Are Bikes Sexy???

Posted on May 5, 2012 by
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Courtesy of www.outsideonline.com

 

The Bashaw Sports Blog is happy to cover all sports and not just the four major professional sports. With that in mind, I may be able to kill two birds with one stone. Those birds will be to talk about biking and rant at the same time.

I was recently discussing the subject of bikes and mountain biking with my good friend @JMKowa. He loves to bike, has several bikes, isn’t a problem for him to hop on his bike and ride a quick 50 miles. But what really caught my attention during out conversation was when he referenced a bike as sexy? I was curious and thought I miss heard him and I asked if he just used the word sexy to describe a bike? He acknowledged my thought was correct that he had just used the word sexy. His comparison goes as such. People describe a high end car as sexy and the bike he was referring to is a high end bike and is sexy.

Well that got me to thinking. Dictionary.com defines sexy as, concerned predominantly or excessively with sex; sexually interesting or exciting; radiating sexuality; excitingly appealing; glamorous. Dictionary.com also gives the example, a sexy new car. This does go along with the excitingly appealing definition but not really the other ones. To each his own but to me neither a car or bike is sexually interesting or radiating sexuality. But who am I to judge?

If a car or bike can be sexy I would argue just about anything can be sexy. Maybe warm apple pie is sexy? Maybe a juicer is sexy? Maybe a unicycle is sexy? Anything a person really finds interesting and or appealing can be described as sexy. The realm of possibilities is endless.

What do you think is sexy? Am I missing something? I am tackling this subject with an open mind and ready to learn.

 

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Summer Time…Gotta Love It

Posted on May 5, 2012 by
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Well it has been 3 weeks since my last post and I must say I do miss it. A lot has happened in the world of sports and in the life of the Bashaw Family. I appreciate everyone who still comes back to see the site and check for new content. I have 3 new posts coming this week and one new post later tonight.

With summer right around the corner I will now have more free time on my hands to get some blogging in. I am very excited for the warm weather and green grass.

Thanks again for your loyalty to my site.

 

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My First Trip to Target Field

Posted on April 13, 2012 by
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Our view from left field. If you look close enough Albert Pujols is up to bat.

On Wednesday night it was a bunch of firsts. The Bashaw family made their first trip to Target Field, the Minnesota Twins got their first win of the 2012 season, the Twins got their fist lead in a game this season, and Joe Mauer got his first RBI of the season (well actually his second but I needed another “first” for my list). Even better there was no rain, the game wasn’t delayed or rescheduled and it wasn’t too cold.

If you aren’t from Minneapolis making a trip to Target Field is a bit more difficult than living in the Twin Cities area, and here are some of my thoughts about the trip. First, purchasing Twins tickets on their website was quite easy. I got in a virtual line the day tickets went on sale and it was quite easy. I was surprised how quick of a process it was to buy the tickets and search the entire season for just the right game. Second, the parking options were numerous. We entered downtown Minneapolis of 94 East and the traffic really wasn’t bad at all. The cost to park in a ramp was a very reasonable $13. Third, the stadium is amazing. I was definitely impressed and would make the drive to another game based on the stadium alone.

There is always a flip side to everything, but I must say my only complaint about the entire experience was the increase in ticket price based on who the Twins were playing. As a true Minnesota sports fan, living 2.5 hours away from all the professional sports, I don’t want to be hampered by price based on the Twins opponent. I know professional sports is a business and they are out to make as much money as they can, but REALLY???? When I was picking tickets to buy the same seats I sat in for the Angels game were doubled or tripled in price if their opponent were the Tigers, the Cubs or even the Brewers. I can better understand the ticket price increase if the Twins were defending Central Division champs or even World Series champs, but the Twins lost 99 games last year. It could also be argued they are predicted to lose close to 90 games again this year. Don’t punish the fans who want to come and watch a game (in a 2 year old stadium I might add) and maybe also watch a big name on the other team. If the Twins are going to mark up the prices, then I would also ask the Minnesota Twins to do a better job improving the product they are putting on the field. Don’t decrease your payroll after the success of a new stadium, when your team lost 99 games the previous year. Spend more and continue to draw in the Minnesota faithful who stuck with you through many tough years.

