What’s going down?

Posted by Matt V. & Eric R.

Tavaris Jackson: DOWN. In so many ways we can’t begin to enumerate them. Passes: short. Attention span on film day: short. Tenure with the Vikings: short. The starting spot now passes to a QB who’s older than some head coaches in the league. If he doesn’t work out, expect a Booty call.


Chris Cooley’s pants: DOWN. It makes sense he photographed himself without pants, based on his preferences for practice attire. But let’s be honest: As much we all enjoy letting the boys out for some fresh air, most of us don’t take pictures. Even fewer of us publish those pictures on the web. (Cooley, for his part, "regrets not closely reviewing his blog.")



What's up?

The I-35W bridge: UP. Just that fast, the bridge is back. Meanwhile, they are keeping the fourth lane on I-494 open for at least eight months while the geniuses who can’t build the Wakota Bridge study the impact of removing the lane.


Target Field: UP. Looks like the new Twins stadium is also on schedule. A fitting name, too, what with Pohlad's "Expect more, pay less" philosophy. Still checking on the rumor Toro has donated snowblowers to clear the field for opening day.


Attendance at St. John's: UP. Keep this trend going by playing this weekend. We tip off at 8:00 a.m., as usual. Please let Steve know if you can or can’t make it.

...and none of what you hear

Sure, sure—we know magazine cover photos, especially on women's mags, are retouched. But here's a fascinating exploration of just how extensive the work can be. Watch these before-an-after photos toggle. Then click through for a pixel-by-pixel breakdown of the changes.


Reminds you of that Dove "Evolution" commercial, dunnit?

On a related note, watch this worthless sheet of ice transformed into a beautful hardwood floor:

It's the time of year when the gym at St. John's is dual-purpose, too. So come a few minutes before 8:00 tomorrow and help take down the volleyball net. Please let me know if you will or will not be there.

And people make fun of Keith Richards

Which windbag was it who made a snarky reference to Madonna at the convention the other night? News flash for politically minded 60-year-olds: 50-year-old Madonna stopped being a hip pop-culture reference about three days after she felt up Garth on SNL.

Yes you heard right: Madonna is 50. I recently heard a critic on the radio reviewing her new album. He said it represented her "fight to stay relevant." My friends! We can win this fight!

I remember the first time I saw her. It was 1984, the "Borderline" video. Saw it sitting in Eddie Hardina’s living room. He was one of the lucky few who had cable television, and thus MTV. I suppose for a while she really did represent something fresh. For 16-year-old boys she represented exposed underthings, which was a novelty in 1984. Seems so long ago, doesn't it?

I lost interest in her virtually the moment that video fell out of MTV's rotation, but Wikipedia assures me she continued to post hits well into the late 1990s. On her new album she sings "my sugar is raw" over and over, in the song "Candy Shop." Did I mention she’s 50? We have some guys who play ball at St. John's whose mom's aren't yet 50. Anyway, on most of her new songs the lyrics are barely intelligible, her voice is buried so far down in the mix it could be anyone's. An album like this is really the work of a producer more than a singer.

On a related note, Matt Thurber recently emailed me to say that for the first time he didn't recognize a single song in the iTunes music store’s "Ten Most Popular" list. I looked and neither did I, so what do I know?

I know this: Hoops at St. John’s tomorrow at 8:00 a.m., as usual. Please let me know if you will or will not be playing.