Tigers off and running, beat Minnewaska 46-27

Always exhilarating to stop by Big Cat Stadium on the night of the first home football game. Whether you approve of football or not - I do not - it is a spectacle. With each passing year there will be fewer of us who remember the old Coombe field. 

Thanks to Matthew Carrington (my tax preparer) who stopped by to chat with me last night. We both have vivid memories of our former football venue of Coombe field. Not only do I remember Coombe Field, I remember Bill Coombe himself. Charming older fellow. You had to like him. Believe me, there were teachers in our system then who were not likeable. 

I had Mr. Coombe for seventh grade history in about 1967. The U.S. was at the height of the Vietnam war tragedy at the time. I believe it's accurate to say the apex was 1967 and '68. Our world got turned upside down in America with young people not only rising up to protest the war, but to question many of our conventions which we felt had fed into the war. I frankly thought the war would never end. 

And later I felt that economic inflation would never end. It finally ended with Paul Volcker forcing us to take our medicine. I don't think anyone would step up today to do that. We are on the verge as I write this of "emergency monetary policy" from "the Fed." Again! What's the emergency now? Rate cuts only increase the odds of more inflation. And it would not happen right away. It would lag. Look out in 2026. 

Maybe you don't care. I'm just trying to give you a heads-up. 

The fans at Big Cat Stadium last night for the opener acted like they didn't have a worry in the world. That's nice if they can feel such contentment. I try to share in the feeling best I can, but of course I am not a parent. 

I am concerned about the upcoming likely specter of inflation (again) but mostly about the election of Donald Trump as president again. It is imperative to elect Kamala not because I necessarily think she's so lovable - it is necessary because we cannot risk having a president who turns the U.S. into a Fascist state. That is always in the background of my thoughts now. 

In the foreground I can share some of the exhilaration we all felt at Big Cat Field last night. We can pray that the bad stuff stays away. Trump has so many voters out here in rural western Minnesota. It would be extremely unwise to put a "Kamala" yard sign out. Don't do that unless you want to risk vandalism to your property. MAGA is all over the place led by a majority of Stevens County churches. 

Do you think there's any chance that any of the Apostolics - any - would cast their vote for the Democratic candidate? It would be a cold day in hell, for certain.

Tigers 46, Minnewaska Area 27

I would have my sleeves rolled up to report the game highlights from last night, instead of digressing to politics, if I could just find some game information online this morning (Friday). It feels like Saturday because high school football was played last night. 

Let me implore you here: we just had a very close referendum on school improvements for our Morris school. We can no longer take for granted that these things will pass easily. A big change. Maybe people are more worried about inflation than they let on. So my point is this: Public relations ought be seen as very important by our school backers. Somehow we must find means to achieve more timely reporting on games, just as a means of public outreach. 

We used to get covered a fair amount of the time by the West Central Tribune of Willmar. Then we got removed. But we should not have to be dependent on that. It was nice while it lasted. The "print" edition of the West Central Tribune was nice while it lasted. I used to consult it at our public library. 

Forum Communications owns the Willmar paper. Is the Forum bitter at Morris because their venture of owning the Morris newspaper did not work out? They just pulled out of here so unceremoniously. Very reliable inside sources told me 1) the Forum never made money here, and 2) the Forum was actually planning to close the Morris paper. 

Today the Morris newspaper survives. But, why can't it do more online? Increasingly, online is all that really matters. I'm sure the coaches have this old "legacy" system of feeding game info to "the local newspaper." Which would be fine if the paper could share all this info via its website or social media or whatever. We will now have to wait until Tuesday to read about the Tigers' big win. But wait, it's Labor Day weekend, right? Maybe the paper has gone to press early and the review won't even be in Tuesday. So that would be absolutely, totally unforgivable. 

The Tigers scored 46 points. I am sure there were many special highlights. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to review the highlights right now, Friday morning. Then I would digress into politics. I'd be focused on the game totally. I first began writing about Tiger sports for the media in 1972. No one else in the history of Stevens County media even comes close to matching my background. 

All I need is more access to game info and I could bang the typing keyboard this morning, alas. But if I'm forced to divert into politics, let me just say that all the local Trump supporters should know that "their man" has gone from being pro-life to pro-choice. This is going to make Michelle Fischbach adjust her position as well. Trump and Fischbach will do whatever it takes to get elected of course.