Going to watch the Minnesota Twins in the still very new Target Field is definitely worth it, even if you are driving from 2.5 hours away.

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Conclusion: Lake Superior Challenge

Posted on April 9, 2012 by
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Yesterday was the conclusion of the Lake Superior Challenge. During the last month of the challenge I was able to incorporate some weight lifting into my exercise plan. I continued my plan to run 3 days per week and with the help from a friend I also lifted weights 3 days per week. Each day we lifted a different major muscle group. For example one day legs, next day arms, and another day the back. We also incorporated some circuit training that not only worked our muscles, but it got our heart rate up to focus on the conditioning side as well. The focus of our lifting was on high repetitions to focus on muscle toning instead of low repetitions to improving muscle mass. I have definitely seen a difference and am happy with my results. Through out the whole challenge I did keep a food log and logging each day what I eat defitinitly kept me away from snacking on candy and other unhealthy options. If you like to snack on junk food, I would encourage you to keep a food log. This tool helped me not to snack, or snack within my daily calorie goal.

The challenge was a lot of fun and I was able to get to Sault Ste. Marie, MI (684 miles). My training for Grandmas Half Marathon continues to be strong and I am logging about 20 miles a week. I will continue to lift weights and do my running. June is quickly approaching and I want to be ready for my half marathon.

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My Experience with UMD Basketball

Posted on April 6, 2012 by
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Courtesy of UMD Men's Basketball

Being born and raised in Duluth, Minnesota I can remember many fond memories of the UMD Men’s Basketball program. From a very young age I remember attending every home game and sitting 2 rows behind the bench. As far back as I can remember Gary Holquist was on that bench, first as an assistant and then as the head coach in 1999. Last week Coach Holquist announced his retirement after 14 seasons as head coach. He is taking over a new position at UMD as director of development for UMD athletics.

As I think back about my strong love for basketball, I must give credit to the UMD program for helping to build the passion and my wanting to learn more and more about the game everyday. As soon as I could I was attending the week long summer camp, getting instruction from former head coach Dale Race, Gary Holquist and many other top coaches from the surrounding states. It was the best week of my summer.

I have two stories that stick out in my mind. The first story involved Coach Race. Every day after lunch he would talk to the whole group. While he was speaking to us he brought up 2 kids to stand by him. One kid was wearing an NBA jersey and matching shorts. The other kid was wearing a plain t-shirt and shorts. Coach Race asked, if you had to guess which one of these guys is a basketball player? Of course we said the kid wearing the NBA jersey and matching shorts. Coach Race said, good guess, but guess what? This isn’t Halloween, it’s basketball. He continued by saying, it doesn’t matter what you look like, it matters how you play. Boy was he right.

The second story involved Coach Holquist. Every year he would give us his talk about the perfect shooting form. I can remember his emphasis on the backspin, shooting “U” and having a good, strong foundation. I must have heard that speech about 7 years in a row and each year it was the same thing. That speech definitely helped me shoot the ball.

Last thing about the UMD program is how grateful I am to Coach Holquist for allowing me to volunteer on his staff during the 2009-2010 season. I have a very strong desire to be a basketball coach at the college level some day, and when I spoke to him prior to the 2009 season, he was very happy to bring me on board to continue learning the game at the college level. I was still working full time during the season and Coach Holquist helped make the season very rewarding and a great learning experience.

After 14 seasons it will be different to see a new face leading the team. Best of luck to you Gary. Thanks for everything you have done for this community, the UMD basketball program, and for myself.

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Kentucky Wins…I Win!!!

Posted on April 3, 2012 by
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Courtesy of kentucky.247sports.com/

 

It was definitely an exciting game last night to end the college basketball season. I was pleasantly surprised to see Kansas stay in the game and make a nice second half come back. However, the important part is because Kentucky won, I won my office bracket pool. Yep that’s right I am the champion. This was only the second time I have participated in the contest and I would say 1 out of 2 isn’t too shabby.

