Johnnies! I was looking around, wanting to tell someone about this but I doubt they would have been as impressed. But a cool moment.

[AO]

True story:

I go to the movies here in New York City last night. Settle into my seat -- leather recliners. So comfortable. Previews are going. I spill Ranch dressing on my shorts and curse. Trying to wipe it up and I hear on the giant screen in front of me...a very familiar voice. A voice I've heard talking about Blake Elliott from north Melrose. A voice I've heard on the radio ripping Christian Ponder. A voice I heard here in NYC one night when he was in town and I tried keeping up with him and his gang in the bars. (and failed)

Tom Linnemann.

Wait, what?

I look up and see someone on boat. That looked like Linnemann! The voice had been talking about Target eliminating farmed salmon. WHAT IS HAPPENING? I want the theater to rewind the previews. Then at the end, Tom's face appears on the gigantic screen. It's him. Touchdown, Johnnies! I was looking around, wanting to tell someone about this but I doubt they would have been as impressed. But a cool moment.

This story doesn't quite add up.  Ranch dressing at the theater?  I suspect you were at home with a tv dinner watching the People's court.

[sfury]

Chicken tenders at the movies, my friend. Life in the big city.

It will apparently be a national commercial soon; was shot by Oscar-nominated director Lucy Walker.

Sadly, the 2000 SJU season was not mentioned in the piece.

[BDB]

OZ, Weren't you a Grand Rapidian? 

Why is the best athlete to ever come out of your town pulling a LeBron?

http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/sports/illikainen-headed-east-to-finish-career/article_4178d778-f660-11e3-a493-001a4bcf887a.html

Ahem, but the best athlete ever to come out of Grand Rapids is:

•Bill Baker, 22
Grand Rapids, MN (University of Minnesota)

Defense - 1980 Gold Medal Hockey Team

Hockey season is over, I don't have to play along anymore!!
That's like saying John Daly was a better athlete than former Vikings QB Joe Webb.

Could Bill Baker do this?

Could this high school kid do this against the Soviet Union? Give me a break.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYscemhnf88

And your John Daly reference made zero sense.

[AO]

OZ, Weren't you a Grand Rapidian? 

Why is the best athlete to ever come out of your town pulling a LeBron?

http://www.grandrapidsmn.com/sports/illikainen-headed-east-to-finish-career/article_4178d778-f660-11e3-a493-001a4bcf887a.html

Ahem, but the best athlete ever to come out of Grand Rapids is:

•Bill Baker, 22
Grand Rapids, MN (University of Minnesota)

Defense - 1980 Gold Medal Hockey Team

Hockey season is over, I don't have to play along anymore!!
That's like saying John Daly was a better athlete than former Vikings QB Joe Webb.

Could Bill Baker do this?

Could this high school kid do this against the Soviet Union? Give me a break.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYscemhnf88

And your John Daly reference made zero sense.

John Daly might be very good within his own sport, but that doesn't mean he's a great "athlete".  Alex is obviously the more impressive physical athlete at 6'9" 225, but if it makes hockey fans feel better I'm sure Bill could beat him in a speed skating race.

[BDB]

Next time I reply to an AO post, someone please remind me to stop. I'm done.

[AO]

I'll leave it to OZ to determine the greatest athlete to come out of GR.  I'm sure not going to defend Illikainen any more if this move to the East Coast means he's turning down Pitino Jr and the Gophs.   Dusty Rychart might end up being considered the better Grand Rapidian hooper in any case.

[OzJohnnie]

I feel like I'm Darth Vader torn between the Dark Side and what's right, saving my son.

Like Darth, after a long struggle I pick what's right: Go Billy!

Mary Baker, Billy's little sister, was in my grade six home room.  He came in after the Olympics and showed us his medal and a stick signed by all the players.  Pretty cool.

(I couldn't vote for basketball if I was being offered money.  Although it sure has been all over the news lately with the Spurs victory and Patty Mills' role in game five.  Mills was a strong AFL prospect from Western Australia.)

EDIT: my actual favorite GR athlete is John Casey, the goalie.  We won the state championship off his skills and he won as well at NDSU and the took the North Stars to the Stanley Cup finals.

[BDB]

I feel like I'm Darth Vader torn between the Dark Side and what's right, saving my son.

Like Darth, after a long struggle I pick what's right: Go Billy!

Mary Baker, Billy's little sister, was in my grade six home room.  He came in after the Olympics and showed us his medal and a stick signed by all the players.  Pretty cool.

EDIT: my actual favorite GR athlete is John Casey, the goalie.  We won the state championship off his skills and he won as well at NDSU and the took the North Stars to the Stanley Cup finals.

Well done Oz. Quite an impressive number of star athletes who played for the "Halloween Machine."

[AO]

I feel like I'm Darth Vader torn between the Dark Side and what's right, saving my son.

Like Darth, after a long struggle I pick what's right: Go Billy!

Mary Baker, Billy's little sister, was in my grade six home room.  He came in after the Olympics and showed us his medal and a stick signed by all the players.  Pretty cool.

EDIT: my actual favorite GR athlete is John Casey, the goalie.  We won the state championship off his skills and he won as well at NDSU and the took the North Stars to the Stanley Cup finals.

Well done Oz. Quite an impressive number of star athletes who played for the "Halloween Machine."

So be it.  Perhaps one of Alex's complaints is the lack of talent on the basketball team relative to the Hockey team. 

Also, maybe the Redskins could learn from Grand Rapids and should consider "Thunderhawks" for their new nickname.

[OzJohnnie]

[OldAuggie]

Great photo!

[GoldandBlueBU]

I'll leave it to OZ to determine the greatest athlete to come out of GR.  I'm sure not going to defend Illikainen any more if this move to the East Coast means he's turning down Pitino Jr and the Gophs.   Dusty Rychart might end up being considered the better Grand Rapidian hooper in any case.

Eric Webb is another Rapids hoops star...played DI ball, and is still playing professionally over in Europe, last I heard.

Watched plenty of long range 3 pointers go through the hoop in the 3 times I played against him...

[AO]

I'll leave it to OZ to determine the greatest athlete to come out of GR.  I'm sure not going to defend Illikainen any more if this move to the East Coast means he's turning down Pitino Jr and the Gophs.   Dusty Rychart might end up being considered the better Grand Rapidian hooper in any case.

Eric Webb is another Rapids hoops star...played DI ball, and is still playing professionally over in Europe, last I heard.

Watched plenty of long range 3 pointers go through the hoop in the 3 times I played against him...

Webb could light it up but if Oz is picking again, Rychart has to get the nod considering he's been playing in Australia for the past decade.

Bringing the discussion back to Football, here is Rob Ford demonstrating proper QB techniques:

[BDB]

To the rescue!