 

Addendum: Just checked the KMRS-KKOK site and all they have is the score from last night. Brett Miller used to write some nice articles there. 

 

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

I thought I saw a fisher cat? Maybe not

Fisher cat ("Friends of the Mississippi" image)

I remember discussing the movie "Into the Wild" with Liz Morrison. I had already read the book, which drew my attention because it was by Jon Krakauer. Perhaps Liz had read the book too - I don't remember that coming up. Liz offered a prime piece of wisdom offered up by the book and movie. She observed that "we have this romantic view of the wild but the wild is really a dangerous place." 

The central character in the book got trapped because of rising springtime rivers. He was unable to make it out of his little hideaway in Alaska. Krakauer observed that the young man's location "was not that remote by Alaska standards." But it sure seemed remote. 

If Donald Trump becomes president again, will he give Alaska back to Russia? Out of spite toward one of Alaska's top elected leaders, Lisa Murkowski, who he considers as a RINO? Is anything too absurd or outrageous to consider in connection to Trump? Rhetorical question. 

I'm thinking today about the dangers of wild country because we have been through a weather and climate situation over the past few months that promotes a proliferation of wildlife. 

 

Think Thoreau

There is a terrific opportunity in Morris to "commune with nature," Thoreau-style, by going over to near the river. We have had that opportunity in spades since the biking/walking trail was created. I'm wondering now: will warning signs ever be deemed prudent along there? Warnings about possibly dangerous contacts with wildlife? 

I have heard coyotes from that direction after dark. For the first time I have seen skunks around the northern entrance to the trail. More than once. And Sharon Martin saw them too. Perhaps our dogs are more at risk than we are. And we'd all be heartbroken to lose a dog of course. Sharon's "Goldy" recently passed away. I gather that advanced age was a factor. 

The biking/walking trail is a great place to meet people's dogs like "Reese." Dogs show such unconditional affection. We need that sometimes. I think we need it in the age of Trump, frankly, But it's very possible that the orange man will get a plurality of the vote out here in hard-right country. How did we get like this? 

I'm writing on the nature subject because of a little encounter I had along the trail recently. A furry little animal rather long in shape appeared out front rather close. It looked up at me for an instant, quizzically you might say. I tried to identify it. I remembered an episode of the TV series "Call of the Wildman" from back when I had cable TV. This episode gave us a good look at the "fisher cat." 

My own photo of our biking/walking trail

I had a vague understanding that the fisher cat can be a pretty mean hombre. A little check with Internet tools confirms that now. So I wondered if I had indeed seen a fisher cat. Would that be a rare sighting here? But upon further checking I discovered that the more common mink was the creature. There are actually several creatures that look pretty similar to each other. So there's the mink, the fisher cat and the pine marten. That's marten with an "e," not like Sharon's last name. I might share an inside joke that Sharon and I have always had, I mean going back to when she was in high school, but it's too inside-baseball. 

A little checking shows that the menacing fisher cat is indeed found in Minnesota! If it's anywhere, it might as well be out by our biking/walking trail because it is a supremely wild place. And don't think coyotes will never attack a human. Sometimes they have a little wolf blood mixed in. This was part of the explanation for a fatal coyote attack in Canada. So be cautious please. 

My former minister at First Lutheran said he has seen coyotes from the biking/walking trail. And there are reports of bears in Clay County. They too might feel at home along our Pomme de Terre River. So green and lush out there now. 

Commune with nature? Such a nice thought of course but do not deny the reality of dangerous animals. A skunk might not bite you but you know what else could happen. I had a skunk issue on my property early in summer. The problem passed but it was an annoyance obviously. My neighbors appear to be aware of this threat. The time of year to be really vigilant with skunks, to put up exclusions in every conceivable place, is May/June. I think after July 4 you can signal "all clear." 

 

Think "weasel"

Fisher cats are part of the weasel family. That reminds me of an old humorous commentary in Mad Magazine. My, this goes back several decades. The magazine presented a "Richard M. Nixon National Weasel Refuge." The illustration showed some weasels playing shuffleboard. Please do not think of Nixon and Donald Trump on the same terms. Two different people in two totally different times. Nixon had the opportunity to be a hero for all time if he'd just withdrawn U.S. troops from Vietnam as quickly and safely as possible starting after his inauguration in 1969. We all know what happened. 

