NBA Playoffs are the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

For a lot of sports fans, the NBA playoffs don’t rank atop their list of the best sporting events each the year, but for me, they are the most wonderful time of the year.  It’s the drama, eighth seeds knocking off one seeds, watching players elevate their game and take their team on deep runs.  Last year it was Dirk and the Mavericks and this year it will be LeBron James.

It’s hard to have one of the greatest seasons in NBA history and do so quietly, but that is how he wanted to do it.  He stayed out of the spotlight and locked himself in the gym instead.    The Heat are days away from taking care of the Knicks and from there, with Derrick Rose out, the path back to the Finals is relatively easy.  But will LeBron step up and become one of the great?  I think he will.  He hasn’t given me any evidence to think this way other than the “Witness” series against Detroit all those years ago, but just like Dirk last year, it feels like it is his time.

Let’s Vote

Monday is ten years in the making for the Minnesota Vikings as the state will finally have the long-awaited vote on a new stadium.  With Republicans in control of the Legislator and not many of them behind Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed plan that relies on tax revenue from gambling, approval to build a stadium is far from a sure thing.

House speaker Kurt Zeller has already made his intentions clear by stating he will vote against it.  He was also quoted as saying, “”The fate of the stadium is now in the governor’s hand.”

This quote is on the heels of Zeller and fellow Republican’s alternative approach to building a stadium, which consisted of a reduced state share and paying for it with income and sales tax backed construction bonds.

I know high-profile bills can turn into bargaining chips for lawmakers seeking support for their own priorities.  I also understand that Republicans don’t want a stadium deal to be seen as a win for Dayton, but as a Minnesotan, I held out hope that political agendas and differences could be put aside for the betterment of the state.  Quotes from rep Zeller make it hard to believe Republicans will be able to move past hurt feelings, avoid acting like a child and do something the majority of the state wants to happen.

We’ll all know the answer to the stadium issue on Monday, but as a Vikings fan and having a lack of faith in local government, I’m ready to start calling them the Los Angeles Vikings.