The American Perspective

How about that?!

2010-10-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

TEXAS RANGERS BEAT THE NEW YORK YANKESS!!! This is a celebration day in Twinsland [past by five days, but hey, who cares?]. The Rangers nonetheless defeated the Yanks. That leaves only the SF Giants in the way on their quest for their first ever World Series title. As they say... there's only two teams for me: The Minnesota Twins and whoever beats the Yanks.

Twins vs. facking yanks

2010-10-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

As you can [hopefully] tell, I was just in a panic. Like, OMFG THE TWINS ARE PLAYING AND THE STUPID CABLE TV ISN'T COVERING THEM!?!??!!?!?!?

So this involved a frantic search to find the MLB Playoffs on TV. I finally found them. If you care the Twins are on TBS, which is channel 46 for me. So I'm sitting here going OMFG I CANT WATCH MY TWINS PLAY? THIS IS THE WORST DAY EVER!! And then I realize that, YES I CAN! So now I'm like WHOOO HOOOOOO MY TWINKIES ARE GONNA KICK SOME YANK ARSE TONIGHT! JUST YOU WATCH!!! And all the yanks are going to have "sore muscles" and "mysterious illnesses" and royally suck and the Twins are just gonna be a facking awesome and kill them. I trust you they will. *nods*

The Blog Is Going... General!

2010-06-11T12:22:00.000-07:00

No more sports focus (cuz I can't keep up with my Wildmen or Twinkies or Gunners or Swarmers anymore than I can keep up with my Labrador!). The American Perspective is going general! I'll be reporting from my trip (June 12th - June 27th) from various locations. You may even get lucky and get some pictures =D

So enjoy... and check out http://ramblingates.blogspot.com/ for horse-racing related rambles!

[Twins] Opening with LA Angels, 6-3 loss

2010-04-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

If anyone dared to stay up to 11:30pm CST to watch the Twins game, I'm sure some came away sourly disappointed. Not only was our first up to bat a 1-2-3, but their first up at bat seemed to drag on forever. Or was I just in a sleepy mood last night? I fell asleep early in the game, but I don't think I was the only one finding the old Twinkies struggling. In the article published on the Minnesota Twins website, Baker, Twins get off to a rough start, the general feel of the team was rough.We shall see how the team does tonight against the Angels once more.

Fewer Are The Fish Fevers

2010-03-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

Fewer Are The Fish Fevers
That Rampagne This Body
For The Sicknesses Are Gone.

Gearing Up For Twins Season!

2010-03-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Forgetting to cover anything else due to my sudden realization that the Twins will start their regular season in less than a month and Mauer signed an 8 year, $184 million contract to stay with the Twinkies through 2011-2018! I have decided to write some player profiles on the current team, with historical blobs from 1960 to 2010. We are, after all, celebrating half a century of MBL baseball in Minnesota!

Wildmen Late Jan - Early Feb Updates

2010-02-15T14:38:00.000-08:00

Whether you like it or not.

01/23/2010 Game; win to the Wild over the Blue Jackets (4-2).

01/27/2010 Game; win to the Wild over the Red Wings (5-2).

01/28/2010 Game; win to the Wild over the Avalanche (1-0).

01/30/2010 Game; lose to the Sharks (2-5).

02/02/2010 Game; lose to the Stars (2-4).

02/04/2010 Game; win to the Wild over the Oilers (4-2).

02/06/2010 Game; win to the Wild over the Flyers (2-1).

02/10/2010 Game; lose to the Coyotes (2-3).

02/12/2010 Game; lose to the Thrashers (2-3).

02/14/2010 Game; win to the Canucks (6-2).

Clear Winter Day

2010-02-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

Today was a nice, clear winter day.
The sun was shining through some clouds,
A soft, cold breeze chilled my hands.
The sky was a light blue,
Dotted here and there with clouds.
How can such a fine day
Be lined with darkness, of lost?

There's the hopefulness that not all is lost,
On such a fine winter day.

There's hope in tomorrow, in the future,
If I can only believe.

There's the chance that tomorrow,
Will fix all the current problems.

Can I trust?
Can I believe?
Can I hope?
Can I wish?
Can I dream?

May I close my eyes tonight,
To not wake tomorrow,

To seek those that I lost,
On the Rainbow Bridge?

How can such darkness,
Lurk on such a winter's day?
When all around me,
Sun is shining,
Sky is blue,
Soft, nipping winds blow?

[Wild] Let's Get The [puck] Rolling Again!

