"Rush" of winter sports will leave us quickly

Let's not fool ourselves, regardless of the weather of the past few days. I'm writing this on the last day of January. Yes January, so we are still technically at the height of winter. We're straining, aren't we, to think we may be seeing early hints of spring. 

The height of winter gets harder to handle as you get older. I turned age 70 this past Tuesday. My health situation calls for a fair amount of exercise if I can get it. So I certainly avail myself like on days of the last few which have been so mild. I must continually remind myself "Brian, this is still winter." An experienced Minnesotan should have no trouble internalizing that. But it's amazing how often we must remind ourselves. 

Maybe an illusion gets built up with the days getting a little longer, so it seems there's more sunlight which there actually is. But the cold and potential snow of winter hover over us most definitely. I will still strive to get exercise. 

What else might help with our state of mind? Well at this stage of the calendar, it would most surely be high school sports. Shall we call it an elixir of some sort? I mean that in a positive way. And then when we get into mid and late March, the "rush" is over. And there really can be a sense of "withdrawal." "How can we get along without this," we might ask ourselves. I know I have. 

 

A turnaround

And you know what I find sad? Spring high school sports comes along and it is absolutely no substitute. It is a pale reflection, literally depressing as fans are forced to huddle in small numbers wearing jackets to deal with the frequent cold and wind. Mud often underfoot. We absolutely do not subject ourselves to this kind of discomfort in winter. It's all indoors.

Winter is a bonanza of fun and anticipation. I look at those little clusters of bundled-up fans/parents at spring sports and get quite the different impression. You might suggest they are there only out of obligation. And I commend them for doing that. It just seems like a night-and-day contrast with winter sports and the "March madness" mania. Is this contrast really necessary? Should we have more indoor sports in the immediate aftermath of the winter season? Pile into the gym bleachers again? 

 

Suggestion

I have tried to make a "cause" out of suggesting an inflatable cover for Big Cat Field here in Morris. St. Cloud State has been able to accomplish this at a stadium that seems just like Big Cat. St. Cloud State as an institution gives the impression that it is collapsing, with a stream of bleak headlines. Tearing down the Performing Arts Center? Tearing down the high-rise dorm "Sherburne Hall" which stood out on the city's "skyline?" Tearing down the education building at a place that was once known for developing future teachers? 

I am familiar with the now-closed SCSU education building, and I immediately think of its design which was avant garde at one time. No conventional classrooms, you know, as rooms closed off with walls and doors. The planners of the time went for "open space" where classes would meet. Just minimal barriers best described as partitions, really. 

So you could hear what was going on in the next room, or "space" as it were. Oh my, revolutionary and innovating just like a lot of concepts in education itself. Faddish I guess.

 

Hear the disco rhythm?

I'm afraid I have vivid memories of the 1970s. We can have fun recollecting the decade as with considering disco music and the "Smokey and the Bandit" movies. The latter had the suggestion that we should poke fun at the local sheriff. I recall a serious op-ed about how Jackie Gleason should not have lowered himself to play the sheriff. Silly rabbit, he wanted the gig as a professional actor. Just like Burt Reynolds. 

Movies reflected what the public wanted, as they always do. 

The 1970s were the apex for St. Cloud State having its unfortunate image with partying, drinking and overall frivolousness. Years later I think all that came home to roost, as new generations of young people came along who realized that if they attend college, they should try to make it count for their future, choose a school with a good reputation. 

 

The image shows the St. Cloud State performing arts center which is suggested as "first on the list" for demolition. Seems shocking. Seemed like a nice building with performance halls. Interim president Larry Dietz says the demo will clear out an area in the middle part of campus. Seems like a cruel joke: open space as preferable to a building like this? It was opened in 1968. I bet it was a big deal when it opened, probably had a celebration.

 

Would anyone argue that St. Cloud State did not have a challenged image? Hah! Today it seems half the place is being torn down. The irony is that the school's athletic facilities have been built up steadily. I'm having a hard time reconciling that frankly. I'm sure there are reasons. 

I'm sure there's a reason why SCSU got a new football stadium for itself in 2004, even though a few seasons later the football program itself would be axed. It has still not been restored. So how do they justify the football stadium? They must have a way as with high school teams coning over to play on some sort of contract basis. I really don't know. But didn't those high schools already have their own fields? Oh, I suppose the fancy artificial turf place was seen as so much more desirable. I guess that's the way our Big Cat Stadium in Morris is perceived too. 

I think one of the biggest blessings of my life was that I never played football. Our culture lures boys into doing this. I suppose we still tell our boys that it builds character or whatever. I will repeat that I am 70 years old now. I don't have to worry about cognitive decline as a result of having played football. I don't have to worry about outright dementia as a result of having played football. 

Think of the tragedy for the men who are affected, and add to that the considerable burden for their family members who must in many cases become caregivers. Oh and the anxieties and sadness. 

Television drew us into football madness. 

We recently lost Bob Uecker

We can be nostalgic about the Bob Uecker Miller Lite commercial. "I must be in the front row." He was at a baseball game but certainly such commercials were stuffed all around football. 

"Don't just play football, young men, drink lots of beer too. Drink our brand, spend lots of money."  

Then along came Mothers Against Drunk Driving. 

 

Softball in March

But look at the inflatable cover for the St. Cloud State football field. I tried hitting various people around Morris over the head with my suggestion a few years back: "Think what that could mean here." Softball teams would be lined up to come here for games as soon as basketball ends. Perfect conditions all the time! Maybe some people have looked into the possibility. So maybe it's just not practical here? Out here in our prairie outpost of Morris? Where we can hear coyotes? 

But I think it would be oh so neat. It's a long-term goal perhaps. Just like it might be considered a long-term goal now for the MACA girls basketball team to be competitive with Minnewaska Area. I get in trouble sharing such thoughts. 

Oh by the way, the Tigers have to play 'Waska again this season: It's on Feb. 18 here in Morris. My goodness: We're justified worrying about that game, but maybe there is some discomfort at 'Waska too over whether their team should "let up" vs. us. Will their coach be under pressure? I would actually hate to see that happen.

 

Sydney Dahl

Minnewaska 76, BOLD 53

How about those Minnewaska Area girls? They continued their winning habit on Tuesday for the home fans, score of 76-53 over BOLD. Familiar names turned up as stat leaders. So it was Sydney Dahl and Megan Thorfinnson each with at least 20 points. 

This is a surprise: the game was tied at halftime! It was tied at 26-all. Something ignited the Lakers for second half play where they had the 50-27 advantage. Remember how our MACA Tigers trailed at halftime against Minnewaska? 

Dahl led the Lakers' scoring with 24 points. but it was Thorfinnson standing out in the 3-pointers department: four makes. Thorfinnson's point total was 20. Others scoring for 'Waska: Lauryn Ankeny 9, Addyson Kath 6, Alia Randt 5, Olivia Danielson 5, Jayda Kolstoe 3, Lauryn Stryhn 2 and Kendall Danielson 2. 

Thorfinnson was joined in the long-range shooting department by Kath (two 3-pointers), Randt (1) and Ankeny (1). Dahl led rebounds with seven. Uh-oh: The West Central Tribune has "Danielson" leading in assists with three. There's more than one Danielson! Oh well. 

Kath set the pace in steals with five. Ankeny who always seems to be all over the court had five blocked shots. 

BOLD's top scorer was Lainey Braulick with 14 points. Layla Pfarr made three 3-pointers and scored 11 points for the Warriors. 

Move over for the Lakers: they are 17-2. How can the Tigers fare against them next time?

  

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com