October 31, 2014

Link-O-Rama

Shea Serrano at Grantland paid tribute to my beloved Mase and it's basically perfect.

• Rapid City, South Dakota native Becky Hammon is now the first female full-time coach in NBA history and Howard Beck wrote an excellent article about her life.

• Pitches of 97 miles per hour or faster this season: Royals 2,287, Twins 1.

Joe Maddon, who reportedly never even talked to the Twins, is set to become Cubs manager.

• On this week's "Gleeman and The Geek" episode we discussed all the reasons why there was never any chance of Maddon coming to the Twins and learned valuable lessons about parenting.

Steve "Randball's Stu" Neuman asked WCCO news anchor Jason DeRusha to personalize the "Four Things You Need To Know" segment for him. And so DeRusha did, hilariously:

"Sure, a real man who lives in the St. Cloud area would change his own oil."

• Too little, too late. I've moved on, BlackBerry. And everyone else has, too.

• Well, except for Kim Kardashian apparently.

Torii Hunter cemented his status as baseball's most beloved homophobe.

• As a big fan of "would you rather?" this Katie Notopoulos survey amused me greatly.

• Sometimes when you "deep Google" someone there's no turning back.

• In honor of Timberwolves season starting, here's a picture of 13-year-old me wearing a blunt hat and posing with rookie-year Stephon Marbury.

• Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders has tweeted only three times in the past eight months and they're all amazing.

• If someone claims Alex Gordon would have scored from third base to tie Game 7 of the World Series, please show them this:

Would have been a helluva way for the season to end, though.

Parker Hageman and Dan Anderson of the "No Juice" podcast had Twins president Dave St. Peter as their guest this week.

• City Pages had big shoes to fill, but they found a good blogging replacement for Aaron Rupar in Ben Johnson, who once did a nice job writing this about me for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

• There's a new restaurant coming to Lake Street called Prairie Dogs, which will have hot dogs, "handcrafted" sausages, and local beer. I suspect I may be there a lot.

• Some of this week's weird and random search engine queries that brought people here:

- "Nick Blackburn was a top prospect"
- "Scott Erickson and Inga Hammond"
- "Is Sid Hartman Jewish?"
- "Lonnie Smith running over catcher"
- "What is throwing shade?"
- "Jon Taffer hair plugs"
- "Ben Revere bulge"

• Finally, in honor of seeing him perform live at Target Center during halftime of the Wolves' home opener Thursday, this week's AG.com-approved music video is "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice:


This week's content is sponsored by Harry's Razors. Go to Harrys.com and enter in the promo code "Gleeman" to receive $5 off your first order.

32 Comments »

  1. Aren’t there tampering rules when it comes to managers? TB should file a grievance against the Cubs. When Maddon opted out, it was immediately reported that Maddon would most likely manage the Cubs. Something was clearly up while Maddon was still under contract with the Rays.

    Comment by Matt #3 — October 31, 2014 @ 9:36 am

  2. I’m not sure believing in traditional marriage makes you a homophobe any more than being pro-life makes you a sexist, since you know women can also be pro-life. When did having an alternative viewpoint become something we don’t tolerate? I fear we have lost our ability as a society to have a reasonable discussion and have succumbed to majority rules or your a moron.

    Comment by Just Saying — October 31, 2014 @ 9:43 am

  3. “When did having an alternative viewpoint become something we don’t tolerate?”

    When it results in bad, unequal treatment of other people.

    Comment by Aaron Gleeman — October 31, 2014 @ 9:53 am

  4. So if someone’s religious beliefs, which are rooted in the Scriptures and centuries of tradition, form his view that marriage should only be between a man and a woman, that makes him a “homophobe”?

    Comment by Michael M — October 31, 2014 @ 11:57 am

  5. Correct. Plenty of long-held beliefs are not good. Sexism, racism, etc.

    And saying those beliefs come from religion brings up the fact that many people do not share the same religion as you. What if someone else’s religion says marriage should only be between two people of the same sex. Will you abide by that?

    Comment by Aaron Gleeman — October 31, 2014 @ 12:00 pm

  6. So would you consider Pope Francis a homophobe?

    Comment by Michael M — October 31, 2014 @ 12:19 pm

  7. I don’t think he’s answering your question because you haven’t answered his. Would you abide by a religion that stated that only people of the same sex should marry?

    Comment by D-Luxxx — November 3, 2014 @ 3:50 pm

  8. That would be an interesting religion. Of course, it probably would not be in existence for very long since its members would be unable to procreate in their unions. But if that was a tenet of their religion, I would respectfully disagree with it. I would not label them with some kind of slur.