2010-01-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

The Wild have been suffering loss after loss since the 1-0 loss to the Blues. 01/16/2010 Game Recap; a blowing defeat to the Wild at 6-4 after a rally in the third. 0/18/2010 Game Recap; another loss to the Dallas Stars, nonetheless! 4-3 final score. 01/21/2010 Game Recap; another 4-3 score, this time against the Coyotes.

There's a game tonight, against the Blue Jackets. Here's to a victory there.

Horse of the Year

2010-01-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

One of my first posts to this blog was the great debate between Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta for the Horse of the Year title. If you have read the previous post, Rachel Alexandra v. Zenyatta [HOTY], you may have noticed how I presented the facts for one of these fillies - and clearly expressed why Rachel was the champion of the year, and not Zenyatta.

Was I alone? Oh goodness no! Those who follow horse racing have noticed two camps: one for Rachel and one for Zen. Regardless of which camp you were for, you all had your reasons. "Zenyatta is going to retire undefeated, a perfect fourteen-fourteen, after the Classic even!" was one response from the Zenyatta camp. Rachel? "Eight races, all perfect wins, winning by a combined total of nearly seventy lengths, and winning not once, not twice, but three times against males both her age and older."

Was I alone, in proclaiming Rachel as the better of the fillies? No. Was it obviously a close race? Let's head over to my favorite site for horse racing - the National Thoroughbred Racing Association. In their article, Rachel Alexandra wins Horse of the Year, they state that Rachel received 130 first-place votes, as compared to Zenyatta's 99. "All three voting blocs went for Rachel Alexandra. The National Turf Writers Association preferred Rachel Alexandra by 71 votes to 51. Daily Racing Form went for Rachel Alexandra by a 31-23 margin. And the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, which includes racing secretaries and members of Equibase, had Rachel Alexandra by 28-25."

The closest of these races was at the NTRA itself; a mere three vote margin separated these two powerhouse fillies. Now, many question why did Zenyatta loose? My thoughts:

1) Zenyatta's career was fantastic, but her 2009 season consisted of only five starts, with the Classic being her only highlight.
2) Zenyatta is returning to racing. I found this a damaging blow to her campaign for HOTY.
3) Zenyatta can only claim the Classic - yes, in fact it is marvelous - but Rachel raced three times against colts this year, even holding off older colt Macho Again.

Wildmen Updates!

2010-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

An incredible game last Saturday (01/09/2010) against Chicago. 5-1 in the third and we came back to tie it by the end of the game. The OT didn't prove much to us but in the first shootout, we scored, followed by a goal by Chicago in the second round of shootouts, and then we came back in the seventh round to score and Harding was an amazing goalie in the shootout! Our Cap'n Mikko Koivu showed them Chicagoian boys what it means to be a Wildman!

On a streak, the Wild defeat the Penguins at home on the 11th, scoring 4-3. Backstrom was back in the net after Harding's amazing goaltending duties on the 9th. Click For Recap. Now the Wild are lookin' good; two amazing wins back to back and then on the 13th, the Canucks come along and defeat is in the near future as the Wild take a 5-2 victory at home again. Click For Recap.

And then the roll came to an end. On the 14th, the Wild faced off against the Blues on their rival's ice and came away in defeat; 0-1. Game Recap

Football & Wild Updates

2010-01-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

A crushing 5-3 defeat to the Minnesota Wild on 02.01.2010. I always question the practice of pulling a goalie at the end of the third; does the extra player really help? It also provides a HUGE opportunity for the other team, if they should break free. I have seen it countless times; the team pulls their goalie while they seem in control of the puck, a simple mistake is made, they loose control of the puck, and boom, another goal and the game is lost. We're 4th out of 5th in the Northwest; disappointment! In our last ten we're five-five.

In other cheerful news, Leeds defeated Man U 1 to 0 and Arsenal defeated West Ham, 2-1. Good news on top of bad news.

Defeat In The Old Year

2010-01-02T14:40:00.000-08:00

Wild take a 5-2 loss at the Excel on New Years Eve, ending the year with two losses and one win in three games. Here's to hoping for a strong start to this year; the Wild will be taking on the Flames at 7:00pm CST.

Wild take on the Ducks; squash the Kings.

2009-12-29T13:28:00.000-08:00

12/28/2009; Wild came out ahead, 4-3, to defeat the L.A. Kings last night. Tonight (12/29/2009) the Wild will be playing the Ducks tonight at 9:00pm CST. Good luck Wild!! Their next home game will be on the 31st, against the Kings. Hoping to wrap up the year on a good note with another defeat!

Rascal & Trigger

2009-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Alright, so this was going to be more of a focus on my favorite sports teams but... I must share my dogs as well! Considering, Rascal will be my show dog, therefore it's sports related. haha.

