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I am having difficulty understanding why so many good people of various backgrounds take the recent Vikings, Twins and Gopher struggles so emotionally. My response is to root for the Lynx and attend local games, concerts, and theater even better.
The very generous Vikings owners and the very ungenerous (read frugal, close fisted, or chintzy) Twins owners do not know you or root for your family or had your kids in school or played basketball with you at the Y or shot pool with you at the The Place or froze the outdoor rink with you at midnight or claimed they remember when the Gophers were competitive (thanks to southern segregation by the way).
Local athletes, coaches, musicians and actors do know you. They also will not ask you for a five- or six-figure NIL check while blowing you off when you are trying to explain that your scholar daughter and son have six-figure school debts while housing costs and grocery costs continue to rise.
I attended the thrilling UMD football game late Saturday afternoon on a beautiful day over the hill. Approximately 5,600 Bulldog fans were there. I was greeted by alumni, students, former students, players' families, faculty and administrators, friends, and acquaintances and Chancellor Nies and his wife.
They won on a last-second field goal by a freshman who was in the game because the first-string kicker was injured a few weeks ago. Many asked how my wife and I are and how our sons are doing.
I don't eat game site food but I can afford it here. Bring your family to any of the three Minneapolis stadiums we built with our tax money and bring a couple of hundred dollars on your debit card if you want to feed them a snack.
I assure you no one you know will greet you because you will not know anybody.
Target Field will be empty and U.S. Bank Stadium will be drunk.
The opposite happens when I go to a local gym or theater. Your friends greet you and you get to support their children. So my counsel is to please consider rooting for the people who are rooting for you and yours. They deserve it.