Because I follow college basketball very closely this whole week was filled with talk about John Calipari and the likelihood he is breaking NCAA rules. We have hear of this guilt soon enough, but my rant about John Calipari comes from his comments during the post game press conference. The comment that irritated me the most, and I’m paraphrasing, was when he said he felt the same after the game as he did before the game. You just won your FIRST National Championship, you pretty much cruised through the tournament, and you coach at Kentucky. How can you say you feel the same? It sounded so cocky and ridiculous. As if he was saying, oh yea I knew we were going to win and this was just another championship to add to my resume. IT WAS YOUR FIRST ONE. YOU’VE NEVER WON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE. Does anyone buy he feelings never changed?

Moving on, it will be interesting to see if John is able to continue to build Kentucky into a program that competes every year. Can John stay at Kentucky for a long time? Can John handle the pressure from the state of Kentucky or will he tuck tail and run to his next school? It will be interesting to see.

I would like to predict John will be leaving Kentucky in the next 5 years. I just think John likes to have his hands in too many cookie jars and when people start catching on to him, he can then make his escape. His track record has shown, get lots of wins and then move on somewhere else.

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Duluth MN versus St. Cloud MN

Posted on April 2, 2012 by
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Courtesy of duluthisacoolcity.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week I had the opportunity to go to St. Cloud Minnesota for work. I have been to St. Cloud many times before but this time was different for me. As I continue to grow more and more passionate about Duluth’s growth and expansion for the future, this time while in St. Cloud I took some mental notes.

Let’s compare on the surface Duluth and St. Cloud.

  • St. Cloud is only 90 miles away from Minneapolis & Duluth is 120 miles away from Minneapolis
  • Both cities contain a major Division 2 university, St. Cloud State University & University of Minnesota Duluth
  • Duluth has a bigger population about 87,000 people and St. Cloud is about 65,000
  • Both cities are mainly white in population
  • Duluth is bigger in total area than St. Cloud
  • St. Cloud has a higher population density than Duluth

With this basic information about each city one would think the list of retail stores and national restaurant chains for each city would be the same. However this is not the case. Here is a quick list of stores and restaurants located in St. Cloud and not in Duluth.

  • IHOP
  • Chipotle (2 in St. Cloud)
  • Granite City Food & Brewery
  • Hooters
  • TGI Fridays
  • Noodles and Company
  • Macy’s
  • Scheels
  • The GAP

Why is this list so long?

Duluth needs to make a push for more higher paying technology jobs which can allow people to have more disposable income so they can go to eat out more. When people eat out more, Duluth will get more restaurants and other retail businesses. After speaking to a couple friends, they brought up the point that Duluth is too concerned about blue collar jobs and tourism. These will remain no matter what, but what are the incentives for all the students graduating from UMD, St. Scholastica and Lake Superior College to stay in Duluth? There are none because the higher paying jobs aren’t in Duluth and they move away.

Are there tax advantages for big businesses to move to Duluth? I don’t think so but I could be wrong.  In the end it is all about the almighty dollar and tourism dollars just aren’t going to cut it in Duluth anymore. Duluth isn’t going to grow and make improvements if the focus of this city is on tourism.

I would really love to hear from our city councilors and mayor how they will bring higher paying jobs to Duluth. I am not a great big business mind but would love to give my support to people who are. I want Duluth to be better for my kids when they grown up and not just continue to be happy with being average. Duluth is the fourth largest city in Minnesota. Let’s start acting like it. Because if St. Cloud can have these stores and restaurants with a smaller population, so can Duluth.

 

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March Madness is Almost Over

Posted on March 31, 2012 by
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On Saturday the University of Louisville will take on the University of Kentucky, and Ohio State University will take on the University of Kansas. We are down to the final four teams and those teams will be playing for 2 spots in the NCAA National Championship Game on Monday night.