Fisher Cats (who I do not think play shuffleboard) look like large minks but they have shorter legs and weigh as much as a red fox. They are active tree climbers. Fur is dark brown and there's a blackish rump and tail. They do not turn white in the winter. Info on the fisher's range in Minnesota indicates that we cannot rule out seeing them in the Morris area. And that would be out by the biking/walking trail. 

We hope there is no incident where someone's dog gets taken by a predator. But be careful. Nature has its own sense of balance. It's called an "ecosystem." So hawks have moved into my neighborhood of Northridge Drive of late. Their call is distinctive. I welcome them. They'll take care of some of the critters. 

Skunks! Owls prey on them because owls have no sense of small.

 

Addendum: Thinking about Thoreau today reminds me of one of his famous quotes, a quote that crosses my mind as I watch people coming and going at the entrance to Willie's Super Valu. "The majority of people lead lives of quiet desperation." 

 

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

School referendums no longer a "slam dunk" here?

Photo of our school by your blog host

I am getting up in years so I remember the days when it was like pulling teeth to get a school referendum passed in this community. We got dragged through an ordeal before the first spade of dirt got turned for the "new high school." There was a famous proposal that included a pool. 

Pools are often a matter of contention for communities. Because of my age I remember the "earthen pool" at Pomme De Terre City Park. That's the park out east of town on the dam reservoir, not to be confused with the Pomme de Terre Lake chain. Too many things named "Pomme de Terre" here? I wrote once about the "ghost town" of Pomme de Terre located close to Elbow Lake. Town had a good start but then too many breaks went against it. It shriveled up. Some vestiges are there. 

One can still visualize the "earthen pool" when you're out at the city park. There's a swampy place there now that has some ecological purpose. Just imagine Morrissites flocking there on a midsummer day. It had lifeguards! The lifeguards were kind of a bother because they had to take breaks. Also, they got so excited whenever anyone got on the dike. Don't see why the fuss was needed, but this was a government-supported facility and government has "rules." 

I assure you the earthen pool was a "thing" over several years. I began to realize it was really only an asset on very hot days. At least one child died there which is often cited as reason for the place's demise. 

Now we have the "spray park." It appears to be quite well used. I have used it as a substitute for taking a shower sometimes, as I am midway through my standard walk. But I only go out to the spray if there are no young kids close to me. Obviously people get nervous about protecting kids and that's OK within limits. 

We mustn't assume that older men who happen to be alone are some sort of danger. The fear built up through years of the Jacob Wetterling investigation. What a legacy of fear that left in its wake, fear that in many cases is misplaced. And LE actually had the perpetrator in its grasp early-on. I think that behind closed doors through the years, LE felt a certainty that the early suspect was indeed the perpetrator. They just couldn't nab him? Doesn't LE have tricks for dealing with almost anything? 

The perp might be free to this day if he was not found to have inappropriate (illegal) material on his electronic device. That was the ballgame. But in the meantime look at what our state got dragged through. 

Our community moves forward with amenities like the spray park. Still no substitute for a true swimming beach IMHO. The spray park is great for daycare groups and I often see Hispanics taking advantage. Good for them! I hear that Hispanic kids will probably be the foundation for the new high school soccer team. But I truly hope the appeal goes beyond them. We need to get local boys to abandon the sport of football. Soccer is a much better alternative than the time-honored alternative of cross country. Cross country places such a premium on being lightweight and wispy. It never was a bona fide alternative to football, therefore many boys responded to peer pressure and went out for football. 

 

Impressionable

I remember my first day of junior high at the Morris school. Junior high was grades 7-9. I'll never forget how our science teacher made it so clear he put football players on a pedestal. He had them stand. And I sat there feeling convinced that I was just not as worthy. You know, you just don't forget these things. 

Today I have the satisfaction of knowing I was lucky. I did not abuse my body and brain playing football. So at age 69 now, I don't have to worry about the effects. It's hard enough to get old - enough challenges the way it is. Will I ever have to take the vision test at the DMV again? 