    Comment by Michael M — November 4, 2014 @ 8:45 am

  9. I really like your blog and Twins coverage, but maybe, like you and
    others call for Hunter to do, should stick to covering baseball.

    Comment by Just Saying — October 31, 2014 @ 3:01 pm

  10. No thanks!

    What is it that you do? And are you sticking exclusively to it? Gonna guess not.

    Comment by Aaron Gleeman — October 31, 2014 @ 3:04 pm

  11. Do you honestly not see the irony in your intolerance (lashing out verbally) because you deem other people to be intolerant (merely holding an alternative view)?

    Comment by Just Saying — October 31, 2014 @ 3:11 pm

  12. I’m intolerant of intolerance.

    It’s sad that you would call not wanting some people to have equal rights as other people “merely holding an alternative view.”

    Comment by Aaron Gleeman — October 31, 2014 @ 3:13 pm

  13. At least you will admit it. Most people with your point of view are too busy painting traditional conservative views as hicks, backwards, and intolerant to admit their own intolerance of others.

    Comment by Just Saying — October 31, 2014 @ 3:15 pm

  14. My point of view is that people should be treated equally. Hunter is not doing that, which is why I’m “intolerant” of his comments.

    Comment by Aaron Gleeman — October 31, 2014 @ 3:16 pm

  15. Do you honestly think denying marital benefits, death benefits, visitation rights, parental rights, adoption rights, employment protections, service protections, decriminalization of private sexual activity and general societal recognition to a historically marginalized and oppressed group is comparable to someone telling you you’re wrong?

    Comment by Than Tibbetts — October 31, 2014 @ 3:18 pm

  16. It all comes down to how each individual defines marriage. Torii defines it as one man and one woman, which is how both the Bible and until very recently our society and current president defined it. I’m okay with having the discussion of what marriage is to each person and I think it is a discussion that needs to be had, but with the level of vitriol it just makes it impossible without name calling and both sides claiming the other intolerant. To me marriage is one man and one woman, to you marriage can be two adults, to someone else marriage can be polygamy, to someone else marriage could be with a minor. I just think it is important that society not lose their ability to have discussions and debates.

    Comment by Just Saying — October 31, 2014 @ 3:36 pm

  17. “What marriage means to each person” is the very, very last sort of discussion that needs to be had. It couldn’t possibly matter less what marriage means to you (or to me or the pope or anybody). It’s a right that some couples have that comes with tangible, real-world benefits that are provided by the government, so the Constitution requires all couples who want that right to get it, unless you can articulate some valid, real-world reason for treating those couples differently. Which you can’t, which your religion or anyone else’s religion is not, and that’s why this ridiculous non-argument is essentially, finally, over.

    AND- what the Bible says about homosexuality and marriage is pretty debatable, actually, and taking the kind of stance Hunter does and attempting to impose that stance on other people (when you could name a ton of other personal, religion-based choices that no one is trying to similarly impose) can ONLY come from homophobia. If you believe your religion forbids gay marriage, you are well within your rights to not get gay-married. And…that’s it.

    Comment by Bill Parker — October 31, 2014 @ 4:24 pm

  18. Do you not see the irony of calling your intolerance an alternative view? If my alternative view was that I don’t think Black People should be able to marry White people you would call me a racist, correct? That was another commonly held belief. If this was my “alternative view” then yes, you’d be correct in calling me a racist.
    Same sex marriage is none of your business. It doesn’t affect you in any tangible way other than you find it distasteful. It doesn’t hurt you. It doesn’t hurt traditional marriage. Straight people aren’t suddenly going to decide to get married to gay people. So what’s the difference? Why can’t they have the same rights?
    Being gay isn’t a choice. If you truly feel it is, that probably means you’re bisexual. Congrats on your alternative lifestyle.

    Comment by D-Luxxx — November 3, 2014 @ 4:00 pm

  19. I’m an accountant and absolutely not, that would be terribly boring. But why is it only people with your opinion on marriage should not have to stick to what they do? In all seriousness I appreciate your non-baseball banter on both the podcast and your link-o-rama especially. I wouldn’t come here if I only wanted to read baseball material as you are well known to post random, usually interesting current stuff. I was just surprised to see the level of vitriol here.

    Comment by Just Saying — October 31, 2014 @ 3:28 pm

  20. Humans treating other humans as lesser because of their sexual orientation is something that makes me upset.

    Comment by Aaron Gleeman — October 31, 2014 @ 3:30 pm

  21. Aaron, you did not respond to my question about Pope Francis. By what you have said, it seems you would also label him a “homophobe” since he only believes in the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman. Do you consider him a homophobe?

