Thank You, Mad Dog!

Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen thanked the fans in his blog. It's a simply gesture that summarizes Mark's great character, a rarity in the superstar world. His entry is at http://markmadsen.com/blog/CommentView.aspx?guid=fbc63570-81d1-4266-9b68-716874979f57.

Mark, thank you. Here's my reply:

Mark, you're welcome squared. As an NBA fan and Timberwolves season ticket holder, I want to acknowledge the thank you and pass it back to you. Secondly, I want to say you are welcome in Minnesota because of how much you care. Ambassador is a great way to describe you because you are a shining good example of an NBA player. When Minnesota signed you, I'm sure most fans saw an NBA champion dancer and didn't know how tirelessly you worked on and off the court. Last year, fans yelled for you when you did see action because they learned how hard you worked, they recognized your efforts.

When you come back to Minnesota, pack a hanky because you will see and hear the love you've earned and I'm sure it will be emotional. Congrats on returning to Cali, where friends & family can come see you play. You'll be missed in Minnesota because we know what the 'Wolves lost.

Congrats & best of luck! I'll keep watching your tweets. Thanks for getting KLove tweeting, you've made a star, there! Keep tweeting and see you next season!

Good Morning Ricky; Adios, Rubio? (It's Not Too Cold)

This morning I woke up wondering if the Timberwolves Draft Pick #5 Ricky Rubio was still a Timberwolf. I had to check the reports. Now yesterday was no normal draft day. 3 first round picks were spent on point guards. It was a strange day indeed. But was it really a normal Timberwolves draft?

Last night while tweeting at the Timberwolves Draft Party at Target Center, I couldn't help but think of how amazing it was that Minnesota had secured one of the most exciting picks available. Olympian Ricky Rubio was available at #5 when most mock drafts had him gone at #2. Wow! Lucky day!

But my joy was short-lived. One drawback of a quick mind that races constantly is that it found the next obvious thought: the history of picks. For me, it starts with Ray Allen and the Milwaukee Bucks. It continues with Timberwolf-for-a-moment Brandon Roy and overnight-swapped OJ Mayo. Could I really believe that Rubio would stay? Could I believe he could stay?

"Too Cold"

It's a stupid knock. As an NBA player, you are away for more than half your games. Is the heat of Florida any more an issue than the cold of Minnesota? If it is, have your boy pick you up in a warmed SUV and don't leave the vehicle until you are inside the garage. Isn't that what you'd do in Florida? Instead of sweating more than you do during practice in the humidity, have your boy pick you up in a cooled SUV and don't leave the vehicle until you are safely inside the cool garage. The weather is overrated.

I Owe McHale an Apology

Timberwolves Have a Math Problem

From a Timberwolves London update:
>The Wolves have 16 players under contract and
>17 players with them in London. The smart money
>is against John Edwards, a 7-footer who spent part
>of the last two seasons with the Indiana Pacers and
>Atlanta Hawks, failing to make the roster.

John Edwards won't be alone. An NBA roster is 12 players with some 'injured' players on standby. I call it standby because if you check, you'll find injured players can quickly recover when a player becomes hurt or suspended. Whatever they do on the injured list, it must be amazing to have players recover so quickly. Okay, enough sarcasm. In any case, the 'Wolves will have to make some moves to dump all these bodies and contracts. I know long-term no KG saves them money but it's not yet that moment.

Buckle up. Season's coming. Maybe those extra players can hang around and fill the empty Target Center seats?

Gold Jersey Curse