Let's all hope for a wonderful Year 1 of the MACA soccer program. I think in a few years, football will exist as a "club" sport which means that not every little school will have its own football team. The peer pressure on boys will greatly subside. Morris will almost certainly be home to a regional type of "club" team because we have Big Cat field. I almost wish we didn't have it. 

Sports can adjust to the decline of football. What amazes me now are the leaps and bounds shown by women's basketball! Basketball is about as safe a sport as you can find. Plus it is played indoors so weather is not a factor. The jump in popularity of the pro game is making basketball a significant year-round sport: women play through the summer. Well that's great! We all know a certain individual player is responsible for the growth. Let's just call her a "catalyst." I think this was coming anyway.

 

Our Tuesday referendum

Ahem, so we had the school referendum on Tuesday and I might have yawned. These things have been such a far cry from what happened in the 1960s. They have become like actual "slam dunks." No sweat, no worry. So I didn't bother to vote. I would have voted "no." 

Softball complex, not well planned IMHO

School can always draw up a list of things they think they "need." I saw this vote as falling rather in that category, in other words a stretch. Seating at the tennis courts? I pointed this out to a school board member who sat at my table for church coffee on Sunday. Then I asserted: "What we really need is work on the seating at the softball complex." He did not respond. Well, maybe in a future referendum. 

The powers-that-be can always come up with new ideas. Problem with the softball complex would be that in order to develop seating, you'd probably have to re-configure the whole place. Why did the school board choose to sit there and listen to a UMM administrator? These are two separate institutions. And from UMM's standpoint, how does the "complex" serve their specific interests? It does not, it may even be inferior to what they had before. 

 

Bedfellows

So the UMM people ere "schmoozing" with community people? Personal ties and friendships come into play. I've been around the block more than a few times. UMM administrators have kids involved in youth sports too. But they should be laser-focused on UMM's exclusive needs. The U of M feels enough stress the way it is these days. I'm not sure the situation is too good for our Morris campus. 

I'm still offended about how the softball complex was unveiled for the public with the photo of "big shots" lined up for a "groundbreaking." Groups of people like this are always trying to get into our wallets. They sugar-coat everything. 

I compliment KMRS Radio for having the referendum results on its website this morning (Wednesday). The radio station website in my view has taken a tumble since Marshall Hoffman and Brett Miller left. I'm too discouraged about the website to even want to link to it from my blogs. But we "got the numbers" on the referendum this morning. Let's give credit where credit is due. 

So we know that school referendums might not be a "slam dunk" in the future.

But it did pass. Tennis supporters, applaud!

 

Addendum: The following is from "CambridgeCore": Scholars often use referenda as the plural for referendum. This choice is a hypercorrection—it may sound like proper Latin, but it is not. Referendums is always the correct choice. However, we maintain that there is value in using referendums for multiple events and referenda for multiple propositions.

   

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

You can learn teamwork in band and choir too

A dream life?

I get perceived as negative for making questioning comments about the sport of football. What disappoints me is how so many people will stretch to give the benefit of the doubt to football. Why this loyalty to a sport that would seem to have no obvious benefits for its participants? Learning teamwork? You can gain that through any organized activity. Band? Choir? 

When you see players with their "helmets," shouldn't that ring immediate alarm bells? Or the pads too? To soften blows? Helmets may prevent cracked skulls but they don't prevent the brain from being shaken up. "Repetitive head trauma." 

So why am I thinking about this on this day, August 8? You might think it's because we're getting close to the new football season. I remember seeing pre-season workouts at the old school property along East 7th Street at the time of the fair. So, the fair ushers us into fall? Well yes, probably more than usual this year because of the very cool temperatures expected through the fair like today (Thursday). Heavens, a jacket would have been recommended this morning. 

Last night I thought I might grab something to eat at the fair. Egad, too much congestion with traffic and parking! A nightmare. I might have walked or ridden bike but the weather was not cooperative. I certainly will use non-motorized for the rest of the fair. 

 

The subject is football

I am thinking about football not just because our high schoolers are going to be put through their paces - I am thinking about it because of Steve McMichael being inducted into the Hall of Fame. McMichael established his whole identity as a famous pro player. How cute his nickname: "Mongo." Many people might not make the association with the movie "Blazing Saddles." 

