One Shining Moment(s) Volume 3

Another edition of some flashbacks for you Minnesota sports fans...

Ernest Nzigamasabo: You were highly entertaining. It wasn't what you did on the basketball floor though, it was the urging (by my dad and I) of Grandpa O'Rourke to pronounce your name after he downed a scotch or two. I never heard a name pronounced a hundred different ways (until I started listening to Bert Blyleven call Twins baseball games). He had such difficulty remembering your last name correctly that he would then screw up your first name by calling you Eddie or Eric. I guess you had to be there.

Rick Reed: The Rick Reed deadline deal was the first "contender" deal we made where we were the actual contender in the trade for the "win now" effect since the early 1990's. However, that trade never really panned out as planned. I guess that's what you get for trading for a scab.

Esera Tuaolo: I always wondered if the failed ESPN series "The Playmakers" (you know you watched it...it was at ESPN's climax) had Esera in mind as the influence on the gay character. I'm not aware of too many professional football players coming out publicly. Of course when you sing the National Anthem in a high-pitched soprano voice...people will start to wonder.

Charles Shackleford: Even the ten die-hard Timberwolves fans may not remember the original "Shack's" brief tenure here. He worked the media better than Shaquille, for example this great quote during his NC State days: "I can shoot with my left hand, I can shoot with my right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious."

Chris Darkins: I don't know about you, but I love football players that wear the visor on their helmet. Name me someone you absolutley hate that plays or has played football collegiate or professional that wore a visor. I bet you can't do it...even Dan McGwire pulled off the visor act, and looked cool doing it.

Lindsay Whalen: She is single-handedly responsible for the only legitimate Final Four banner that the University of Minnesota can hoist up to the rafters in the Barn. Many didn't follow this season as closely as I did. But, she came back from a wrist injury just in time for the Big Dance her senior year. From there, she brought women's basketball madness to the Twin Cities. Yet, she became so popular nationally by the Final Four run that the Lynx had no shot at her in the draft. Imagine that...the Lynx actually had a good enough record the previous year not to be able to have a high enough draft pick to select the savior of this town for women's basketball. It's called the Minnesota Lynx curse around these parts.

Juan Berenguer: I received my first and only "major league" baseball from him when he flipped it up to my dad by the bullpen after the Twins secured a win. I also wanted to bring up how he has started an ongoing tradition in Twins baseball. The Overweight Latino Call to the Bullpen Presents: Juan Berenguer, Rich Garces, Eddie Guardado, Dennys Reyes and Jose Mirajes.

Chad May: I'm so tired of some of the Vikings fans' thinking that John David Booty is ready to take over the reigns. What possible signs have you seen from him? Obviously, Tarvaris wasn't ready and he's looked leaps and bounds better in pre-season than Booty...it's because Booty is white, right...? Well, Chad May had a stellar college career, much like John David Booty as well as hundreds of other white successful quarterbacks that just don't materialize into the pro game.

SBG