    Comment by Michael M — October 31, 2014 @ 4:03 pm

  22. Is the pope Catholic?

    Comment by pope torii — October 31, 2014 @ 4:22 pm

  23. So he’s a pedophile too?

    Comment by Zoilo — October 31, 2014 @ 4:53 pm

  24. Your comment exemplifies that the one group for which it seems to be perfectly acceptable to bash in our society are Christians, especially Catholics.

    Comment by Michael M — November 1, 2014 @ 12:12 pm

  25. you’re* a moron.
    Some examples of other “alternative viewpoints” that were held by the majority throughout history:
    Blacks are bad (shouldn’t have rights, vote, own land, be anything but slaves etc)
    Jews are bad
    Women are bad
    Women shouldn’t vote
    Landless folks shouldn’t vote
    The earth is flat
    The universe revolves around the earth

    These and many other beliefs held by the majority at one point or another have either been disproven (seethe last two) or are now minority beliefs. This cause you champion, this deep rooted belief, this cause which has had much ink and blood spilled for it is one that you are on the wrong side of. If it isn’t already the case, you will soon see this idea that a man and a man or a woman and a woman shouldn’t be allowed to marry listed with these other commonly held beliefs that were the “right” way to think.
    If you truly believe that a man laying with a man is an abomination as the Bible states, then do you also not eat shellfish? When’s the last time you wore synthetic or blended clothing? These were also mentioned in Leviticus as being abominations. If you want to tout the Bible as the reason that two consenting adults shouldn’t be married, then you don’t understand that Jesus was the New Covenant. The old laws are no more, and the one thing that matters now is loving one another as you love yourself. Treating those as you would be treated.
    Think about that for a little while and hopefully you’ll see that you’re on the wrong side of history and try to do something to rectify that.

    Comment by D-Luxxx — November 3, 2014 @ 3:44 pm

  26. Why is someone a moron because they believe that marriage is between one man and one woman? Is that really such a radical position? Across time, cultures and very different religious beliefs, marriage between a man and a woman has been the foundation of the family, and the family has been the basic unit of society.
    And while Jesus said that we should love one another as you love yourself, He also said, “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Mk 10:6-8).

    Comment by Michael M — November 4, 2014 @ 8:59 am

  27. I didn’t call anyone a moron. I corrected his use of your to you’re. I find it amusing when someone uses “your a moron.” As to the rest, I’m not about to get into a scripture argument because the Bible is a big book with a lot of contradictions. One can use it to back any type of argument they want to (I’ve seen where Jesus ministers to a gay couple – The Centurion and his pais in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10. The erstes-pais relationship is well documented as being a same sex relationship between an older soldier and a younger man. If Jesus would bless such a relationship, then why would he not bless a same sex union now?

    Comment by D-Luxxx — November 4, 2014 @ 10:31 am

  28. Whether the centurion and his servant had a sexual relationship is ambiguous at best depending on the translation from Greek. Jesus mercifully heals the servant at the request of the centurion, but I do not see from the passage how He “blesses” their relationship.
    As you said, the Bible is open to interpretation, and theologians and Biblical scholars have studied it for centuries. The point of my comments has been that calling someone a “homophobe” (a label that is as highly-charged as “racist” or “bigot”) because of their religious beliefs is disrespectful of that person’s right to those beliefs. As I said in another comment, believing that marriage is only between one man and one woman is not exactly a radical or absurd principle to hold.

    Comment by Michael M — November 4, 2014 @ 11:49 am

  29. Aaron, you never responded to my question about whether you would label Pope Francis a homophobe. I can only assume you would. However, to label someone a “homophobe” because of their religious beliefs demonstrates an intolerance that is just as objectionable as the intolerance of which you think Torii Hunter, Pope Frances and millions of other people of good will are guilty.

    Comment by Michael M — November 1, 2014 @ 12:25 pm

  30. Not Aaron here, but if you really want an answer: yes, the Pope, Torii Hunter, and many religious people (Christian and otherwise) are homophobes. That they are religious (and may also do some good things) is immaterial to the fact that they are also homophobes.

    To counter some of the other commenters to this post, I find Aaron’s responses in the comments section to be the best work that he’s done in years.

    Comment by Marty Ackerman — November 1, 2014 @ 6:53 pm

  31. Congratulations! You’ve just cemented your status as a blogger I no longer read!

    Comment by Dan — November 1, 2014 @ 4:22 pm

  32. If Gordon had run full out for the entire way around, I give him about a 30% chance of scoring. Forcing a throw would have made sense IMO.

    Comment by Opie Jones — November 4, 2014 @ 10:21 am

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