"Mongo" was the nickname for the Alex Karras character in the Mel brooks movie. And, what a "time capsule" movie the "Saddles" movie is. We have read over and over "Blazing Saddles could not be made today." Blazing Saddles found amusement with racist terms. The people behind the movie were anything but racist. Their idea was to cheapen racist language and this included the "n" word. 

My generation of the boomers was in its prime for irreverence (foolishness) when this movie hit the big screen. Remember Cleavon Little: the sheriff? And Mongo was the tough and bruising character played by the former pro football player Karras. His most famous scene was giving a roundhouse punch to a horse. Imagine the precision that was required for that scene. 

We were totally amused by "Mongo." We saw it in line with the tough guy football image of Karras. We all were nothing but worshipful about football. Some of that worshipfulness has diminished. But not enough. 

 

Shrine to football in Morris MN: "Big Cat"

Cross to bear

And so here people will pounce on me for my "negativity." And it becomes real piercing if my "negativity" is seen as extending to high school sports. Look at the "shrine" we have for high school football out by the UMM campus. "Big Cat Field." A young boy might stand there, looking out over the beautiful green expanse, and feel awe. The awe translates for many to a dream of getting out there someday, winning the cheers. The stands are filled with enthused Morris people many of whom no doubt never felt the pain or dealt with the risks of such a punishing sport. 

One of the things about football is that the players can be of sound health over the short term only to develop problems later. And why do so many people deflect by saying "you just can't conclusively prove" the connection between football and later health crises. Again, why so eager to give football the benefit of the doubt, to make apologies for it, to run cover for it? 

Steve McMichael today, at center

Steve McMichael, former Chicago Bear, is said to have ALS now. He's in a quite sad condition. ALS "rings a bell" as it has come up with other former players. I will make the connection because I am not going to be a "salesman" for football. I will not sing its praises just because in the short term it gives us exhilaration and entertainment. 

This is what is behind the defensiveness: how we have allowed football to become an entertainment opiate. People are in denial about this. The problem grew exponentially starting in the mid-1960s when the quality of color TV broadcasts of football improved substantially. Football pushed aside major league baseball. The leaps of enthusiasm exposed more young men to make themselves bigger, stronger and faster. 

And so the average size/weight of big-time football players, Division I and pro, went up markedly. Each play out on that glorious green field became like a traffic accident with the nature of the collision. But fans feel none of the pain. The players have to feel it but they weigh that against the praise and glory they can achieve within their communities. I have seen poster photos of the top MACA players outside of Big Cat, in full color. You know the message this sends. 

I submitted a comment to Yahoo! News in connection to the McMichael story. In part I noted that "Lou Gehrig may not have died from Lou Gehrig's Disease." Very possible if not likely he did not. So someone responds to me and says Gehrig did not play football. This person's impulse was to defend football. I happen to know that Gehrig did play football. He didn't play pro but he played at Columbia College at a time when the game was rougher. He certainly would have played enough to have consequences, plus he may have gotten hurt in baseball too. 

The Star Tribune gave us an article in July of 2014 about one of our revered "purple people" of the Vikings. You smile at my reference to that era of the Vikings. Warm memories outside of the four Super Bowl losses of course. What price was paid for all that football success? The Star Tribune headlined the article "The truth behind the death of Vikings legend Wally Hilgenberg." 

His family gave his brain for research in Boston. I share here two paragraphs from the article.

 

Through 16 seasons and four Super Bowls, Hilgenberg had played a vicious game with a devil-may-care attitude. On the last Christmas he was alive, confined to a wheelchair and slipping to a point where he could only communicate by blinking his eyes, he gave each of his four children one of his Super Bowl rings.

The preliminary diagnosis for his death at the age of 66 was Lou Gehrig's disease. But two years later, doctors in Boston, where Hilgenberg's brain was studied and still sits in storage, suggested something else: that Hilgenberg instead died from repetitive brain trauma brought on by more than 20 years of high school, college and pro football.

Clean slate

I could be selfish here and say I'm thankful I never had the talent or interest to play football. Well I am thankful. My father never had positive words about the game. He didn't know all the scientific research but he thought the game was just dangerous. Us kids in the neighborhood played some pretend-like football. I simply thought it was painful. People can say I'm negative. I just think I'm prescient.

 

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