If you are a sports fan, or you may not be, you probably filled out a bracket and selected who you thought would win this 68 team tournament. At my work, a bracket cost you $3. So, for a respectable $9 I filled out 3 brackets with different results in each one. I had to cover all my bases in case there was a Cinderella team that made a big run. My bracket #2 is very close to getting me a victory and putting me in the money. If Kentucky and Kansas can make it to the finals, and Kentucky can beat Kansas in the finals I will be the champion. My first time I might add.

However, it must be known that I am a HUGE Duke fan, it is very painful for me to cheer for Kentucky, but because Duke choked this year and lost in the first round, I will still be able to sleep at night when I cheer for Kentucky. For the record if Duke was playing Kentucky to go to the finals, I would be cheering for Duke even though it would cost me some serious bucks for Kentucky to lose.

I love the month of March and there is nothing better than watching 68 teams battle to win the title. I have no complaints about this tournament, who gets in, or how many teams are in the tournament. I will say however, I do hope the NCAA does not expand this tournament and bring in more teams. 68 is enough and if you are a team on the bubble, well sorry. Play better so you will not have to worry about being on the bubble.

Good luck to the teams and everyone else that has some money riding on the games this weekend. May your brackets be lucky and the results generous.

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2 Week Layoff

Posted on March 31, 2012 by
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What will I do in 2012?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life is sure busy around the Bashaw house the past 2 weeks and I appreciate everyone who has been taking the time to check back and see if anything new was posted. Sometimes in life certain things take priority and for me the last 2 weeks have been all about family and spending my extra time playing with the kids, reading my book, and having deep conversations with my wife.

So with life being so busy and my priority not on my blog for the last 2 weeks there have not been any posts. However, tonight I have some time and have some things fresh in my mind and posts about March Madness, city of Duluth versus City of St. Cloud, and the conclusion to a very successful Lake Superior Challenge will be coming this week.

Thanks again all for your patience and loyalty to the Bashaw Sports Blog.

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Let’s Blog Off: Grammar

Posted on March 13, 2012 by
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When I traveled to Italy and Brasil, I was told learning English was the hardest language to learn. I have discovered as I teach my daughter how to read and write English it is a very hard language to learn. One part of the English language that baffles my mind is who gets to decide what rules are used and what new rules can be created. When thinking about what grammar rules bother me the most, I thought of two things I don’t really like.

The first one is the comma. After doing some research about the comma, which I might add was not really that much fun. The general rule for a comma is, put a comma in where ever you take a breath. Really!?!?! Well who’s breath are we talking about? A male breath? A female breath? I mean some people have a bigger lung capacity than others. What about the guy who use to be on the Micro Machine commercials. He never took a breath. When he writes can he totally skip using the comma? But when and if you are doing some writing for journalism you can skip using the comma because you try and save some space whenever you can. I actually found a website that gives 10 rules to follow when using a comma. WOW that is a lot of rules for a piece of punctuation that is almost as small as a period. The period is for ending a complete thought. Pretty simple. This same website also listed 10 reasons why you should know how to use a comma. It’s cool to use the comma.

My final grammar rule that really irritates me is when you can have a word be spelled exactly the same and have two different meanings. This word is called a homonym. An example of this I found was the word “bow.” I hope you can keep up as I share the definitions for the word spelled exactly the same, bow.

1. A long wooden stick with horse hair used to play certain instruments
2. To bend forward at the waist in respect
3. The front of the ship
4. The weapon that shoots arrows
5. A kind of tied ribbon
6. To bend outward at the sides

Let’s think about this. The stone age men created the bow to get some food which most likely happened before people were bowing to each other. So when the first person bend forward at the waist in respect and most likely had used a bow before the bending at the waist, why would they call that a bow? Can’t they think of calling a bow something else? And then who got rich from creating the word homonym because we have 6 definitions for certain words? Well anyway I hope you got my point.

I must say I am very excited to read about what grammar rules bother others. I’m hoping to create my own word some day and make millions but may just decided to use a word already in use with my own definition.

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