March 30, 2012
Link-O-Rama
• I'll be on 1500-ESPN radio tonight from 7-8 talking Twins and other stuff with Darren Wolfson, so tune in or listen online.
• Carl Pavano was targeted in an extortion attempt by a high school classmate who claims to have had a relationship with the Twins pitcher and it gets even crazier from there.
• Who are the Twins' top five prospects? I'm glad you asked.
• This conversation, in my mind: "Oh my god, you're so good looking!"
• I decided to buy The Hunger Games book before seeing the movie and it was so good that I read all 374 pages in one sitting. Being labeled a "young adult novel" obscures the fact that it's darker and has more violence than 99 percent of "adult novels."
• On a related note: People, still the worst.
• Sarah Hyland seems like fun.
• For anyone interested in advertising on AG.com and supporting the site's free content, click here for the details of my new "sponsor of the week" program.
• Stephon Marbury is a huge Sinead O'Connor fan, obviously.
• This week's "Gleeman and The Geek" episode unwittingly started an odd Twitter feud between two groups of people, so you'll probably want to hear it.
• Never forget, Geraldo Rivera boxed Frank Stallone on Howard Stern's show in 1992:
Rivera got pummeled, which might explain a lot these days.
• Michael K. Williams as Ol' Dirty Bastard? Oh, indeed.
• Minnesota native, former Gophers star, and JCC basketball legend Jack Hannahan is the Indians' new starting third baseman.
• Joba Chamberlain's gruesome injury made me think back to fifth grade when a classmate got a trampoline and I went to her house about 15 times in a month ... and then never again. Fifth grade was weird, but at least my ankle stayed inside my skin.
• Marion Barber was a rookie at 22, a Pro Bowler at 24, and is finished at 28. Being an NFL running back is scary, but I'll never forget that amazing Barber-Laurence Maroney backfield.
• There's actually one profession that ages someone more rapidly than NFL running back.
• I can't believe I never thought of this for my prom.
• Joe Morgan liked Adidas before he disliked Moneyball.
• Not only did I lose 150 pounds in one year my cousin-in-law (which might not actually be a thing, but you know what I mean) has lost 110 pounds.
• Carnie Wilson, on the other hand, tried to cheat the system and failed. So she did it again.
• Hall of Fame soul singer Bobby Womack has been diagnosed with colon cancer.
• Which one word best describes how Tim Tebow feels about being traded to the Jets?
Tebow and The Pointer Sisters have something in common.
• I was sad to see him go, but congrats to my longtime Rotoworld teammate Gregg Rosenthal for his new gig at NFL.com. Great writer, great guy, and hugely responsible for my career.
• As part of replacing Rosenthal one of my favorite writers from way back, Michael David Smith, is the new managing editor at ProFootballTalk.
• Royce White declared for the NBA draft, so the Gophers only missed one really good season.
• I finally saw The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Another great David Fincher movie and, unlike most foreign remakes, an equal or perhaps even better version than the original. It also gave The Social Network opening breakup scene new meaning.
• Josie Long was an exceptionally charming guest on "Stop Podcasting Yourself."
• One of my favorite podcasters, Marc Maron, will soon have his own television show.
• I've always had a phobia of talking on the phone, which is rough because it's needed to set up therapy for the phobia and also because it's really dumb. But after hearing from people on Twitter and reading this I'm surprised to learn it's relatively common. Brains are weird.
• If you watched the season premiere of Mad Men you should read this and then read this.
• Happy birthday to my grandpa, Mel Gallop, who recently turned 89 years old and celebrated by complaining about Drew Butera over lunch with me.
• Finally, this week's AG.com-approved music video is Womack's classic "Across 110th Street":