Fifth straight victory, start of road career [WILD]

2009-12-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

The Wild take a fifth victory with five goals against Nashville. The Wild will be taking on the Coyotes tomorrow night (12/07) at 8:00 PM.

Three Years Ago

2009-12-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

Three years ago from this date we put my Labrador, Brandy, down. She was only six years old but terribly sick. We took her to the vet on the Fifth, and an x-ray was taken to show us what was wrong. Several organs were not in place and/or failing. Surgery was only a fifty percent chance and could cost a lot of money - money we didn't have. It was a hard decision but on the Sixth, Brandy was laid to rest at my grandparents farm. R.I.P Brandy (2000 - 2006).

It Happened In December

2009-12-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

It Happened In December

Three years ago,
My world changed,
Not for the good,

It happened in December.

Six short years,
She was mine,
She was my world,
It happened in December.

Illness took her,
Six years too early,
She was sick,
It happened in December.

It can't be three years yet,
Since that painful goodbye,
Three years doesn't seem right,
It happened in December.

She left us at six years,
Three years ago from Sunday,
It's too hard to believe,
It happened in December.

She was taken from me,
She crossed that Rainbow Bridge,
And will be waiting for me, one day,
It happened in December.
It happened in December.

-- In Memory of Brandy,

2000 - 2006
R.I.P.

Kobasew Leads Wilds To Victory

2009-11-27T13:49:00.000-08:00

No. 12, Kobasew, takes three goals in Friday afternoon's game against the Colorado Avalanche. Kobasew's third goal of the night came in the third period with less than a minute remaining and on an open net. Terrific playing tonight!

Best Way To Waste Time

2009-11-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

www.mylifeisaverage.com
www.averagewizard.com
www.mysterygoogle.com

My personal best Mystery Googles:
Malfoy, Draco
DONT DO IT ITS A TRAP
Thanks Mystery Google.

Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy
Depression
Even Mystery Google knows it's no fair to pick.

Arsenal
im awesome, what should i do?
Need I say more?

Mystery Google: Who should I text?
Johnson
Exactly which one, Mystery Google?

DmQuarterHorse
sooo awesome
Need I say more?

AnAmericanGunner
why hello there
'Ello

(oops, repeat)
AnAmericanGunner
Rawr?
Be scare, be afraid, its the Gunners!

Trigger
Future Husband
Now I'm a little freaked...

Cescy
Should I talk to him?
Yes.

Eduardo
What is Gibberish?
Right...

Robin Van Persie
You out there?
...

May I?
MLIA
Sure, if that's what you want to believe...

Jo Benson
I need some advice
Well yeah I do...

Rachel Alexandra v. Zenyatta [HOTY]

2009-11-21T12:01:00.000-08:00

Rachel Alexandra, also known as "Alexandra The Great", is an undefeated three year old filly who's claim to fame was winning the Kentucky Oaks by twenty lengths and defeating colts her age AND older in not one but THREE races.

Now in a hot race against older mare Zenyatta for Horse of the Year honors, Rachel has raced eight times in 2009 and has come out ahead in all eight races. Rachel is ranked fourth in 2009 earnings with two point seven million, just behind Gladiatorus, Zenyatta, and Well Armed, the winner of the 2009 Dubai World Cup.

Why should Rachel win HOTY?
I do give Zenyatta the Breeders Cup Classic, and yes, the Classic is probably one of the largest races internationally, however we are not looking at life accomplishments; we forget that Zenyatta has only raced five times in 2009 and the only considered accomplishment is winning the Classic.

Rachel raced against the colts (both three year olds and older) not once, not twice, but three times this year and won in all three starts. Out of her eight starts in 2009, Rachel has won them all, and in style. In the Fair Ground Oaks this year, Rachel won on a muddy track and while being hand-ridden. After that, her stellar performance in the Kentucky Oaks and her incredible win of twenty lengths was all that was being talked about on Derby Day. Again, Borel hand-rode Rachel. In the Preakness, against colts her age, Rachel held off Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird to become the first filly to win the Preakness since 1924 and the only filly to ever win the Kentucky Oaks and the Preakness. In her next start, the Mother Goose, Rachel took on only two other fillies, Flashing and Malibu Prayer. After trailing the two runners, Rachel overcame them at the top of the stretch and won by nineteen lengths. After defeating the fillies in such style, Rachel went on to the Haskell, where she beat colts her age once again - this time over a sloppy track. Winning the Haskell by six lengths, Rachel looked towards her next race - the Woodward. This time, it wasn't just colts her age. Rachel faced older competition. The Woodward was no doubt the closest Rachel has come to loosing this entire year but she pulled through to beat Macho Again by a nose!

Tested again and again this year, Rachel has proved herself not only against fillies and colts her age, but also against older colts. She has won eight races by a combined total of 69 and three fourths lengths. Her spectacular wins in the Kentucky Oaks and Mother Goose, her triumphs in the Preakness, Haskell, and Woodward, are the reasons why I believe Rachel, not Zenyatta, should be crowned Horse of the Year.

Undefeated older mare, Zenyatta, makes history as the only mare to have ever won the Breeders Cup Classic, bringing her to fourteen wins in fourteen starts (lifetime) and five wins in five starts (2009).

The biggest accomplishment by Zenyatta this year? The Breeders Cup Classic, no doubt. Yes, I know what the Classic is; it's one of the largest races internationally. Yes, Zenyatta raced against the colts and won. Yes, Zenyatta was the first mare to ever win the Classic, but do you see a trend here? With Zenyatta, it's only about the Classic and her undefeated lifetime accomplishment of fourteen undefeated starts. Chew on that for a while.

Undefeated filly power, Rachel Alexandra, and older mare champion, Zenyatta, are both considered for this year's Horse of the Year title, but could it come down to lifetime accomplishments, instead of accomplishments in 2009?

Zenyatta is a perfect fourteen for fourteen, but that's her lifetime accomplishment. We are considering these two horses for horse of the year, not lifetime achievement. I will be looking at 2009 accomplishments only.

Rachel's Claim to Fame(s) of 2009: Winning the Kentucky Oaks by twenty lengths, defeating Mine That Bird in the Preakness (against colts her age), coming from behind in the Mother Goose to win by nineteen lengths, cruising to a victory in the Haskell (against colts her age), and finally, holding off older colt Macho Again in the Woodward to bring her 2009 record to eight wins in eight starts. Earned a little over two point seven million in 2009. In eight races, Rachel has won by a combined total of sixty nine and three fourths lengths.

Zenyatta's Claim to Fame(s) of 2009: Winning the Breeders Cup Classic against colts. Earned a little over three point three million in 2009. Her win in the Classic brought her 2009 record to five wins in five starts. In five wins, have won by a combined total of less than eleven lengths.

How can it not be clearer than this, that Rachel Alexandra deserves Horse of the Year?

Arsenal v. Sunderland (loss)

2009-11-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

Did not see the match but read up about it on Arsenal's website. Also, my friend was watching it and gave me an idea of what was going on. I wonder how different it would've been if van Persie had been out playing?

The Beginnings

2009-11-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

My blog, titled The American Perspective, is mostly for me, recording everything I know about my favorite sports teams and asking questions that I want to eventually get answered. If you know the answers to my questions, feel free to post! I've given a bit about my teams below :) You may notice me switching between British and American English. I'm a confused American ;)

Arsenal (Football)

The journey of learning about the Arsenal started in 2009. A good friend of mine began talking about them and I happened to Google them one day and came across the Arsenal USA website. Since then, I have been following them. No, I have yet to see an actual match. Yes, I usually do know when they have matches and know the results (either from my friend or from reading Arsenal USA). I'll admit they're probably the team I know the least about, BUT that is changing. Who's my favorite? Van Persie.

Wild (Hockey)

I'm not sure how I got attached to the Wild. It's not exactly like one day I looked at the TV and thought, 'Wow, they're a good team. I'm going to watch them now'. It's more that I grew up listening to things about the Wild on the news, and decided that since they're my home team that I'd follow them. Up until this year, I have only been listening to them on and off through their seasons, what was displayed on the news. Now I follow them more on the Wild website than on the news. I don't have a favorite right now, to be honest.

Swarm Lacrosse

When my brother started playing lacrosse, I had no idea it was a sport. Not much longer, my mom took my brother and I to the Swarm open house at the Excel, and since then I've been a fan of them. We went to a few games but haven't been to any recent games. I kinda stopped following them but the Swarm page is now bookmarked and I'm eagerly awaiting their next season. I'm hoping to go to some more games between them. Again, I don't have a favorite player in the Swarm.

Twins (Baseball)

The first professional game that I have ever been to was a Twins game, against the White Sox. It was back in 2001, when I was about nine. I grew up listening to the Twins and watching them on TV. There's no doubt that the Twins are my favorite team out of the ones I've listed. Baseball is one thing that everyone in my house follows, too. It was rather intense when the Twins went for the American Central League title -- that was a VERY good game -- and there was a lot of noise when the Twins and Yanks played. My least favorite team? The Yanks. My favorite Twinkie? Mauer.